DSC and Raymarine

[Robski97]

Been toying with the DSC features of my VHF and after way too much work on my part this is what i found out.


The way Searay ships Raymarine equiped boats the DSC feature to plot on your GPS is not used if u have an auto pilot. There is only a single NEMA input on the C AND E 120's . This input will have ur heading sensor plugged into it . That leaves nowhere to plug the DSC radios NEMA output. :smt021 WTF

So now since i have twin displays ... one will no longer have the heading sensor plugged into it as a test to see what will happen. ( we will plug the VHF nema out into the 2nd 120.) They make a duplexer im told to combine two nema signals ... but no one knows if it will work. Geez and i thought i had some great gear...

Rob

 

[Asureyez]

Raymarine

Raytheon + Vigil + Autohelm = :smt013 WTF

I too have these Raymarine factory rig things and I can't wait for another of my "ships to come in" so I can bail out on them and go to Furuno or better.

Raymarine GPS; Time to first fix hours or weeks and will loose a fix if a bird flies between the antenna and the sats.

Raymarine VHF: two trips to factory and it still will suddenly lock and loose Tx ability, factory blames marketing for having stated the radio will broadcast emergency lat /Lon which data it gets from the GPS, Ah sorry customer, that never really worked so please disconnect the NEMA lead and you VHF wuill not lock up as often! But we got it going in our new models so buy one of those. Sheesh

TriData: Actually works!

Color Chartplot: Works fine, I stepped this up from factory after purchase to a RLC 80, works fine but can't do GPS's job for it.

Auto pilot: works, but fluxgate defies swing program so compass is at best "in the ball park" ... keeps me on my toes by maintaining a running plot on paper charts so I can pick up ded recon if I'm off shore. Good habit builder I guess.

Raytheon Radar: Actually works too!

And then the KVH Trac 4 is now in the factory for repair for the third time ... in almost 3 years ... KVH's solution is "maybe you should buy a new one from us ...

Now I feel better ...