Raymarine AIS500 - Diagnostics Tab Information; AIS Transponder Status Checks; Interpreting Red Cross Indicators; AIS Transceiver Active Alarms

Systeminformation
Warning:AISlimitation
NeverassumethatyourAISisdetectingallvessels
inthearea.Alwaysexercisedueprudenceanddo
notuseAISasasubstituteforsoundnavigational
judgement.
Overview
TheAIS500usesdigitalradiosignalstoexchange’real-time’
informationbetweenvesselsandshorebasedstationsondedicated
VHFfrequencies.Thisinformationisusedtoidentifyandtrack
vesselsinthesurroundingareaandtoprovidefast,automaticand
accuratecollisionavoidancedata.
AlthoughAISaugmentsyourradarapplicationbyoperatinginradar
blindspotsanddetectingsmallerAIS-ttedvessels,itdoesnot
replaceradar,asitreliesonreceivingtransmittedAISinformation
andthereforecannotdetectobjectssuchaslandmassesand
navigationalbeacons.
NEVERassumethatAISisdisplayinginformationfromallvessels
inthearea,because:
•NotallvesselsarettedwithAIS
•Althoughitismandatoryforlargercommercialvesselstocarry
AIS,itisnotmandatorytouseit.
AISshouldbeusedonlytoaugmentradarinformation,notsubstitute
it.
ClassesofAIS
YourAIS500isatransceiverthatreceivesmessagesfromand
transmitsmessagestovesselscarryingClassAorClassB
transceivers.
ClassATransceivers
ClassAAIStransceiverstransmitandreceiveAISsignals.AIS
transceiversarecurrentlymandatoryonallcommercialvessels
exceeding300tonsthattravelinternationally(SOLASvessels).
ThefollowinginformationcanbetransmittedbyaClassAAIS
system:
•Staticdata.Includesinformationsuchasvesselname,vessel
type,MMSInumber,callsign,IMOnumber,length,beamand
GPSantennalocation.
•Voyagerelateddata.Includesinformationsuchasdraft,cargo,
destination,ETAandotherrelevantinformation.
•Dynamicdata.Includesinformationsuchastime(UTC),ship’s
position,COG,SOG,heading,rateofturnandnavigationalstatus.
•Dynamicreports.Ship’sspeedandstatus.
•Messages.Alarmsandsafetymessages.
Rememberthatnotallvesselswilltransmitalloftheinformation.
ClassBTransceivers
ClassBAIStransceiverstransmitandreceiveAISsignals,butuse
areducedsetofdatacomparedtoClassA(seeDataSummary).A
ClassBAIStransceivercanbettedonanyvesselnotttedwitha
ClassAtransceiver,butisnotmandatoryaboardanyvessel.
YourAIS500transceiverisaClassBtransceiver.
DataSummary
Data
ClassA
(receive)
ClassB
(send)
ClassB
(receive)
Ship’sname
YesYesYes
TypeYesYesYes
Introduction13