Will My B & G Auto Pilot Talk To My Raymarine Chart Plotter?

[YPSILANTI]

I have a very old B & G Network Auto pilot that has served me very well. All my other equipment is Raymarine. My chart plotter is an old Raymarine E80 which I intend replacing. My problem is that my auto pilot has served me flawlessly and I don't wish to replace it as well. However, the auto pilot 'language: is NMEA 0183 and the Raymarine chart plotter 'language" is NMEA 2000. I am looking at replacing the Raymarine chart plotter with the much more expensive AXIOM 9 Pro-S, Hybrid Touch 9" Multi-function Display with integrated High CHIRP Conical Sonar, because it has a cable jack that supports the NMEA 0183 language for the auto pilot. The lesser models don't have this added feature. Because of this, in theory, they will function together.

I am anxious that I'll go through the additional expense only to find that I'll have to buy a new, very expensive Auto Pilot to enable the CP and AP to communicate such that the AP can follow a route on the CP.

Are they likely to work together, given that the CP has the required NMEA 0183 jack? Thanks in advance for your replies and assistance.

[TheOffice]

It will likely communicate with the AP but you will not be able to control the AP from the plotter.

[YPSILANTI]

That is my concern. My primary desire is to have the AP follow a route on my plotter. How do you mean it will communicate but wont be able to be controlled? Thanks so much for your reply.

[smac999]

It will follow the route. But will need to use the pilot screen to engauge track. Same as you do now with 2 different brands. . If both brands matched. When you made a route on plotter. The pilot would engauge automaticity.

[YPSILANTI]

Thanks so much for the replies. Any other opinions will be appreciated.

[meirriba]

I would reconsider the need of the AP following route made on the chart plotter.
I have shut down this option on my RM system that do allows this. I want as a safety provision a human helmsman that directs the boat (using the AP) to a new direction at every waypoint of the route.
I want a human being to look around and confirm we are turning safely.
If you agree, then you can still connect the AP to the MFD using NMEA 183.

[smac999]

Most pilots require you to accept each waypoint turn before it turns.

[Squanderbucks]

Most chartplotters even though they are 2000 compliant still have at least one 0183 input/ output. As long as you have this you are good to go.
Each of the Garmin plotters of various generation have all worked nicely with the Raymarine ST60 that I have with either 2000 or 0183 data.
I setup to follow routes all the time. Will not turn at next waypoint unless you respond to the beep beep beep and ok it. Works nicely for me.

[Bycrick]

There are converters between NMEA 0183 and Seatalk NG (NMEA 2000). But when I tried connecting a B&G Hydra 2000 to a Simrad AP using the Simrad converter, it wouldn’t work because the B&G was using 0183 version 1.5 (very old) and the converter expected version 3.0+. The Actisense converter ultimately worked and seems to be more “forgiving” of older data formats.

[sy_gilana]

A world of possibilities. The short answer is yes, the only variables are money and effort. Your E80 will talk NMEA 1083 with your AP right now, provided the "old" AP talks the same language.

I am not sure about the newer gen of plotters, but there are a ton of multiplexers available which will make it possible.


You could do some tests on OpenCPN on a computer of your choice. Linux/Mac/Windows. We use the route follow often, especially when there are many points in a route. As each waypoint advance arrives, user input is REQUIRED. To the best of my knowledge, there is no chart plotter, or ECDIS system that will automatically follow a route, so the people who tell you not to do this based on that argument are not quite correct. That is autonomous operation, and as yet, is not contemplated in COLREGS. (and I hope it never is)

[skipmac]

I have a new Simrad (identical to the B&G except for the control head) and a Garmin plotter. I can set a waypoint on the Garmin and navigate to it with the Simrad. Also have an older Raymarine speed/depth display that output only Seatalk. With adapters I was able to connect that to my NMEA 2000 network and display the data on the Garmin.

[YPSILANTI]

Thank you all so much for the most informative replies. The responses are what Id hoped for. I will be going ahead with my purchase of the CP.