Some of this has been discussed before, but I would be interested in advice. Am commissioning a new h44DS, and opted for the Raymarine C80 chartplotter at the helm rather than the E80 or similar, as the E was much more expensive, and I figured what I would really prefer is to interface a laptop at the nav station. Would rather have a laptop for lots of reasons, and the difference between the C and E Raymarine would buy a lot of laptop. Now I am beginning to believe that interfacing the C and a laptop is not that simple. Not much help from raymarine website. Anyone make this work, or should I really just install the E with a second unit below? For plotting, i could connect my trusty Garmin portable to a laptop, but I thought I would like to get the instrument info at the nav station also. Thoughts? Also- the boat seems to come with a fixed 3 blade prop- worth replacing?
Getting Raymarine to talk to laptop; props?
- Thread starter Steve Feinsilver
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Raymarine and Laptop
Steve I have a 44AC with the two E80s. I have not figured out how best to interface my laptop either, though I know Raymarine has some new software that let's you transfer waypoints and routes as well as see your instruments on your laptop. Someone posted some info about the system on this website a month or so ago and they were not very happy with how it all worked. I am not sure going to the E80 will make the interface any easier. I also have the 3 Blade Prop with the 56HP Yanmar. Not sure how much drag and speed I lose when sailing but it runs smooth and has plenty of power.
Steve I have a 44AC with the two E80s. I have not figured out how best to interface my laptop either, though I know Raymarine has some new software that let's you transfer waypoints and routes as well as see your instruments on your laptop. Someone posted some info about the system on this website a month or so ago and they were not very happy with how it all worked. I am not sure going to the E80 will make the interface any easier. I also have the 3 Blade Prop with the 56HP Yanmar. Not sure how much drag and speed I lose when sailing but it runs smooth and has plenty of power.
Raymarine interface
Just installed an E120 in the cockpit of my H410 with my laptop at the nav station. have RNS 6 running on the laptop. the interface was pretty easy as it uses an ethernet cable for the interface. (according to Raymarine's website, the C is a single stand alone display and doesn't interface) you will need either a coupler or a netwrok switch from Raymarine as you can't directly connect the ethernet cable from the E series display to the laptop. although the RNS 6 is extremely powerful and has a host of features, I find it a bit cumbersome to use. (this is my 3rd EC software program) with the RNS software running the system shares charts etc. over the ethernet buss. also have the Sirius weather and an AIS receiver so all this info is available at both stations. running a laptop and the RNS 6 is far less expensive than another E series display at the nav station. the C series display are not a true sunlight visible display, which might be a consideration if your putting the display in the cockpit. unless you have some shading the C series display might appear to wash out in the direct sunlight. I've attached Raymarines link for the networking info. Bryce S/V Spellbinder H410
Just installed an E120 in the cockpit of my H410 with my laptop at the nav station. have RNS 6 running on the laptop. the interface was pretty easy as it uses an ethernet cable for the interface. (according to Raymarine's website, the C is a single stand alone display and doesn't interface) you will need either a coupler or a netwrok switch from Raymarine as you can't directly connect the ethernet cable from the E series display to the laptop. although the RNS 6 is extremely powerful and has a host of features, I find it a bit cumbersome to use. (this is my 3rd EC software program) with the RNS software running the system shares charts etc. over the ethernet buss. also have the Sirius weather and an AIS receiver so all this info is available at both stations. running a laptop and the RNS 6 is far less expensive than another E series display at the nav station. the C series display are not a true sunlight visible display, which might be a consideration if your putting the display in the cockpit. unless you have some shading the C series display might appear to wash out in the direct sunlight. I've attached Raymarines link for the networking info. Bryce S/V Spellbinder H410
Raymarine and laptop
The C-series is designed to be a truly standalone station. If your budget allows, I would go Bryce's route and get a single E-series for the cockpit and run the ethernet cable to your laptop below and run Rraytech 6 below. The advanatage is you'll get charting, radar and fishfinder info (if you have the DSM 300) on your laptop below. I delivered an Island Packet 440 down the west coast with this setup and was impressed. Although the user interface takes a little getting used to it and there are some limitation I won't get in to right now, overall it worked really well.
The C-series is designed to be a truly standalone station. If your budget allows, I would go Bryce's route and get a single E-series for the cockpit and run the ethernet cable to your laptop below and run Rraytech 6 below. The advanatage is you'll get charting, radar and fishfinder info (if you have the DSM 300) on your laptop below. I delivered an Island Packet 440 down the west coast with this setup and was impressed. Although the user interface takes a little getting used to it and there are some limitation I won't get in to right now, overall it worked really well.
