I made a Marine Electronics Guide

[chris5977]

I did a big electronics refit on my Vagabond 47. Click here to learn from my mistakes. Marine Networking Guide.


#NMEA2000
#SeaTalk
#SimNet
#Garmin
#RayMarine

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by chris5977

I did a big electronics refit on my Vagabond 47. Click here to learn from my mistakes. Marine Networking Guide.


#NMEA2000
#SeaTalk
#SimNet
#Garmin
#RayMarine

Huh. Well that post is about $1000 too late :-)

But I will read it thoroughly anyway and perhaps save me the next thousand...

[koawm]

awesome! thanks man

[Nicholson58]

Pretty OK. A few new points I didn't know.


I might add that Simnet is not obsolete and they consider adding a T or additional 7-port joiner as adding or extending the backbone. The space between 7-port joiners can be 10 meters. What I find confusing and the Navico Techies can' seem to explain is the rule-book for wire lengths, drop wire length, architecture, etc. I have listened to more useless jargon from these guys than can be imagined. I build complex machines and control systems but listening to these guys is like asking a child how to build a car. We have 100% Simrad compass, GPS, Radar, Chart-plotter, OP-40 remote, Ap28 autopilot, Autopilot computer, rudder feed-back, Broadband sounder. You would thing it simple to explain how to connect this stuff. Not even a primmer on the rules.

[colemj]

I assume you also want some feedback, so I have a couple of points about your suggestions.

1. Furuno makes a line of consumer gear that is completely different than their commercial gear. You recommend not buying Furuno products because they only belong on large and commercial boats and are overkill on smaller recreational boats. This is incorrect.

2. You state that the only reason to go with Furuno is if one wants to use a personal computer. I don't really understand this, although I do understand that MaxSea on a PC can be interfaced to a Furuno chartplotter. However, this is also true for other manufacturer's gear - as well as for tablets/phones, etc.

3. You state that people should chose the same manufacturer radar and chartplotter because they all use proprietary connectors. This isn't true, and is not the reason to stay with the same manufacturer (Furuno uses a common Cat5 connector, for example). The real reason to stay with the same manufacturer is that none of the different brand radomes work with any different manufacturer's chart plotter. However, if one wanted independent chart plotter and radar, there is no need to stay with the same brand.

4. Simnet is just straight N2K using a different connector. I don't think they have many pieces of equipment left with Simnet connectors. For the ones that do, they ship these with a Simnet-MicroC connector cable and junction box, so that connection to a standard N2K network is immediate and easy.

5. Only the high end B&G stuff is pricy. The lower echelon aimed at cruising boats is quite reasonable. For example, nobody does a small MFD like the Triton, and it is very reasonably priced. The B&G cruising autopilots are simply rebranded Simrad AP's using standard MicroC connectors and costing the same amount.

6. You urge everyone to buy Garmin because they have built in GPS and uses MicroC connectors. This is also true for other manufacturers. And a built in GPS is the worse solution for anyone who needs to mount it where blockage occurs or wants to use an autopilot or radar overlay/MARPA. It is a gimmick on a boat with lots of equipment, and really only useful for a small boat using it as a single instrument.

7. A Garmin autopilot is probably the worse choice among the manufacturers for a cruising sailboat.

8. The reasoning you use for your statement that one needs to buy the same brand AP as their chartplotter is flawed. All of them easily take navigation directions from each other. There is nothing fussy at all about connecting them or getting them to work across brands. The ONLY advantage of using the same brand is that the chartplotter will be able to control the AP (auto/standby, dodge, etc). Since AP's generally come with a control head, this isn't a critical necessity.

9. You imply throughout that the best way to choose is by picking the cheapest (which you found in your case to be Garmin). I would disagree with this, but that is only a subjective personal opinion and not objective fact like the above (#7 possibly excepted).

Mark

[tanglewood]

Originally Posted by colemj

I assume you also want some feedback, so I have a couple of points about your suggestions.

1. Furuno makes a line of consumer gear that is completely different than their commercial gear. You recommend not buying Furuno products because they only belong on large and commercial boats and are overkill on smaller recreational boats. This is incorrect.

2. You state that the only reason to go with Furuno is if one wants to use a personal computer. I don't really understand this, although I do understand that MaxSea on a PC can be interfaced to a Furuno chartplotter. However, this is also true for other manufacturer's gear - as well as for tablets/phones, etc.

3. You state that people should chose the same manufacturer radar and chartplotter because they all use proprietary connectors. This isn't true, and is not the reason to stay with the same manufacturer (Furuno uses a common Cat5 connector, for example). The real reason to stay with the same manufacturer is that none of the different brand radomes work with any different manufacturer's chart plotter. However, if one wanted independent chart plotter and radar, there is no need to stay with the same brand.

4. Simnet is just straight N2K using a different connector. I don't think they have many pieces of equipment left with Simnet connectors. For the ones that do, they ship these with a Simnet-MicroC connector cable and junction box, so that connection to a standard N2K network is immediate and easy.

5. Only the high end B&G stuff is pricy. The lower echelon aimed at cruising boats is quite reasonable. For example, nobody does a small MFD like the Triton, and it is very reasonably priced. The B&G cruising autopilots are simply rebranded Simrad AP's using standard MicroC connectors and costing the same amount.

6. You urge everyone to buy Garmin because they have built in GPS and uses MicroC connectors. This is also true for other manufacturers. And a built in GPS is the worse solution for anyone who needs to mount it where blockage occurs or wants to use an autopilot or radar overlay/MARPA. It is a gimmick on a boat with lots of equipment, and really only useful for a small boat using it as a single instrument.

7. A Garmin autopilot is probably the worse choice among the manufacturers for a cruising sailboat.

8. The reasoning you use for your statement that one needs to buy the same brand AP as their chartplotter is flawed. All of them easily take navigation directions from each other. There is nothing fussy at all about connecting them or getting them to work across brands. The ONLY advantage of using the same brand is that the chartplotter will be able to control the AP (auto/standby, dodge, etc). Since AP's generally come with a control head, this isn't a critical necessity.

9. You imply throughout that the best way to choose is by picking the cheapest (which you found in your case to be Garmin). I would disagree with this, but that is only a subjective personal opinion and not objective fact like the above (#7 possibly excepted).

Mark

Great comments. I agree completely