What's connected on a 2009 Sea Ray 270?

Here's what I got so far in terms of a plan:
  • Create a 8"x8" interface plate, sculpted to the radar/spoiler arch surface, out of starboard.
  • Mount center of the arch the ScanStrut DPT-SR1-30 with a RM RD218, RM 33STV, Shakespear Galaxy SRA-40 on a ScanStrut SC111, and an ScanStrut SC113 light bar. It should look this (though the RM satdome pictured is the 37STV and not the 33STV which is smaller.
gallery_470ceb987e52a.jpg

  • The following image depicts how the GPS/light bar will be mounted on the satdome plate.
accessory_46b995c71b43c.jpg

  • Next up is the Laser 746 antenna on a Shakespeare 5187 ratchet mount with a Blue Sea cable clam.
  • Access to the mounts will be through the center access panel and the port LED light.
  • Once the antennas are mounted, the interior mounting begins. First up will be the KVH Azimuth 1000 compass which will replace the Sea Ray stock compass. However, I have to wire power and NMEA-0183 to the C70 after I determine how the RM GPS 125 is connected, SeaTalk or NMEA-0183.
  • Then I have to mount the ACU and the Bell TV/ExpressVu 4100 receiver/IRD (+ AC/DC power converter), preferably where the electrical panel cabinet, where the Sony CDX-H905IP is located. I need ~10" depth for a rack style install otherwise I may have to go funky in terms of mounting. Of course, this means I have to cable from the helm/arch/TV to here which is problematic. I just don't how the wires are routed at this point.
  • The Sirius radio tuner and the Sony interface modules have to be mounted in the electical cabinet as well. There isn't much room so mentioning that I also have the Ericsson W35 unit to install as well is giving me a headache.
  • Lastly, having a bunch of IR remote controlled stuff in a cabinet (with no window) is stupid. So either I have to put in a clear glass window or a IR repeater... The window sounds easier but thinking how to match trim/color is adding to my headache.
  • Lastly, having to put in some data/telephone outlets which I picked up already. The first one is for the cabin and the second one is for the helm (phone only).
marine-wallplate-teldata.JPG
GW24008_500.jpg


To wire/cable everything, I essentially will have to open everything up. I figure that I will have to remove the helm panels to get access to the C70, the panels in the wet bar and on the arch starboard side, the panel behind where the TV is, and the electrical panel. Hopefully, I can rent a snake camera to see where the cables go. I'm hoping that there is space to route cables from the helm to the electrical panel up and around the cabin entrance because the only other way is back to the bilge, cross over behind the generator, and up along to the electrical panel. Of course, this route is not preferred since it follows the main AC/DC bus/wires AFAICT.


Enough thoughts for today...

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
Great looking ScanStrut DPT-SR1-30, as with many, I am keeping an eye on your install. We take delivery of our new 270/280SD next friday in Seattle. I will be pulling it down to Portland the same day. May I ask if you had to take out a morgage to bu the mount? Does it fit on the flat surface that is on top of the arch is it slightly larger?

Family members want to know...

Thanks

Scott
 
Great looking ScanStrut DPT-SR1-30, as with many, I am keeping an eye on your install. We take delivery of our new 270/280SD next friday in Seattle. I will be pulling it down to Portland the same day. May I ask if you had to take out a morgage to bu the mount? Does it fit on the flat surface that is on top of the arch is it slightly larger?

Family members want to know...

Thanks

Scott
I managed to source the mount and all the accessories for $1440 (Cdn). It's pricey but the only other way is custom and that is more pricey. I dropped the DIY mount because I didn't want to impact/detract from the resale value; as well as make the installation a little more manageable. I'll be putting in my order this week when Sea Ray gets back to me about cabling paths. I'm not really expecting much I'm just covering all the bases. Ultimately, I'll have to take a sunny weekend and pull the guts out, get in there with a snake camera, and see where all the cables go. Hopefully, I can fish in some ENT tubing or pulling line, prepping for the actual install. I've been reading the electrical diagrams and they can't be anymore confusing. Basically, after the initial assessment I'm going to have develop a plan for connecting everything beforehand, asking for help if need be, and then execute it. The last thing I need is having to stop because I'm missing something or a path is blocked.

