Humminbird RX AIS User manual

RX AIS™ Installation and Operations Manual
ACCESSORY
MANUAL

Thank you!
Contact Humminbird Customer Service at humminbird.com or call 1-800-633-1468.
Humminbird® is a registered trademark of Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc.
Thank you for choosing Humminbird®, the #1 name in marine electronics.
Humminbird has built its reputation by designing and manufacturing top quality,
thoroughly reliable marine equipment. Your Humminbird is designed for trouble-free
use in even the harshest marine environment. In the unlikely event that your
Humminbird does require repairs, we offer an exclusive Service Policy. For complete
details, see the separate warranty card included with your unit. We encourage you to
read this manual carefully in order to get the full benefit from all the features and
applications of your Humminbird product.
NMEA 2000® is a registered trademark of the National Marine Electronics Association.

1 Notices ......................................................................................... 1
1.1 Safety warnings.........................................................................................1
1.2 Using the USB Connection .....................................................................2
1.3 General notices..........................................................................................2
2 About your AIS receiver .............................................................. 7
2.1 About AIS .....................................................................................................7
2.2 What's in the box?....................................................................................8
3 Installation ................................................................................12
3.1 Preparing for installation......................................................................12
3.2 Installation procedures .........................................................................14
4 Operation ...................................................................................25
4.1 Using the AIS receiver............................................................................25
4.2 Indicator functions .................................................................................26
5 Troubleshooting ........................................................................27
6 Specifications ...........................................................................28
Figure 1 Items included with the product....................................... 8
Figure 2 AIS receiver overview ......................................................... 10
Figure 3 Electrical connections to the AIS receiver .................. 11
Figure 4 Typical installation ............................................................. 12
Figure 5 AIS receiver dimensions ................................................... 15
Figure 6 AIS receiver mounting....................................................... 16
Figure 7 Position of the VHF antenna connector ...................... 17
Figure 8 Position of the Power and Data connector................. 18
Table 1 Colour coding of wires in the accessory cable........... 19
Figure 9 Connecting to the NMEA 0183 data port .................... 20
Figure 19 NMEA 2000 Connection.................................................... 21
Figure 11 USB Connection .................................................................. 22
Figure 12 Connecting the power supply ......................................... 24
Figure 13 Indicator location on the AIS receiver unit.................. 26
Table of contents Table of figures

Notices
Page 1
1 Notices
1.1 Safety warnings
!
When reading this manual please pay attention to warnings marked with the warning triangle shown
on the left. These are important messages for safety, installation, and usage of the product.
This equipment must be installed in accordance with the instructions provided in this manual.
!
This equipment is intended as an aid to navigation and is not a replacement for proper navigational
judgement.
!
This AIS receiver is an aid to navigation and must not be relied upon to provide accurate navigation
information. AIS is not a replacement for vigilant human lookouts and other navigation aids such as
RADAR. The performance of the AIS receiver may be seriously impaired if not installed as instructed in
the user manual, or due to other factors such as weather and/or nearby transmitting devices.
Compatibility with other systems may vary and is reliant on the third party systems recognizing the
standard outputs from the AIS receiver. The manufacturer reserves the right to update and change
these specifications at any time and without notice.
!
!
Do not install this equipment in a flammable atmosphere such as in an engine room or near to fuel
tanks.
!
This device should not be used as a navigational aid to prevent collision, grounding, vessel damage,
or personal injury. When the vessel is moving, water depth may change too quickly to allow time for
you to react. Always operate the vessel at very slow speeds if you suspect shallow water or
submerged objects.

