SUPPORT FAQ's

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We are based out of the Kinsale Commercial Park. Please also see our opening hours, or give us a call ahead of your visit. Unit 3A, Kinsale Business Centre, Kinsale Commercial Park Kinsale Co. Cork P17 AF51 Ireland

We use local courier and delivery services and items that are in stock can be dispatched same day if your order is placed before 12pm. Where an item is not in stock or on back order, you will be notified of changes to your delivery as soon as possible. The delivery time on non-stock items are normally between 5-10 days. More on our Delivery Policy here.

All goods being returned require an RMA number. Sign up or Log in to "My Account" Click on "My Returns" Complete our RMA Request Form We normally aim to process your request within 1 business day and will contact you with any details of how to proceed. Our RMA Number must be referenced and clearly marked on all documentation and goods being returned. More information in our Returns Policy and T&C's

We like taking a practical approach when it comes to assessing damages. Depending on a few factors such as age of the equipement and extent of any damages, we might suggest that the unit gets tested in our workshop. The key factor to consider is wether it is worth carrying out any type of repair at all. When the equipment is 10 years or older it may not always be economical to make repairs, as replacing one component doesn't guarrantee the reliabilty of the rest, and it could lead to another failure and more costs.

You can view and download most manuals and product data sheets here: www.ltmarine.com/downloads Some useful information and download options are also available from individual product pages. Or you can use our site search box (top right of every page), to find information related to a particular product. If you can't find what you are looking for or need further assistance with any of the products we sell, just ask.

EM-TRAK transceivers are specifically designed for installation simplicity. Every em-trak transceiver is supplied with clear and straight forward instructions and help is always on hand, get in touch. Here is an example of the connection layout when installing our B900-series AIS. All units are supplied with a mounting bracket, template, mounting hardware, power/data cable and VHF connection cable with PL-259 connectors. Note: The USB cable, NMEA 2000 drop cable and VHF Antenna is not included. Mounting an external GPS anternna is optional, but may be required when fitting below deck on Steel Vessels.

Only certain models of em-trak AIS transceivers will connect to your device and any navigation application you are using – please note that you must have a navigation application running on your tablet. This will enable you to see AIS targets on your screen. WiFi & Bluetooth enabled variants (B922/B924/B952/B954) can be connected wirelessly to any mobile device. To establish a connection with a mobile device you will need to select your transceiver from its list of detected devices using the device name or SSID - at default it appears as _ but it can be changed using the WiFi tab on proAIS2 software if required. To stream AIS data to a navigation application you may then need to enter the IP address and port number. This is also displayed in the WiFi tab of proAIS2 and can be changed if required. If you aren’t sure just ask us.

On occasions, we are asked to explain why a customer’s vessel might not be appearing on these sites as there may be some concern that the unit is not operating correctly. If you are concerned that this may be the case with your AIS transceiver then please consider the following: Coverage: Not all AIS websites offer complete coverage, so there is a chance that you may be out of range of a receiving station for that site. Antenna setup: If you are being seen by other vessels around you, but not by the AIS website, then the issue could be associated with your choice/installation of VHF antenna. If in doubt, refer to the user manual for advice or contact us for help. Unit configuration: Make sure that your AIS transceiver is correctly setup with its complete vessel details and that it is connected to a GPS antenna (as per the user instructions).

If you are travelling and want the folks back home to see where you are, or even if you just want to get an idea of what vessel traffic is like , prior to leaving home; AIS Tracking Websites have become a very popular and useful hobbyists tool. Sites such as marinetraffic.com and vesseltracker.com offer a free service where web users can search for vessels that are represented on maps or even old satellite images.

The NMEA, which stands for National Marine Electronics Association, is committed to enhancing the technology and safety of marine electronics through installer training and interface standards. NMEA members promote professionalism within the marine electronics industry. Read more at www.nmea.org

The NMEA 0183 Interface Standard is used worldwide across many industry segments. The standard defines electrical signal requirements, data transmission protocol and time, and specific sentence formats for a 4800-baud serial data bus. Each bus may have only one talker but many listeners. This standard is intended to support one-way serial data transmission from a single talker to one or more listeners.

