QK-A026-plus Manual
V 1.0
7 of 22
2020
3.2. Power
The A026+ operates on 12V DC. Power and GND are clearly indicated. Ensure these are connected
correctly. The A026+ benefits from reverse polarity protection to protect the device in case of faulty
installation.
Ensure you use a reliable 12V power supply. A poorly designed power supply or battery, if connected
directly with the engine or other noisy devices could result in significantly degraded receiver
performance.
3.3. VHF/AIS antenna
The A026+ is not supplied with a VHF antenna, as the antenna and cable requirements differ from
vessel to vessel. A suitable VHF antenna must be connected before the receiver will operate fully.
AIS communication systems use frequencies in the maritime VHF band, which is considered to be ‘line
of sight’ radio. This means that if an AIS receiver’s antenna cannot ‘see’ the antennas of other vessels,
the AIS signals from vessels will not reach that receiver. In practice, this is not a strict requirement, a few
buildings and trees between may be fine. Large obstacles such as hills and mountains, on the other
hand, will significantly degrade the AIS signal.
To have the best possible receiving range, the AIS antenna should be placed as high as possible with a
relatively clear view of the horizon. Large obstructions might shade the AIS radio communication from
certain directions, giving uneven coverage.
VHF antennas can be used for AIS messages or radio communications. One antenna cannot be
connected to both AIS and VHF radio equipment unless an active VHF/AIS splitter is used. There are
important considerations when deciding whether to use two separate antennas or a combined antenna:
•
2 VHF antennas: The best reception is achieved by using two separate antennas, one for AIS
and one for VHF radio. The antennas must be separated as much space as possible (ideally at
least 3.0 meters). A good distance between the AIS/VHF antenna and the radio communication
VHF antenna is required to avoid interference.
•
1 shared VHF antenna: If using only one antenna, e.g. Using an existing VHF radio antenna to
receive AIS signals, proper separation equipment (an active VHF Splitter) must be installed
between the antenna and the connected equipment.
Figure 8: AIS (SO239), GPS (TNC), and WiFi(SMA) antenna connections
3.4. GPS antenna
A TNC female bulkhead 50 Ohm connector is for an external GPS antenna (not included).
For best
results, the GPS antenna should be located in ‘line of sight’ of the sky. Once connected to a
GPS antenna, the integrated GPS module supplies positional data to the NMEA 0183 output, WiFi and
USB. GPS output can be disabled when an external GPS signal is used.