Icom MA-500TR Class B AIS Transponder (discontinued)

Further details of Icom MA-500TR Class B AIS Transponder

Class B AIS Transponder

Designed for Non- SOLAS vessels such as pleasure craft, workboats and small vessels, the MA-500TR is a compact, waterproof Class B AIS transponder that actively notifies other vessels of your exact position, thus increasing your safety at sea. The MA-500TR also has a dual channel receiver allowing boat owners to receive AIS information (both Class A and Class B AIS signals) on two channels simultaneously. This real-time information is then displayed on its large, backlit full dot-matrix display giving the boat owner real-time vessel traffic information thus aiding navigation and collision avoidance. The MA-500TR can work independently or connect with a PC or other marine network equipment. When connected to a compatible Icom VHF radio , an individual DSC call can be made easily from the MA-500TR.

Class B AIS transponder
Vessel information is automatically transmitted with 30 second or 3 minutes intervals at 2W output power depending on the movement/speed of the vessel. The MA-500TR receives dual AIS channels (Ch. 87B and Ch. 88B) simultaneously and receives both Class A and Class B AIS information.

Transmitted information with MA-500TR
Static data
• MMSI code • Vessel name • Call sign • Type of ship • GPS antenna position
Dynamic data
• Ship's position • SOG (Speed over ground) • COG (Course over ground) • UTC date and time • GPS antenna type (Internal/external) • PA (Position Accuracy)

Simple operation
The MA-500TR has three basic display types; Plotter, Target list and Danger list. The “Display mode” button allows you to toggle between these display types. In addition to these displays, the detail screen shows information about the selected AIS target.

• The “Plotter Display” looks similar to a marine radar display. The display supports north-up and course up and range zoom from 0.125 NM to 24 NM.
• The “Target List Display” shows all detected AIS equipped vessels and targets.
• The “Danger List Display” shows a list of vessels which are within 6 NM CPA and 60 minutes TCPA from your vessel. The “Danger List” can be sorted by CPA or TCPA order by cursor keys.


CPA and TCPA for collision-risk management
The CPA (Closest Point of Approach) and TCPA (Time to CPA) alerts you when a vessel is within a pre-set distance (from 0.1 NM to 6.0 NM) and time to come into the CPA range (from 1 minute to 60 minutes). When a vessel comes into the CPA and TCPA range, the vessel icon blinks on either the plotter display and emits a beep sound. When connected to external audio equipment the collision alarm gives the boat-owner extra warning of potential impact.

Individual DSC call
The MA-500TR can be integrated with the Icom IC-M423, IC-M505* and IC-M603** allowing you to transmit DSC individual calls to a selected vessel instantly without manual MMSI entry; very handy in an emergency.
* IC-M505 version 24 or modification may be required
** #34 version or Firmware upgrade may be required

100 waypoints memory
The MA-500TR can store up to 100 waypoints with a10-character name in the waypoint list. The Man Over Board “MOB” button allows you to set a waypoint on your current position instantly on the plotter display.

Safety-related message reception
When the MA-500TR receives a safety-related message from a Class A AIS transponder, the message icon appears on the plotter display and the MA-500TR automatically stores the last 20 messages.

Full dot-matrix display
128mm x128mm dot-matrix large display shows real-time traffic information and works independently from a PC or other marine network equipment. The display has adjustable backlight and contrast.

IPX7 waterproof protection
To withstand the demands of the marine environment, the MA-500TR has waterproof protection equivalent to the IPX7 standard (Except connectors). The MA-500TR can withstand submersion in one metre of water for up to thirty minutes.

3-line NMEA input/output
The MA-500TR has 15-pin D-SUB connector providing 3-lines of NMEA input/output on the rear panel. The supplied NMEA connector cable simplifies the installation and connection to the VHF radio and other navigation equipment. The data speed is programmable from 4,800 bps (IEC61162-1) and 38,400 bps (IEC61162-2) for NMEA1 and NMEA3 ports*.
* NMEA2 port is fixed to 38,400 bps.

GPS receiver comes with MA-500TR
The MX-5000 GPS receiver is a 12 channel parallel GPS receiver with SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation System) function. The POS (position) smoothing and SOG (speed over ground) smoothing adjustment can be set for the vessel position and speed information. The GPS receiver is tested to and has passed the IEC 60945 exposed environmental test standard.

Other features
• Self diagnostics function (Monitor test and transponder test)
• Flush mount installation with optional MB-75 flush mount kit