Connecting old Garmin to old Raymarine.

Feb 20, 2016
96
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I have some old Raymarine instruments and I’d like to get them to talk to my Garmin chartplotter. I really don’t want to buy new everything. I have old ST 60 Raymarine instruments which include a wind instrument, a depth speed indicator, and auto pilot.

I also have an old Garment 440 which I believe is 183 technology.

I’ve called Garmin and I’ve called Raymarine and I can’t get an understandable answer as to what I need to do to connect the Garmin to the Raymarine items, which I believe are old Seatalk Technology .

I’m not very technically savvy on these issues. However it seems to me that since everything is of the same vintage there shouldn’t be this much difficulty in getting Getting the items to talk to each other.

Is there a simple way of doing this or am I just barking up the wrong tree?

Thanks.

Michael
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
You can convert SeaTalk to nmea 0183 which should work with the Garmin, however, you may require a protocol converter to adjust the sentences accordingly, and then there are cables to consider.
 
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Likes: jssailem
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Not sure you want your Raymarine instruments “talking to” your Garmin. Suspect you want your the chart plotter talking to the auto pilot. (Nmea is 1 talker - many listeners unless you use a multiplexer)

I have a 276 using nmea 0187 connected to the auto helm which then uses the info for course etc. And forwards some additional info to st60 instruments.

Which autopilot do you have? Wiring is usually 2 wires and a couple of setting changes on the chart plotter.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Not sure you want your Raymarine instruments “talking to” your Garmin. Suspect you want your the chart plotter talking to the auto pilot. (Nmea is 1 talker - many listeners unless you use a multiplexer)

I have a 276 using nmea 0187 connected to the auto helm which then uses the info for course etc. And forwards some additional info to st60 instruments.

Which autopilot do you have? Wiring is usually 2 wires and a couple of setting changes on the chart plotter.
Yes this works... the key is the AP (as you note) forwards SOME of the NMEA data onto the Seatalk network. Look at your manual to see what sentences it translates.
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Looks like there are likely three potential ways to get the plotter talking to the Autopilot.

Connection to the Nmea input on the back of the controller.
Connection to nmea inputs on back of the computer
Or through a nmea/sea talk converter (raymarines part e85001) and then plug in to seatalk network.

Page 12 of the installation manual indicates those connections.

http://c470.jerodisys.com/470Lib/sp8001b.pdf#page22

Blue wire on garmin is nmea port 1 +out, you can also use the grey wire which is nmea port 2 +ive out.

The garmin uses its black power wire as a common negative for all nmea connections.

So either black and blue wires from garmin to nmea in on controller/computer/converter or black and grey to same locations.

Pages 6/7 of manual.
http://static.garmin.com/pumac/GPSMAP_400-500_Series_INST_EN.pdf

Pages 44/45 in the users manual covers changing the communication settings on the Garmin output ports so it can talk to the autopilot.

http://static.garmin.com/pumac/GPSMAP_400_500_Series_US_OM.pdf
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Looks like there are likely three potential ways to get the plotter talking to the Autopilot.

Connection to the Nmea input on the back of the controller.
Connection to nmea inputs on back of the computer
Or through a nmea/sea talk converter (raymarines part e85001) and then plug in to seatalk network.

Page 12 of the installation manual indicates those connections.

http://c470.jerodisys.com/470Lib/sp8001b.pdf#page22

Blue wire on garmin is nmea port 1 +out, you can also use the grey wire which is nmea port 2 +ive out.

The garmin uses its black power wire as a common negative for all nmea connections.

So either black and blue wires from garmin to nmea in on controller/computer/converter or black and grey to same locations.

Pages 6/7 of manual.
http://static.garmin.com/pumac/GPSMAP_400-500_Series_INST_EN.pdf

Pages 44/45 in the users manual covers changing the communication settings on the Garmin output ports so it can talk to the autopilot.

http://static.garmin.com/pumac/GPSMAP_400_500_Series_US_OM.pdf

The E8501 converter converts Seatalk to NMEA2000 (seatalkNG) , not NMEA2000. Raymarine used to sell an Seatalk to NMEA0183 converter, but they stopped selling it.

I assumed the OPs plotter was 0182. If it is 2000, he could use the E8501.
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Looks like raymarine has used easily confused numbering. As you indicate e8501 is seatalk 1 to seatalkNG/nmea2000. E85001 was seatalk to NMEA 0183 unfortunately looks to be discontinued but available used on eBay. There was another/other companies that made seatalk to NMEA 0183.

This thread indicates one method.

http://forum.raymarine.com/showthread.php?tid=485

Easiest for op is direct connection to back of controller or computer without interface if connection to other instruments aren’t so critical.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Easiest for op is direct connection to back of controller or computer without interface
Not to rain on the comment, but while this approach may work, quite often it doesn't. Protocol converters change sentence structure, communication speeds and handshaking to deal with the differences in data. Just because the device says that it uses 0183, does not mean outright that it talks the same dialect of 0183, or the same speed. Hence, it isn't a guarantee that while you may connect directly, that they box will actually understand what's being said to it. Actisense is another vendor of protocol converter. Judging by the sheer variety of configurations they sell, and they've been around for a while, it speaks to the possible issues.
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Generally speaking I agree the converter is more universally likely to work.

However in this case the older garmin chartplotters have been successfully interfaced directly with the raymarine auto pilots many times using nmea0183 - a search of the archives will indicate this.

The garmin allows setting baud rates, protocols etc in its port configuration to talk with the raymarine pilot, but it must be set correctly.

