Raymarine DSM300 with a ST60 Depth installation question ?

[d4raffy]

I am sure this is probably a numpty question ... but I can't seem to figure this out. I am hoping someone has done this already and its a one sentence answer.
I know its a tad retro ... but i have a costly investment ...

BTW - don't send me to the Raymarine Support Forum - as i have been shunned for not being a US citizen. Apparently its now only for you US folks ... go figure !

Anyway .. for the Ray'mariners amongst you ...

I have 2 MFD's (E120, E80 Classics) networked with ST1 and STHS (ethernet). A ST60+ Depth is direct connected to an Airmar 319 transducer. So of course, Depth is displayed whether the MFD's are on or off and depth data shared on the ST1 bus. Great for being at anchor and setting a depth alarm.

I am going to drop in a Digital Sounder DSM300. This will require the transducer to be connected to it and will plug into the STHS network to feed info to the MFD's, and, i assume, the MFD's will share depth data onto the ST1 bus for other instruments.

So to the problem : How can you get depth info on the ST60 with the MFD(s) powered off ? (when at anchor, i still want a depth alarm but not my MFD's consuming amps).

The ST60+ manual has the following text - but no further explanation ...

'The ST60+ Depth instrument, can be connected:
• As a stand-alone, master instrument connected directly to the Depth trans-
ducer.
• As a SeaTalk repeater.
• To fulfil both repeater and master roles by being connected both to the trans-
ducer and to SeaTalk.

Does this mean (underlined above) that the transducer can be connected to both the DSM300 and the ST60 at the same time and the ST60 will figure it out ??

Thanks in advance ...

[s/v Moondancer]

We have received excellent service from Raymarine technical support. Ask one the top men!

We recently received an excellent technical reply on a compatibility problem.


Jason Sidaway
Senior Product Support Engineer
EMEA Technical Support
Maritime | Raymarine

Raymarine UK Ltd.
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Direct: +44 1329 246 777 | Reception: +44 1329 246 700
Email: jason.sidaway@raymarine.com | www.raymarine.com | www.flir.com

[d4raffy]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

We have received excellent service from Raymarine technical support. Ask one the top men!

Thanks Phil - i have dropped him a line ....

[Beausoleil]

The "repeater" mode on the ST60+ depthsounder just means it will repeat its depth data onto the SeaTalk network, and will display depth data it receives from SeaTalk if the transducer is disconnected.

If the E/C Classic (and e/c) series receives similar data from multiple sources, it will prioritize according to which network it comes from. SThs 1st, STng 2nd, ST1 3rd. You should have no problems if you upgrade your MFDs to the latest firmware.

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[smac999]

2 transducers at different frequency s.

[amytom]

Originally Posted by smac999

2 transducers at different frequency s.

That's what we did with the same equipment. One transducer in each hull. Great for centering in a narrow channel.


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[d4raffy]

OK, thanks for your forum comments so far ...
Nothing from Raymarine as yet ...
Also I am a mono sail boat.

From the comments so far - others are inferring that you need two Independent transducers ?
Really, does every boat with a DSM300 have 2 transducers or run their MFD 24/7 ?
I already have two sensor holes in the bottom of my boat (depth and log) don't really want a third !

I assume it's the ST60 and DSM that drives the transducer ping - so maybe a switch over relay is required for each control device .....



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[Beausoleil]

If you're worried about another hole in the hull, try using a shoot-thru-the-hull transducer for the ST60. That way you'll have full redundancy without another hole in the hull. With a switch sharing a single transducer with two sounders you'll have a single point of failure, plus the impedance mismatch introduced by the switch will affect the quality of the signal, probably increasing error and decreasing range.

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[d4raffy]

Thanks Beau - that's exactly the way I am going. Ordered a thru hull transducer.
Just hope they don't interfere ?
Nothing from Raymarine - I am starting to despair of that company.
Time to take a good look at B&G - what's their customer service like ?


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[gspeak]

Originally Posted by d4raffy

Thanks Beau - that's exactly the way I am going. Ordered a thru hull transducer.
Just hope they don't interfere ?
Nothing from Raymarine - I am starting to despair of that company.
Time to take a good look at B&G - what's their customer service like ?

I just installed a P79 in hull (shoot through) transducer direct connected to a a77 MFD. So easy to install & it is less than 600mm (2') away from the existing through hull transducer of our ST60+ transducer. They both work fine & do not interfere even with either frequencies of the P79 (50 & 200) selected.

Dave

[d4raffy]

For completeness - today - a response from Raymarine UK

'The ST60+ depth display will only be able to use it’s own transducer and cannot share the transducer with another display. The transducer used with the DSM300 is a different type of transducer too – it is dual frequency whereas the ST60+ is only a single frequency. So firstly – you cannot share transducers between the two units, each unit will need to have it’s own transducer.

Normally when both units are on, the DSM and the ST60+, the ST60+ will see depth info on SeaTalk databus and will revert to slave mode and so will display what is on the DSM300. When the DSM300 is turned off, the ST60+ will revert to master mode and will display the info from its own Transducer.'

[amytom]

Hmmm. That's not how my system is working. Although I have the DSM30 hooked up to a C70 along with the ST60+. All sea talk and data displays show the ST60 depth (including its screen) while the fish finder screen shows the depth and graph from the DSM30. On a catamaran that helps find the center of the channel in narrow canals and rivers. Either way, they're right about different transducers preferably on different sides of the boat.


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