Digital Deep Sea CLA1000 Communicate information with commercial and recreational mariners. ($2,895.95)

Digital Deep Sea CLA1000

See and be seen like a pro

If you’ve ever been concerned that a watchkeeper might be tempted to tamper with the bridge displays to hide AIS B targets, there is one simple solution: Invest in a Class A transponder, like those that are compulsory for many large commercial vessels.

Even for those who are not paranoid, there are advantages in opting for a Class A transponder: In particular, it has six times the transmitter power for extra range, and Class A messages take priority over Class B messages if the system is ever threatened with an overload. More importantly, on a fast-moving boat it transmits at two-second intervals rather than the 30-second intervals of a Class B unit so the mark that represents you on a ship’s navigation display is likely to be pretty close to where you really are, rather than where you were half a minute ago.

One of the companies offering Class A products is Digital Yacht, which has launched a new division called Digital Deep Sea and a range of AIS products aimed at professional mariners. The flagship is called the CLA1000, a compact, good-looking, easy-to-operate Class A unit that’s astonishingly similar to the Comar CSA 300 that we featured in our June issue. The Digital Deep Sea lists for $2,895.95— $100 cheaper than its competitor, and it has the added bonus of a USB converter that makes it easier to exchange data with a modern laptop than the standard RS422 output.

Digital Deep Sea
(978) 277-1234.
www.digitaldeepsea.com.

This article originally appeared in the November 2011 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.