Integrating an older Raymarine Auto Pilot with a new Raymarine GPS/Chartplotter

mrsrobinson

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2006
7,704
Virginia
Boat Info
2001 380DA
Engines
Caterpillar 3126
I was excited to learn the boat I am purchasing has auto pilot from the factory (Raymarine factory unit). I have never had one before. Yesterday I learned it does not integrate with the newer Raymarine GPS/Chartplotter the owner installed about 4 years ago, a Raymariene FLIR aSeries. I do not know the auto pilot model, here is a photo of the dash.

Does anyone know if the two can be integrated? If not what will I have to do to get the auto pilot to talk to the GPS/Chartplotter?

Capture.PNG
 
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They will not communicate with each other. I have researched this as I want to upgrade my E140W GPS/Chartplotter on my 2000 400DB.

The autopilot will still work in "heading" mode and follow a heading but will not communicate and follow a course in the chartplotter.

However, the good news is that you should be able to upgrade the autopilot relatively easily. The pump and hydraulics should be compatible with a new autopilot from Raymarine, so you would only have to upgrade the electronics side. The new autopilot will communicate with the chartplotter via NMEA2000.

BOE Marine (Sponsor of the CSR site) has a autopilot electronics package at a very reasonable price.
 
BOE Marine (Sponsor of the CSR site) has a autopilot electronics package at a very reasonable price.
This is way down on my list, but if a I wanted to convert from a simrad nac-2 and ap44 can a I keep my pumps, rudder feedback and compass?
 
The data protocol hasn't changed so as long as they have a means to communicate you should be able to "almost" fully integrate with the newer Ray MFD's.
Much depends upon which Smartpilot ECM you have, An S2, S3, or SPX? If you have the SPX it has a Seatalk ng port which you can arrange to connect to your newer MFD that has Seatalk ng / NMEA 2000 and it will integrate well. There is a special cable required (typical Raymarine) for the SPX Seatalk ng interface.
With the S2 and S3 you will need to use the Seatalk 1 ports however using the Seatalk 1 on the newer MFD's will disable the Seatalk ng - sometimes....
This is the S3
SAM_3800.jpg

And this is the X30 SPX
Jeff04162020A-11-scaled.jpg
 
We upgraded our E120's to the Axiom Pro 12 RVX MFD's. We had to replace the autopilot with the EV-200. However, we did not need to replace the drive unit. As a side note, we also replaced the network switch, the radar, and a roof mounted GPS.

Ken
 
Question, why bother integrating the devices at all? When my chartplotter or my tablet shows we need course 240 I just set the auto helm to 240, simple enough. End up freg adjusting the auto helm throughout the day to avoid other vessels. Must admit all this network stuff is way out of my league but sometimes it seems there are solutions looking for problems. Not that there is anything lost if a boats systems are already new and networked. I just don't honestly understand the benefit of laboring over this or that adapter or removing working items for what big benefit? Old school I quess.
 
Question, why bother integrating the devices at all? When my chartplotter or my tablet shows we need course 240 I just set the auto helm to 240, simple enough. End up freg adjusting the auto helm throughout the day to avoid other vessels. Must admit all this network stuff is way out of my league but sometimes it seems there are solutions looking for problems. Not that there is anything lost if a boats systems are already new and networked. I just don't honestly understand the benefit of laboring over this or that adapter or removing working items for what big benefit? Old school I quess.
Larry,

When I bought my 400DB, there was an issue with the Ray650 autopilot communicating with the E140W chartplotter. I didn't worry about it as I figured that I could simply set the heading on the autopilot.

The boat was purchased up in Sturgeon Bay WI and I needed to bring her home to Winthrop Harbor, IL. I was told " Go straight out about 2 miles or so (to avoid the fishing nets), turn right to a course of 180 and it will take you right to the mouth of the Northpoint Marina" (About 180 miles).

So I did that. About 6 hours later, as I should have seen Milwaukee on my starboard side, I realized there was a problem.
There was a pretty good wind out of the west and as a result although we were holding a course of 180, we were crabbing to the port side (East) and were far enough out in Lake Michigan that we couldn't see land. Had to make a pretty large right course correction. Having the two communicate would have avoided all that.

And I know, I should have been checking the chartplotter more frequently. But because of the advice, I hadn't plotted a route, so there was no line to follow and I wasn't zoomed in very far so it looked normal...
 
Larry,

When I bought my 400DB, there was an issue with the Ray650 autopilot communicating with the E140W chartplotter. I didn't worry about it as I figured that I could simply set the heading on the autopilot.

The boat was purchased up in Sturgeon Bay WI and I needed to bring her home to Winthrop Harbor, IL. I was told " Go straight out about 2 miles or so (to avoid the fishing nets), turn right to a course of 180 and it will take you right to the mouth of the Northpoint Marina" (About 180 miles).