Notices
Page 2
1.2 Using the USB Connection
1.3 General notices
Compass safe distance
The compass safe distance of this unit is 0.5m or greater for 0.3° deviation.
RF emissions notice
!
The USB port built into this product is not isolated from the vessel power supply, VHF antenna ground
or GPS Ground. Please observe the following procedures when connecting the USB port to avoid
grounding problems.
If the computer is permanently installed on the vessel and/or electrically connected to any other vessel
equipment, including power supplies, it is recommended that connection is made using the NMEA 0183
or NMEA 2000 interfaces. These benefit from being specifically designed for use in the marine
environment and provide isolated and robust communication between your devices.
If a battery powered laptop is being used, then it is recommended that you always switch off the
computer before connecting the USB cable.
!
Warning! The AIS receiver generates and radiates radio frequency electromagnetic energy. This
equipment must be installed and operated according to the instructions contained in this manual.
Failure to do so can result in personal injury and/or AIS receiver malfunction.
!
Warning! The antenna should not be co-located or operated in conjunction with any other transmitting
antenna. The required antenna impedance is 50Ω.

Notices
Page 3
Warranty
The product is supplied with standard warranty as defined in the Warranty statement supplied with
the product.
FCC Notice
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one
or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
Disassembly and repair of this electronic unit should only be performed by authorized service
personnel. Any modification of the serial number or attempt to repair the original equipment or
accessories by unauthorized individuals will void the warranty.
!

Notices
Page 4
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Industry Canada Notice
This device complies with Industry Canada licence-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio
exempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes:
1. L'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et
2. L'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage
est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Disposal of this product and packaging
Please dispose of the AIS receiver in accordance with the European WEEE Directive or with the
applicable local regulations for disposal of electrical equipment.
Every effort has been made to ensure the packaging for this product is recyclable. Please dispose of
the packaging in an environmentally friendly manner.
Accuracy of this manual
The AIS receiver may be upgraded from time to time, and future versions of the AIS receiver may
therefore not correspond exactly with this manual. Information in this manual is liable to change

Notices
Page 5
without notice. The manufacturer of this product disclaims any liability for consequences arising from
omissions or inaccuracies in this manual and any other documentation provided with this product.
This manual was written in English and may have been translated to another language.
Humminbird is not responsible for incorrect translations or discrepancies between documents.
ROHS Statement
Product designed and intended as a fixed installation or part of a system in a vessel may be
considered beyond the scope of Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and
electronic equipment.
Attention International Customers
Products sold in the U.S. are not intended for use in the international market. Humminbird
international units provide international features and are designed to meet country and regional
regulations. Languages, maps, time zones, units of measurement, and warranty are examples of
features that are customized for Humminbird international units purchased through our authorized
international distributors. To obtain a list of authorized international distributors, please visit our Web
site at humminbird.com or contact Humminbird Customer Service at [phone].
Environmental Compliance Statement
It is the intention of Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. to be a responsible corporate citizen,
operating in compliance with known and applicable environmental regulations, and a good neighbor in
the communities where we make or sell our products.
WEEE Directive
EU Directive 2002/96/EC “Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE)” impacts
most distributors, sellers, and manufacturers of consumer electronics in the European Union. The
WEEE Directive requires the producer of consumer electronics to take responsibility for the
management of waste from their products to achieve environmentally responsible disposal during the
product life cycle.

Notices
Page 6
WEEE compliance may not be required in your location for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE),
nor may it be required for EEE designed and intended as fixed or temporary installation in
transportation vehicles such as automobiles, aircraft, and boats. In some European Union member
states, these vehicles are considered outside the scope of the Directive, and EEE for those
applications can be considered excluded from the WEEE Directive requirement.
This symbol (WEEE wheelie bin) on product indicates the product must not be disposed
of with other household refuse. It must be disposed of and collected for recycling and
recovery of waste EEE. Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. will mark all EEE
products in accordance with the WEEE Directive. It is our goal to comply in the collection,
treatment, recovery, and environmentally sound disposal of those products; however
these requirements do vary within European Union member states. For more
information about where you should dispose of your waste equipment for recycling and
recovery and/or your European Union member state requirements, please contact your dealer or
distributor from which your product was purchased.

