New AIT6000 AIS Transponder from Digital Yacht brings AIS to the space age

For Immediate Release

AIS (automatic identification system) is a technology that allows vessels to exchange location and identity data.  AIS transponders are mandated on all commercial vessels over 300GRT and have also been widely adopted by leisure sailors and boaters over the past 15 years since lower cost black box recreational solutions became available.  It’s probably fair to say that AIS has made the biggest step change in maritime navigation since GPS was introduced nearly 40 years ago.

Commercial users must carry a Class A system which features a display and allows voyage data to be entered.  Leisure users can use Class B or the later Class B+ systems.  These newer Class B+ systems use transmission technology (SOTDMA) similar to that of a Class A to guarantee a slot in the transmission spectrum and have a slightly higher output power.  All the systems interoperate and normally target data is displayed on the boats plotter or even an iPad or tablet.

Digital Yacht have just introduced the new AIT6000 Nucleus model which uses the latest Class B+ technology.  The AIT6000 also incorporates Digital Yacht’s latest SPAIS™ (space AIS) technology with AIS transmissions now enabled with extra messaging for reception by AIS satellites for true ocean tracking capability.  Most importantly it allows rescue authorities to track vessels without access to land based AIS stations giving extended coverage.

Nucleus has also been designed to become an onboard hub for navigation.  It features NMEA 0183 interfaces for older, legacy chart plotters as well as NMEA 2000 for modern navigation systems.  It also has PC and MAC connectivity via USB and a wireless interface supporting up to 6 iPads, tablets or phones which can utilise the data for app integration.  This allows a hybrid form of navigation using an iPad alongside a multi-function display which has now become extremely popular.

The AIT6000 adds a lot of interfacing capability through this wireless interface with not just AIS and GPS data from the transponder being available for the mobile device but also boat instrument data from the NMEA 2000 network – such as depth, heading, speed and wind information.  This effectively turns the mobile device into a powerful multi-function display rivalling any premium MFD and with multi chart format capability through different apps.

The unit also has a built in wireless interface showing transponder diagnostics, features like silence of AIS transmissions and also a graphical display and alerts for closest point of approach (CPA) and time to CPA (TCPA) targets.  This is useful for alerts while sailing without the need for a connection to the chart plotter.  All this functionality is accessed through a web browser so there’s no complicated software to install.

Installation is simplified with an integrated VHF antenna splitter so the main VHF antenna is used for AIS and VHF operation.  The AIT6000  is supplied with a separate GPS antenna for its own internal GPS receiver which, like all transponders, needs to be utilised.  You can’t use an existing GPS on the NMEA 2000 network.

The AIT6000 is available now and details and pricing are on Digital Yacht websites.