Seatalk NMEA Converters?

[american]

Anyone know if these guys are still in business?

Raymarine Seatalk - NMEA bridge for Brookhouse multiplexer

I'm trying to find a Seatalk>NMEA converter, which I plan to use with MaxSea (TZ) and OpenCPN on a Windows laptop. Need a device to take data from the Raymarine devices (instruments, auto-pilot, NOT latest gen) and convert to something I can send to the laptop (preferably via USB).

I've emailed Brookhouse about their device, but after several weeks waiting for a response (and two emails sent in that time) I am prepared to give up and move on.

Can someone recommend other options similar to the Brookhouse device?

[Flod]

Maybe you can use the raymarine seatalk-seatalkng converter then you easily can connect nmea2k devices to it. If you need nmea0183 I think there is converters for nmea2k to nmea0183




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[Flod]

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp...879&id=2006001

This is what i thought of


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[american]

Originally Posted by Flod

Actisense NMEA 2000 to NMEA 0183 Gateway

This is what i thought of

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Thank you, for the reply, but reading the specs on that device (which I've seen before), it doesn't seem to do what's needed here. I first need to convert from SeaTalk to NMEA 0183. This device seems to just convert between 0183 and 2000... which isn't something I need.

Perhaps I am missing some point in what you are trying to suggest?

To be clear, what I am looking for is something I can plug into the Raymarine instruments (or autopilot), where it will output SeaTalk (old style), then convert that into NMEA 0183 (for use by MaxSea or OpenCPN). Ideally, connected directly through the USB port on the Windows laptop.

This is what the hardware from Brookhouse claims to do, and I would just buy/install that device, but those guys aren't responding to emails.

[nigel1]

This may be worth a try

Seatalk/NMEA-0183 Bi-directional Bridge

This guy builds these as a hobby, and at the price, may be worth giving it a shot.

The other option is to try and find a Raymarine Seatalk/NMEA bridge.They dont make them any more, but you may be able to locate an old stock or second hand item.
Product Code is E85001

[Flod]

My suggestion was to first use one of these:
http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp...879&id=1787959

That takes you from Seatalk to Seatalk ng (nmea2k) and then use the nmea2k to nmea0183 if needed to get it into the pc


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[american]

Hey, seems our discussion here caused burning ears for the Brookhouse guys. They just responded to my emails! Going to go with one of their wifi multi-plexers. Fingers crossed it'll do all it says it does on the web page

[Flod]

Good luck! Seems easier than the other suggestions


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[muttnik]

I think brookhouse are haphazard about replying to email. I didn't get a reply to an enquiry I sent about 3 years ago. A boat I've been racing on this year had one installed recently. I don't know the owner well enough to start ripping out his electronics to take a closer look but he's very pleased with it, as were the other couple of people I've met with earlier (non-wifi) versions. From the blurb they seem technically well thought with added flexibility form being able to upload little scriptlets.

Popular alternatives people seem to mention include the shipmodul and the slightly more home-brew but apparently very good value vyacht.

I don't *believe* (but do check if you care) that any of these are officially licensed from Raymarine and I *think* (again: could be wrong) that they all base their conversion on Thomas Knauf's reverse-engineered seatalk information.

Note that the conversion between sea talk and NMEA-0183 isn't one to one. Often one NMEA-0183 sentence may be composed of data from several seatalk messages so a poorly implemented algorithm could give you a lat and long composed from two bits of a different fix, but hey, if it's my boat it doesn't go too far in one second.

You might want to check which sentences are converted by your chosen product, whether that matches your software's requirements, and whether the conversion is bi-directional. Seatalk->NMEA-0183 is easy. The other way requires the device to implement the seatalk collision algorithm so is a bit harder.

Most of the non-raymarine converters being (I believe) constructed from the same information, I think they mostly convert the same messages.

I'll second nigel1's suggestion if wifi is not needed. The yapp one is about the cheapest option there is. The Raymarine one (if you can find it second hand) is probably the only one written with the definitive seatalk reference available.

[barnakiel]

There are two bridges from Ray. Why not use one of them?

b.

[phantomracer]

I have a brookhouse and it works great. not using it anymore. Has the seatalk option, along with the remote display and usb port options. let me know if you are interested.

I know the factory has a big backlog, last I heard. good customer service, although some some delays in replies.

[american]

Thank you, for all the replies. After getting an email from Brookhouse they let me know there was a multi-week (month?) waiting period for acquiring one of their devices. My emails to Yapp also went unanswered until just a few days ago (he was out sailing - a valid excuse).

In the meantime I found the "vYacht Wifi Router mk III" vYacht Yacht automation

Managed to get an instant reply from the site owner, and the router was shipped to me within a few days. Have it in hand now and will be installing it this weekend.

As has been mentioned, they all seem to be based on the same translation algorithm, and the vYacht router, like many of them, allow for direct tinkering in the source code on the device. If I find something is out of whack in my particular setup, there's always the option to mess around with the code until it's working correctly.

The vYacht router is also relatively inexpensive (compared to the Brookhouse option), at just 122EUR.

Anyway, will give it a shot and report back.

[Rik-lu]

Originally Posted by american

Anyway, will give it a shot and report back.

and ...?

[american]

Originally Posted by Rik-lu

and ...?

Oops. Sorry you're still waiting to hear and I've vanished...

Nothing exciting to report. Same 'ol story... got to the boat, was unable to find the spare SeaTalk cable I was certain I had, forced to give up on the install.

Next trip is planned for late September. Fingers crossed I'll get it installed at that time. And I promise to write an update!

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by american

Oops. Sorry you're still waiting to hear and I've vanished...

Nothing exciting to report. Same 'ol story... got to the boat, was unable to find the spare SeaTalk cable I was certain I had, forced to give up on the install.

Next trip is planned for late September. Fingers crossed I'll get it installed at that time. And I promise to write an update!

Yes, would be good to read how it went...