New gadget

The latest, and hopefully soon the last, gadget purchased to prepare Mjølner for some serious offshore cruising is a new VHF radio with all the latest features available including Automatic Identification System or AIS. Some stimulation from Adam was necessary but not a lot.

The system, the Radio Ocean RO4800, is produced under the Furuno umbrella. AIS has not before been incorporated in a vhf radio before but it makes very good sense to do so as the antenna signal is similar. What makes this radio score even higher is the fact that it comes with an additional wireless handset.

From Wikipedia:

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a system used by ships and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) principally for identification and locating vessels. AIS provides a means for ships to electronically exchange ship data including: identification, position, course, and speed, with other nearby ships and VTS stations. This information can be displayed on a screen or an ECDIS display. AIS is intended to assist the vessel’s watchstanding officers and allow maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements. It works by integrating a standardized VHF transceiver system with an electronic navigation system, such as a LORAN-C (LOng RAnge Navigation Version C) or Global Positioning Systemgyrocompass, rate of turn indicator, etc.). receiver, and other navigational sensors on board ship (gyrocompass, rate of turn indicator, etc.).

For us this feature provides additional safety information especially in the many shipping lanes we need to cross. The AIS signal will feed directly into our chart plotter and give us good visual overlays. Combined with radar overlay and our (lasered) eyes we should see everything (above water that is…).