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rgleason · 16-03-2016, 11:01

Regarding Nmea2000 power connections. It looks like you cut a drop cable and wire into power properly with a fuse. Calculating the length of the backbone and drops is important so the power does not drop.

See page 16 http://www.nmea.org/Assets/2012%20ib...stallation.pdf

Powering from a T connector in the center Boat Projects: Beginners guide to Nmea 2000, Nmea 0183, and bridging is best because there is less drop.

Also if there are going to be lots of loads, going up in wire size helps. Micro size generally has 22 gauge wire and can't carry electrical power far.
Panbo say Mareton Mid size cable (Micro Connectors) is 16 gauge rather than 22 and results in much less voltage drop as compared to some of the other wires and is not much more expensive.

Also a split power tap in the center of the backbone helps. See Panbo Panbo: The Marine Electronics Hub: NMEA 2000, power "problem" part 2

http://www.maretron.com/products/pdf...on%20Guide.pdf

rgleason · 19-03-2016, 13:57

Does anyone happen to know or have available the power draw of a B&G Zeus Touch 12 when on standby?
Thanks

rgleason · 04-08-2016, 16:40

B&G ZeusT12
Brightness
Max 1.7amp
9. 1.1a
8. 0.7a
7. 0.5a
6. 0.5a
5. 0.4-0.5a
Lowest it goes, nightmode is similar for each brightness.
Standby is 0.4amp

My N2K bus has Seatalk ST60 Tridata and ST60 Wind
This N2K bus uses + 0.2amps

B&G 4g Broadband Radar uses
Pwr Off (breaker on) + 0.2-0.3amp
Standby + 0.7amp (software pwr off same)
Transmit + 2.1amp
In addition to ZeusT12 and N2K bus.

During the day try to use brightness=8 which uses 0.7 amps.
Adding the Instruments and N2K brings useage up to .9 amps

Adding the Radar on Standby uses 1.6 amps total with brightness=8.
Using Radar transmit is 3 amps
So learn where to turn on Standby!

rgleason · 04-08-2016, 16:49

My setup uses 3 breakers
1. ST60 Instruments + Nmea2000 bus
2. Chartplotter
3. Radar
I want to control the Radar power separately to be able to use O without the chartplotter.
I want instruments and N2K separate to be able to connect tablets via wifi to the instruments. Eventually this bus will have the Vesper with wifi, so that the Radar and Chartplotter do not need to be on for long legs, just a tablet. When conditions require the
chartplotter and or radar they are turned on.
That is the thinking right now.
I have not connected the yellow control wire to turn on radar from the chartplotter. That might change.

rgleason · 04-08-2016, 17:24

Instruments ST60 + Nema2000
Setup.
From N2K micronet side
1. Radar Interface RI10 with simnet cable to N2K, puts heading data if it exists, into the radar, for radar overlay onto the charts. If there is no heading data the radar must be used in heads up mode as a standalone instrument displayed in 1/2 part or all of the chartplotter display screen.
2. Raymarine Converter Seatalk1&2 to N2K (Model number listed below) This kit provided a simple connection and converter for ST60 instruments to Raymarine's version of Nmea2000. By taking a Raymarine cable over to the N2K micronet bus, cutting the end of the Raymarine cable and wiring it carefully with an appropriate male or female micronet N2K adapter I was able to join the ST60 Instrument data with the N2K bus. My hope was that Instrument data, Wind and Depth would be used by the chartplotter for Sailsteer and laylines, and that when I turned on the Autopilot and old Raymarine Fluxgate Compass that the heading data would land on the N2K bus and then find its way to the RI10 and Radar for Chart overlay.

After some testing, and trouble with Raymarine connectors that were not fully seated, instrument data appeared on the chartplotter and I found that the Radar overlay selection worked!
The only caveat is that the radar image is slower in transition in seas and when turning than the charts. This is because of the slow fluxgate compass.

Someday I may pony up for a faster one but this is just fine for us now.

The next steps are to learn the Chartplotter completely.
Figure out the best O connection to the Radar and get AIS/wifi.

I will try to find the Panbo NK2 wiring connection detail and post it. Also I will post some pics of the wiring and installation.

rgleason · 04-08-2016, 17:29

I'd like to thank those who advised and contributed to knowledge here. We like this instrument and find the Chart + Steer Display is very useful. (Drag them onto a new display setup, Under Pages)

rgleason · 05-08-2016, 04:30

Here is the Panbo link for making a Nmea2000 connection
http://www.panbo.com/archives/2008/0..._big_woop.html

. From the left, the cables above are standard (DeviceNet) NMEA 2000, SeaTalkNG (aka NMEA 2000), and SimNet (aka NMEA 2000). Notice the similarities. The internal wires all adhere pretty closely to the NMEA color standard, which goes as follows, “Net” nomenclature included:

White: Net-H, “high” data signal
Blue: Net-L, “low” data signal
Bare: shield
Red: Net-S, 12v DC power supply
Black: Net-C, 12v DC ground

So the SimNet cable is slightly odd—the Net-H more yellow than white, and the shield apparently just foil, not wire—but then again it’s the one that’s truly skinny and light.

rgleason · 05-08-2016, 05:03

I powered the Radar RI10 off the Radar breaker, of course, not the N2K bus.

