Standard Horizon has a LOT of new products in the pipeline. Ben over at Panbo has the summary, but I wanted to take a moment to look at one of the products in a bit more detail.
This is the Standard Horizon Matrix GX 2150 fixed-mount VHF radio with integrated AIS receiver. Regular readers may recall the piece I wrote ten months ago about this unit’s predecessor: the GX 2100. I was extremely enthusiastic about this product; the rich combination of features and competitive price-point made it a sure winner. But I was also a bit disappointed at the way that unit handled NMEA data. Click through to read my analysis.
In particular, I was thinking about owners of existing boats. Folks unlikely to replace their entire electronics suite, but who would spend a bit on an updated VHF with built-in AIS and PA/foghorn/loudhailer functionality. Especially in the current economy, it makes sense to ensure that new electronics offerings appeal to people who are choosing to maintain and perhaps upgrade the boats they own now rather than buy a new boat. The fact that all the Matrix VHF/AIS models allow you to use the single VHF antenna you’ve already installed to support both VHF and AIS makes them even more attractive for retrofitters.
That’s the market I had in mind, perhaps because that’s the market I happen to occupy! In my particular case, for example, I run a 2004 Raymarine C-80 as my primary chartplotter. This unit, like many multifunction displays more than five years old, has a limited number of NMEA ports. In fact, the old C-series units have just one! Since adding AIS and insisting on two-way NMEA traffic to my VHF to support DSC fully a couple years ago, I’ve jumped through hoop after hoop trying to route NMEA data between components on my boat. Even today, having bitten the bullet and installed a NoLand AM43 multiplexer, my NMEA data routing schematic is still a mess.
The new Standard Horizon GX 2150 improves on last year’s GX 2100 by making the NMEA data routing issue a lot easier for everyone. All the NMEA data between the Matrix unit and whatever chartplotter you might own is aggregated into a single high-speed port. For some potential customers, this is a big deal.
I haven’t had a chance to read the installation manual in detail yet, but this one subtle improvement, perhaps invisible to most customers until they sit down to install the unit, should make upgrading reasonably straightforward on virtually any boat with a chartplotter capable of displaying AIS data. Especially, of course, for those of us with older chartplotters. 
The GX2150 offers a lot of great features at an extremely competitive price, and I expect to see a lot more of these popping up on boats over the next year.
Here’s the rest of the press release on this product:
MATRIX AIS GX2150
ITU Class D VHF-Built-in AIS Receiver, RAM3 Compatible
Available: January 2011 – MAP $399.99
New features for 2011:
- GPS in / DSC out 4800 and 38400 baud rate selections (Allows connection to GPS Chart Plotter with 1 NMEA IN/OUT)
- Selectable True and Magnetic readings for AIS target and PA/FOG simultaneous operation with AIS display
- GPS status page
Improving the popular MATRIX AIS, the MATRIX AIS+ includes features customers have requested: 4800 to 38400 NMEA input baud rate selection (for plotters with 1 NMEA port), True and Magnetic selection for AIS targets, simultaneous PA/FOG operation with AIS display and a GPS status display page.
When connected to a GPS with NMEA 0183 the MATRIX AIS+ displays AIS target information (MMSI, Call Sign, Ship Name, BRG, DST, SOG and COG), allows you to contact an AIS Ship directly using DSC, shows your vessel’s position in relation to AIS targets and alerts you when an AIS ship may be approaching too close to your location via the Closest Point of Approach (CPA) Alarm.
One antenna input is all that is needed since the MATRIX AIS+ utilizes the VHF antenna to receive AIS targets from ships class A or B AIS transponders. The MATRIX AIS+ features an 80dB commercial grade receiver with Local/Distance attenuator, ITU Class D DSC, powerful 30 Watt PA/Loud Hailer with listen back, and preprogrammed fog signals. Other great features include; die-cast chassis for durability, user-changeable channel names, optional voice scrambler, ClearVoice noise canceling speaker microphone, 4.5 Watt audio output, NOAA Weather Alert, Programmable Scan, Priority Scan and Dual Watch.
The MATRIX AIS+ is also capable of entering and saving up to 100 waypoints, which may be selected and navigated to by using a unique navigation compass display that shows your vessels SOG, COG, BRG (Bearing) and DST (Distance) to the waypoint. The MATRIX AIS+ is capable of being connected to a RAM3 Remote Access Microphone, allowing control of all VHF, DSC and hailer functions remotely as well as add an intercom between the radio
and second station microphone. Another unique feature is the ability of the MATRIX AIS+ to "poll" (request and send) the GPS LAT/LON of another vessel and show the vessel’s position on the radio’s alphanumeric display or send the data to a compatible GPS chart plotter to be viewed directly on the chart. This is a great feature for maintaining contact with fishing or cruising “buddy” boats. The MATRIX AIS+ also has the capability to send AIS target information to a chart plotter via NMEA. The MATRIX AIS+ is backed by an industry leading 3-year waterproof warranty.
Features:
• Integrated dual channel AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver
• 4800 or 38400 NMEA baud rate selection, for plotters with 1 NMEA port
• Able to use PA or Fog signaling when on AIS display
• True and Magnetic bearing selection on AIS display
• AIS target display: MMSI, Call Sign, Ship Name, BRG, DST, SOG and COG
• Contact Class A or B AIS Ship with DSC*
• Programmable CPA or TCPA collision avoidance alarms*
• ITU Class D DSC (Independent Channel 70 receiver built-in)
• Submersible JIS-7 / IPX7 (3.3 feet for 30 minutes)
• 80dB Commercial grade receiver
• DSC position request and report functions when connected to compatible
GPS chart plotter
• GPS Compass, Waypoint and GPS status pages*
• 30 Watt PA/Loud Hailer with preprogrammed fog signals and listen back
• ClearVoice noise canceling speaker microphone with channel and 16/9 key
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Tim someone finally listen to your complaining. Now if you could get the wife to do the same.
The 2 articles you have written about the GX 2100 and 2150 are excellent! Thanks for putting problems like the 2100′s connectivity “out there” where anyone can understand them. I was ready to buy the 2100 for my old boat- and now I’ll be buying the 2150. Thank you 7 thanks to Standard horizon for fixing this obvious problem.