Dave and Nancy of Swan Song and others:

I was pleasantly surprised at our good AIS performance, as well.  I
know that we don't pick up every AIS vessel beyond 25 miles, because
we sometimes see them drop off the screen after following them for a
period.  Out to 25 miles, we pretty well nail them.  I took a picture
in August of my 17-inch flat screen filled with the chart of Prince
William Sound, Alaska.  We were just north of Montague Island, and we
had vessels with names throughout the entire Sound: College Fiord,
Valdez Harbor, Cordova, entering and leaving and scattered about.  A
diagonal across the sound is something like 100 nm., and we were in
the bottom.

Our system is a Furuno FA-150 and the antenna looks to be about eight
foot.  I guess the guys at Alcom Marine Electronics, Newport Beach,
California did a good job with the installation.  I know it is an
obvious issue, but you might check your grounding.

Best of luck.

Dick and Gail Barnes
Aboard Ice Dancer II
Near Concepcion, Chile
Monday 1/15/07
36 24.6S  072 57.3W

I don't know about other brands, but my Furuno equipment has a separate
"Earth" ground which I treat the way we used to ground Loran sets to a
separate ground plate - separate from the negative buss. I know and I don't
care what ABYC says.

Ron Rogers

----- Original Message -----

| I know it is an obvious issue, but you might check your grounding.
|
| Best of luck.
|
| Dick and Gail Barnes
| Aboard Ice Dancer II