Standard-Horizon have announced a new VHF Marine Band radio, the GX2200. This fixed-mount 25-watt Class-D DSC radio also contains a global navigation satellite system receiver for the NAVSTAR GPS and two automatic identification system (AIS) receivers. The GX2200 radio also provides a 30-Watt audio amplifier output for use as a hailer or fog signal generator. The minimum advertise price (MAP) is $400. The new radio will be available in January, 2014.
The VHF Marine Band receiver is described as being a commercial grade receiver with an intermodulation specification of 80-dB. Intermodulation specifications describe how well the receiver can copy a weak signal in the presence of very strong signals on adjacent channels. A rating of 80-dB suggests that the adjacent channel signal must be 80-dB stronger, or 100-million-times stronger, before it affects weak signal reception on the desired channel. This level of receiver intermodulation specification is extremely good. The receiver also has a selectable attenuator for LOCAL or DISTANT reception.
The GX2200 communicates with other devices using the NMEA-0183 protocol. It can combine its AIS and DSC NMEA TALKER data into a single stream for interconnection of chart plotters of other devices that have only a single NMEA LISTENER interface.
The transceiver is compliant with FCC regulations for DSC Class-D rating. In addition to sending DSC emergency broadcasts or setting up DSC voice calls to other vessels, the DSC features can be used to request position information from or send position information to a remote vessel. Standard Horizon was a pioneer in providing these features on their DSC radios.
The radio can listen for NMEA sentences from other devices sending:
- --GLL: geographic position, latitude, longitude
--GGA: global positioning system fix data
--GNS: fix data
--RMC: recommended minimum navigation information
--GSA: GPS dilution of position and active satellites
--GSV: satellites in view
and can send to other devices the following NMEA sentences
- --DSC: digital selective calling information
--DSE: DSC extended
--VDM: vessel data message wrapper for AIS messages
--GLL: geographic position, latitude, longitude
--GGA: global positioning system fix data
--GNS: fix data
--RMC: recommended minimum navigation information
--GSA: GPS dilution of position and active satellites
--GSV: satellites in view
Note: the radio only sends data from its internal GPS receiver on its NMEA TALKER when the internal GPS receiver has been set to ON. I presume the radio can also only use data from an external GNSS receiver when its internal GPS receiver is set to OFF.
The incorporated global navigation satellite system receiver is described as being a 66-channel receiver with ability to use the space based augmentation system for NAVSTAR GPS known as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Position solutions from NAVSTAR GPS with WAAS enhanced precision are typically accurate to about 3-meters. The antenna for the internal receiver appears to be located on the radio front panel. In order to get good reception from satellites in space, the radio will have to be mounted in a location that allows the antenna to have a good view of the sky. On many small boats the radio will be mounted at the helm position on an open deck, so the GPS receiver should work well in that location.
The incorporated AIS receivers shares the antenna connection with the VHF Marine Band transceiver, greatly simplifying installation. The AIS receivers continuously monitor the two AIS channels, except when the radio transmitter is in use. Good integration of the AIS receivers and the VHF Marine Band transceiver permit DSC radio calls to AIS targets to be set up from the radio control panel without having to manually enter the MMSI of the target vessel received by the AIS receivers.
The VHF Marine Band voice receiver can be configured to perform channel scanning in a number of modes. In addition to marine channels, the voice receiver can also tune to NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts, and it will also decode weather alert transmissions it receives and sound an alarm.
The transmitter power is selectable to 25-Watt or 1-Watt. The microphone is a noise-canceling type, and it has a small keypad for selecting channels. An optional voice-scrambler can be installed to encode and decode the voice modulation.
The radio has a large liquid crystal display alpha-numeric display panel which functions as a miniature plotter as well as a user-interface for operation and control of the radio.
The plotter function can display a polar view of AIS target vessels relative to vessel position. When showing AIS targets, the display can present the MMSI, call sign, ship name, bearing, distance, speed over ground, and course over ground of the target vessel. The plotter can also compute the closest point of approach (CPA) and time to closest point of approach (TCPA) of AIS target vessels, and set collision avoidance alarms. The plotter can show bearings in either TRUE or MAGNETIC degrees.
The plotter can also utilize waypoints for navigation. For example, if one stores a waypoint for the entrance to their harbor, the radio could be used as a navigation device to plot a course to that waypoint from seaward, thus providing a back up to the vessel's main electronic navigation devices. As many as 100 waypoints may be stored on the radio. With some thoughtful organization of those waypoints, the radio could be quite an effective alternative navigation system. Note that the NMEA interface does support any sentences which contain waypoint data, so creation of waypoints on the radio's mini-plotter would have to be done using the radio's interface; they could not be generated by a NMEA connection to another plotter.
The display on the GX2200 front panel is also an important part of the user-interface. There are three soft-key buttons below the display. These buttons can be user-programmed to customize the radio menu operation. The user-interface is described with the acronym E2O for Easy To Operate. The display shows the boat's latitude, longitude, course, and speed.
The GX2200 is built on a metal die-cast chassis and is rated for being water submersible to three feet according to IPX-7 specifications. The dimensions are fairly compact: 7.1 W x 3.1 H x 6.3 D in inches.
The GX2200 is sold with a three-year warranty which includes any damage caused by water. After warranty expiration the radio can be repaired for a $65 flat-rate charge.
I always like to plot the position shown on the press photographs of various devices. In the case of the GX2200, the position shown in the photograph of the radio front panel is located about ten mile offshore and south of Long Beach, California. I figure the position shown on the front panel is going to give away the secret location of the research laboratory.