What's connected on a 2009 Sea Ray 270?

[Kaoru]

Hi,

I'm starting to prepare for an install on my 2009 270DA with the following:

1. RayMarine RD218 radome.
2. Sirius SCC1/SNYSC1 (for Sony headend) with a Shakespear SRA-40 (25' supplied cable)
3. Ericsson W35 (inc. all cables) with ext. antenna.
4. AND if I have any money left over, maybe a RayMarine 33 STV satellite system connected to a Bell ExpressVu IRD.

So... on the the questions! First off, I started thinking about how this install(s) can be done DIY, to save some $$. Being a details type of guy, I started digging into it raising more questions than answers.

Putting all the mounting aside, the RD218 is compatible with my C70. As far as I understand it, it justs plugs with the power supplied through the C70. However, do I need a "Smart Heading Sensor" (or the like)? From what I read, you need one if you set to "overlay" the radar over the chart and your not moving (anchored). Any thoughts? Though another $1K for the heading sensor, "in for a penny, in for a pound" is my thought.
In turn, that made me think about NMEA183 connections and whether I had a spare input on the C70. The RayMarine 240 DSC has to be connected right? Looked in the manual and I couldn't find any wiring diagrams showing the connection (the manual doesn't even show the radio) and the RayMarine chartplotter diagrams doesn't depict it either. So is it connected at all? Or is it connected only on the NMEA out of the C70? Or both out and in? Or by SeaTalk?

Knowing this will determine what parts I'm going to need, especially if I want to add a 33 STV (which, optionally, connects to the C70 (or the RayMarine 125 GPS) via NMEA0183. Also, the diagram shows a depth sounder connected to the C70 via NMEA... Is this a splice of the SmartCraft depth transducer? Somehow I don't think this is the case...

Cheers,
Kaoru


Raymarine C70, 240 VHF/DSC, Ericsson W35, Sony CDXH905IP, Sirius SCC1/SNYSC1

 

[tobnpr]

1) Installing the dome is a piece of cake. Single cable installation. You'll need a mount, such as those from PYI.

2) In order to get a radar overlay when anchored (or a more accurate one when underway), you do need a heading sensor. Forget about the $1,000 RM sensor. Get yourself an Azimuth 1000 electronic compass for $250. It has NMEA heading data output, and you get a great electronic compass to boot.
You're going to need a multiplexer, which allows you to connect multiple NMEA 0183 inputs to the C70, which has only one (you'll now have the gps input and the heading data). Your DSC VHF is connected to the NMEA output of the C70, and you can connect multiple outputs (unlike inputs) to that- up to four devices.

There's no way to connect anything "Smartcraft" to anything non "Smartcraft". It's not compatible with either NMEA language.

 

[Henry Boyd]

There's no way to connect anything "Smartcraft" to anything non "Smartcraft". It's not comaptible with either NMEA language.

That is not completely correct. The Smartcraft displays and Systems Level tach/speedos will accept some NMEA 0183 data input. I get heading related data from my RM chartplotter input to the SC5000 System View. This in turn gives fuel NMPG, waypoint data, XTE etc on the Smartcraft display.

One of the things that SC can not get via NMEA 0183 input is depth. I have depth via RM transducer and DSM, no Smartcraft depth transducer. I can't get the depth output from the RM to show up on Smartcraft. Also keep in mind that the Smartcraft NMEA connection is one way (import to SC), so if you have depth on your SC it will not show up on your RM display.

Henry

 

[Kaoru]

1) Installing the dome is a piece of cake. ...snip...

2) ...snip... Get yourself an Azimuth 1000 electronic compass for $250. It has NMEA heading data output ...snip...
You're going to need a multiplexer, which allows you to connect multiple NMEA 0183 inputs to the C70, which has only one (you'll now have the gps input and the heading data). Your DSC VHF is connected to the NMEA output of the C70, and you can connect multiple outputs (unlike inputs) to that- up to four devices. ...snip...

Thanks for the info, I picked up a KVH Azimuth 1000 here in Canada for $319. I like the Sea Ray card compass but the blue LED is just too bright at night; it reflects off the windshield also which is distracting. Hopefully the mount point/hole is the same size as the KVH compass.

