2001 400DB with lots of period Raymarine stuff - Help, my brain hurts

ZZ13

ZZ13

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2009
5,330
Lady's Island, SC
Boat Info
2001 400 Sedan Bridge
Engines
Cummins 450 Diamond
I am working on owning a 2001 400DB with all the following original Raymarine stuff on it:

RL80CRC
220 VHF
L760 Fishfinder
ST60+ Tridata
RN300
ST 7000+ Autopilot
Course Computer
Heading Sensor
A GPS antenna that takes a long, long time to get initial fix into the Tridata (then works fine after that)
SeaTalk connector box with about 4 separate cables going into it
Paddlewheel (does it also have the fishfinder transducer on it)
Depth sensor (is this the one for the Tridata)


I am trying to figure out if everything is interconnected for maximum data sharing among HSB/Seatalk/NMEA0183. According to the manuals if everything is connected properly there is lots of data sharing and coordinate controls (for example, between the fishfinder and the charplotter). It looks like tracing wires to figure it out is going to be a bear. For example, I would like the Tridata to be on Seatalk so it can display SOG from the GPS. But it looks like its standalone connected to only the paddle wheel, depth sensor and power since the speed shows as zero all the time. Another example is the NMEA indicator is not lighting up on the VHF indicating to me that NMEA is not wired to it from the chartplotter or fishfinder.

Do any of you that have all this stuff have any helpful hints on what I should look for (either in function from each device or cabling) to figure out what data sharing capabilities are there, if any. And what devices are getting data from other devices. For example, is GPS antenna connected to RN300, RL80CRC and Fishfinder, or is it just connected to RN300 and it then fans the GPS data to the other devices via one of the data links?

Thanks.
 
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Bill,

This will probably be of no help as I have an added RL 70, but here is my schematic from my '03 410 DA from the same period...

Nav System Schematic.jpg

Your GPS that takes a long time to find stations may be a 120. They seem to have that problem as they get 10 years old and their intermal battery gets weak - so I'm told...
 
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Wow. Where did you get that diagram? Thanks Carter! If mine is wired like that, then maybe I just need to reconfigure the Tridata to use GPS speed instead of the paddlewheel. I'll try that. Hopefully my version of that diagram is in all the documentation I am getting.

Another option is rip it all out and drop 5 boat dollars on modern multifunction display with radar.
 
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carterchapman said:
I can't take credit for it. MY PO, the late Dominic (OSD9) on this forum, did that diagram.
Click to expand...

I have been around here for awhile, but am possibly unaware of something, so what do you mean by your comment above? "the late Dominic (OSD9)"

Thanks, maybe you need to PM me your answer?
 
I found a bunch of other threads on this topic and it looks like the combination of the passive GPS antenna and the aging RN300 as the GPS source is the likely culprit for the slow GPS fix at startup. Many replaced that with the smarter Ray125 GPS antenna and wired it direct to the SeaTalk. Looks like I can find a Ray125 online for around $300 (hope that comes with the cable). I might try that before I scrap everything and go for new stuff to at least solve the Fix delay.

Pseudomind: Its been posted quite a bit here and there was a thread when it happened, but Dom was a valued contributor to this site and died suddenly. Carter bought his boat from Dom's spouse and kept the same name, most likely so we could all remember him.
 
ZZ13 said:
I found a bunch of other threads on this topic and it looks like the combination of the passive GPS antenna and the aging RN300 as the GPS source is the likely culprit for the slow GPS fix at startup. Many replaced that with the smarter Ray125 GPS antenna and wired it direct to the SeaTalk. Looks like I can find a Ray125 online for around $300 (hope that comes with the cable). I might try that before I scrap everything and go for new stuff to at least solve the Fix delay.

Pseudomind: Its been posted quite a bit here and there was a thread when it happened, but Dom was a valued contributor to this site and died suddenly. Carter bought his boat from Dom's spouse and kept the same name, most likely so we could all remember him.
Click to expand...

Your Raystar 125 GPS antenna should come with the cable.
In case it doesn't let me know because, I'll have a spare cable very soon.
You can have it for the shipping cost.

I'm reconfiguring my raymarine set up to accept a new auto pilot and everything will now run on "SeaTalk NG" through a backbone instead of standard "SeaTalk".
The raymarine forum (www.raymarine.ning.com) and help line was very helpful.
When you know exactly what to ask call them at 1(800) 539-5539
It helps to really know what's - what before you call them.

Mark.
 
My condolences to his family, I di d not know, there was a period where I was away from CSR for awhile and when I left there was much talk about a separate non-CSR sight for diesel boat owners. I just though he had went there as also at the time there seemed to be a bit of tension going on as well at CSR.

Dom was a good guy as he had helped me on more than one occasion.
 
