FA-70 Black Box AIS Transponder
- Thread starter VICTOR
- Start date
The FA70 offers both a 2000 bus connection and NMEA 0183 via the power/data cable. The 0183 data can be taken from the FA70 directly to data port 2 of the RDP149. If your data 2 is busy, you must free it up because that is the only port that will process AIS. It becomes an AIS input only port whenever AIS is connected. The RDP149 should have newest software as old software might not understand AIS data. Yes, the FA70 will need a whip antenna of choice. Some here might have their suggestions and why but I don't have a brand preference. It is more about size and mounting style needed for the install.
Thanks, Johnny, for the info. So, upon further investigation, we discovered that our RDP149 has a Netgear EN104 Ethernet unit that connects our main helm display to our Flybridge display using port 1 and Port 2 on the Netgear box. Can we connect the AIS FA70 (or any other AIS unit) directly to port 3 on the Netgear unit for data transfer to the RDP149 display?
If we need to connect AIS directly to the display, we would use data 2 on the main helm display.
Also, how do I know what version of software that is on the rdp149 and how do I get the latest version?
If we need to connect AIS directly to the display, we would use data 2 on the main helm display.
Also, how do I know what version of software that is on the rdp149 and how do I get the latest version?
The FA70 is not a network AIS unit like the older FA50 or FA30. It has no Ethernet port and hence can't connect to the Navnet network hub.
Being the Vx2 doesn't support NMEA 2000, the only option is 0183. When using AIS on a VX2 by 0183, one must use data 2 of a 10.4" or data 1 of a 7" Vx2 display.
Being the Vx2 doesn't support NMEA 2000, the only option is 0183. When using AIS on a VX2 by 0183, one must use data 2 of a 10.4" or data 1 of a 7" Vx2 display.
Thank you, Johnny, for your response. We have since purchased an AIS unit from Em-Trak. We have successfully connected the AIS data to our chartplotter using the data 2 input cable, however, we have lost the depth info from the chartplotter that was input via data 2. The Em-track has 2 ports on it. Port 1 is for nmea0183 Baud 38400 for the AIS data, port 2 is for the nmea0183 Baud 4800 data, and then the output wires in Port 1 send the data to the cable going to the chartplotter which is data 2 on the chartplotter.
We have the RD-30 depth finder connected to the AIS port 2 in order to pass the data to the chartplotter.
The chartplotter is receiving both the AIS data and the depth data for about 3-5 minutes and then we lose the depth data and the AIS data is fine.
We have powered the AIS with its own circuit breaker on the dc panel. The chartplotter, vhf radio, and rd-30 are all powered from the same circuit breaker. Do you think that we could have a power issue that causes the depth data to disappear from the screen?
We have the RD-30 depth finder connected to the AIS port 2 in order to pass the data to the chartplotter.
The chartplotter is receiving both the AIS data and the depth data for about 3-5 minutes and then we lose the depth data and the AIS data is fine.
We have powered the AIS with its own circuit breaker on the dc panel. The chartplotter, vhf radio, and rd-30 are all powered from the same circuit breaker. Do you think that we could have a power issue that causes the depth data to disappear from the screen?
AIS INPUT ONLY means ONLY AIS, no depth, no temp, no anything else.
Okay, I get it. So now what can I do with the depth data that I was sending into data2? We have lost the depth data on our chartplotter and we already have inputs to data 1(gps) and data3(autopilot). We want the depth data back on the chartplotter so that our chartplotter on the flybridge receives that info. Thanks for your help
What are you doing with data 4?
Yes it is RS232 level NMEA 0183 but you could use a level converter (RS232 to RS422) that runs about $9 on Amazon to use it as you would a normal port to drive data in/out of the machine.