As for the space on the arch, it's going to be tight. 7.9"x7.9" is the base footprint. This will completely take up the arch width, canvas to canvas, and it isn't flat by a long shot. My expertise with a router/dremel tool will be tested as I shape a piece of starboard to provide the flat level surface, the interface plate. I'm still working on how to make that part easier.

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
So does anybody know what's behind the Main Distribution Panel (MDP) in terms of cabinet/space. I'm planning how I'm going to wire things up. So far I'm leaning towards the following:
  • Satellite ACU (50W max.) and a Bell ExpressVu 4100 receiver/IRD (110VAC) via Xantrex Xpower 175 Plus (175W max.) inverter. Calculations: 50W + 175W /12V = 18.75A. I'm ABSOLUTLY guessing that Sea Ray uses Carling Technologies rocker circuit breakers since they look right. I deduce that the breaker part number I need is AD1-B0-34-620-3G1-C however I can't seem to be able to source the part (without buying 22 of them @ $566.00). Hints?
Essentially, my plan is to put in a 20 amp breaker in the accessory space on the MDP. According to the Sea Ray electrical diagrams, that particular panel slot is wired to the A7M Cabin MDP (AMP MATE-N-LOK II connector) however on the other side of it (pin 8) nothing is connected. So do I add a contact to the connector or just splice the wire? Or does the wire even exist? Not to mention where this connector actually resides.
  • For the Sirius radio and the Ericsson W35, I plan to connect it to the Stereo circuit. That circuit has a 25A breaker, according to the diagram, so it should be enough since the Sirius radio uses 1 amp max. and the Ericsson is 15W (1.25 amps). Since this circuit was designed for the addition of a CD changer/satellite radio connection, I assume that there won't be a problem power wise.
In terms of space, I'm planning to put the satellite receiver just below the stereo before the power panel. However, the unit is a STB so I think that a shelf will be required or some bracket. The shelf idea seems ok but it depends on what's behind the panel and whether or not the depth will be ok. I estimate I need a 10" depth min. The ACU will go below the power panel mounted to a hidden shelf board which the Sirus receiver/interface will also be mounted. The Ericsson W35 will be mounted on the outside of the cabinet... somewhere.

Boy, do I wish I can open things up on the boat. Is it spring yet?.... :smt089

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
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All the parts are in and assembly is underway. First up is dry fitting all the components, those being the ScanStrut mount, RD218, 33STv, light bar, and Sirius radio antenna. Here's a picture of everything connected:

mount-dome-dryfit.jpg


With everything attached the total weight is 42 lbs. I know that fiberglass is strong but I worry about the weight on the arch, especially when hitting waves/chop. 42 lbs can turn into shear force of hundreds of lbs. Experiences regarding such things is welcome. My idea to mitigate this worry/issue is to first make a interface plate; which I had to do anyway. Here's a close up of the plate so far...

mount-base.jpg


Of course, the bottom will be shaped to the arch's contour. As for a backing plate, I want something beefy and spread larger than 8"x8". Unfortunately, my access hole is about 6" in diameter. To do a larger backing plate, I thought I could cut starboard into two "L" shaped brackets with a rabbet joint on each end. The "L" should allow it to be inserted through the access hole. The two brackets bolted (with washers) I could achieve a surface area of 12"x12" and being starboard I can shape it to the contours of the arch underneath. What do you think?

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
My install is now drawing to a close so I wanted to share my installation pics, trials, and tribulations. Currently, I'm waiting on parts, specifically a 20 amp 12V DC accessory breaker from Sea Ray. Though I bought what I thought was the right breaker (looked correct from the front), as it turns out the back was completely wrong. On my 270/280, the MDP uses bus bars (copper bars) that the breakers screw into. The breaker I bought wasn't even close to lining up to the bars. In any case, I wanted to show how the radar/satdome install turned out. I'll leave the MDP wiring for later.

Well, starting from my last post I shaped the interface plate to the contour of the arch. As the below pic shows, I roughed up the bottom two insure a good mechanical bond for the 5200.

mount-plate.jpg


The next step was to open up all the access hole to the arch:

arch-port.jpg


arch-starboard.jpg


Taking off the speaker grills was a pain-in-the-butt as they don't come off easily and can be easily broken. Luckily a tech from the marina showed me how. The grills have to be rotated clockwise while pulling out (with moderate force) and hopefully they'll pop off.