By the way, my Raymarine Instruments ST60 and Raymarine Converter to STng and the Micronet N2K have a single power source. Currently the N2K breaker goes to power the micronet N2k bus, but I have been told that it would be best to move the power to the Raymarine converter, to balence demands in favor of the older ST60 instruments. I had to remove the direct 12vdc power to the ST60 instruments Tridata and Wind because you should not have two sources of power, and when I did things did not work right. I had to keep one of the breakers off.

So keep in mind that you must have one source of 12vdc power to the N2K - Raymarine Converter to STng - ST60 Instruments. They are all powered together.
Also it is best to balence the loads and connect the power at the mid point.

By the way, my ST4000 Wheelpilot has a dedicated breaker and power source.

Note: The ST4000 Autopilot and Fluxgate compass must be on at least standby to have True Wind Calculated and shown on the ST60 Wind instrument panel, otherwise it will show three dashes. Calc of true wind data requires Heading HDG data. This is also the situation for the B&G Chartplotter, it needs heading data too to calculate the True Wind. So autopilot needs to be on standby if the fluxgate is wires direct off the autopilot via a nmea connection. I could move the fluxgate to the B&G nmea0183 connection, but then my autopilot would not be standalone operation.

rgleason · 05-08-2016, 07:02

The next posts are showing the installation. We found the completed chartplotter pulled into the cabin with its white cover quite compatible with the white fiberglass cabin liner, and did not ruin the cabin. It turned out to be quite simple in appearance without many wires once they were bundled in a black sheath.

The Ram Mount was the largest one made with.two arms, rated for 15 lbs. We had to turn the main bracket over upside down and fit a large SS washer onto the knob and bolt due to dimensiond and conditipns in the cabin. I cut a small square of the cabin liner behind the bracket, and fit mahogany support pieces embeded in fiberglass to reinforce the mounting location. Then fiberglassed and fit the liner square back in place. I put vasalene on the mount bolts and clamped the sandwich together. 6 hours later I removed the bolts and fit the main mounting bracket perminantly with an aluminum backing plate.

After some testing of the mount and display to confirm that all our placement measurements and several long discussions, had resulted in a satisfactory installation, we needed to complete the wiring which took several days due to tight conditions I only had a general idea for what I was going to do Being a small boat there was only one choice for the RI10 and N2K bus which was behind and below the chartplotter on the starboard seat locker plywood bulkhead. I tried to leave room for the Vesper/wifi but the photos look pretty tight. There is a lot going on in small places in a small boat. The other part of the bus, the Raymarine ST1 to STns Converter is stuffed into an area behind the ST60 instruments, behind the cabin liner on the port side just above the electric panel. Not ideal, but it works and it was the only place left after using the port seat locker forward bulkhead for mounting the solar regulator and battery circuits with fusebox. I'll include that photo too.

So the first photos are from inside and outside, then the details.

rgleason · 05-08-2016, 07:04

This one is from the helm. Then I'll show the mounting bracket. Then the port and starboard locker wiring

rgleason · 05-08-2016, 07:10

First the two arm 15" swing bracket. Then the starboard locker with N2K and RI10 and connector strip. Then the port Solar Regulator and fused battery pa el.

rgleason · 05-08-2016, 07:27

This next photo is of the Raymarine ST1 to STng Converter above the electric panel. Middle wire connects to the ST60 Instruments and the other wire goes over to the starboard side micronet N2K bus attached with a spliced in micronet connector (see the Panbo wiring link for more detail). This Raymarine Convertor should probably have the power from the breaker, but I've misplaced that particular cable and when I find it I will make that change and disconnect the N2K power wires in the starboard locker. Everything seems to work fine now though.

By the way, since 80% of the the time I steer from in front of the traveler and wheel, I have good access the chartplotter controls. (Its a small boat) and the rest of the time the crew can be involved, besides I want all crew to know and be familiar with the chartplotter!

rgleason · 05-08-2016, 07:46

See this thread for some initial discussion about locating the chartplotter. Lots of sound advice and thought about the particular boat conditions and considerations. This is a very personnal choice. It is a compromise and there is no wrong or right way to do it. Each boat and owner is different.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=159937