So I did that. About 6 hours later, as I should have seen Milwaukee on my starboard side, I realized there was a problem.
There was a pretty good wind out of the west and as a result although we were holding a course of 180, we were crabbing to the port side (East) and were far enough out in Lake Michigan that we couldn't see land. Had to make a pretty large right course correction. Having the two communicate would have avoided all that.

And I know, I should have been checking the chartplotter more frequently. But because of the advice, I hadn't plotted a route, so there was no line to follow and I wasn't zoomed in very far so it looked normal...
Yes, you won't get cross track error (XTE) following a heading. Great point!
This is why I always use way points when traveling long distances.
 
Yep! Steve, I’ve done the same thing but without the excuse of the devices not communicating. My 25 year old Ray650 communicates with my Garmins running the latest firmware, and I’m glad it does.
 
Thank you guys. I hadn't thought of cross track error as I automatically adjust the auto helm as the chartplotter shows the need. Being so old school not worth the effort to set up as watching everthing is part of me anyway. But certainly would not remove it if my boat already had it.
 
Thank you guys. I hadn't thought of cross track error as I automatically adjust the auto helm as the chartplotter shows the need. Being so old school not worth the effort to set up as watching everthing is part of me anyway. But certainly would not remove it if my boat already had it.

I believe I had my 12” aSeries communicating with my Type 100 course computer, but it was a PITA. Old stuff needed a lot of setup to get working, but it would integrate to that era of MFD. You need a SeaTalk1 to SeaTalkNG converter which is about $100, and a few cables.

58654EF1-9A3A-4990-8DD4-A52AC161D469.png


You can not update much beyond this unless you start rebuilding the system, stating with a newer MFD. If you upgrading in Raymarine, you might as well get an Axiom.

one other nice feature it looks like you have it the engine sync, probably a Glendinning mechanical one. If it’s already working great, but they can be brought back easy and inexpensively if not.

looks like a nice ride!
 
@mrsrobinson your old RM auto pilot will absolutely communicate with the newer MFD's both Garmin and Raymarine. Two caveats, it must be through NMEA0183/SeaTalk, not SeaTalkNG and names must be turned off, the routes/waypoints must be by number and everything will work as expected. These settings are for the communications so, waypoint/route by number does not affect waypoint/route names on the display. I have this working perfectly with my Garmin 1243's, I should say 1243, as only one can be used as the master with NMEA0183 connected to the course computer. SeatalkNG will not work with anything except the absolute latest RM Autopilot(s). I have an SPX series course computer and it will talk via SeaTalkNG to only the pilot head. It will NOT get any course information from the backbone. But it works great from NMEA0183, with names turned off (They are on by default). There is a thread floating around here that I posted the link to RM's forums where Chuck points this out.

Edit: I should quantify that, SeaTalkNG cables also contain an additional wire for SeaTalk as well. So when connecting RM to RM via SeaTalkNG that cable also contains the SeaTalk signal in it as well. So the above comment about SeaTalkNG not working is when it is converted to NMEA2000, like Garmin talking to the RM AP via a converted SeaTalkNG cable, that will not work.
 
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Can we address the elephant in the room here? In that photo he posted, there isn't an autopilot head in sight.......

If the boat has the same vintage AP installed somewhere else, it most definitely can talk to the newer plotter. I have the original Raymarine AP in my 2000 and it is integrated to my newer Garmin plotter. We just did the same procedure to a few other boats this summer as well.
 
What is an autopilot head? Sorry, I am brand new to autopilot, learning as I read. Also, from looking at the dash pic I posted, can someone tell me what autopilot model the boat has, and where I can go to learn how to use it?
 
What is an autopilot head? Sorry, I am brand new to autopilot, learning as I read. Also, from looking at the dash pic I posted, can someone tell me what autopilot model the boat has, and where I can go to learn how to use it?

The elephant Ray was referring to is that there isn't an autopilot in the pic you posted. The Raynav 300 on the right is a plotter. (kind of)
 
What is an autopilot head? Sorry, I am brand new to autopilot, learning as I read. Also, from looking at the dash pic I posted, can someone tell me what autopilot model the boat has, and where I can go to learn how to use it?

In the picture you posted, there is not an autopilot unit. It would look like an elongated rectangle with a dial on it or a square with two red circular buttons on the bottom.

The photo you posted shows a VHF radio, a tri data, and an antique Raymarine GPS unit.
 
It would look something like this or a smaller square setup.

8000.jpg
 
The lazy-ass broker mixed stock photos in with actual photos. :mad:

One of the dash pics is from a brochure/stock. It shows a RayPilot 650 where in reality the RayNav300 is.
 

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