Quick Instruction, Version 1.0
Page 25 of 43 pages
Weatherdock AG Sigmundstraße 180 90431 Nürnberg
Tel.:+49 911 376638-30 www.weatherdock.de
3.6.2
VHF Antenna
Your regular VHF antenna which you’re using for VHF radio will be
connected to the easyRX
3.6.3
GPS Antenna
The EasyRX does not need any GPS antenna for its operation.
The only reason for having GPS antenna connected is the usage of SD-
Card recorder. if you want to use the EasyRX as an AIS-recorder (black
box) you need GPS antenna, unless you have an AIS Class A connected to
the Multiplexer Input. In that case you need now GPS antenna, because
the SD-Card recorder gets the information about position and time from
that AIS Class A. For the GPS antenna there is a BNC female bulkhead
connector used, that mounts to the back of the case. This port provides
the 5V DC feed for the active GPS antenna required by the easyRX unit.
The GPS antenna used must be of the active type (i.e. it should incorpo-
rate an LNA) and must be suitable for marine shipboard applications
(index of protection, ruggedness, means of mounting, etc.). An antenna
should be selected with a gain (in dB) depending on the length of cable
between the antenna and the AIS unit; after subtraction of cable and
connector losses a minimum total gain of 20 dB should be available at
the easyRX unit GPS antenna connector. The GPS antenna to be used for
AIS use must be a dedicated antenna, i.e. not shared with any other GPS
receiver. Installation of the GPS antenna is critical for the performance
of the built in GPS receiver which is used for timing of the transmitted
time slots and for the supply of navigational information should the
main navigational GPS fail.
We strongly recommend that:
The GPS antenna is mounted in an elevated position and free of
shadow effect from the ship’s superstructure.
The GPS antenna has a free view through 360 degrees with a
vertical angle of 5 to 90 degrees above the horizon.
As the received GPS signal is very sensitive to noise and interference
generated by other onboard transmitters, ensure that the GNSS
