1000 Miles With My New Electronics -- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

ROFL...
Wait till I post the 'Thong' shot....

Sécurité, sécurité, sécurité.....

All current viewers of CF should be advised....


:whist ling:

[conachair]

Ta for the update. Especially about the vhf. Not sure if such a range is needed but would be nice to have the choice

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

AHHH, but my GPS has no pictures, just numbers !! Thats as old school as I can find LOL

I KNOW!!!!!! And they sucked balls too!!!!!!!!!!

Taking fixes are easier than dealing with these!

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The pilot does not have a normal control head -- it is controlled by a B&G Triton with a supplemental keypad, and by both chart plotters (both B&G Zeus, one touch, one non-touch). This generally works ok, but there are still some problems. For some reason, I can't put the pilot in nav mode (like Ray's "track mode") from the keypad. And there are some problems in the system concerning which controller is active. So if I use the plotter to set up nav mode, I can't use the keypad to dodge -- I have to switch off the pilot, switch it back on in A mode, then dodge. I have not been able, so far, to find a way to fix this in the configuration.

Interesting. We have a Simrad AC42 AP with both the AP24 control head and the Triton/Keypad combination. They work flawlessly together - using either one for any command works fine and the other one follows along just like it was being used. Also, no problem putting the AP in Nav mode with the keypad. Are you sure you have configured the Nav data source in the Triton setup page?

Originally Posted by Dockhead

8. I installed a full suite of Maretron black boxes in my engine room, but most of the data can't be displayed by anything other than the Maretron DSM-250 at my nav table. It's a shame the Tritons don't have screens for engine data, temperature data, fuel flow, etc. I guess I'm going to have to find a place for the scaled-down DSM-250 (DSM-150) at my helm.

You need the newest Triton software update for displaying data from N2K engine sensors. This software adds every possible engine data screen you could imagine.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

9. The DSM-250 is a crude device, amazingly expensive for what it is. No one should consider it a substitute for any of the far better developed displays from Simrad, Raymarine, Garmin, etc. It's needed for specifically Maretron purposes -- configuring Maretron devices and displaying data from specialized Maretron sensors.

I bit my tongue the entire time you were discussing getting the DSM-250. Frankly, I think it is over-priced and underwhelming and couldn't figure out what you saw in it that I was missing. The DSM-150 looks even worse.

A DSM-250 is not needed for configuring or updating Maretron devices. A computer running Maretron's free software works just fine for that. Also, Maretron's software has a virtual DSM-250 function, which creates a DSM-250 display on a computer.

Mark

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

AHHH, but my GPS has no pictures, just numbers !! Thats as old school as I can find LOL

You use the early Magellan as well... Good man..

[damianham]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

You and me both man. After making my living in software, I don't trust it very much.

That's surprising - I would expect the opposite. I make my living from software and do trust it - as long as there are multiple redundant systems of course. I wouldn't trust just 1 system but we don't build systems that way if we want high reliability - there is always redundancy.

regards
damian

[IdoraKeeper]

Very nice post DH. The best part is you tested on a good long cruise..sounds like some settings need fixed and then you could plan a trip to.?.?.say....the Amazon! Still some time left this year, where to next?

[s/v Jedi]

The Maretron DSM250 starts shining when you start configuring alarms. No other display can do this. Example: alarm when temp in freezer or engine exhaust exceeds so many deg. Or when rudder angle exceeds so and so. Or when CO/propane is detected, or when the fuel tank goes below such level etc. etc. you can program anything and every alarm will show on the same display.

[colemj]

The Tritons do most of that now for the engine, rudder, fuel, etc. They don't do freezer, propane or the like.

Mark

[Sandero]

Interesting review(s). I recall an earlier thread about doing these upgrades. I've forgotten the boat or the cost of this suite of electronics. It seems as if it was quite a bold undertaking. I am amazed it all worked and communicated as well it seems.

My electronics are old and supplying what seems like decent data for my use. I do see the next generation is here and it's daunting. I'd like to do a cruise with a boat equipped at this level to experience the benefits and difference.

great read..

[colemj]

Originally Posted by defjef

I do see the next generation is here and it's daunting.

As one who has done a complete upgrade from older systems to these newer ones, I can assure you that the wiring and installation is much easier than the old ones and the user interfaces/operation is also much easier.

So, just the opposite of daunting! Any 10 year old kid can wire, install and operate these.

Looking back, I can't imagine how I ever understood nmea0183 and the sanskrit user interfaces of the old systems.

Mark

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by damianham

That's surprising - I would expect the opposite. I make my living from software and do trust it - as long as there are multiple redundant systems of course. I wouldn't trust just 1 system but we don't build systems that way if we want high reliability - there is always redundancy.

regards
damian

I think most people in the software business feel the same way you do. Nearly all of my colleagues are super tech guys, all of them with the Chromecast stick within days, their phones are rooted or jailbroken on day one, etc. With manual navigation you need to get your observations by your surroundings as where with electronics you tend to get your data from screens.

For us, it's paper, manual tools, a GPS for fixes, the sextant for noonsites when it's clear and we've got the time, and doing all the typical line of site stuff (3lop, etc).

It's saved my ass a couple of times too. On a commercial boat I worked on the chart plotter busted 1/3 of the way into the trip, the other captain was useless.

I've also gone to the right place which was really the wrong place. Locations that are ~50 miles apart with the same name. But looking around to do a 3lop fix I couldn't find the visual indicators I was expecting to find so still pretty far offshore I noted the error and corrected.

Not trying to convert anyone.

[MehmetCan]

Fantastic post, thanks a lot. I'm currently trying to decide between touch and non-touch versions of the Zeus, but your solution seem to make sense. Any difference between the two units besides touch capability (crash resistance, usability, extra features etc.). Thanks a lot in advance for the reply.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

I KNOW!!!!!! And they sucked balls too!!!!!!!!!!

Taking fixes are easier than dealing with these!

Gollygosh ! I thought I was the only one who still had one of them. I think mine is about 17 years old. On a good day it finds the satellites in 5 mins.

[CAELESTIS]

"13. The Zeuses, I am sorry to say, are much less stable than my previous Raymarine RL plotters. The Ray plotters were rock-solid and as far as I can remember, I never had a single crash. The Zeuses crash regularly -- not often enough to be a real problem, but they are not as solid as the Rays were. This is not the only instability issue -- I regularly get "no pilot controller" errors and other anomalies. I guess there are some bugs -- hope that firmware updates will eventually eliminate them."

Crash? Any idea what is causing the problem? Is it the plotter or one of the many extras plugged into it?