Electronics Upgrade...

[Steve S]

On my 400DB I currently have an Raymarine E140W chartplotter and radar with a Ray240VHF and a Ray650 Autopilot. I know it is older gear and I find the E140W to be cumbersome and not user friendly.

When I start the E140W chartplotter I get a SeaTalk error message (No devices connected IIRC) and it does not see the autopilot. The Ray650 autopilot works fine setting manual headings. It simply does not get any input from the chartplotter.

Question #1 - What can I check regarding this SeaTalk connection so the E140W chartplotter will talk to the Ray650?

The Ray240VHF, although the handset functions correctly, virtually nothing is heard thru the external speaker (Yes, volume is up). LOL. Thinking that I need to upgrade and possibly would like to add AIS (Hoping to "Great Loop" in a couple of years and that would be a nice feature).

Personally, I like Garmin products. So I am considering upgrading to a Garmin chartplotter (additional to the system) and perhaps a Garmin 215-AIS VHF. Not sure if I will internally mount the chartplotter or externally mount it. I need to see about rearranging the console first.

So if I add these items and create an NMEA 2K backbone (for future Fusion radio additions), I already know the Garmin stuff will talk to each other as I did a similar install in my old 340DA.

Question #2 - Will the Garmin chartplotter talk to the Ray650 autopilot by either NMEA2K or NMEA-0183?
Question #3 - Or can I connect the existing Seatalk network to an NMEA2K backbone if I can verify the Ray650 autopilot is connected via Seatalk and have the Garmin send info that way??

Bottom line - Not trying to replace the whole system right now but upgrade/repair and replace nonfunctional items.

Thoughts??

 

[Henry Boyd]

I just replaced the twin E120W displays and Smartpilot autopilot with Twin Axiom Pro 12 RXVs and Evolution autopilot. I was able to reuse the HD radar, transducer and AIS650 transceiver. Out came the High Speed Ethernet switch, DSM30, displays and autopilot.

I also have a Volvo/Garmin engine display, so I sympathize with the desire to switch. Had it not been for having the HD radar I would switched it all out to Garmin, although the Garmin autopilot for Volvo IPS is crazy expensive.

I can’t answer your autopilot question, but it is doubtful it would “work” fully with an upgraded Raymarine display. Although best source for an answer is the Raymarine.com forum. Go there and post questions on a possible RM upgrade path.

We still aren’t in the water, but the new gear looks really impressive and we’ll find out Thursday.

Also don’t forget you may need engine gateways and other n2k sensors to fully exploit the NMEA2000 network.

 

[Steve S]

Thanks Henry. My 3116s are fully mechanical and I don’t think there is an easy way to get data to an NMEA 2000 network.

 

[RollerCoastr]

When I updated the old Ray stuff to Garmin, I had it professionally installed and kept my Ray 650. I thought for many years that I had a bad fluxgate, as it would show swinging readings, but I could make it work.

When I did upgrade round 2, my new Garmin gear turned the fluxgate crazy. Someone on a forum helped me find the Garmin setting that was sending out redundant heading data on the 0183 network, and had been all along. (the newer gear apparently just sent it out more often, rendering the 650 useless)

With that setting shut off, my trusty-if-fussy RayPilot 650 and its fluxgate got new leases on life, sitting next to Garmin gear 20 years their junior.

I can't "engage" the AP from a tap on the plotter screen, but as much as I appreciate gadgets, I couldn't care less. I can engage it to follow a Garmin route with a tap of the button on the 650 itself, but I manually advance at each waypoint. I still think the wheel on the 650 is a better way to make heading corrections than anything that has been introduced since.

I did care about how ugly the grey, fading to green 650 was next to all the newer, black Garmin stuff, so I took it apart and sprayed it with plastic-friendly paint.

 

[yobub]

Unlike the other gear, I don't see much of a need to match brands for the VHF. Standard Horizon and ICOM both make really good units, and you can easily send the AIS data over to your chart plotter through NMEA connections. Stop by next weekend and I'll show you how mine is set up.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Unlike the other gear, I don't see much of a need to match brands for the VHF. Standard Horizon and ICOM both make really good units, and you can easily send the AIS data over to your chart plotter through NMEA connections. Stop by next weekend and I'll show you how mine is set up.

If you don’t want to spend a boat buck on a AIS transceiver, a VHF with AIS receive only is a great way to at least see those around you.

 

[kvduff]

When I updated the old Ray stuff to Garmin, I had it professionally installed and kept my Ray 650. I thought for many years that I had a bad fluxgate, as it would show swinging readings, but I could make it work.

When I did upgrade round 2, my new Garmin gear turned the fluxgate crazy. Someone on a forum helped me find the Garmin setting that was sending out redundant heading data on the 0183 network, and had been all along. (the newer gear apparently just sent it out more often, rendering the 650 useless)

With that setting shut off, my trusty-if-fussy RayPilot 650 and its fluxgate got new leases on life, sitting next to Garmin gear 20 years their junior.

I can't "engage" the AP from a tap on the plotter screen, but as much as I appreciate gadgets, I couldn't care less. I can engage it to follow a Garmin route with a tap of the button on the 650 itself, but I manually advance at each waypoint. I still think the wheel on the 650 is a better way to make heading corrections than anything that has been introduced since.

I did care about how ugly the grey, fading to green 650 was next to all the newer, black Garmin stuff, so I took it apart and sprayed it with plastic-friendly paint.

Could you share what the magical setting was? TIA

 

[RollerCoastr]

Disabling the 0183 HDM sentences fixed it. I just looked-up the post where I got that advice, and the fact that it worked surprised the guy who suggested it!

 

[kvduff]

Tha

Disabling the 0183 HDM sentences fixed it. I just looked-up the post where I got that advice, and the fact that it worked surprised the guy who suggested it!

I’ll see if I can figure that out, would you mind posting the link to the post so I could give it a read?

 

[RollerCoastr]

https://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-electronics-forum/940222-strange-0181-behavior.html

 

[kvduff]

https://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-electronics-forum/940222-strange-0181-behavior.html

Thanks Roller, I am going to give it a try this morning. appreciate your time and assistance