Best way to organize NMEA cables

[muttskie]

For anyone interested, the Maretron field installed connectors do no involve any soldering. Just some skill in wire connection and assembly. They are not cheap, but are very high quality. I do not possess the background that would allow fabrication of a can network from scratch, so the Maretron components allowed me to assemble a fairly complex and comprehensive network myself, just by studying up and being meticulous. I can recommend their stuff without reservation, though it costs a lot.

[goboatingnow]

not sure how these prices stack up but heres Amphenol's lineup from Mouser

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/catalogusd/646/2614.pdf


Molex also do a range of Devicenet connectors and Tees

DeviceNet* Solutions - Molex
( sold through the Brad Harrision Connectivity brand)


dave

[waterman46]

After deciding I didn't want to blow a couple hundred dollars on all these NMEA2000 cables, tees, connectors, etc, I got serious and found out that the data speed is quite low (250KHz) and the termination is purely resistive (no capacitance or inductance) 120 ohms at each end. So you can use terminal strips, 120 ohm resistors and crimp-on ring connectors to do all your data wiring below decks. This will apply for Simnet as well, but no terminations are required for Simnet.

[Velella99]

During the installation of the rate compass for our new autopilot I had to run the calibrated wiring up our mizzen as the AP compass had to be mounted high, ours being a steel boat. Of course the radar wiring goes up the mizzen as well. That have me a concern for induction interference given the compass is a robust but high sensitive instrument and the radar pulls 30A on transmit. So I set about trying to understand the shielding needs for the compass wiring. I go so exasperated from receiving half answers about the existing shielding in SIMRAD AND SIMNET wiring that I ran the compass wiring under aluminium channel on the outside of the mizzen mast. To me, shielding requires an earthing protocol and I never did understand how SIMNET system is shielded without any grounding. Still don't. Anyway the rate compass worked perfectly situated in guess it's academic now.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[waterman46]

Been working all week on this so I know Simnet wiring is definitely shielded including the compass. But the autopilot AP42 does not have Simnet or micro-C connectors and it requires flying lead connections. They don't have a nice ground bus like my old Robertson AP. They give you just one spade terminal to connect a total of five grounds (boat's ground and all four input lines: rudder, compass, controller and power). I added a small terminal strip on the bulkhead just below the AP to take connections to all the shields and one wire up to the actual AP ground. Gotta wonder what they were smoking when they eliminated that ground bus.

[waterman46]

And I was wrong in my earlier post, Simnet does require terminations as does any NMEA2000 network. It's just that they put it the termination in the power supply connector so you don't have to add it as a separate element, but it is there electrically if you use their power cable.