Micj81
New Member
My vessel view / mph and fuel range recently stopped working. I was also told that my GPS antenna needed replaced. Are these possibly tied together independent issues? Boat is an 07, 48 Sundancer with Cummins diesels.
Vessel View / MPH / Raymarine E120
- Thread starter Micj81
- Start date
Very likely they are related. Unless your boat has an independent depth sounder with speed sensor (which is uncommon), the VesselView needs to get its speed data from the installed electronics. Unless your systems have been updated from original, the VV input is going to be via NMEA 0183. If your GPS is shot, you shouldn't be seeing speed on your MFD unless you have a separate speed sensor that measures speed through the water (STW) such as a paddle wheel transducer on the hull. GPS measures speed over the ground (SOG) by comparing sequential positions.
Once you replace the GPS antenna you should see SOG on your MFD and hopefully on the VV as well. If the VV is then not getting a speed, there may be other problems you need to deal with.
It would be helpful if you posted your VV model and the models of your navigation suite.
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
Following. My VV has no GPS in put either. Nothing in the VV manual about networking it. All of the Raymarine stuff talks amongst themselves via Ethernet.
Which VV do you have? If original vintage, it should have a NMEA 0183 input. The interface is one-way only, older VV are listen only. Newer VV usually are NMEA 2000 capable and will send and receive.
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
It’s a 1.5. I see 2 plugs on the back of it that look like they go to the 6 way splitter. Just got the boat and it’s never worked, but all electronics work.
Should be NMEA 0183 input-only capable. The interface is typically via a pigtail on the harness from the J-box (splitter) to the VV. There should be a number of those offshoots from the harness for things like the gauges, ambient air temp sensor, etc.
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
Is it on the splitter end or the VV end?
The pigtails start to split off from the main harness just downstream (toward the VV) of the plugs coming out of the splitter (J-Box). There are usually several, likely bound together with ties and/or tape. I've got my old harness and will try to dig it out tonight and provide picures.
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
That would be great. I appreciate that. Thanks so much.
Three photos attached. One is the overall harness, then one of the NMEA cable connector, then one of the two wire leads.
Also including two PDFs, both gotten from Sea Ray. One is a schematic of the typical Smartcraft set up. The other is the master drawing for the standard dual-E120 install. Note that the NMEA 0183 signal comes from a Raymarine multiplexer to provide a single NMEA 0183 signal of both the navigation parameters Smartcraft could use (primarily intended route) and depth. This part failed on me and resulted in the loss of navigation and depth data to my Smartcraft.
Attachments
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
Thanks very much for this. I also have no nav or depth data on the VV. I don’t think I have a multiplexer. The DSM-300 sounder, both E-120’s and I think the AP all plug in to the seatalk hub. I’m wondering if the multiplexer failed and they just installed a seatalk hub to get the Ray stuff communicating. That would have taken the VV out of the loop.
If that’s the case I should be able to go 0183 out of the master E-120 and into the VV. I’ll poke around under the dash when I get some down time.
Thanks again. This was a huge help.
If that’s the case I should be able to go 0183 out of the master E-120 and into the VV. I’ll poke around under the dash when I get some down time.
Thanks again. This was a huge help.
The DSM should interface with the SeatalkHS ethernet router; each of your E120's should also. The wiring and connectors are Ethernet style like on your home network.
The SmartPilot course computer does not interface with SeatalkHS ethernet, it interfaces with Seatalk1 and NMEA0183.
If the Comm LED's on the SeatalkHS router are not blinking showing communication when the MFD's and DSM are powered up then you can swap a standard home ethernet router in it's place to test and see if the Ray one is not functioning.
Here is a picture I put together years ago showing how the Seatalk1 is interfaced with the SmartPilot.
The GPS if original Raymarine should interface with the NMEA input and output on the course computer; the white, blue, red, and black wires on the NMEA terminals.
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
This looks like what I have going on. Where in this scenario would I tap into MNEA 0183 for the VV? Can I just tap into the 0183 output on the SmartPilot?
Also have an issue where the heading shown on the AP controller can be very close to the mag compass or could be way off…like 90 degrees or more. It tracks a straight line OK, but doesn’t track a plotted course line very well. It slowly drifts off the course line.
My plan was to upgrade the the electronics, but I wonder if this and the VV GPS input thing are somehow related.
Also have an issue where the heading shown on the AP controller can be very close to the mag compass or could be way off…like 90 degrees or more. It tracks a straight line OK, but doesn’t track a plotted course line very well. It slowly drifts off the course line.
My plan was to upgrade the the electronics, but I wonder if this and the VV GPS input thing are somehow related.
If I remember correctly the green and white wires connected to the NMEA out on the course computer are for the Smartcraft / VV. Also, if I remember correctly, it is the SmartPilot course computer that translates navigation information between NMEA 0183 and Seatalk1.
The E120 MFD provides depth information to the Seatalk1 network and to the VV via NMEA0183 from the course computer.
However, all of these devices can be configured differently depending upon what options were provided on the boat.
The E120 MFD provides depth information to the Seatalk1 network and to the VV via NMEA0183 from the course computer.
However, all of these devices can be configured differently depending upon what options were provided on the boat.
BTW as an edit - if the SeatalkHS router isn't working then there will be no data exchanged between the two E120 displays. One (the slave) will be void of any data.
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
Thanks. I’ll check for the green and white wires. Something else a little off. Notice the upper left corner. Course and depth are zero.
So, you're not getting a depth signal, could be your transducer failed (not uncommon) or it's not connected. Since you are getting fixes, looks like your GPS is working. As to course, with GPS operating you should be able to see Course over Ground (COG). I imagine that screen is set to show the heading sensor course but I think you should be able to show COG through settings.
So, like depth, the heading sensor could be broken or just not communicating. The VV problem may just be a subset of the larger MFD problem. One way you could check on the VV connection would be to execute a route on the MFD and see if that is reflected on the VV nav screen (course, depth and nav info are about all the VV can read). If you can get the VV issue out of the way you can focus on getting depth and heading info to the MFD, seems like there is where the real problem lies.
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
I’m seeing depth, SOG and COG. See pic of full screen. This is the slave. Both MFD’s show the same data. Kind of a head scratcher. Also see pics of the mag compass and the AP heading display. I’ve got some strange stuff going on. No where near the Bermuda Triangle, so that can’t be it. 
- Jun 30, 2023
- 368
- Boat Info
- 2007 44 Sedan Bridge, Raymarine chart plotter x 2, radar, sounder, auto pilot, Starlink.
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
The two bottom pics were taken at the same time. The COG reading matches the mag compass.
Looks like you have a separate sonar transducer and that is how you are seeing depth? But the "depth" data box is the 0 ft in the upper left box? That would be intended for a separate transducer that only measures depth (but also sometimes sea temp and/or STW). Not sure if you can get the sonar-determined depth to read in a data box or transmit to NMEA 0183. I would still try and find out what's happening with the dedicated depth sounder.
For your heading problem, you might try seeing if the compass calibration routine will make it usable. The OEM heading sensor isn't known for long life or reliability and that's the first place I would be looking to do a replacement.
For your heading problem, you might try seeing if the compass calibration routine will make it usable. The OEM heading sensor isn't known for long life or reliability and that's the first place I would be looking to do a replacement.
