B&G Vulcan 7 help

[hj5150]

Question for you B&G Vulcan 7 users. I installed one 2 weekends ago and added it to our existing NMEA2000 backbone. It's using our Triton2 transducer for the speed and depth. Works like a charm but. . . . got two questions:
1. How do your get "distance traveled" to show up? I'd prefer to see it on the active chart screen. I (think I did it correctly) added a "DST" (distance?) box on that screen, but I don't know how to get it to update.
2. How do you get the chart to auto scroll? Basically the cursor (boat), sails off the screen when you get to the edge of the view. The only way I've found is to zoom or pan to get it back in view.
Thanks everyone,
Harrison

 

[dlochner]

Are sure you used distance and not distance to waypoint (DTW)?

Make certain you clear the cursor or the screen will stay on the cursor. A little tab on the bottom right will clear it. On the side bar there will be an option for orientation which allows you to choose course up, north up, or one other that I can’t remember, I always use course up.

 

[Davidasailor26]

course up, north up, or one other that I can’t remember, I always use course up.

I think the other option is heading up (my preference).

 

[hj5150]

Are sure you used distance and not distance to waypoint (DTW)?

Make certain you clear the cursor or the screen will stay on the cursor. A little tab on the bottom right will clear it. On the side bar there will be an option for orientation which allows you to choose course up, north up, or one other that I can’t remember, I always use course up.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I used "DST" but as I'm traveling about, the box remains blank? I assumed that it would update itself via the GPS but not in this case. I suppose i don't how how to "turn it on"/make it active.

So if I "clear" the cursor, won't this remove the "icon" showing the location of the boat within the chart? I wish to retain this, but have the chart autoscroll under the boat icon, so an any givel time i can glance ant he chartplotter and see myself withing the chart.

I do remember seeing the option for the orientation of North.

 

[dlochner]

Do you have a speed transducer? The log may a function of the transducer.
The cursor is a little plus sign it is not the boat icon.

 

[hj5150]

Do you have a speed transducer? The log may a function of the transducer.
The cursor is a little plus sign it is not the boat icon.

Yes. DST810 speed and depth transducer from the Triton2 pack. I was able to get the Vulcan to recognize the speed and depth from the unit.

Thanks for the info on the cursor.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

The Vulcan has a "trip calculator" that automatically tracks things like distance travelled, average speed, top speed, etc. You can find it if you search for it. Look under "Tools" and then "Trip calculator"

Barry

 

[Scott T-Bird]

@BarryL , I have an unrelated question about the Vulcan - Triton set up. I put the instruments on my Starwind and didn't solve this problem before I sold the boat ...
When I calibrated my Triton instrument for the position of the transducer under water, it entirely messed up the calibration of the Vulcan reading of the depth meter. There was a function to calibrate the depth showing on the chartplotter and when I corrected it on the Vulcan, my Triton instrument was messed up. I went back and forth with the calibrations a few times with no success getting the two instruments to match. Obviously, the offset between the Vulcan and the Triton was consistent, but I never solved how to calibrate the system so both were accurate at the same time. I talked to the B&G rep at the boat show and he recognized the problem and told me the solution, but I never went back and corrected it before selling the boat (and now I don't remember). Do you know anything about that? Just curious, because I will eventually go back to these instruments.

 

[BarryL]

Hi Scott,

My current boat has Triton and a Zeus. To be honest, I leave the depth offset at 0. This allows me to stay a little more calm when the depth shows 10' (I have a 7' draft).

On my boat I have an Airmar Triducer (DST) that supports NMEA 2000. The Airmar unit put the data onto the network and the Zeus / triton displays it. I don't know what would happen if I adjusted the offset on the zeus or on the triton. Remind me in the spring and I will give it a try.

Barry

 

[Scott T-Bird]

On my boat I have an Airmar Triducer (DST) that supports NMEA 2000. The Airmar unit put the data onto the network and the Zeus / triton displays it. I don't know what would happen if I adjusted the offset on the zeus or on the triton. Remind me in the spring and I will give it a try.

Barry

Thinking it thru, I'm guessing that setting the transducer offset on both the Triton and the chartplotter is straightforward, but there must be an offset function on the chartplotter that calibrates between the chartplotter display and the Triton display. If yours was factory set correctly, (probably the case) you would never have a discrepancy. I'm guessing that there is a separate offset function that needed to be corrected on my chartplotter (must have been what the rep was telling me). My chartplotter display never did match the triton display (it was always off by about 3') and I originally thought it was perhaps because the chartplotter depth display was getting depth off the chart and not displaying the information from the ducer. I found out I was wrong about that (when I first calibrated the Triton display) and then started to scratch my head.

Another thought just came to me. Perhaps there is a purpose for the offset between chartplotter display and Triton display. You could have one display (chartplotter) give you the actual depth and the other display (triton instrument) give you depth below the keel if you wanted information presented in both formats.

 

[hj5150]

Hey,

The Vulcan has a "trip calculator" that automatically tracks things like distance travelled, average speed, top speed, etc. You can find it if you search for it. Look under "Tools" and then "Trip calculator"

Barry

Thanks. Yea I'm aware of the "trip calculator", I'd just prefer to see it on the chart screen. You'd think the new Vulcan could do this like my 20+ year old HH Garmin GPS!