Ray network

Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Is there an easy way that anybody knows to hook an stNG network bus to a laptop to see what's getting transmitted (or not) We'd probably need a white Ray (spur) cable to something and something to either serial or usb.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
You can get a CAN bus interface for about $25, and free analyzer software for the PC .
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
A bit more than $25 but I have an Actisence NGT-1. It does exactly what your asking.

Les
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
(By the way, I have no experience with these.)
This one is $24
(I removed the link due to possible malware or malicious software.)
 
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May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
What analyzer software are you using?
@jviss I’m using the software that comes with the ngt-1. I get descriptive info on the sensors as well as LEN values from each of the devices - so I can balance power input. I can see transducer offsets that show depth being adjusted for depth to keel or depth to waterline. Update frequencies for the different pgn’s......

If I want the Signak-K server can hook to it and populate the Signal-K world and do stuff like control the autopilot from my watch....

Les
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Thanks @LeslieTroyer , I did look at that, it's the NGW-1 converter that's the root of all evil here, but it's not the problem. Something on the network is unhappy, and I think the way to get to the bottom of it is to start unplugging stuff. It only requires taking 2/3 of the boat apart, sigh, again.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Something on the network is unhappy
Two key items that will cause a SeaTalk upset...
1) Auto pilot controller
2) Flux compass.
Why?
SeaTalk is slightly different than NMEA. There is a "Fail Safe" mechanism or perhaps better said "Network code", that prevents "Hay Wire" operation of Auto Pilot controller. Any upset to the network by those Items will basically disrupt the entire network and shut it down to "Standby" mode.

One last observation...
If your DC power drops slightly below 12VDC, even just a "blip" the network will react also.
Jim...

PS: It is basically screaming....STOP!!!
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Seatalk is working. There's a GPS 130 that's feeding the network, data shows up and works on both i70's, and the a65 sees it when the internal gps is turned off. These are connected to a 5 port adapter block, which feeds a blue network cable over to an itc5, which gets wind, and that works. The Actisense NGW-1 has a stNG-2000 adapter cable and is plugged into the white (spur) plug on the itc5, and the 0183 end is cabled out to a Standard GX2150. The blue from the itc5 goes to a T that has a (white) DST 800, and that works. Network is terminated properly.
Network works, AP works, compass and inputs work. GX2150 does not get GPS, and Actisense starts properly, negotiates serial speed as it should then does the "housekeeping flashing" as it should when no data is there.
Substituting a T for the ITC 5 does not change this, BUT, unplugging the white from the itc5 did a couple of times today cause it to "wake up" and suddenly there's data. Data does update as the boat swings on the mooring, and the data matches whats on the i70s. Turn off the network, turn it back on and it's right away back to non operational.
We had an unforeseen "brownout" of biblical proportions (don't ask) that fried a NoLand RS11, and this started. The only things that have not been removed are the two 5-pin adapters. I'm going to collapse it down as close to the GPS and the Actisense, and I suspect that it'll work as expected. This is not a new installation, it's been working just fine for a number of years, but something is not happy.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
My a98 has a Maintenance Mode. You can even test each component on the network. I am not sure about an Actisense device. It does check, even 0183 on my radio.

Good Hunting...
Jim...
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
@Meriachee can you please delete the url form your post #12 (quoting me)? I removed the link from where I posted it due to possible malware or malicious software.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
an unforeseen "brownout" of biblical proportions (don't ask) that fried a NoLand RS11
I would love to know what happened to the Noland RS11, as I am contemplating the purchase of one. Do you know what killed it? Any help from Noland? (You can PM me if you don't want to say publicly.)
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
I would love to know what happened to the Noland RS11, as I am contemplating the purchase of one. Do you know what killed it? Any help from Noland? (You can PM me if you don't want to say publicly.)
My original one was something like a revision 0.02 version, (way, way early in the stream) and took it's power from the network, which created an alarming problem when the network was on and the engine was off, as the inputs looked like the oil pressure was nil, and there was no way to stop it. The new one, which is in the 4.5 stream, takes it's power from the switched engine power and removes any differential that may exist, which is probably what killed the original one..
I think it's a great product, highly configurable and does what it advertises. You can set alarm points, so the Ray stuff starts alarming before the factory setup gets the buzzer screaming (when it works)
 
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jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Thank you! Yes, I lust for it, but there are so many things on the list, and not an infinite budget. Plus, I'd like to stop working on the boat and start sailing it!
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
The RS11 is a great tool for me. I’m fat and bending over so my head it at ankle height is impossible - of course that is where it needs to be to see the gauges. Also hard of hearing so relied on Admiral to let me know if the beeper is going off ( my alarm is no where as obnoxious as @jssailem’s). The visual of the i70’s displaying an alarm is great.

Les
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
The RS11 is a great tool for me. I’m fat and bending over so my head it at ankle height is impossible - of course that is where it needs to be to see the gauges. Also hard of hearing so relied on Admiral to let me know if the beeper is going off ( my alarm is no where as obnoxious as @jssailem’s). The visual of the i70’s displaying an alarm is great.

Les
Yeah, I wan't going to upgrade it until some guy @LeslieTroyer shared a shot of an i70 with the data, and well, you know the rest. :) Almost the rest, it turns out that the little Westerbeke is not as portrayed in the docs, It's not a Captain's panel and it's not an Admiral's panel, Catalina is in between, the 270 has a gauge for water temp, obviously with a temp sender, but they've wired in some goofy system of the "switch" for oil pressure and cabled that to the light. Almost nobody on the Yahoo group reports that the buzzer works for oil pressure alarms, and it was only after the tab broke off the switch the other day that I finally confirmed the light works. This makes the RS11 installation and the i70 solution far better.
Do you know, Les, if you get audible alarms from the Ray side, or is it only graphical?
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Yes you do but high enough pitch I have trouble hearing them. If you have that circuit board that triggers the alarm based on analog pressure rather than a switch - you can replace the pressure sensor with a switch/sensor the switch is very reliable. I did this to get actual pressure in addition to idiot light.

Les