The one thing that I noticed was how well everything was done/made by Sea Ray. All the sharp corners/cutouts had bumpers (ent-tubing actually) on them, all wires were tied, and there was ent-tubing exactly where Sea Ray said there was. Unfortunately, it was too over the top as Sea Ray put gobs of silicon in all the access holes. The ones that had no wires going through was easily drilled out, but the ones with wires required some inventive solutions. Essentially I had to drill new holes which took a while since the arch fiberglass was a 1/2 inch thick (that sucker is strong!). Where the arch meets the hull, I had to drill through 1 1/2" of fiberglass hoping I would not catch any nearby wires (that were 1/4" away in one spot). Of course, I started drilling in the unseen areas first just so that if I'm going to pay the stupid tax, I wasn't going to advertise it. After making my prayers to the man upstairs to not allow me to mess up my $100,000 investment, I began drilling into the arch.

I removed the existing anchor light and positioned the interface plate first and used it as a guide to drill the holes for the bolts. After that, I used a counter sink bit on the holes to smooth out the holes (stops spidering in the gelcoat). Next I temporarily mounted the plate and drilled the center hole (for the cables) through the interface plate and into the arch. I removed the plate and sanded/roughed up the gelcoat after putting masking tape everywhere I didn't want touched (especially by the usually messy 5200).

Mounting time! I put a bead of 5200 around the outline of plate, all holes, and in any transition/contour. Then I put down the plate on the bead, then the gasket, then the mount, nylon bolt sleeves, and finally the bolts. From underneath, I then put several extra large stainless steel washers and lock nuts. I then ran into my first problem. The bolts I purchased had too long shanks and I didn't have enough washers. So quickly I went to the hardware store (5200 is forgiving that way) and returned. Then realized that I still didn't have enough washers, back to the store. Finally I got the bolts on with extra large washers. I tightened down the bolts so that the 5200 squeezed out (and onto the masking tape!). I touched up the bead in the corners and removed any excess off the masking tape. Then I let the 5200 set up for the night (it takes 7-8 hours to set up; several days to fully cure). The next day I removed (carefully) the masking tape before the tape became a permanent part of the 5200. By afternoon, I had the radar and satdome installed.

After that, I got all the cables run from the MDP and the helm up to the arch. Running the cables to the TV in the cabin is another post. In the end, I was able to close everything back up. Show Here is the final result:

arch-installed.jpg


arch-full.jpg


boat-profile.jpg


Cheers,
Kaoru
 
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So ends the 2011 boating season here in Ottawa, Canada. My 270 is ready for haulout, winterization, and storage which means that I start my winter projects. At the beginning of the 2011 season, I completed my bow thruster install as discussed in Thrusters on a single sterndrive 270/280 Sundancer? thread. During that install, I got the bright idea to rewire the helm as to get rid of all the parsitic draw on the batteries because of items you can't turn off (except with the battery switch). Here are some pics of my rewire:

helm-wiring.jpg


As you can see from above, all the red wires are new 12V power leads. What can't be seen is the WeatherDeck switch panel (in a pic below) where the wires come from. Also, you can see the Raymarine junction box for SeaTalk which has it own power lead on the switch panel. I modified it to also include NMEA0183 connections. The large grey cable is the NMEA2000 network backbone that I installed. It attaches my C70 chart plotter (via the SeaTalk 2 port) to my Merc Monitor so that my [SmartCraft] engine data and trim tabs position can be displayed. Here is a pic of the switch panel and the thruster panel:

switch-panel.jpg
thruster-panel.jpg


In the end, my helm has increased with a Merc Monitor (replaced Tach/System gauge), thruster control (behind steering wheel), thruster panel (with remote battery switch, ACR, and thruster remote control), power switch panel (with custom labels), thruster remote, and telephone (right of the throttle by the helm seat; just out of the pic).

helm.jpg


So what's my project for this winter? I'm adding a RayMarine X10 autopilot with ST70 control head paired with an Octopus Type R drive (with rudder reference), a Brookhouse iMux, and a AIS transponder (or receiver). If I have any money left over or spare time, I may include a RayMarine DSM 30 with an in hull transducer. This will finally answer the question of this thread, "What's connected on a 2009 Sea Ray 270?".

