AIS verification: on their own or calling the service
The annual AIS Class A test on MSC.1/Circ.1252 can be done in two ways: by your own device using your own communication service or by calling a service organization with their device. Both are legal, a matter of arithmetic and responsibility.
Your device: when it pays off
Your tester, for example. AIS Tester AITS-RVThis is a one-time major purchase. It pays off when there are several ships: each annual inspection of each ship ceases to be a separate bill from the service. Plus, operational checks between scheduled ones – after repairing the antenna or replacing the cable – cease to depend on someone else’s schedule.
What is added to the price of the device
Testing the tester by deadline, training people and discipline protocols: verification is considered a test when it is formalized by a document that the inspector will accept. If the shipowner already has a communication service, it is her regular work; if not, the device will hang dead.
Call of service: when it is more rational
One or two ships is almost always a challenge. The service comes with its trusted appliance, does the check and gives the protocol: the shipowner pays for the result, not for iron, verification and training. A single check before examination is a typical case.
Mixed circuit
In practice, large companies keep a device for operational inspections of the fleet, and annual with protocols are sometimes still closed by the service - so that the responsibility for the document lies with the licensed organization. Scheme for your fleet count together: write how many ships and what equipment costs.
FAQ
When does your AIS tester pay off? When there are several ships: each annual and operational inspection ceases to be a separate service account. For one or two ships, a call is more rational.
What do you need besides the device? Valid tester verification, trained people and properly executed protocols – without a document, there is no inspection for the inspector.
Who should do the annual AIS audit? Any party with a trusted device and the correct design: its own communication service or called service organization.
Can you combine? Yes: your device for operational inspections of the fleet, service - for annual with protocols. This is what many large companies do.
