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Guides

Navigation & communication equipment guides

Buying guides, standards explainers and equipment comparisons, grounded in what ASPL actually supplies and services in India.

AIS & Vessel Tracking

AIS transponders, receivers, SARTs and how vessel tracking actually works.

Is AIS mandatory on my vessel in India?
SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19 decides whether your vessel must carry AIS. Here is what the thresholds actually say, and what applies to the many vessels that fall outside them.
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Class A vs Class B AIS: what's the real difference
Class A and Class B are not simply expensive and cheap versions of the same box. They differ in transmit power, how they claim a slot on the VHF data link, and what they report.
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AIS transponder vs. AIS receiver: which do you need
The difference is one direction of traffic: a transponder transmits your position as well as receiving everyone else's, while a receiver keeps you invisible. That single fact drives the whole decision.
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How to install a marine AIS antenna and splitter
Most disappointing AIS performance traces back to the antenna rather than the transponder. Here is how to site, cable and commission the RF side of an installation properly.
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AIS SART explained: what it is and when it saves lives
An AIS SART turns a survival craft into a named, positioned target on every AIS display within range. Here is how it works and where it differs from a radar SART or an MOB beacon.
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MMSI number: what it is and how to register one in India
An MMSI is the nine digit identity your AIS and DSC radio broadcast on every transmission. Here is what the number means and how Indian vessels go about getting one.
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NMEA 0183 vs NMEA 2000: connecting your AIS to your chartplotter
An AIS transponder is only useful if its data reaches a display. Here is how the two NMEA standards differ and what it takes to get AIS targets onto your plotter.
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AIS for small commercial vessels: a compliance checklist
Workboats, small passenger craft and fishing vessels sit in the awkward middle ground of AIS carriage. This checklist covers what to fit, what to licence and what to verify.
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Can I see other vessels' AIS without a transponder? A receiver-only guide
A receive-only AIS unit puts surrounding traffic on your chart without putting you on anyone else's. Here is what that buys you, what it costs you, and which units do it.
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AIS range: how far can your vessel actually be seen
AIS range is set by antenna height far more than by transmit power. Here is the physics behind the numbers, and the practical levers that actually extend it.
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AIS and VHF DSC together: how they work as one safety system
AIS tells you who is around you. DSC lets you call them, or raise an alarm that reaches everyone at once. Understanding where one ends and the other begins is what makes a bridge fit-out coherent.
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Portable AIS trackers for tenders and small craft
A tender or RIB rarely has the power budget, the panel space or the mast for a conventional AIS fit. Portable and self-contained transponders solve that, with some real trade-offs.
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Man-overboard AIS beacons: what they do and who needs one
An AIS man overboard beacon turns a person in the water into a tracked target on nearby AIS displays. It solves a narrow problem extremely well, and it is not an EPIRB.
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AIS aids to navigation (AtoN): buoys, ports and shore stations explained
AIS is not only for vessels. Buoys, beacons and shore stations use the same two channels to broadcast marks, hazards and even aids that do not physically exist.
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Best AIS transponders for fishing vessels in India
A fishing boat is a hard environment for electronics and a hard place to justify spending. Here is how the AIS transponder classes actually differ, and which suits which kind of boat.
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Marine VHF & GMDSS

Marine VHF radio, DSC, GMDSS sea areas and equipment carriage requirements.

Marine Navigation & Chartplotters

Chartplotters, fishfinders, radar and marine autopilot buying guides.

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