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
The boating season for 2012 has ended here in Ottawa, Canada. My Summer Dreams has been hauled out, winterized, shrink-wrapped, and stored. On the weekend before all that happened, I finally got around to finishing the installation of my past-winter project. In my previous post (fall of 2011), I said:
So what's my project for this winter? I'm adding a RayMarine X10 autopilot with ST70 control head paired with an Octopus Type R drive (with rudder reference), a Brookhouse iMux, and a AIS transponder (or receiver). If I have any money left over or spare time, I may include a RayMarine DSM 30 with an in hull transducer. This will finally answer the question of this thread, "What's connected on a 2009 Sea Ray 270?".
So I now can finally answer "What's connected on a 2009 Sea Ray 270?" and that answer is everything that you would find on boats of a larger class. Here's the list:

  • The very first electronic components (first project) installed in 2010 was the Ericsson W35 3G router, Sony SiriusConnect satellite radio, Raymarine RD218 radome, & 33STV satdome. Here's what was installed at that time.
    1. Ericsson W35 Fixed Wireless Terminal with 12/24V Power Lead, a marine antenna 746 (CDMA/GSM/3G) with 5187 HD Shakespeare stainless steel ratchet mount, antenna lead for W30/W35 (RG174NMCX), and a LMR-400 type cable.
    2. Sony SiriusConnect Interface (SNYSC1C), SiriusConnect universal vehicle tuner (SCC1C), and a Shakespeare Galaxy SRA-40 Sirius satellite radio antenna.
    3. RayMarine RD218
    4. RayMarine 33STV satdome with ACU, Xantrex XPower 450 inverter, Bell ExpressVu receiver, IR repeater, and a Hisense HDTV/DVD combo with a compact wall mount (with a secure lock feature).
    IMG_1121.jpg

    The above shows Summer Dreams main distribution panel/cabinet. You can see the Sony head end, Bell ExpressVu receiver, power panels, the 33STV ACU, Xantrex inverter, iPhone dock, and IR repeater. What you don't see is the W35 router above the cabinet and the Sirius receiver which is behind the panel/Sony head end.

    IMG_1126.jpg

    The cockpit TV, a Hisense 12V TV/DVD combo, mounted on the arch/spoiler with a compact secure wall mount.

  • The second project installed in 2011 was the Thrusters on a single sterndrive 270/280 Sundancer? Here's what was installed at that time.
    1. Side Power SE40/125S bow thruster with control & wireless remote and the installation of a GRP tunnel as per Sea Ray specs.
    2. Two AGM batteries (house & thruster), a current limiting ACR, remote battery switch, and switch/thruster panel for helm.
    3. WeatherDeck 12V DC power distribution panel.
    4. Bennett trim tab senders (NMEA2000) with NMEA 2000 network, rewire of SeaTalk network, Merc Monitor with NMEA 2000 gateway.
    IMG_1068.jpg

    Summer Dreams thruster compartment located at the v-berth. This picture was taken before the hatch was installed with hidden hinges, a gas lift, and stainless steel latch.

    thruster-panel.jpg

    The thruster control panel.

    switch-panel.jpg

    The switched and fused 12V distribution panel. This panel allows me to control which systems are on including the VHF (which beforehand was always on). This provides the necessary control given the amount of power that could be used for everything. Without it I would have a hard time keeping my house battery charged.

  • The third project was installed in 2011 was the addition of a Zodiac 240 Air Cadet with a 4 hp Mercury engine. Of course, this is not an electronic component but it is related, here's what was installed at that time.
    1. Zodiac 240 Air Cadet with a 4 hp Mercury engine.
    2. Weaver SNAP-UPS davits, quick disconnects, stainless steel standoffs and hardware, and a Weaver Lever.
    3. Standard Horizon HX851 handheld VHF radio.
    weaver-davits.jpg

    Here are the installed quick disconnects for the Weaver Snap-Ups.

    zodiac.jpg

    The above picture was taken just before the install of the Weaver davits.

  • The fourth project installed in 2012 was a long time coming. Due to other considerations, I could not spend the time that I would have liked on Summer Dreams. My original plan was to do a trip known here as the "Golden Triangle", a cruise from Ottawa to Kingston (Lake Ontario), up the seaway to Montreal, and then up the Ottawa river back to Ottawa. Unfortunately, those plans were sidelined. This meant that the fourth and fifth projects were accomplished over several weekends as time permitted. This project represent my foray into AIS. Why AIS on a 28' cruiser? The simple answer is the St. Lawrence Seaway and the ability to have awareness of shipping traffic. Also, having the Seaway (and other ships) being able to see me and contact me just makes sense. Here's what was installed as my fourth project.
    1. Brookhouse iMux multiplexer.
    2. Digital Yacht CLB1000 AIS transponder; which included a AIS tuned VHF/GPS combo antenna, diplexer, and RG8X cables.
    3. Raymarine DSM30.
    4. iPad with iNavX and Navionics charts.
    imux-ais-wiring.jpg