About your AIS receiver
Page 7
2 About your AIS receiver
2.1 About AIS
The marine Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a location and vessel information reporting
system. It allows vessels equipped with AIS to automatically and dynamically share and regularly
update their position, speed, course and other information such as vessel identity with similarly
equipped vessels. Position is derived from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and communication
between vessels is by Very High Frequency (VHF) digital transmissions.
There are a number of types of AIS devices as follows:
•Class A transceivers. These are similar to class B transceivers, but are designed to be fitted to
large vessels such as cargo ships and large passenger vessels. Class A transceivers transmit at a
higher VHF signal power than class B transceivers and therefore can be received by more distant
vessels. They also transmit more frequently. Class A transceivers are mandatory on all vessels over
300 gross tonnes on international voyages and certain types of passenger vessels under SOLAS
regulations.
•Class B transceivers. Similar to class A transceivers in many ways, but are normally lower cost due
to the less stringent performance requirements. Class B transceivers transmit at a lower power
and at a lower reporting rate than class A transceivers.
•AIS base stations. AIS base stations are used by Vessel Traffic Systems to monitor and control the
transmissions of AIS transceivers.
•Aids to Navigation (AtoN) transceivers. AtoN’s are transceivers mounted on buoys or other
hazards to shipping which transmit details of their location to the surrounding vessels.
•AIS receivers. AIS receivers will generally receive transmissions from class A transceivers, class B
transceivers, AtoNs and AIS base stations but do not transmit any information about the vessel on
which they are installed.
This product is an AIS receiver.

About your AIS receiver
Page 8
2.2 What's in the box?
Figure 1 shows the items included with your AIS receiver purchase. The following sections give a brief
overview of each item. Please ensure all items are present, and if any of the items are not present,
contact Humminbird Customer Service.
Figure 1 Items included with the product
Dual channel AIS receiver
Screws
(packet of 4)
Quick
start guide
Product manual
Product CD
Warranty
information
USB conguration cable Power and data cable

About your AIS receiver
Page 9
• Support tools CD
The CD supplied with the package contains the USB drivers to enable use of the AIS receiver via its
USB interface. Also included on the CD is the product manual in other languages.
• Quick start guide
The quick start guide provides a one page reference for the installation process.
• Product manual
This document is the product manual and should be read thoroughly prior to any attempt to install or
use the AIS receiver.
• Fixing screws
Four fixing screws are provided with the product for mounting of the AIS receiver. Please refer to
Section 3.2 for details of how to mount the AIS receiver.
• AIS receiver unit
Figure 2 shows an overview of the AIS receiver unit.
The AIS receiver has an indicator which provides information to the user about the status of the AIS
receiver. Please refer to Section 4.2 for more details of the indicator functions.
• Power and data cable
The accessory cable provides connections to the AIS receiver for power supply and NMEA 0183.
•USBcable
The USB cable provides connections to a PC or Mac.

About your AIS receiver
Page 10
.
Figure 2 AIS receiver overview
Electrical connections
The AIS receiver has the following electrical connections:
• Power supply
• NMEA 0183 data port for connection to chartplotters
• USB for connection to a PC or Mac
• NMEA 2000 port for connection to NMEA 2000 compatible equipment
Power and data Access to USB connector
NMEA 2000
Mounting
holes
VHF antenna
Indicator lights
Mounting
holes

About your AIS receiver
Page 11
Figure 3 Electrical connections to the AIS receiver
Power in
NMEA 0183
device
Chartplotter
NMEA 2000
Dual channel
AIS receiver
USB

Installation
Page 12
3 Installation
3.1 Preparing for installation
Figure 4 shows a typical installation configuration for the AIS receiver. Please take the time to
familiarise yourself with the system elements and their connections prior to attempting installation.
Figure 4 Typical installation
Dual channel
AIS receiver
NMEA 2000
Chartplotter
Power in
NMEA 0183 device
USB
VHF antenna