The pilot only needs a limited sub set of the NMEA 0183 sentences for it to operate properly with the chart plotter - past experience with other forum members indicates this model plotter has worked with other versions of the raymarine pilot.

Lastly as this connection requires only two light gauge wires to connect the two units properly, even if it fails the investment is minimal and If a cat 5 or 6 cable is used for the connection it can be reused for the connection of the existing units to a future converter if that is required.
 
Feb 20, 2016
96
None None None
Sorry to be so thick, but I’m not clear on what to do probably because I don’t understand how these things are set up to begin with.

If I connect the computer direct to the GPS (no converter) is that going to bring all the information into all of the Raymarine instruments, or just to the Raymarine auto pilot?

For example if you connect the computer to the GPS will the wind instrument be able to calculate true wind?

One problem I’m having, which is simply because I don’t know where everything is, is I’m not sure where the computer is located on the boat. It may be a long way from the GPS but I’m not sure. I can research that though.

Thanks to everyone for all of the information.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
One problem I’m having, which is simply because I don’t know where everything is, is I’m not sure where the computer is located on the boat.
What has been said all lead to intricate that the. Idea is possible.

Sounds like you need some just you and the boat time. Time to crawl into all of the crevices and holes that the boat has with a flashlight and learn what is what and where things go. Too often I see folk jumping on a boat and “just doing it”. Only to find they run into a problem they find confusing.
Might I suggest you take a weekend and see if you can look into all of the holes and cubbies on the port side of the boat. Identify all of the hoses and wires and pull out anything that is hiding in there so it can see the light of day. Who knows you may discover a long lost wallet with $600 in it and a real aged half smoked doobie.
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
As far as I can tell your wind instrument should already be giving you this information if connected through seatalk with the autopilot and depth/speed instruments. Does your autopilot currently sail by wind angle in addition to course?

You likely just need to go into your manuals/settings to get all the instruments talking properly with each other using the setup configuration settings on each.

All raymarine instruments should be connected to each other using seatalk cables. - many dealers installed as “standalone” without the appropriate cabling.

Manuals located here:

http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=10125

Go to relevant section (autopilot!insturmemts etc) then legacy/retired and find your specific piece of equipment.

If all aren’t connected through seatalk then they won’t receive information from the nmea interface on the autopilot.
 
Feb 20, 2016
96
None None None
I will have to check that. I am not at the boat now and I’m about two hours away so I won’t be able to look until next week.

I can tell you, however that when you try to toggle between true and apparent wind, the true wind provides a series of dashes and not actual information. The speed is showing correctly on the Raymarine paddle wheel so you would think that with the speed and direction you could get true wind. So something is off. .
 
Feb 20, 2016
96
None None None
This is further to my last post.

I went down to the boat to see how things are connected.

I will try to explain how everything is connected as best I can.

Starting at the controller, the fluxgate is input into the controller. One set of Seatalk wires runs to the two instruments which are describing below.

On the instrument side, starting from left to right there is one, a wind instrument, two a depth/speed indicator, and lastly an auto pilot. Note that independently, these all seem to work. In other words they don’t talk to each other, but they do work independently. Information on each is accurate.

Looking at the wind instrument, there is a wind transducer input at the bottom. Looking at the depth/speed indicator, there are two transducers input, namely depth and paddle wheel.

The wind instrument is connected to Seatalk. The depth/speed indicator is connected via a jumper cable over to the wind instrument. The auto pilot is connected directly to Seatalk. There is no jumper on this side.

As I stated previously each of the three instruments works fine standalone. But they don’t seem to be talking to each other in any way. For example, I cannot get a true wind speed to show on the wind instrument. This is the case, even though the paddle wheel is working perfectly providing very accurate speed information. . You would think that between the paddle wheel and the wind instrument the true wind could be calculated. But it does not seem to do that. I just get three dashes instead of true wind speed.

Does anyone have any idea as to what could be wrong?

Thanks.

Michael
 

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Do you know the model number of the autopilot computer? Like, "S2G," for example?
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Michael.
When you click on True Wind and get the 3 bars, you are being told that one of the elements of true wind calculation is not there. .
You need input from:
• Apparent Wind (Wind instrument)
• Heading (Autopilot or Heading sensor)
• Speed Through Water (Speed instrument or speed transducer with a speed paddle wheel)

This info is being transmitted using NMEA 0183. You can use the AP controller to display the data being provided.

2.3 How do I display boat data?
Use the disp key to show ‘data pages’ of SeaTalk or NMEA data:
1. Press disp to access the first data page, and press it again to cycle through
each data page in turn:
• when you cycle past the last data page, the display returns to the current
SmartPilot mode screen (for example, AUTO)
• 4 data pages are set in the factory as a default (see diagram): within User
setup you can select up to 7 pages and control the information they dis-
play
Notes: (1) If the SmartPilot system cannot obtain the required information, the data
page will show dashes instead of a value.
(2) The direction-to-steer arrows relate to the data page information.
(3) Most data pages show repeated data so you cannot adjust them: the
exceptions are the RESPONSE and RUDDER GAIN data pages, which
you can adjust using the -1 and +1 keys
I suspect you're not transmitting one of the data elements from the sensor to the AP.
 
Feb 20, 2016
96
None None None
15E24D0D-A0DE-47E5-B5A5-01711FC1CAB2.jpeg
I did not get the model number. It seemed like on the cover it said X5 or something like that. In the manual it just calls it a Course Computer”.

Here is the best picture I had from yesterday.
 
Feb 20, 2016
96
None None None
Response to jsailem

What you say makes sense, except that the instruments all have connections to Seatslk. So they should be talking to each other, right? They are not.