As for C70 connections, according to my electrical diagrams the RM 125 GPS is connected via SeaTalk (but it could be also connected via NMEA183; making the diags. wrong). If it is SeaTalk then I have an available input. Just need the pigtail otherwise I have to go with the multiplexer.

The other issue is the radar/stv dual mount... that's going to be interesting... I'll post some details on how I'm going to do that.

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[tobnpr]

My bad- you're correct. The 125 can be connected to the Seatalk bus.
Good luck!

 

[Aficionado]

As far as mounting, you may want to consider something a little bit different: polished stainless. www.battlewagonmounts.com has many sizes and configurations. Definitely stands out on your boat.....

 

[Kaoru]

As a running list of electronics that is installed on my '09 270DA, the boat was purchased with:

• Sony CDXH905IP Marine AM/FM/CD stereo with digital display remote and iPod connector.
• DICE iPod cradle; does not support iPhone 3G physically.
• AudioVox FPE1508DV LCD flat panel TV, 4:3 aspect ratio, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i, DVD, Dolby Digital.
• Glomex HD omni directional ATSC antenna w/ amplifier/gain control.

So in my effort to outfit my '09 270DA with full electronics, here's the part list of what I've got so far:

1. Ericsson W35 Fixed Wireless Terminal
2. Ericsson W35 12/24V Power Lead
3. 1 x Marine Antenna 746 - CDMA/GSM/3G (746)
4. 5187 HD Shakespeare Stainless Steel Ratchet Mount
5. 1 x Antenna Patch Lead for W30/W35 (RG174NMCX)
6. 1 x LMR-400 Type Cable Set - 10m
7. 2 x Blue Sea Systems Medium Cable Clam
8. SNYSC1C -- Sony SiriusConnect Interface
9. SCC1C -- SiriusConnect Universal Vehicle Tuner
10. [FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]Shakespeare Galaxy SRA-40 Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna[/FONT]
11. RayMarine RD218 w/ 15m cable
12. KVH Azimuth 1000 Electronic Compass

On my wish list is:

1. RayMarine 33STV Satellite Dish
2. Replace the iPod dock with a similar iPhone cradle; i.e. Carcomm CMIC-09.

Of course, mounting all of this stuff will be a task. The most troublesome will be the radome (and satdome) because of the mount. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, here's two thousand.

As you can see the 4" raised mount point is it, unless the fiberglass arch is modified which I'm not inclined to do. My solution is restricted to a custom arch mount. My thoughts are depicted here (I drew this in Google Sketchup):

Basically, the mast is attached to the arch via a 2 1/2" threaded pipe. The backing becomes the base plate with a 7" long x 4" wide profile; this is so that the plate can be inserted into the arch through the access panel underneath.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome. :thumbsup:

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[Spot]

Did you remove the tv disc that is on the arch as well? I am watching your progress, since I may be taking delivery in a few weeks of the same unit. How does the tub run out with the 350 mag and the b111?

 

[Russ Calasant]

I used one of these from Seaview it was too expensive but it worked very well

 

[Kaoru]

I used one of these from Seaview it was too expensive but it worked very well

I wouldn't paying the $$ if it would work but sadly the base is square 10 x 10... The smallest I've seen is 6 x 6 stainless steel but they're all square bases. I have a round mount point 4" in diameter thus the base plate would have to be underneath. I assume the large base plate is required to distribute the shear/leverage force (from the mast) across the fiberglass so it doesn't rip itself out. The problem is finding a mast that fits in 4" round.

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[Kaoru]

Did you remove the tv disc that is on the arch as well? I am watching your progress, since I may be taking delivery in a few weeks of the same unit. How does the tub run out with the 350 mag and the b111?

Nope... so far I haven't been adventurous in removing the access panels. Basically, there are several panels. One is below the arch, then the TV one like you mentioned, then there is one/two in the wet bar cabinet. Once the boat is back in the water, I'll be opening them up and with a snake scope see where I can route the cables. Of course, I'll get a quote on how much $$ is for an install but I know right now it will be expensive. It all depends on the mount and its cost (to fabricate).

As for the 350 mag/BravoIII, I have no complaints. As I said in another thread, I get 42 MPH with all most full throttle and proper trim/tabs. That's with full gas/water, stores, and crew; approximately ~9000 lbs. I'm sure if I was towing/tubing a couple of adults and/or ocean going, I might require larger. However, I'm on a canal that's speed/power limited with a wife whose not to crazy about speed.

