Need some help with electronics

[DaltonGang]

I have a 1995 Sundancer 370 and it has B&G equipment (probably oriignal).
Gauge/display 1: gps network system
Gauge/display 2: speed and depth
Gauge/display 3: Auto Pilot

Someone installed an aftermarket chart plotter which works fine on its own.
I can turn on the system but only the network gauge/display comes on with errors. The gauge 2 and 3 don't turn on. Back on the steering (in engine bay) it appears someone unhooked the bracket that autopilot uses to turn the rudders.

So I'm wondering this. Does display 2 and 3 get its power to turn on from display 1? I don't see any power wires coming off those displays. There is only 2 big wires coming from those units and I'm assuming its 1 in and 1 out.

I'm trying to figure out if the displays have no power or are they just broke. Could I buy some used ones off ebay and possibly get autopilot to work? I know the chartplotter won't communicate but thats ok,I just want basic auto pilot functions.

or does this whole system HAVE to work with the original chart plotter?
The thing I want to work the most is autopilot so if I can get that working somehow then I'm fine. I will get a fish finder which takes care of depth.

 

[Cocktail Time]

I have a working network pilot module with cover if you would like to buy it. You are correct in the two large cables on each module are in and out but they have six wires in each one. If you would like, I have the user manual too. You can connect an additional GPS to feed location data to the GPS network system if yours isn't working right, it can then feed location data to your autopilot. The GPS feeds to the Quad then the Quad feeds to the Pilot. I have the manuals if you would like me to email them too. Dan

 

[DaltonGang]

I have a working network pilot module with cover if you would like to buy it. You are correct in the two large cables on each module are in and out but they have six wires in each one. If you would like, I have the user manual too. You can connect an additional GPS to feed location data to the GPS network system if yours isn't working right, it can then feed location data to your autopilot. The GPS feeds to the Quad then the Quad feeds to the Pilot. I have the manuals if you would like me to email them too. Dan

yes, please email manuals, that would be great! And how much would you charge for the network pilot module?

my email is kendalton@outlook.com

 

[stephens013]

I have a 1995 Sundancer 370 and it has B&G equipment (probably oriignal).
Gauge/display 1: gps network system
Gauge/display 2: speed and depth
Gauge/display 3: Auto Pilot

Someone installed an aftermarket chart plotter which works fine on its own.
I can turn on the system but only the network gauge/display comes on with errors. The gauge 2 and 3 don't turn on. Back on the steering (in engine bay) it appears someone unhooked the bracket that autopilot uses to turn the rudders.

So I'm wondering this. Does display 2 and 3 get its power to turn on from display 1? I don't see any power wires coming off those displays. There is only 2 big wires coming from those units and I'm assuming its 1 in and 1 out.

I'm trying to figure out if the displays have no power or are they just broke. Could I buy some used ones off ebay and possibly get autopilot to work? I know the chartplotter won't communicate but thats ok,I just want basic auto pilot functions.

or does this whole system HAVE to work with the original chart plotter?
The thing I want to work the most is autopilot so if I can get that working somehow then I'm fine. I will get a fish finder which takes care of depth.

The B&G auto pilot I had on my 97 400DA just would not cooperate with my Garmin. The auto pilot was fine with a point and shoot, maintaining a heading, but would not follow navigational routes. The marine computer languags were all propritary in the late 90's. Each manufacture had its own signal language transferring data between its individual components. I'm betting your chart plotter is using NMEA 183 or NMEA 2000, the standard computer language used between modern marine navigation systems. My 1997 B&G control heads did not recognize the NMEA language. I used converter set ups but was not all that successful. They worked for awhile but ultimately the navigation part of the B&G auto pilot became useless. Updates, different cross talk, what have you was just to much to overcome. I eventually replaced the whole shooting match with Garmin retrofit. Did keep the B&G Hydrolic steering pump and ram even after changing to Garmin control heads. That worked great. Just a two way direct sieries pump.
Anyway; before swapping to a Garmin control head I was pretty happy just using heading mode, manually inputting headings and corrections into the B&G, following the routes on the chart plotter.

 

[DaltonGang]

The B&G auto pilot I had on my 97 400DA just would not cooperate with my Garmin. The auto pilot was fine with a point and shoot, maintaining a heading, but would not follow navigational routes. The marine computer languags were all propritary in the late 90's. Each manufacture had its own signal language transferring data between its individual components. I'm betting your chart plotter is using NMEA 183 or NMEA 2000, the standard computer language used between modern marine navigation systems. My 1997 B&G control heads did not recognize the NMEA language. I used converter set ups but was not all that successful. They worked for awhile but ultimately the navigation part of the B&G auto pilot became useless. Updates, different cross talk, what have you was just to much to overcome. I eventually replaced the whole shooting match with Garmin retrofit. Did keep the B&G Hydrolic steering pump and ram even after changing to Garmin control heads. That worked great. Just a two way direct sieries pump.
Anyway; before swapping to a Garmin control head I was pretty happy just using heading mode, manually inputting headings and corrections into the B&G, following the routes on the chart plotter.

Yeah I've read this before about the different languages but I'm ok with just manual autopilot settings. I've spent enough money on this boat and it would be nice to have all new electronics, I can't justify it for a boat that only cost me 40k. So its good to know I can still just manually control autopilot because thats all I want really.

 

[stephens013]

I have a 1995 Sundancer 370 and it has B&G equipment (probably oriignal).
Gauge/display 1: gps network system
Gauge/display 2: speed and depth
Gauge/display 3: Auto Pilot

Someone installed an aftermarket chart plotter which works fine on its own.
I can turn on the system but only the network gauge/display comes on with errors. The gauge 2 and 3 don't turn on. Back on the steering (in engine bay) it appears someone unhooked the bracket that autopilot uses to turn the rudders.

So I'm wondering this. Does display 2 and 3 get its power to turn on from display 1? I don't see any power wires coming off those displays. There is only 2 big wires coming from those units and I'm assuming its 1 in and 1 out.

I'm trying to figure out if the displays have no power or are they just broke. Could I buy some used ones off ebay and possibly get autopilot to work? I know the chartplotter won't communicate but thats ok,I just want basic auto pilot functions.

or does this whole system HAVE to work with the original chart plotter?
The thing I want to work the most is autopilot so if I can get that working somehow then I'm fine. I will get a fish finder which takes care of depth.

By the way, only reason I changed out the B&G auto pilot contol was because my B&G gps antina of that unit failed; couldn't get a replacement. The newer gps antinas would not communicate the the older B&G system.

 

[Cocktail Time]

Couple things, and I am just going by the installation and ops manuals, the input from an external GPS can be set on the B&G GPS to NMEA 0183, whether it works or not with routes, not sure, but it should navigate to waypoints in a route. Second, the B&G GPS requires a powered GPS antenna. The one I have in my boat is about due for a battery replacement but is a Raystar 120 GPS antenna and it works with the B&G GPS no problem.