Thanks for replies
Sounds like I should add $ to get an E80 rather than C80 at helm at least. But am I right in thinking I could get GPS and depth, speed, wind info to my laptop using NMEA or Seatalk output without the E display? And, if I can't change the C80 it comes with, can I use this as a repeater at the nav station and get an E80 for the helm? Appreciate the advice.
Sounds like I should add $ to get an E80 rather than C80 at helm at least. But am I right in thinking I could get GPS and depth, speed, wind info to my laptop using NMEA or Seatalk output without the E display? And, if I can't change the C80 it comes with, can I use this as a repeater at the nav station and get an E80 for the helm? Appreciate the advice.
Laptop
Steve, you should be able to get that info to the laptop via the NEMA port on the C-series and a serial port on the laptop. on the E-series you can configure which data sentences to send over NEMA. so I'd guess it's similar on the C-series. you can't transfer charts and weather data like the E-series will do via the ethernet buss. so I'd guess you can't use the C-series as a repeater with an E-series display. Bryce
Steve, you should be able to get that info to the laptop via the NEMA port on the C-series and a serial port on the laptop. on the E-series you can configure which data sentences to send over NEMA. so I'd guess it's similar on the C-series. you can't transfer charts and weather data like the E-series will do via the ethernet buss. so I'd guess you can't use the C-series as a repeater with an E-series display. Bryce
C-80 Laptop Interface
I spent alot of time and money, but I finally did get the C-80 connected to the laptop at the Nav station. I have Raytech 6 on the laptop. I am able to see the boat on the laptop and I have all of the instrument readings from the instruments on the laptop.(wind, depth, water temperature, speed, heading and position) I went around and around with Raymarine. Most new laptops do not have a serial connection, so you must get a USB serial adapter. As it turns out, the one I purchased at Radio Shack may have worked, but early on, Raymarine said that this was the problem that it did not work and insisted that I get one from Sea Level. Then they insisted that I get a speacial seatalk NMEA box. This worked with the display, but it did not allow the transfer of data, so then Raymarine said that I needed a NMEA connection. After I made the NMEA connection, the transfer did work, although not quite as smooth as I had hoped. To transfer from the C-80 you must be at the C-80. To transfer from the laptop you must be at the laptop. Anyway, after I made the NMEA connection, I noted that I did not get the wind information anymore on the laptop. Raymarine said that this was because the ST60 wind is SeaTalk only. However, they said that this should be fixed in the latest C-80 software update. I have now installed the lates C-80 software and I can get apparent wind, but I still am not able to get true wind.(on the laptop - it is on the ST60 and the GPS - C80). SInce I already had the C-80, I am satisfied for now in light of the fact that the E-80 is much more expensive and for my needs I am O.K. with what I have now.
I spent alot of time and money, but I finally did get the C-80 connected to the laptop at the Nav station. I have Raytech 6 on the laptop. I am able to see the boat on the laptop and I have all of the instrument readings from the instruments on the laptop.(wind, depth, water temperature, speed, heading and position) I went around and around with Raymarine. Most new laptops do not have a serial connection, so you must get a USB serial adapter. As it turns out, the one I purchased at Radio Shack may have worked, but early on, Raymarine said that this was the problem that it did not work and insisted that I get one from Sea Level. Then they insisted that I get a speacial seatalk NMEA box. This worked with the display, but it did not allow the transfer of data, so then Raymarine said that I needed a NMEA connection. After I made the NMEA connection, the transfer did work, although not quite as smooth as I had hoped. To transfer from the C-80 you must be at the C-80. To transfer from the laptop you must be at the laptop. Anyway, after I made the NMEA connection, I noted that I did not get the wind information anymore on the laptop. Raymarine said that this was because the ST60 wind is SeaTalk only. However, they said that this should be fixed in the latest C-80 software update. I have now installed the lates C-80 software and I can get apparent wind, but I still am not able to get true wind.(on the laptop - it is on the ST60 and the GPS - C80). SInce I already had the C-80, I am satisfied for now in light of the fact that the E-80 is much more expensive and for my needs I am O.K. with what I have now.
3 Blade Prop
We have had two boats that came standard with 2 blade props. In both cases, we changed the 2 blades for 3 blades because we like the 3 blades much better. It makes backing easier, there is less vibration and you get more initial power. So, for getting in and out of the slip, we like it much better. For overall speed and racing, I guess the 2 blade or the folding props are better, but we ar not into this.
We have had two boats that came standard with 2 blade props. In both cases, we changed the 2 blades for 3 blades because we like the 3 blades much better. It makes backing easier, there is less vibration and you get more initial power. So, for getting in and out of the slip, we like it much better. For overall speed and racing, I guess the 2 blade or the folding props are better, but we ar not into this.
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