While the Standard rate NMEA 0183 operates at 4800-baud and utilizes a different electrical interface, the NMEA 0183-HS standard defines electrical signal requirements, data transmission protocol, and timing for a 38.4K-baud serial data bus. The NMEA 0183-HS standard at 38400-baud is primarily used for AIS data transfer. Each bus shall have only a single TALKER but may have multiple LISTENERs. Specific sentence formats are common to both NMEA 0183 and NMEA 0183-HS and are defined in NMEA 0183.

Please note that some websites offer explanations and examples, but most cases may be very old versions or incorrect interpretations and should not be depended upon for accuracy. The NMEA 0183 Interface Standard is a COPYRIGHTED document and available only from NMEA. Please visit nmea.org for the most up-to-date version of the NMEA 0183 Standard. Below is a list of all NMEA 0183 Sentence Formatters and Titles as published by the NMEA for Version 4.11 of November 2018 20200131 NMEA 0183 Sentence Formatters and Titles

There is a multitude of colour codes used between brands, so always consult with the installation manual for your product. If you have purchased one of our Actisense Products the NMEA 0183 colour code is as follows: Talker A/+ = WHITE Talker B/- = BROWN Listener A/+ = YELLOW Listener B/- = GREEN Because the NGW-1 was first created in 2008, subsequent changes to the Standard do not require existing products to be changed. Care is needed – it is possible to damage or overload the output of a newer differential device if it is incorrectly connected to an older device. This is because the older devices used ground as the return, whereas the newer devices actually drive the NMEA “-/B” line between 5v and 0v. Thus, connecting this output to ground will result in high currents being drawn by the driver instrument, resulting in potential overheating and damage to the driver circuits.

Connecting NMEA 0183 devices directly to a PC without isolation is not recommended as this can cause ground loops which will damage your PC and your NMEA 0183 devices. The Actisense USG-2 is a great device to overcome the issue of isolation with PC connections. The USG-2 has isolation on the input and output, keeping your devices safe from ground loops. The USG-2 also has a USB lead, making connections to a PC quick and simple. A slightly lower cost alternative that we recommend as an absolute minimum means of electrical protection when interfacing NMEA 0183 devices to a PC is the Actisense OPTO-4. This will provide isolation to the PC’s input but not the output. If your PC does not have a serial port you will also require a USB to serial adapter. Details of connecting our devices to PC Gateways, serial cables etc are found within the respective manual for the product, which can be found on the product downloads page: https://www.ltmarine.com/downloads

NMEA 2000 is a ‘plug and play’ open standard designed by the NMEA to help them achieve their mission by standardising the messages and connector system used for devices in the marine industry. The network carries data sentences for commands as well as messaging (tank levels) between NMEA 2000 devices. There is a common misconception that the term ‘open standard’ means freely available when in fact it means that the standard is available to buy at a reasonable cost from their website. It is important to remember that the NMEA is not for profit (NFP) and the standards create an important source of income so that they can continue to exist.

NMEA 2000 simplifies the connection – The NMEA 2000 backbone is a single trunk cable to which the appropriate T-pieces, network cables and terminators can simply screw onto. Unlike connecting NMEA 0183 open cable ends. Using NMEA 2000 gateways, like the NGW-1, allows compatibility between the two networks.

NMEA 2000 networks should be installed as per the NMEA 0400 specification with guidance on power insertion and supply connectivity, length of cables, wiring of field connectors etc… The main communication channel of the NMEA 2000 network is the backbone to which your NMEA 2000 devices connect. Each NMEA 2000 device connects to the backbone with a T-connector. The NMEA 2000 backbone must be connected to 12 V DC power, and terminators must be installed at both ends of the network to function correctly. Daisy chaining is not allowed. Please also note that all wiring should be done following your local wiring regs.

Your NMEA 2000 network must be connected to a 12 V DC power supply. Do not connect the network to any other voltage source, such as a 24 V DC power supply. Supply power as close to the middle of the backbone run as possible. Do not connect the NMEA 2000 network to power in more than one location unless a Network Bridge Interface is used (standard practise for larger systems where voltage drops are expected).

The maximum length of a single drop cable to a NMEA 2000 device is 6 m (20 ft).

An NMEA 2000 network can have up to 50 physical devices connected to the network at any one time. Part of the NMEA 2000 standard also details that when connecting or disconnecting a device, it shall not interfere with any other devices or cause any conflict on the network.

