The electronics manufacturer Em-Trak, distributed by Discount Marine, specializes in AIS. It offers two ranges oriented towards yachting. These products offer a very good quality/price ratio.
Each of the ranges is divided into 3 products: a receiver, a transponder (transceiver) and a splitter to share the same antenna between the VHF and the AIS. The 100 range is an entry-level range that plays the price card by offering appliances whose housing is not waterproof. It will be perfectly adapted for all boats that have a cabin. The 300 range is a range of waterproof products specially adapted to humid environments.
All these devices are black boxes. That is, they have no screens. They must therefore be connected to a computer, a chartplotter or a tablet to obtain the AIS information. A B330 version (599,00 €) of the transponder integrating a Wifi transmitter is also available to connect a tablet or a smartphone.
For the rest, all the boxes are connected in NMEA 183 and 2000. A USB port is used for device configuration.
Splitters are not just switches. If they are more expensive than the low-end models, it is because they are able to switch one device or the other (VHF or Ais) according to the demand (it"gives" the antenna to the one transmitting), but always leaving the priority to the VHF. And in case of failure or simply if the splitter is not switched on, it is always possible to use VHF. A good point in terms of safety.
For 2017, the brand diversifies (without leaving the AIS domain) by launching the B400. An AIS transponder but with a display. On this 5 inch color display, you can read C-Map electronic maps. Associated with the GPS of the device, we thus have here a true chartplotter integrating its own transponder AIS. A unique device of its kind!
| 100 Range | 300 Range | |
| Receiver | 206 € | |
| Transponder | 399 € | 550 ? |
| Wifi transponder | 610 € | |
| Splitter | 247 ? | 269 € |