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[Henry Boyd]

The big loads on the mast will be bending loads around the mounting point that will translate to compression and tension loads on the fasteners. The larger the base footprint the better it can resist the bending loads and reduce the compression/tension loads placed on the fasteners.

You could go with a commercial mast with larger base footprint and use a starboard spacer between the mast and the top of the arch. The spacer would only have to be thick enough so that a depression the same size as the bump on the arch could be routed, or cut out of the center. Keep in mind there isn't going to be a lot of the bump left after you cut a hole large enough to get all of the cables through it.

Henry

 

[Spot]

One other "Q" for you. I noticed that the Raymarine site says it is Lowrance Gold charts compatable. how the heck does it fit? The door is huge with the wrong type of connectors within the door. Did you buy the gold charts for yours or did you do something else? I also noticed that the unit can be used as a fish finder as well. Did you buy a transducer for your unit as well?

Thanks in advance

Scott

 

[Kaoru]

One other "Q" for you. I noticed that the Raymarine site says it is Lowrance Gold charts compatable. how the heck does it fit? The door is huge with the wrong type of connectors within the door. Did you buy the gold charts for yours or did you do something else? I also noticed that the unit can be used as a fish finder as well. Did you buy a transducer for your unit as well?

Thanks in advance

Scott

I don't know if Lowrance = Navionics, but yes the C70 uses Navionics Gold charts. However, the charts come in many versions on different media. The C70 uses Compact Flash (<= 512MB; the high capacity cards do not work) to load charts. If you have Navionics Gold, as I understand it you just have to copy over to a CF card. I bought the CF Navionics Gold charts (I comtemplated going with the PLATINUM charts but as I found out it doesn't add any value to my area, essentially the same as Gold).

Yes, you can connect a transducer via a RayMarine DSM30/300 module. A tad bit more expensive than a transducer. Note that a '09 270DA does have a depth sounder via the SmartCraft. I thought about getting the DSM but that's something I could do later...

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[mawyatt]

Take a look at Seascan (ebay) mounts. They are about 1/2 the cost of others. I picked one up locally (they are from Discount Marine here in Clearwater) and the quality is very good. Henry makes a good point, watch the stress at the base. The bigger the base the better, remember the fiberglass must hold up a well as the base. I would use a mounting plate on the bottom, same size as the base and secure with bolts around the perimeter.

I will be installing a similar system soon, RD424HD, DSM30 with B60 transducer, KVH Autocomp 1000 heading sensor, SeaTalk Switch and NMEA 0183 Mux. Don't forget to wire all power through a fuse.

 

[tobnpr]

Henry is spot on...

That's exactly what I did for both my radar and sat mounts. My arch has a raised lip front and back sides (to drain water off to the sides and keep it out of the cockpit when the canvas is up) and I didn't have room for the mount. 3/4" Starboard spacers solved the problem. Just router the areas you need to get it to sit flush as he suggested and problem solved....

Edit:
Keep in mind it's not necessary to spend over a grand on a combo mount- there's no issue with mounting the sat dome off to the side (as I did). As long as it's a 2kw dome it's safe for the sat electronics and there's minimal interference with the radar returns.

 

[Kaoru]

So the UPS guy just delivered my RayMarine RD218 from one supplier and my KVH Azimuth 1000 compass. :grin: Of course, I'm going to test the compass by hooking it up to a 12V source (aka my car via 12V accessory outlet; careful not to short the leads or :wow: zaaappp!) Obviously I can't test the radome so I'll just have to hope it's all good (i.e. not DOA).

My wife has given me a partial nod to the RM 33STV, by partial nod she means that I warn her when I'm about to spend the $3000.

