Hi, I just wanted to post an update on work.
First, thank you for all the help. It was an overwhelming task to begin with and it took the first 2-3 days of just hopeless despair thinking about what I needed to do and how I was going to go about it.
It involved a lot of cutting and splicing and heat shrinking and sealing but I think it's done.
I also included my revised schematics along with a quick doc that I used to figure out the middle of the network for power.
As I was working on installing the Axiom 9 and trying to figure out how to hook up all the legacy Raymarine and Autohelm devices, I also decided to add AIS. I thought that it would be handy to have on Lake Ontario with all the freighter traffic on the Canadian side and since I don't have radar, this would be the next safest option.
So I bought an AIS compatible VHF along with a Camino 108 to send and receive an AIS signal.
I spent about 5 or 6 days running wire, and connecting all the various Seatalk devices.
When I went to power it all up, the ST50+ all powered up and the i60 Wind control head powered up, but not the Axiom or the P70 autopilot control head.
I was devastated. I'm just sitting there, not even knowing WHERE to begin. When I said, well lets trying switching the wires, maybe I mixed up negative and positive feeds.
It was like the heavens opened and angels sang! There was no better feeling that swiping my index finger over the Axiom and watching it power up. After a minute, it gathered a GPS signal, the autopilot was on, the ST's were running (although I am not sure if they actually work and I guess I won't know till I am in the water...same with the wind). The VHF down below captured a GPS signal from the Camino 108 and even the new am/fm stereo was working!!!
In the diagnostics, the Axiom could see all of the Sealtalk devices and I assume I will be able to calibrate or pick the transducers once I am up and running. I am not sure how the autopilot works. I was able to pick a point on the lake and then click the go to option. I think then I would hit Track on the P70 but when I did that nothing happened. No worries, I am sure I have to be in the water and moving for all that to come together.
The best moment was yesterday when someone came up to me and asked me if this was my boat. He said that he can see me on AIS and he thought it was funny that I was about 200 yards inland. Now he knew why.
MY AIS WORKS TOO!!!! So happy.
Well, just wanted to a little closure in case anyone reads this in the future.
My thanks
Chris