B&G Zeus 3

[bobmcd625]

Hello again.
A companion question to my post above is: Could one use "domestic" wi-fi/Ethernet devices such as access points and Ethernet switches instead of the expensive Navico products WiFi-1 and/or NEP-2. I can see two main differences which may well be show stoppers: The Navico products are weather protected and run on a boat's 12/24 v power system. "Domestic" devices will not be weather protected and run on 110/120/220 v systems. The voltage problem could be overcome by an inverter, and one could take measures to protect the devices from water, but apart from these factors are there technical reasons why the domestic devices would not work?
Thanks in advance.

[Spyderpig]

Originally Posted by bobmcd625

Hello again.
A companion question to my post above is: Could one use "domestic" wi-fi/Ethernet devices such as access points and Ethernet switches instead of the expensive Navico products WiFi-1 and/or NEP-2. I can see two main differences which may well be show stoppers: The Navico products are weather protected and run on a boat's 12/24 v power system. "Domestic" devices will not be weather protected and run on 110/120/220 v systems. The voltage problem could be overcome by an inverter, and one could take measures to protect the devices from water, but apart from these factors are there technical reasons why the domestic devices would not work?
Thanks in advance.

Well, to my knowledge, most domestic devices run off DC and many are 12 volt. I can only speak from my personal experience but the equipment bay where it is installed would only get wet under extreme circumstances. Mine has worked for the last 2 1/2 years perfectly.

[bobmcd625]

Originally Posted by Spyderpig

Well, to my knowledge, most domestic devices run off DC and many are 12 volt. I can only speak from my personal experience but the equipment bay where it is installed would only get wet under extreme circumstances. Mine has worked for the last 2 1/2 years perfectly.

Duh!!! Of course...that's why they have a little black box in the power line.
I agree that in a protected location there should be little risk of direct water ingress. Damp air would go through, of course.
Which "domestic" devices do you have?
Thanks for your help.
Bob

[Spyderpig]

I use a MikroTic RB951Ui-2HnD. No sign of deterioration of any of the contacts unlike my laptop which I have to replace yearly, I suppose it is far more exposed.

[indimini]

I am installing a BrainBoxes SW005 along with the Digital Yachts iKconnect with their WL70 antenna. The iKconnect is a commercial mini AP with firmware designed to ease installation of the wifi antenna. Prices on the SW-005 are around $35 USD. I got the iKconnect with my iKommunicate kickstarter for $100. Definitely cheaper than Go Free WiFi with more functionality and reasonably hardened.

[bobmcd625]

Originally Posted by indimini

I am installing a BrainBoxes SW005 along with the Digital Yachts iKconnect with their WL70 antenna. The iKconnect is a commercial mini AP with firmware designed to ease installation of the wifi antenna. Prices on the SW-005 are around $35 USD. I got the iKconnect with my iKommunicate kickstarter for $100. Definitely cheaper than Go Free WiFi with more functionality and reasonably hardened.

Very interesting!!! You have opened my eyes to a new world of on board boat comms. Not too sure that I can absorb all this geeky stuff, but it sure is interesting. I can see that the SW-005 ($50) is a good candidate to replace the NEP-2 ($250), but where did you get the iKonnect for $100. Digital Yacht list this for $250. The only issue I can see with the SW-005 is the connecting cables are standard Cat 5 with RJ 45 connectors while the Navico gear have a different configuration. Are there ready made adaptors?
In any case, many thanks for opening this window.
Fair winds
Bob

[indimini]

I got the iKconnect at that price as part of the kickstarter deal for the iKommunicate. The thing is, the hardware used by the iKconnect can be found for $50-100, but won't come pre-configured with the firmware Digital Yacht provides. I'll pull the name of the hardware for comparison as soon as I can find it.

Yes, Navico sells adapters to go from their connector to a standard RJ-45 female connector. There are also numerous sources that describe the wire pattern that makes it easy to wire directly to a RJ-45 male connector.

[Three Sisters]

This is not related to the specific equipment but directed at the mounting equipment portion of the discussion. Incorporating one of these would be nice for centralizing the onboard communication equipment. A 12 volt bus could also be included in the enclosure. There are many variations. This is but one, a 6U maybe the size of a small microwave. I would want an air filter to clean the incoming cooling air.






This is one of the many vendors.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16816129056

Kinda nifty huh? A rackmount for your boat !

[SecondBase]

Thanks for that earlier post - Forward scan is on my wishlist !!

[bobmcd625]

Originally Posted by indimini

I am installing a BrainBoxes SW005 along with the Digital Yachts iKconnect with their WL70 antenna. The iKconnect is a commercial mini AP with firmware designed to ease installation of the wifi antenna. Prices on the SW-005 are around $35 USD. I got the iKconnect with my iKommunicate kickstarter for $100. Definitely cheaper than Go Free WiFi with more functionality and reasonably hardened.

I am about to order a BrainBoxes SW005 to use in stead of the Navico NEP-2 at less that 1/5th the cost! Did you, or will you take precautions against moisture ingress at the ports? I would think that at least any unused ports should be covered with some tape, maybe the power connections too.
Thanks again for this tip.
Bob

[Lambay]

B&G Zeus 3 Installation and User manual available in the support tab of Zeus³ 16


Screen resolution reported as

Zeus 3 7" 1024 x 600
Zeus 3 9" 1280 x 720
Zeus 3 12" 1280 x 800
Zeus 3 16" 1920 x 1080

Regards

[indimini]

Originally Posted by bobmcd625

I am about to order a BrainBoxes SW005 to use in stead of the Navico NEP-2 at less that 1/5th the cost! Did you, or will you take precautions against moisture ingress at the ports? I would think that at least any unused ports should be covered with some tape, maybe the power connections too.

I have not covered the open ports, but given where I am installing mine, I don't think I need to worry about it. That said, a little electrical tape over the unused ports shouldn't hurt.

[bobmcd625]

Originally Posted by indimini

Yes, Navico sells adapters to go from their connector to a standard RJ-45 female connector. There are also numerous sources that describe the wire pattern that makes it easy to wire directly to a RJ-45 male connector.

Could you point me to the site which shows how to connect to the RJ-45 plug? The Navico adaptors are pretty expensive.
Yes, a little tape would help but a water tight box would be better.

[indimini]

This is one image I found that shows the Navico ethernet pin-out to RJ-45 mapping.

[bobmcd625]

Originally Posted by indimini

This is one image I found that shows the Navico ethernet pin-out to RJ-45 mapping.

Looks good to me. Many thanks.
B