Marine Electronics
Sail safer, view your Marine data on your chartplotter or wireless device. AIS Receivers, Transponders, AIS, GPS and NMEA multiplexers, Seatalk and N2K Converters.
AIS/VHF antennas are a crucial part of the marine installation. They connect to certain on-board devices so that they can pick up and transmit radio signals using a VHF band. Selecting the correct antenna, cable, and installation locations can greatly improve the ability to communicate with other vessels and shore stations.
VHF radios and AIS devices operate on the same frequency, so by using an active antenna splitter, you can split the radio frequency between the AIS/VHF antenna and VHF radio. Alternatively, installing a second AIS/VHF antenna which is solely connected to one device would work just as well.
Our recommendation for boat owners is to use a single AIS/VHF antenna fitted at the top of the mast with an active splitter. This will work better than using a dedicated AIS antenna in the middle of an “antenna farm” as there is less signal interruption and interference. This is also particularly useful if you intend to have a spare emergency antenna.
That being said, for boats that do not benefit from the height advantage of using the recommended setup, it may be better to fit a separate AIS/VHF antenna. The antennas must be kept as far apart as possible (minimum 3.0 meters), as a good distance is needed between the AIS/VHF antenna and the radio communication VHF antenna to avoid interference.
In either case, it is important to keep the antennas away from other metals as much as possible and use a AIS/VHF antenna that has enough spectrum bandwidth to adequately cover both VHF and AIS frequencies.
Quark-elec offers two types of AIS antennas to support different applications. One VHF antenna splitter is designed to be used with AIS receivers, whereas the other is designed to work with AIS transponders.
‘Affordable, whip VHF antenna, great for freshwater boating’
- 445 mm/17.5” Antenna with partially sprung whip aerial
- Frequency Range: 160 – 164 Mhz
- Gain: 2.15 dBi
- VSWR: <1.5:1
- 5 metre/15′ cable with BNC (male) connector
- RG5 8U cable
Please be advised due to the construction materials of the AS02 VHF antenna, it is not the ideal antenna for prolonged use out at sea and is generally used for freshwater boating.
QK-AS12 AIS/VHF Fibreglass Antenna
‘Reliable and solid, it is the perfect VHF aerial for small to medium-sized boats, whether for a sailboat, fishing boat, motorboat or tender’
- Polyurethane coated fiberglass provides protection for the inner components
- Frequency: 156 – 162.5 Mhz
- Impedance: 50 Ω
- VSWR: <1.5:1
- Bandwidth: 6.5 Mhz
- Gain: 3.0 dBi
With optional 10m coaxial cable and equipped with a stainless-steel bracket that makes the installation easy and stable, giving the antenna perfect stability even during fast navigation and rough sea.
QK-A015-RX Active VHF Splitter (for AIS receivers)
‘An affordable active splitter allows me to use one VHF antenna for my AIS receiver, VHF and AM/FM feeds on the boat’
- The QK-A015-RX Active AIS-VHF Antenna Splitter allows one VHF antenna to be shared between VHF and AIS devices:
- VHF radio (reception and transmission)
- AIS receiver and (reception)
- AM/FM radio (reception)
- VHF/AIS Gain (typically 12dB) maximizes AIS receivers’ range
- Straight forward connection (no configuration required)
- Low power consumption
QK-A015-RX Active VHF Splitter (for AIS receivers)
‘An affordable active splitter allows me to use one VHF antenna for my AIS receiver, VHF and AM/FM feeds on the boat’
- The QK-A015-RX Active AIS-VHF Antenna Splitter allows one VHF antenna to be shared between VHF and AIS devices:
- VHF radio (reception and transmission)
- AIS receiver and (reception)
- AM/FM radio (reception)
- VHF/AIS Gain (typically 12dB) maximizes AIS receivers’ range
- Straight forward connection (no configuration required)
- Low power consumption
Coaxial Lightning Surge Protector (QK-AS15)
The QK-AS15 is designed to ground the surge of lightning strikes on VHF/AIS/4G antennas. It reduces the voltage spikes and shunt the voltage to the ground through the ground cable, thus protecting the VHF radio and AIS transponders or 4G rounder.
The coaxial construction of the AS15 assures excellent high frequency characteristics, wide-band, and low loss and VSWR. The built-in gas-charging surge arrestor element ensures a fast response time and good functioning even after multiple lightning strikes. A ground lug and the terminals on the lightning protector housing ensure easy installation.
