Vesper Ais Transceivers
Vesper Ais Transceivers
Vesper builds smart AIS transponders with class-leading collision-avoidance features. This is the Vesper ais transceivers range: Class A and B transponders for collision avoidance.
Class A or Class B: which AIS to fit
Class A transponders are built for vessels where AIS carriage is mandatory under SOLAS, transmitting at higher power and more frequently than Class B units, and they require the vessel's official MMSI and additional voyage data to be programmed correctly. Class B transponders, aimed at leisure and smaller commercial vessels, transmit at lower power and a reduced reporting rate, which keeps them lighter on network bandwidth but means a fast-moving Class B vessel can update its position on other boats' displays less often than a Class A vessel would.
Either type needs a dedicated VHF antenna, ideally separate from the radio's antenna rather than shared through a splitter, since a splitter introduces switching that can affect both transmission quality and AIS timing. Position data can come from an internal GPS or an external antenna depending on the model, and the unit needs to output to a chartplotter or display over NMEA 2000 or NMEA 0183 to actually show targets, since the transceiver itself has no screen.
