New Electronics Networking Help

[gouldx]

I have used an iPad and a Laptop to get AIS data over wifi. I have used "iNAVX", Coastal Explorer, and OpenCPN. Not sure if your issue is Navionics

I've tried iNavX as well, and had similar results. My laptop works fine in this setup, as does my iPhone. The issue seems to be with iPads (I've tried a few of them) and/or iPadOS, which isn't updating location or direction in real time from the AIS unit. Some searching on the internet has indicated I'm not the only one with this problem, which is a shame, because it should be a simple and elegant alternative to shelling out for a dedicated chart plotter.

 

[gouldx]

You don't necessarily have to replace the transducers depending on what kind of new instruments you choose, unless you really want NMEA2000 transducers, which are kind of expensive. New instruments might just work with the old transducers, especially the depth.

Gotcha--I'll have to read up on this more to see what the options are. In any case, I have working speed and depth (though speed has been a bit flakey lately--I'm hoping it just needs a cleaning), so it's not urgent.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

I'm coming into this late. It seems like you have a solid upgrade plan. My comments:
1. Plotter - you can use B&G Vulcan or Raymarine or Garmin, etc. They are all more similar than different. All will easily connect to a NMEA2000 network.
2. I would get rid of your old speed sensor and buy and install an Airmar DST810. It costs around $300, will connect directly to the NMEA 2000 network and will provide boat speed, depth and water temperature to any device that can use or display that data.

https://www.airmar.com/Catalog/Marine/NMEA-SMART-Sensors/DST810

3. I believe your Actisense can take the NMEA 0183 data and get it onto the NMEA 2000 network but I'm not 100% sure of that.
4. Getting wind data onto the NMEA 2000 network will be expensive. You could use an Airmar weather instrument but I would recommend you buy a weather wind sensor and display from the same vendor as the plotter. Even then I don't know if your autopilot would be able to accept the wind data.

Good luck,
Barry

 

[gouldx]

Hey,

I'm coming into this late. It seems like you have a solid upgrade plan. My comments:
1. Plotter - you can use B&G Vulcan or Raymarine or Garmin, etc. They are all more similar than different. All will easily connect to a NMEA2000 network.
2. I would get rid of your old speed sensor and buy and install an Airmar DST810. It costs around $300, will connect directly to the NMEA 2000 network and will provide boat speed, depth and water temperature to any device that can use or display that data.

https://www.airmar.com/Catalog/Marine/NMEA-SMART-Sensors/DST810

3. I believe your Actisense can take the NMEA 0183 data and get it onto the NMEA 2000 network but I'm not 100% sure of that.
4. Getting wind data onto the NMEA 2000 network will be expensive. You could use an Airmar weather instrument but I would recommend you buy a weather wind sensor and display from the same vendor as the plotter. Even then I don't know if your autopilot would be able to accept the wind data.

Good luck,
Barry

Well, shoot. The Airmar DST810 sounds good, but I'm discouraged by the suggestion that my current wind sensor won't feed data to a new MFD. I figured that since it has been routing successfully through the SeaTalk NG backbone to my current MFD already it wouldn't have an issue, but maybe I misunderstood. I need the physical space the current MFD is taking up to install a new one, so if the current wind sensor won't work with a new MFD I'll have to get new wind equipment. Booo.

 

[jviss]

I figured that since it has been routing successfully through the SeaTalk NG backbone to my current MFD already it wouldn't have an issue, but maybe I misunderstood.

If your wind data is on STNG, it's on NMEA2000.

 

[jssailem]

if the current wind sensor won't work with a new MFD I'll have to get new wind equipment.

Perhaps there is a communication confusion.
What do you expect the MFD to do with regard to the Wind Sensor?

If you have a compatible signal (NEMA 2000) the MFD should display the wind data. What it won’t do is set and steer the boat using the AP to the wind. This is an AP issue not a MFD issue.

 

[gouldx]

Perhaps there is a communication confusion.
What do you expect the MFD to do with regard to the Wind Sensor?

If you have a compatible signal (NEMA 2000) the MFD should display the wind data. What it won’t do is set and steer the boat using the AP to the wind. This is an AP issue not a MFD issue.

I would just like it to display basic wind speed and direction like my current ST70+ MFD will. The ST60 wind sensor is not STNG/NMEA 2000, so I need to figure out how it’s passing through to the MFD currently, and if I can adapt that to a new display.

 

[Ward H]

RM ST60 Wind Transducer.

• Currently feeds data to RM ST70+ Display via the backbone, but sounds like it would require a converter, such as the RM iTC5 to feed data to a newer MFD.

Yes but you will also need an i70 instrument to calibrate the wind transducer via the iTC5.
Why? Speed, Depth and Wind Transducers are dumb units. They need to be connected to a display unit to send signals to them and process the signals when returned. The instruments also hold the calibration and or Off Set information. Chart plotters do not do this, they just display the data from the network.
The iTC5 does hold the calibration and off set information but setting this information must come from an i70. (last I knew). In your current setup the ST70+ does this work.

