Raymarine firmware update

Meriachee · Jul 14, 2016

Having been down this road a number of times, and having been burned by the firmware issue before, there is one word that applies: backup. Save your routes, and save your config.
You should have the original card that came with it, copy the files to a folder on your pc, wipe that card and use it for the updates.

Head Sail · Jul 14, 2016

I don't know what a CF card is but I use a micro SD card to update my E7D MFD. The card is about 4gig. You may do best to ask at the Raymarine support forum.

Meriachee · Jul 14, 2016

CF is compact flash, the immediate predecessor to the cards in use now.
Next week, the newest releases of the hardware will use something else that will be obsolete in a matter of hours.

Head Sail · Jul 14, 2016

Ain't that the truth. Just bought my E7D in December o15. Don't see it in stores anymore. Hoping for a few years use before Raymarine stops supporting it,

Meriachee · Jul 14, 2016

All of these guys are in the same rat hole as most consumer electronics, you can't get the same chipset 11 seconds later, and that requires a total redesign. So while they're at it, why not do the housing too.
We see the same thing in legacy telecom products. The early CF cards have to be formatted as dos 3.1 to be read in the switches. Good luck with that.

Ilanortho · Jul 14, 2016

Similar problems; brand new Raymarine eS78 MFD; won't work with my brand new Standard Horizons radio AIS. Tried to do an update to see if it will work. Called Raymarine several times for tech support. On hold for over 30 min each time and finally hung up! Great support.

Meriachee · Jul 14, 2016

You have to pick your time to call them. I needed an Actisense converter to make the gx2200 talk to the network, gps into the go, and ais out. It seems to work fine, gps for sure but we haven't been near an ais target and for whatever reason they aren't outfitting the Pelicans.

Dan_Y · Jul 14, 2016

Raymarine kind of punted on support. On the Raymarine forum you can find the number of a company they recommend that will sell you the free firmware update on a 128 CF card from what I read. The update will supposedly enable the C80 to read the 2GB Navionics map update (the smallest size available I think). I'm thinking I like the earlier idea of copying off the Navionics info and waypoints to the PC and downloading the firmware update on to the 128 MB card. I actually found a 512MB card in my desk and was thinking about copying the current 128 info on to it to see if the C80 could read it. I would only delete the files off the old CF card though and not format it. Not sure what the format is, maybe FAT 16 or FAT 32? I forget the max of FAT 16 and FAT 32 maybe 4GB. I seem to recall another FAT but maybe just dreamed it. If I get brave enough to try it I'll let you know.

Ilanortho · Jul 14, 2016

Meriachee said:
You have to pick your time to call them. I needed an Actisense converter to make the gx2200 talk to the network, gps into the go, and ais out. It seems to work fine, gps for sure but we haven't been near an ais target and for whatever reason they aren't outfitting the Pelicans.

Which actisense converter? Could you educate me - right now I have the gx2200 hooked up to the 0183 port of the MDF and it causes the screen of the MFD to constantly flash. When cable is disconnected flashing stops. I am using the MFD's internal GPS but want AIS from the gx2200. What am I not understanding or doing wrong?

Thanks. Ilan

Ron20324 · Jul 14, 2016

I believe it was from Raymaroine that bought a CF to SD(?) adaptor. A few years back I asked my sailing club if anyone had any CF cards they did not need. I got a dozen of different capacities. I use them for my camera, C80, digital audio recorder, so it's important to have them. I have a 512 and a 128, both with C80 written on them, but off hand I don't know if either of them worked. My local West store always had the latest generic on a CF I could borrow. Yours might, too?

Meriachee · Jul 14, 2016

I've plugged the Actisense into the itc5. It converts 0183 to STng. I'll look up the part number when I get to the boat in the next couple of days. The one I got has a pigtail out the GX2200, and a shorty cable ending in a Ray device end that plugs into the itc5 as a device.
This was suggested by Ray support and it worked great out of the box

Meriachee · Jul 14, 2016

Dan, the Navionics has a hidden file on the card. If you copy that file you can duplicate the card, which is an excellent backup strategy.
I duplicated mine and am using the copy. It's not like the card, in the mfd is overly secure.

Ilanortho · Jul 15, 2016

Sorry, but firmware for what? The MFD?

Dave602 · Jul 15, 2016

I did my C80 with no issues, bought a cheap CF card at Bestbuy I believe. It worked fine

Meriachee · Jul 15, 2016

Ilanortho said:
Which actisense converter?

Here's the page from the manual with the details of how the Actisense is wired. I have the NGW-1 version, and the specific one is NGW-1-STng. Plugged in, and after setting the config in the radio, it worked the first time.

Ilanortho · Jul 15, 2016

Thanks for all your help! Will pursue. Ilan

Paul M. · Jul 15, 2016

Jack,
The upgrade is relatively straightforward and Raymarine's website will walk you through the process. If you buy the Navionics Chart Update, it comes with the CF Chart Card and a USB card reader. You can buy a blank 4 GB card through Amazon for under $10, or if you have your original chart card you can likely reformat it and reuse it. Don't try to write to a card that has the charts you want to keep! Info from Raymarine is here: http://www.raymarine.com/display/?id=12280

You will download the firmware updates to this blank card through your computer. Once this is accomplished you then back up your waypoints, routes, tracks, configuration and data settings from your MFD to this card. Read the Raymarine instructions carefully and do not insert the card until after you have the system powered up and completed it's initialization.

Following the Raymarine instructions, you then update the firmware. The process can take some time. After completion, it is suggested to perform a "hard reset". This will clear all your data, which you can restore off your backup. You can try a "Settings reset" through the Menu/Maintenance/System Settings Reset which will not erase your data.

When you're done, be sure to access the menu to eject your CF card before manually removing. You can then load your new chart card and proceed. Then entire process took me perhaps 90 minutes.

Paul
Dawn Patrol
2012 Gemini 105 MC

pateco · Jul 15, 2016

OK, my used C80 was a gift, and did not come with the chart card. What should I do to check/update the firmware version prior to inserting a new/used chart card?