Installation
Page 13
In addition to the items provided with your AIS receiver, the following items will be required for
installation:
VHF antenna
Connection to a suitable VHF antenna will be required for the AIS receiver to operate. A standard
marine band VHF antenna such as that used with VHF voice radios will be sufficient. Please take note
of the warnings in Section 1 regarding the use of antennas.
Alternatively, if you wish to use an existing VHF antenna, antenna splitter products are available which
allow the existing antenna to be used with two radio devices, such as a VHF voice radio and the AIS
receiver.
Antenna cables
Please check that the VHF antenna you intend to use has sufficient cable to reach between the VHF
antenna and the AIS receiver unit. If it is not sufficient you will need an extension cable. Please contact
Humminbird Customer Service for details of suitable products. For reference the VHF antenna
connector type on the AIS receiver unit is SO239, and it is intended to mate with a PL259 connector.
Power and data cables
The AIS receiver unit is supplied with a two meter long power and data cable, and the AIS receiver unit
is supplied with a two meter long power and data cable. If you require longer cables to reach your
power supply, please ensure the cables are capable of carrying an average current of up to 200mA.
Means of connecting the cables together will also be required. The use of ScotchlokTM connectors is
recommended for this purpose.
Chartplotter
To display received AIS position reports as other vessels on your chartplotter, you will need to connect
your AIS receiver to your chartplotter. Please refer to the user manual supplied with your chartplotter
for details of how to connect and configure your chartplotter for use with AIS devices. For general
guidance your chartplotter should be configured to accept NMEA data at 38400 baud (sometimes

Installation
Page 14
referred to as 'NMEA HS' in the plotter configuration menu). You may also need to enable the display
of AIS targets in the chart options.
Connection to a PC or Mac
If you choose to use a PC or Mac with suitable charting software to display received AIS messages as
other vessels, this can be accomplished by connecting the USB connector directly to the PC or Mac.
Your PC may require USB software drivers to connect to the AIS receiver and these can be found on
the CD included with the product.
3.2 Installation procedures
Before beginning installation of your AIS receiver, please ensure you have the necessary additional
items as detailed in Section 3.1. It is strongly recommended that you read all of the instructions in
this manual prior to installation.
If after reading this manual you are unsure about any element of the installation process, please
contact Humminbird Customer Service for advice.
The following sections explain the installation process step by step for each of the main elements of
the system.
Step 1 - Installing the AIS receiver
Please note the following guidelines when selecting a location for your AIS receiver:
• The AIS receiver must be fitted in a location where it is at least 0.5m from a compass.
• There should be adequate space around the AIS receiver for routing of cables. See Figure 5 for
details of the AIS receiver dimensions.
• The ambient temperature around the AIS receiver should be maintained between -25°C and +55°C.
• The AIS receiver should not be located in a flammable or hazardous atmosphere such as in an
engine room or near to fuel tanks.

Installation
Page 15
• The AIS receiver is fully waterproof to ingress protection rating IPx6, however it is recommended
that the AIS receiver is not subjected to extended periods of exposure to spray or submersion.
• It is recommended that the AIS receiver is installed in a 'below decks' environment.
• It is acceptable to mount the AIS receiver either vertically or horizontally.
• The product is supplied with four self tapping screws for attachment of the AIS receiver to a
suitable surface. Please refer to Figure 6 for guidance.
• The AIS receiver should be mounted in a location where the indicator is readily visible as this
provides important information on the status of the AIS receiver.
Figure 5 AIS receiver dimensions
48 mm
175 mm
100 mm
152 mm
57 mm

Installation
Page 16
Figure 6 AIS receiver mounting
Step 2 - Connecting the VHF antenna
1 Route the cable from the VHF antenna to the AIS receiver, and connect it to the VHF connector on
the AIS receiver as shown in Figure 7.
A standard marine band VHF antenna or AIS antenna should be used with the AIS receiver. The
connector type on the AIS receiver is SO239. Your chosen VHF antenna requires a PL259 connector to

Installation
Page 17
mate with this. If your VHF antenna does not use this type of connector, please contact Humminbird
Customer Service for details of available adaptors.
Figure 7 Position of the VHF antenna connector
NMEA 2000 Power and data
VHF antenna