11/06/2026
Every marine radio surveyor and service engineer working with GMDSS radio stations and AIS transponders eventually faces this choice: test through the antenna as a live radiating system, or connect the test instrument directly to the equipment's RF port via cable?
The answer depends on what needs to be verified โ and not every method is capable of verifying what it appears to. For a surveyor, this means choosing a method that produces calibrated, documentable results. For a service engineer commissioning a new installation, it means confirming that the equipment and antenna system are working correctly together before the vessel enters service.
Any GMDSS or AIS installation consists of two distinct parts that can degrade independently:
๐ธ The equipment itself โ the radio or transponder, its transmitter, receiver, DSC controller, and AIS processor
๐ธ The antenna system โ feeder cable, connectors, splitters, grounding, and the antenna element
A method that evaluates one does not necessarily evaluate the other. This is where many surveys โ and post-installation checks โ despite appearing complete, leave critical gaps.
The full picture is in our latest article: https://gmdsstesters.com/radio-survey/general/antenna-or-cable-testing-gmdss-radio-stations-and-ais-transponders.html