A Load Equivalence Number or LEN is a whole number used to express the amount of current that is drawn from an NMEA 2000 network. Each device should have an LEN specified on the product or in the product documentation. One LEN is equal to 50mA. If a device draws 151mA of current from the network, then its LEN is 4. Note that the LEN is always roundedup to the next whole number. The LEN number is used to calculate the voltage drop in the NMEA 2000 network when multiple devices are connected. The formula for calculating the voltage drop is: Voltage Drop = Cable resistance (ohms/m) × Distance (from the battery to the farthest device, in meters) × Network Load × 0.1

All data transmitted on an NMEA 2000 network are organised into groups. These groups are identified by a parameter group number (PGN) that describes the type of data contained in the group. Why not try our NMEA 2000 PGN search to find definitions by Number, Name or Category.

Only NMEA 2000® certified products have met all requirements and have full NMEA 2000® certification. Products that are marketed or labelled: "NMEA 2000 compliant" or "works with NMEA 2000" are not NMEA 2000® certified and may not interoperate properly with other NMEA 2000® certified products. Check that your product is NMEA 2000 certified by searching the A-Z List of Certified Products.

As an Installer Dealer for a range of brands, we are able to do this on a number of VHF sets. Get in touch to give us your VHF radio make and model, and we would be more than happy to help.

MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) numbers are a series of nine digits, which are used to uniquely identify a radio station or group of radio stations. When sending a DSC message the MMSI is automatically included, and you can address messages to specific vessels or groups using their MMSIs. The MMSI has a standard format (just like a telephone number) and it identifies the type of station, country of registration and vessel identity.

Anyone who uses a Marine VHF Radio needs a licence. If you are a sailor, powerboater, kayaker, angler or even a paddleboarder, you will most certainly need a marine radio. It is one of the most important safety tools you can take to the sea and will help to keep you safe allowing you to contact other boat users, marinas and the Coastguard. If you need a radio, you may need both a radio licence and an operator's licence. This depends on the type of radio you have and how you use it. Once installed in a vessel, a marine VHF radio requires a ship's radio licence. This can be obtained via the DTTS website. If you sell the boat or radio you can now transfer the new owner's details over to the MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number in the radio (other way round – transfer the MMSI number). A few years ago you had to return the radio to the manufacturer to get the MMSI number removed and the new owner would have to apply for a new one to program into the set. Once an MMSI is registered with DTTS, the ITU and the MCA are informed so if searched on the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) MARS database (Maritime Access & retrieval system) your MMSI number will appear. You would need to input the ship’s name and country and search for the owner’s details. The ITU and MCA are informed to assist with SAR (Search and Rescue Operations).

All marine VHF users should be suitably qualified/licenced and have passed the RYA Marine Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC) course which is run at many sailing clubs, water sports centres and colleges in the UK. The SRC is the minimum qualification required to operate marine VHF radio equipment on a UK flagged vessel. This includes both fixed and handheld equipment with and without Digital Selective Calling (DSC). The SRC course may be taken in a classroom or online through an RYA Recognised Training Centre. The exam is a combination of a written theory test and practical assessment in the use of Marine VHF DSC radios. Candidates must be 16 years or older on the day of the exam.

The lifespan of a battery is related to how often and to what extent it is discharged. Proper charging with the right charger is also crucial. At a normal use for holidays and weekends, a lifespan of between five and seven years is quite common for Gel and AGM batteries. When batteries are frequently discharged you will need to adjust the capacity. There is also an option to use 2 volt cells. A lifespan of 15 years is not exceptional for this type of battery as long as they have the right capacity and are properly charged. Lithium Ion batteries are top of the bill. You can discharge and recharge them super-fast and they last up to three times as many cycles than other types of batteries.

Parallel connection Parallel connection is used when you need to increase your capacity. The positive leads are connected together, as are the negative leads. The cabling from the battery to the system should be: Positive from battery 1 and negative from battery 2 (or the last in the parallel connection). Series connection A series connection is used to increase voltage, while keeping capacity at the same level. Two serially connected 12 V/100 Ah batteries make a combined battery set of 24 V/100 Ah. In a series connection, the positive pole of one battery is connected to the negative pole of the other, with the poles that remain at the ends being connected to the system. Batteries with different capacities should never be linked in series.