Pseudomind, Did I see your boat at Beach Marine a few weeks ago. Been meaning to ask. I keep mine at Lakeshore on the Ortega River next to Lamb's.
 
eweise said:
Pseudomind, Did I see your boat at Beach Marine a few weeks ago. Been meaning to ask. I keep mine at Lakeshore on the Ortega River next to Lamb's.
Click to expand...

No I have not been by there in awhile, You may have seen it at Lamb's, as I am berthed at the overhead covered concrete dock their, last dock out which gives me a good view of the river as there are no boats behind me, just the Ortega River. Sometimes there is a boat there for a day or two on the face dock.

And for zz13, as far as I know the speed transducer you are referring to does just that speed only. Mine from time to time gets clogged up and will not break lose. If you have someone who knows what they are doing and you have the fill plug, it can usually be pulled from inside the bilge, cleaned out and then put back. I have not attempted myself as I am worried about not being able to get the fill plug back in, if you pull it and put the fill plug in, check with a marine electronics shop as to what type of lubricant you can use on the threads before putting it back.

You should have a separate depth transducer. (I am guessing this is what you are calling a fish finder?) I may be wrong, but I thought all depth finders are basically also fish finders basically, there may be enhancements, but it is still typically dealing with depth.

The other item which has already been mentioned is to upgrade your GPS to the 125 model.

You should be able to display SOG on your RL80CRC unit
 
Air O'Nautical said:
Your Raystar 125 GPS antenna should come with the cable.
In case it doesn't let me know because, I'll have a spare cable very soon.
You can have it for the shipping cost.

I'm reconfiguring my raymarine set up to accept a new auto pilot and everything will now run on "SeaTalk NG" through a backbone instead of standard "SeaTalk".
The raymarine forum (www.raymarine.ning.com) and help line was very helpful.
When you know exactly what to ask call them at 1(800) 539-5539
It helps to really know what's - what before you call them.

Mark.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mark. After more research it looks like my only real option is to buy a new SeatalkNG Raystar 130 GPS antenna and a Seatalk1/SeatalkNG converter box to converter the Raystar 130 to the Seatalk1 that is used in my system. The discontinued Seatalk1 Raystar 125 just isn't available anywhere unless I want to take risk on a used one. Once I install the Raystar130 with the converter that will essentially replace my existing RN300/passive antenna GPS. Then I gotta get the Seatalk1 from the converter connected to the Seatalk junction box that's already installed for all the devices that are using Seatalk (Chartplotter, Fishfinder, etc). Raymarine has a 3 way junction box (part# D244) for this. I plug the output of the converter into it along with the existing SeaTalk cable coming out of the RN300 (which currently is the source of Seatalk data) and voila, Seatalk1 should now be back on the Seatalk bus.

That's my plan, at least.
 
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ZZ13 said:
Thanks Mark. After more research it looks like my only real option is to buy a new SeatalkNG Raystar 130 GPS antenna and a Seatalk1/SeatalkNG converter box to converter the Raystar 130 to the Seatalk1 that is used in my system. The discontinued Seatalk1 Raystar 125 just isn't available anywhere unless I want to take risk on a used one. Once I install the Raystar130 with the converter that will essentially replace my existing RN300/passive antenna GPS. Then I gotta get the Seatalk1 from the converter connected to the Seatalk junction box that's already installed for all the devices that are using Seatalk (Chartplotter, Fishfinder, etc). Raymarine has a 3 way junction box (part# D244) for this. I plug the output of the converter into it along with the existing SeaTalk cable coming out of the RN300 (which currently is the source of Seatalk data) and voila, Seatalk1 should now be back on the Seatalk bus.

That's my plan, at least.
Click to expand...

Yeah, what he said.

I hired the Raymarine guy and left him alone.

helm.jpg
 
I finally got this all sorted out. Like with my 04 300DA, Sea Ray decided not to network anything together at the factory and instead wired up everything standalone. Rusty why is that?

Anyway, the only capabilities missing that I wanted to use were the chartplotter on the L760 Fishfinder and the DSC/MMSI on the Ray220 VHF radio. The answer to both those was to get GPS data to both units. I simply connected NMEA0183 out from the RL80C to both the L760 and the Ray220, so that the RL80C can pass on the GPS data. And, poof, I now have a second chartplotter (which means I gotta go buy a redundant set of C-MAP chips - unless I just dedicate the RL80C to radar only and use the L760 for charts) and I have position data going to the VHF radio. I am living on the edge here though as I now have 3 NMEA listeners (L760, Ray220, Course Computer) for one talker (RL80C). I have read that 3 is the max, but I have also read that two is the max. I guess I will find out.

Thanks to all that helped, especially MisterComputerMan's advice to hire someone to replace it all. That's probably coming one day.
 
I am thinking of replacing the Raynav300 GPS with the Garmin 441 from my 175 Sport. Then I'd feed its GPS from its internal antenna to the RL80 and L760 via NMEA. Any reason that wouldn't work? Would mean no arch mounted GPS antenna. Just an internal antenna on the 441.
 
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