New: Quark Elec A055T 5W AIS transponder with built-in splitter

Anyone looking for a complete 5 Watt AIS transponder with built-in splitter will quickly come across models like the Em Trak B954. That is an excellent product, but with a price of over a thousand euros it is also a serious investment.

The new Quark Elec A055T now offers a particularly interesting alternative to this.

Quark Elec has packed virtually everything you would expect from a modern AIS transponder into one compact unit. The A055T It features 5 Watt SOTDMA, a built-in active VHF splitter, WiFi, NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000.

With this, Quark Elec clearly targets water sports enthusiasts who want a lot of functionality but don't want to automatically choose the most expensive system.

No second antenna needed

One of the major advantages of the A055T is the built-in active splitter. The transponder therefore uses the same VHF antenna as the marine radio. A second AIS antenna or a separate external splitter is therefore not necessary.

This not only makes the installation more attractive, but also saves on additional wiring, space and costs.

For many boats, that is exactly the kind of solution you want. As little loose cabinets and cables as possible, but with all the functionality on board.

Installing becomes increasingly easier

What particularly appeals to us about the latest generation of Quark Elec equipment is that installation becomes increasingly accessible.

The A055T can be configured via WiFi using the built-in web app. You connect to the transponder, open the configuration page in a browser, and can then check and adjust the most important settings there.

This eliminates the need for many users to use special software or complex programming cables.

The output power can also be adjusted to 1, 2 or 5 watts.

For normal use, 5 watts will usually be the logical choice, but it is nice that Quark Elec has built this flexibility into the standard.

Everything linked to the ship

In addition to WiFi, the A055T also supports NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000. This makes it easy to integrate the transponder with existing navigation equipment and chartplotters.

In addition, supported NMEA 0183 data can be converted to NMEA 2000. Especially on boats where older and newer equipment are used side by side, this can be surprisingly useful.

Furthermore, via WiFi multiple devices can receive AIS data simultaneously. For example, you can use a chartplotter via NMEA 2000 and simultaneously view AIS data on a tablet or laptop.

Why the comparison with the Em Trak B954 makes sense

The comparison with the Em Trak B954 is obvious.

Also the B954 is a 5 Watt SOTDMA transponder with built-in splitter, WiFi, NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000.

The big difference lies mainly in the price.

The Em Trak B954 It currently costs well over 1100 euros. The Quark Elec A055T It is significantly inferior there, while in terms of network functions and configuration it is actually particularly complete.

The B954 Among other things, it has Bluetooth and a built-in GPS antenna as an advantage. The A055T In return, it offers web-based configuration, WiFi for multiple devices, adjustable transmit power, and extensive NMEA functionality.

Therefore, for many water sports enthusiasts the question will not be which transponder is the most technologically advanced, but rather which features they actually need.

And that is exactly where the A055T interesting.

Quark Elec has now proven itself

When Quark Elec was launched Smartmarine years ago, the brand was still relatively unknown among many water sports enthusiasts. That has now changed.

The Multiplexers, AIS products and sensors from Quark Elec It is now used by many customers and the brand has shown that good marine electronics does not have to be automatically extremely expensive.

Smartmarine works directly with Quark Elec and is a distributor for Western Europe. As a result, we have a direct line of communication with the manufacturer for technical support, firmware updates, and product development.

The A055T is, in our opinion, a beautiful next step in that development. Many features that were previously required by separate devices are now contained in one compact unit. At the same time, the price remains clearly below that of comparable premium models.

Lots of functionality for a great price

The A055T is therefore particularly interesting for water sports enthusiasts who want a modern 5-watt AIS system without spending directly €1,100 or more.

You get SOTDMA, an active splitter, WiFi, NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, and simple configuration via the web app in one device.

For anyone considering the Em Trak B954, it is therefore definitely worth taking a look at the new Quark Elec A055T as well.

The Quark Elec A055T is now available at Smartmarine.
Introductory offer valid until November 15, 2026.