Should I Extend My AIS Antenna Above the Bimini?

Question:

I have a raymarine AIS, receive and transmit. Should the antenna have an extention to get it above the Bimini support structure? If so, what antenna do you suggest? - David

Answer:

Your Raymarine AIS transmitter should come with a GPS antenna. I suggest you install the GPS antenna as low as possible and also with the least obstructions to the sky. The VHF antenna used with the AIS transmitter, should ideally be a dedicated AIS antenna, or in the case of using a digital splitter, recommend you get a good VHF/AIS antenna. Suggest you look at the Shakespeare website to look at models that might work for you.