DIGITAL YACHT LTD
AISnet Quick Start Guide
1. Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your AISnet Internet Base Station AIS Receiver. It is recommended that your receiver
is installed by a professional installer. The AISnet requires connection to the internet via a local area network (LAN) and it
is recommended that this is carried out by someone with suitable IT experience and knowledge of ethernet networks.
Before operating the unit you should familiarise yourself with this Quick Start manual and the manual for
your PC and network router.
2. Before you start
You will need the following items and tools to complete the installation:
The AISnet Receiver
Dedicated AIS/VHF antenna or existing VHF antenna and splitter
RJ45 Cat 5 cable to connect between the AISnet and your ethernet network
Access to a 110v/240v AC mains supply where the unit is to be installed.
M3 or M4 screws or other fixings appropriate to the mounting location.
To display the AIS targets and data you will need:
Suitable PC Navigation software running on a PC with Microsoft Windows XP
®
/Windows 2000
®
or Windows
Vista
®
/Windows 7
®
with a free USB of RS232 serial port.
Or a suitable dedicated chart plotter that can read and display AIS data via NMEA0183
3. Installation
Before starting installation select a suitable location for the AISnet Receiver. The unit is designed for mounting at home or
in an office and is not water resistant. It should be installed in a cool, dry location and can be mounted on a vertical or
horizontal surface. When locating the unit you should consider:
Routing of power and antenna cables to the unit.
Provision of sufficient space around the unit for cable connections.
Routing of USB data connections to a PC from the unit (if necessary).
Maintaining the compass safe distance of 0.5m.
Installation Step 1
Siting of the VHF antenna is critical for good AIS reception. The aerial needs to be outside and as high as
possible. Most antennas are tuned and matched to their coax cable, so do not lengthen or shorten the supplied
cable unless the aerial manufacturer states that this is OK.
Care should be taken in cutting and rejoining the cable to ensure that good connectivity is maintained, that the
inner and outer coax connections are isolated and that the connections are protected from physical and
environmental damage.
Run the VHF co-axial cables to the AIS Receiver and terminate with the correct BNC connector (Bayonet).
Run the USB interface cable from the AIS Receiver to a suitable PC computer.
Do not make any connections yet.
The USB Interface Standard specifies that USB cables should be no longer than 5m without using a
special powered USB extender cable
–
ensure that the total USB cable length from the AIS Receiver to
the PC is < 5m.