    The image shows the Digital Yacht CLB1000 Class B AIS transponder. Also, just above it (with the green electrical tape holding connections) is the Brookhouse iMux with the SeaTalk/AIS options. What is not shown is the NMEA 2000 network backbone, the rewired SeaTalk network (via junction blocks), and the DSM30 (which is just above the Ray 240 seen on the left. The red power wires around the fuse panel are the power drops from the 12V distribution panel shown earlier.

    ipad-inavx.jpg

    c70-track.jpg

    The above shows my iPad instructing Summer Dreams to "goto" the waypoint which is displayed on the C70. Of course, I'm currently docked so it was just a test. On the iPad, if you notice the boat icon (blue triangle with dot) on top of a purple icon (which is boat shaped), that's my script (that I programmed into the Brookhouse iMux) to simulate an AIS VDM message (I used a VDO message and modified it). The icon is purple because of a "collision alarm" with a dangerous target. I'll have to change the position of it so that doesn't happen. I did this to test the AIS system. There is a lot more I can say about my setup but that will be for another post. Of course, no sooner than I did began my commissioning of the autopilot, the first time out (barely out of the marina) and I immediately saw a ship icon coming towards me (which I didn't believe at first given the lack of AIS traffic, i.e. big boats beyond recreational, in the area). It turned out to be this:

    kawartha-voyageur.jpg

    The Kawartha Voyageur, a 120' river cruise ship (~110' when the bow is up as above).

  • The fifth project was installed late in the 2012 boating season. Here's what was installed at that time.
    1. Octopus Type R autopilot drive with Mercruiser I/O connection kit.
    2. Raymarine SPX10 Autopilot with ST70 Control Head.
    3. Raymarine SeaTalk[SUB]ng[/SUB] and SeaTalk junctions/cables.
    course-computer.jpg

    The Raymarine SPX-10 course computer installed behind the cabin's TV which has a void where the cockpit fibreglass hull meets the cabin (the molded stairs leading to the working deck/bow). I mounted a piece of starboard so that the course computer is exactly vertical.

    octopus-drive.jpg

    Shown above is the Octupus Type R autopilot drive (lower bottom) and the secondary steering cable to the outdrive. Note that the trim tabs pump had to be relocated because the cable moves with the outdrive when steering.

    helm-complete.jpg

    My updated helm showing the Raymarine C70 on left, the ST70 control head upper right (connected via SeaTalkng), the MercMonitor above (Smartcraft/NMEA2000), thruster control upper right of helm, and the moved gas gauge just above helm (from where the ST70 is).


I only have some minor modifications to do which is mostly wiring. Part of that is putting in a DPDT switch so that waypoints/routes can be transferred via NMEA0183 to my iPad. Transferring routes/waypoints from my iPad to the C70 works great. The other addition will be a separate switch panel for turning off the compass light (a ridiculously bright blue LED making nighttime viewing impossible; I cover the compass with a hat), silencing the AIS transponder (i.e. setting it to receive only), and a course computer standby switch (course computer powered down but power supplied to SeaTalk[SUB]ng[/SUB] network for the ST70).

Everything has been commissioned and is working except for some configuration of the iMux (the multiplexer is not outputting my GPS sentences to the NMEA differential port (for the MercMon and 33STV ACU connections). This means that the NMEA2000 network (via MercMon) gets its GPS from the C70 (to my surprise) via its very limited "SeaTalk2" port which does a subset of NMEA2000 (but I thought it was receive only). Besides that, I looking forward to using all of these systems when I go on an extended cruise, known here as the "Golden Triangle". It's a cruise from Ottawa to Kingston (on Lake Ontario) via the Rideau Canal. Then onto Montreal via the very busy St. Lawrence Seaway (this is where AIS will come in handy to planning to traverse the locks, or not to); not to mention that I can be seen on MarineTraffic.com/ and by other ships. From Montreal, going up the Ottawa river back to my home port completes the triangle. Total travel time, not including extended time in marinas, is about two weeks. Add a week or so for activities, sightseeing, etc.

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
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