So... now I have to figure out how to mount this stuff. The previous posts (thanks for the input :smt038) gave me some ideas. The first idea is to go with seperate mounts a la tobnpr suggestion. In tobnpr's setup his sat is on the same level as the radome but at least 12"-18" away (I'm guessing from the pic). In my arch, there not enough width so the sat and the radome would actually be kissing each other (there's a mental thought :lol. So I would have to seperate them by height. Idea is the following:

-- SCANSTRUT Power Tower composite radar mount (PT2001) which has a 7.9"x7.9" base and a 14" height. Attached to that is a SC111 GPS mount (for Sirius antenna) and a SC113 light bar (since the base will cover the entire center of the arch). I come from a family of sculptors so the starboard will be molded to fit.
-- SCANSTRUT SC30 low profile satcom mount, base 7.9" diameter with 2.2" height. With the RM 33STV it's ~18" with the King Starboard fitted. The only problem is that it may be to narrow on the arch for the 8" base; I'll have to check.

I'm waiting on prices for the above but I continuing looking at all the solutions. The next solution is more akin to my original solution but with the pre-fab mount (instead of custom) and the afore mentioned sculpted starboard base. SCANSTRUT has a compact Power Tower (DPT-SR1-30; base is 7.9"x7.9" square) but doesn't list the 33STV as straight bolt on the satcom plate. Maybe an adapter plate is required, I'll have to find out. The same GPS/light bars will work but with extenders added on. This solution works better as only the center of the arch is changed/worked on.

So the DIY quest continues...

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[tobnpr]

Hmmm...
Keep in mind that if you're going to do an over/under type mount you're going to be better off mounting the sat dish "on high" and the radar lower.
DirecTV's satellites (if that's going to be your provider) are fairly low on the horizon- and the radar could block visibility of the satellites depending on the boat's orientation.

You might contact a local fabricator with ideas to have a custom aluminum mount made, you could always have it powder coated if you like that look. My guess is that in today's economy you could get a decent welder to fab one for even less than the retail models.

 

[Kaoru]

...snip... DirecTV's satellites (if that's going to be your provider) are fairly low on the horizon- and the radar could block visibility of the satellites depending on the boat's orientation.
...snip...
local fabricator with ideas to have a custom aluminum mount made...

You right about the satellites being low on the horizon; especially here in Canada. The provider I'll be going through would be Bell TV/ExpressVu.

As for a custom mount, in my home town (that being Labrador) I have access to an engineer, machinist/fabricator, and a master <insert trade here> (mechanic/electrician/welder) which is my older brother, younger brother, and my father respectively. The problem is actually designing the mount so far away from the fabricator(s); they can't see how to build the mount or how will it fit. So far I've been using Google SketchUp but one really needs AutoCAD or SolidWorks to design it and I don't have access to such tools.
I've price some dual mounts, SeaView and ScanStrut are both weighing in at the $1200 (Cdn.) mark. I'm leaning towards the ScanStrut but I waiting on a reply about mounting the RM 33STV. If I go the custom route, there are just too many parts that have to fabricated; the light bar, Sat. radio antenna, small base with arch interface plate, powder coating, cable glands, sealing gaskets, etc.. Of course, all that is in addition to the fabrication of the core mount. Ultimately, I want to have an installation that enhances the value of my boat, not detract from it.

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[Kaoru]

Joy! SCANSTRUT got back to me about their compact dual PowerTower (DTP-SR1-30) and can it mount either a RayMarine 33STV or a KVH TracVision M1DX. The answer is yes for both, they even updated their website.

So the plan is starting to solidify though it will be a little pricey. In the end I should have the only practical solution for the 2009 270DA / 2010 280DA to install a radome and sat dish.

The plan:

• SCANSTRUT DPT-SR1-30 "Compact Dual PowerTower", currently priced at $1295 (Cdn) but I'm still looking.
• SCANSTRUT SC-113 "Integrated Light Bar", priced at $320 (Cdn). To replace my existing anchor light.
• SCANSTRUT SC-111 "GPS Antenna Bar", priced at $230 (Cdn). This is for my Sirius radio antenna.
• A 8" x 8" x 3/4" scultped starboard/marineboard interface plate. It'll be a tight squeeze but doable; the canvas snapdowns may have to be moved onto the base plate.
• Cable routing is all done through the mount.
• The only other mount is for my cellular antenna.

Cost is going to be about $2K in material; I don't really have any money left over for installation but I've simplfied that so I should be good to go... Nerves is starting to set in about opening up all those access panels, helm panels, fishing cables, and splicing power leads on my shiney new Sea Ray. :smt100

Cheers,
Kaoru