Old B&G autopilot connected to new wind instruments?

[Eyr]

Hi all!

First post from a long time lurker, currently living aboard a 1990 Beneteau First 45f5.

When I bought the boat it was, and still is, fitted with a B&G Hydra2000 pilot, an ACP2 and ram drive. I recently fitted the boat with new B&G wind, speed and depth transducers and Triton displays. The previous owner did not connect the former wind transducer to the autopilot, but I would like to.
I also have a Vesper Marine XB8000 AIS connected to the NMEA 2000 network which will convert the data to NMEA 0183.

After reading and rereading the manual I am still clueless as to how to connect the autopilot to the wind instruments.

Any input as to how to do it would be greatly appreciated!

[goboatingnow]

Ive worked on this system some time ago , so memory is a bit fuzzy, The Hydro 2000 processor has a NMEA 0183 input , but it was designed for GPS sentences I don't know if it will handle NMEA wind data.

There was a NMEA and a standard version of the FFD , the display controller. The standard one had no NMEA interfaces,

Which one do you have?

dave

[Eyr]

Thanks for your reply.

I am not sure what version the FFD is, how do you tell?

[smac999]

is all the new wind stuff nmea 2000?

do you have a newer chart plotter? they should be able to take the wind from n2k and output onto nmea 183. might have to select the output sentences. if you feed the pilot from a chart plotter you can steer to way points as well.

[Eyr]

Yes, all the new stuff is NMEA2000, and the Vesper AIS converts the sentences to NMEA 0183. I don't know if the chartplotter is any help, it's a Garmin 2010C from about -08.
The problem is still connecting it to the autopilot...


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[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Eyr

Thanks for your reply.

I am not sure what version the FFD is, how do you tell?

if you have only one FFD, you should have a NMEA FFD, it has an interface with NMEA in out on it.


Note page 6-12+, gives the possible input and output NMEA sentences, It foesnt seem to include any wind data input possibilities. Hydra 2000 was really designed to be a standalone system with interfaces to all its own sensors, and somewhat was a tangent in the 0183/2000 development direction of the industry.

Dave

dave

[Eyr]

The manual states that it is possible to connect a wind vane to a fastnet network and connect this to the Hydra. I'll have a look at the interface tomorrow.
Thanks for your input!


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[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Eyr

The manual states that it is possible to connect a wind vane to a fastnet network and connect this to the Hydra. I'll have a look at the interface tomorrow.
Thanks for your input!


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

yes just be aware that the FastNet interface is B&Gs and requires a B&G FastNet wind vane, I don't believe these are made anymore

dave

[svinshallah]

Another, gotcha. I have 1998 Hydra 2000 FFDs hooked up with an Actisense NGW-1. The NMEA 183 sentences in and out of the B&G are not the most current (i.e., version 1.5 or perhaps 2.0 rather than 3.01). Actisense seems to be more forgiving about older sentences than some other 183-N2K converters though.