Navigator alarm

[Mike Veal]

We have a 2003 390 MY with the Navigator (SRN) and RL80C. I've read this forums content on the SRN and realize the shortcomings of the SRN and hope to replace with a newer chartplotter in the near future. I've been chasing an alarm that is isolated to the SRN. I have once seen an alarm code flash quickly relating to depth when we were in 60 ft of water in Lake Michigan. I continue to try using the SRN because the depth transducer runs thru it and shows depth on the Smartcraft and the RL80C, but it alarms after 20 minutes of run time. I have to power down SRN and engines and switch off the ignition switches to clear the alarm. I know the SRN is old and worthless, but it is the gateway for the depth transducer. Any thoughts on this frequent alarm?

 

[Skybolt]

It is most likely the transducer going bad if it is of the age of the RL-80 and SRN. When you cycle the SRN it power cycles the xdcr as well.

When you go to replace the chart plotter, you will also need to replace the radar and sonar as well. They pretty much go hand in hand with the manufacturer you choose. If the transducer was/is still good that may be able to be reused on it's own with an adapter cable if you go with Garmin.

 

[ttmott]

The SRN depth transducer is NMEA0183.
You can remove it from the SRN and connect to the Ray NMEA0183 network. It is a "Talker" so make sure to connect as appropriate.

 

[Mike Veal]

Ttmott, any chance you have info and specifics on how to wire the xdcr from the SRN and connect to the Ray NMEA0183 network. The xdcr is a multi pin connector (computer style). I have located a buss for the 0183, just not sure how to wire it in correctly.

 

[Skybolt]

@Mike Veal if the connector is a 9 pin D-sub connector then pins 2 and 3 are Rx/Tx (respectively) and the other pin 5 is for ground. So pin 2 is receive and pin 3 is transmit. For the transducer you will only need to connect pin 3 and pin 5 to the new MFD.

(out) Tx -> Rx (in)

Please post what model you are using and I can tell you the exact input wire on the Garmin to use. You will also need a power line to the transducer as well.

 

[Mike Veal]

SKybolt, thank you for the details. Attached are 2 pics of the current buss. Also a pic of the dash. I have a Raymarine RL80C Plus for a chartplotter, which is connected to ST7001+ Autopilot and Raymarine open array radar.

 

[Skybolt]

@Mike Veal So some point's to consider. All of your Raymarine devices are now connected via SeaTalk, which is a proprietary Raymarine protocol. NMEA 0183 is an open marine spec that is also used even still today. The problem with 0183 is there isn't a "Network" that it connects too. You can only have two device's at any one time connected together. off of one tx/rx line, which gives you a maximum of three devices being connected together.

Your RL80 Plus is both chart plotter and radar. So that is where you want to connect the transducer into. Your auto pilot is independent of that and runs via SeaTalk connection.

Your NMEA pic doesn't really show much or what it is connected too or where it comes from. So that doesn't really help out here.

What you need to do is look at the RL80 manual and see where the nmea 0183 connection's are and how they are routed. The Rx line or Rx+ and Rx- lines are what you are interested in. In most cases the Rx/Tx - lines are the ground of the device, but that needs to be verified from your manual. Not all of the older equipment supports xdcrs in 0183 format.

But the newer Garmin's will.

 

[Mike Veal]

SKybolt. The Smartcraft and RL80 are already connected via a network (assume NMEA 0183) thru the Sea Ray Navigator (SRN). It appears the power for the xdcr is from the SRN. When the SRN is on, I can see depth across each display, when SRN is off, they are blank. Seems like if I can get power to the xdcr and bypass the SRN, I'll have depth on the RL80 and Smartcraft. Does this make sense?

 

[Skybolt]

@Mike Veal Yes that makes sense, but to remove the SRN you have to start from scratch so to speak. You need to take the xdcr that is connected to the SRN and bypass the SRN. The SRN is what is translating and/or broadcasting the data. You should be able to use the info a post or two above and get it going. I know next to nothing about the SRN, except I have removed a few and bypassed everything. To do that I started from scratch with the wiring.

 

[ttmott]

If I remember correctly the SRN data from the SRN is connected through the autopilot NMEA 0183 interface.
Here are some pics from the one removed and sold from my boat years ago.