All AIS Class A Transponders have a special “Pilot Plug” that is intended to allow a Commercial Pilot to quickly and reliably connect their laptop PC to the Class A Transponder when they arrive onboard.
Often on larger vessels the normal 3-6 ft length of the Pilot Plug can make connecting to the vessels Class A transponder difficult. Therefore, as most Pilot Plug cables use a USB interface, that has a limit of 16ft, extending the cable can be problematic.
The Digital Yacht Pilot Plug extension cable, extends the NMEA0183 wiring and not the USB wiring. As a result, this makes it possible to extend up to 33ft (or more). Plus the length of the existing Pilot Plug cable.