Garmin / Raymarine Interfacing

[Enigma460]

I have looked all over for an answer and no joy.

Has anyone connected a Raymarine SR51(XM Radio) to a Garmin Chartplotter GPSMAP 720 (Or Equiv) using the Nmea 200 connection.

I know that Raymarine has an Interface cable that converts the pins from the Seatalk ng to the standard Nmea 2000 pinouts.

Seatalk ng is a Nmea 2000 network but they changed the pin connections.

The reason I'm asking is the SR51 is $299 but the GXM 51 is $600.

SR51 = Seatlk ng
GXM 51 = Nmea 2000

What do you think.

[jhillman]

Raymarine makes a device called a PC/NMEA/SeaTalk Interface Box. This unit will provide the following functionality:

When used with Raymarine's RayTech navigation software, the E85001 enables direct SeaTalk communucation between the PC and network, supporting functions like active route and waypoint transfer. Alternatively, the E85001 can convert SeaTalk datastreams to NMEA 0183, and NMEA 0183 sentences to SeaTalk, enabling other NMEA 0183 compatible navigation devices to communicate with Raymarine SeaTalk compatible instruments, autopilots, radars, and navigation aids. The E86001 serial data cable (sold seperately) is recommended for connecting PCs to this device.

I use a Garmin 4212 Chartplotter & High Definition Radar, but all of my instruments are Raymarine. I use the above device to interface a Raymarine ST70 Wind, ST70 Tri-Data and ST70 Rudder Angle indicator via NMEA 0183 to my Garmin chartplotter. The Chartplotter has a NMEA 2000 network, however I haven't seen anything that will interface the Raymarine product family to Garmin via NMEA 2000.

Hope this helps!!

Jes

[SaltyMonkey]

Ok, so questions:

1) Do you only need one E85001 for the entire RayMarine network to act as a singular bridge to Garmin?

2) How well will it handle adding additional devices in the configuration such as AIS, autohelm, and a PC? What would this look like.

Seems to me rather complex. I like the Garmin chart plotter and radar w/ Raymarine wind/speed/depth, but I'm not sure how I would add in an AIS, VHF, rudder indicator and autohelm efficiently and without problems. I might be forced into the Raymarine world.

[jhillman]

You only require one Raymarine interface and it will support any NMEA 0183 devices that are connected to your network. I'm not sure about your AIS, but I would guess that it would work as well.

Good Luck!!

Jes