User's Manual

6 TROUBLESHOOTING

The transmitting LED (Green color) is not illuminated, why?

 The Class B device requires GPS information from GPS antenna before making AIS

transmission. Please check if your GPS antenna is connected correctly. The Tx LED

will flash orange every 5 seconds meaning that the device is still acquiring a GPS fix

and therefore not ready yet to make transmission.

 For each transmission, the Tx LED indicator will flash once quickly. The green light

from the Tx LED could be missed if not observed carefully.

WideLink B600 receives AIS signals normally, but no one in the surrounding can see

me, why?

 VHF antennas interference: if you are using a dedicated AIS/VHF antenna for your

transponder, be sure that it is placed following the instructions in chapter 2.3. In

several tests, mounting two VHF antennas next to another typically reduces the

transmitting range to both antennas by 50-70%.

 GPS is not fixed: If your GPS antenna is not connected or setup correctly, your

transponder will see other vessels fine, but you will not be sending out your vessel

position. The Tx LED will flash orange every 5 seconds meaning that the

transponder is still acquiring a GPS fix and therefore not ready yet to make

transmission.

 The location of VHF antenna is directly related to AIS transmitting range. The VHF

antenna should be installed at mast as high as possible.

No data is being received by chart plotter, why?

 Please check that the power supply is connected correctly at WideLink B600.

 Please check that the power supply is 12V or 24V with sufficient current capacity

(no less than 2A).

 Please make sure that the connections between WideLink B600 to the chart

plotter are correct.

My MMSI is being received by other vessels but my vessel name is not shown on their

chart plotter or PC, why?

 Older software and AIS displays may not be fully compatible with Class B

transponders. In some of these cases, older equipment might only have Class B

vessel show up on their displays with just MMSI number without the vessel name.

This is usually due to the receiving device not knowing how to process the

Message 24 static data from Class B transponders. Please contact the chart plotter

maker and ask for software upgrades (for these older chart plotters) to resolve this

issue.

The Red Error LED indication at WideLink B600 is illuminated, why?

 The unit may not have a valid MMSI. Please check if the AIS transponder is

correctly entered with a valid MMSI.