User's Manual

Page 5
Copyright © 2015, Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved
Installation and Wiring
Virtual AIS Beacon Connectors and Wiring
VHF Antenna Connection (SO239)
The Virtual AIS Beacon must be connected to a suitable VHF antenna either sourced from
Vesper Marine or your local marine equipment supplier.
Ensure a VHF antenna is connected to the Virtual AIS Beacon before power is applied to the
beacon.
The performance of the VHF antenna is also highly dependent on the environment in which
the device is mounted. When installing the VHF antenna please take into consideration:
 Place your antenna as high as possible and at least 2-3 metres (6-10 ft) above the
water surface.
 Place your VHF antenna as far as possible from other antennas and metal structures,
especially other VHF, HF and radar antennas. It is not recommended to place the VHF
antenna directly alongside another VHF antenna.
 The type of antenna should be an omnidirectional VHF antenna designed for the
marine band (156-162 MHz).
 Ideally an AIS-frequency adapted antenna should be used however you may also use
a standard marine VHF antenna.