The Airmar DST810 sounds good, but I'm discouraged by the suggestion that my current wind sensor won't feed data to a new MFD.

buy and install an Airmar DST810. It costs around $300, will connect directly to the NMEA 2000 network and will provide boat speed, depth and water temperature to any device that can use or display that data.

The ST60 Wind Transducer only works with a dedicated wind instrument like your ST70+ or the i70/iTC5 combo. Both of those devices will put the wind data on the STng for all devices to see.
If you're replacing the ST70+ you will need those other two instruments. If you keep it you don't.
If you go with the iTC5 /i70 combo then you can save some money by buying much cheaper "dumb" speed and depth transducers because the iTC5 puts their data on the STng network. And maybe your current speed and depth transducers will work with the iTC5. You don't need the SMART $400 ( I didn't see any for $300 in a quick search) transducers if you have to have the iTC5 for the wind transducer.

I looked at NASA Marine site and the instruments for speed and depth. The depth transducer looked a bit different than the Airmar made units that RM uses. Then I looked at Defender and saw a Furuno depth transducer and it looks like the ones used by NSAS. Maybe you can get the specs for that style transducer and ask RM if it will work with the iTC5.

Consider this.
Are you removing the ST70+ to make room for the new chart plotter? It sounds like you are. If so, relocate the ST70+ to another location, even below if there is no room in the cockpit. Then you will retain all your wind data on your network.
Then buy the SMART transducers and put them on the network.
Maybe with buying the SMART Transducers and no longer needing the NASA instruments you can keep the ST70+ at the helm?

I briefly looked at the Pelagic AP and thought I saw it had a 0183 input for wind. If so, you can meet your goals.

One last thought. I don't know what you need to calibrate the smart transducers. Worth looking into that. Maybe the B&G chart plotters can, pretty sure the Axioms cannot.

 

[BarryL]

Hi,

My mistake. I thought your wind instrument was a clipper unit. If your ST60 is working and the ST70+ is displaying wind then you are all set for wind info, Your plotter will be able to display true and apparent wind.

Regarding the DST810 one nice thing about is that it uses bluetooth. You can connect a phone to it for calibration (and data display) with an Airmar app.

Barry

Well, shoot. The Airmar DST810 sounds good, but I'm discouraged by the suggestion that my current wind sensor won't feed data to a new MFD. I figured that since it has been routing successfully through the SeaTalk NG backbone to my current MFD already it wouldn't have an issue, but maybe I misunderstood. I need the physical space the current MFD is taking up to install a new one, so if the current wind sensor won't work with a new MFD I'll have to get new wind equipment. Booo.

 

[gouldx]

@Ward H That was extremely helpful, and it really cleared up the wind transducer situation for me.

@BarryL Seems like an interesting solution. I'll keep it in mind for the next haul-out to see if I can simplify the number of standalone systems I have going.

Thanks to everyone, once again. I think I have a pretty complete picture of my situation, and I'm looking forward the upgrade process. I very much appreciate all the suggestions and detailed write-ups/explanations!

Collin

 

[Tally Ho]

I have a bit of a hodgepodge of instruments on my boat. The only things I purchased directly are the NMEA2000 VHF with AIS And a new Raymarine St6000 autopilot.

Boat came with a Garmin GPSMap745 Chart plotter, a Tac tic wireless wind and an old speed instrument that doesn’t interface with anything.

I really wanted to see wind on my CP, and get wind data to my AP so I could steer to the wind angle.

The biggest problem was the Tac Tic wireless wind, which didn’t easily connect to anything. I ended up with a Tac tic Wireless interface that I purchased used here for a SBO member. That device reads the wireless signal, and can put it out on NMEA0183.

So, my VHF radio puts AIS out on the NMEA 2000 network so my CP can display AIS targets. My CP puts GPS coordinates out on the NMEA 2000 network so my VHF with DSC knows where I am if I need to broadcast a distress call. My Tac Tic wireless data goes to the CP via NMEA0183 so I can use the wind screen on my CP, and finally, wind data from my Tac Tic wireless system also is fed to my autopilot via NMEA0183…so the boat can steer to a wind angle.

I wish everything spoke NMEA 2000, but my cobbled together network seems to work ok.
I have not yet tied my CP and AP together, so that the CP can tell the AP when to turn….But I don’t use the routing function anyway.

Now, if I can figure out why the “opposite tack” calculation doesn’t work…

Greg

 

[jviss]

Thanks.

Maretron has a great reputation. I'm personally not a big fan of screw terminals, but they apparently work. Did you use any thread locker?

I've seen Micro-C connectors with solder-cup terminals, I think I might prefer them.

They all seem to be about the same price.

Just following up on this, I wonder if anyone here uses crimp-on ferrules when they install wires into screw terminals.

A Better Way to Wire Screw Terminals

You can get ferrules insulated or non-insulated, the latter better to fit into connectors like the Maretron.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Now, if I can figure out why the “opposite tack” calculation doesn’t work…

Maybe it only works when the wind is in front of the beam?