NMEA To Hold Classes at METSTRADE

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) will play a major role again this year by providing technical training at METSTRADE, the world’s largest recreational marine trade show scheduled for Nov. 15-17 in Amsterdam.  

All four of NMEA’s installer certification classes will be offered on this international stage. Students will achieve installer certificates upon passing a certification exam at the end of each class. All classes will take place in the Elicium Building of the RAI, second floor, room D203. NMEA will exhibit at METS at booth 12.500.  

The courses include:  

Basic Marine Electronics Installer (MEI) Course is suitable for marine electronic installers, engine mechanics, boat builders, riggers, product designers, surveyors, etc. This is an introductory course in marine electronics installation that clarifies and defines competent installation practices. The MEI Training class includes the following installation topics and subjects: General Knowledge, Coaxial Cable Installations, Antenna Installations, Marine VHF Installations, AIS Installations, Displays & Black Box Installations, Trolling Motor Installations, Shallow Water Anchor Installations, Marine Stereo Installations, Transducer Installations, Heading Sensor Installations, LED Lighting Installations, NMEA Data Interfacing, EMI Troubleshooting, and Radar Installations  

Basic NMEA 2000® Network Installer (N2K) is an introductory course on installing NMEA 2000® Networks. The course covers the following topics: Cables, Connectors, Specifications Physical Planning & Documentation, Power Sources & Distribution, Voltage Drop Calculations, Data Messages (Parameter Group Numbers), Connecting to Other Data Sources, Network Setup, and Troubleshooting. Students will be guided through building a basic NMEA 2000 network at the conclusion of the training course.  

Advanced Marine Electronics Installer (AMEI) is designed for the Marine Electronics Installer (MEI) who wishes to achieve competency in advanced topic areas and concepts. An Advanced MEI certificate is an indication that a mid-level installer has a working knowledge regarding the commissioning of a boat and installing more complex marine electronic devices. The program will go in-depth on the proper installation of Computers, Ethernet, NMEA 0183, Autopilots, Radar, Gyros & Satellite Compasses, Satellite Communications Antennas, VHF & DSC, Single Sideband, AIS, and EMI. Pre-requisite: Student must have taken the basic MEI Installer Training class.  

Advanced NMEA 2000 Network Installer (AN2K) The NMEA 2000® focuses on installations, setup, and diagnostic troubleshooting of moderately complex NMEA 2000® networks. The class consists of a PowerPoint presentation followed by “hands on” and the included class lunch. Students split into small groups at classroom workstations equipped with NMEA 2000® networks. The purpose of the hands-on portion is to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in the ability to build, configure, backup network files and evaluate network conditions using the diagnostic tools shown in the class. The training class features NMEA 2000®-certified products from major manufacturers such as Furuno, Garmin, Simrad, Raymarine, Maretron, Actisense and Airmar, including multi-function displays (MFDs), instruments and sensors. Most importantly, this course allows students to get familiar with the diagnostic tools used in the training and is offered to students at special reduced pricing from the NMEA. Pre-requisite: Student must have taken the basic NMEA 2000 Installer Training class.  

Pricing for the Basic MEI, Basic NMEA 2000 and AMEI training courses are $450 member / $650 non-member. To register, go to www.NMEA.org and click on “training” and then on “training schedule”. Or for more information, call/email NMEA at (410) 975- 9425, info@nmea.org.