Questions re: B&G Zeus integration w/ Ipad app

[apetersonjr]

I have a Zeus 3 and an iPad Air 4. I enjoy the concept of using the B&G app on the iPad, to either mirror, or remote control the Zeus plotter. It works great the first time I activate the remote control. However, if I leave the app, and toggle to Navionics and or if I turn off the remote control and try to go back, I then get the error message and I am unable to connect. That point I have never been able to reconnect, without powering down the Zuse plotter, and restarting the B&G app. I Emailed support, and they responded with, “ It seems to be due to a Wifi connexion issue. Either the ZEeus Wifi, your Ipad Wifi is faulty. Or there are other wifi devices onboard which can jam the communication. On a first step, uninstall and reinstall the app, this may help.”

I don’t believe any of the devices are faulty. My gut feeling is that the app is still quite buggy, hardly ready for market, and the Wi-Fi connectivity is still not perfectly dialed in. I am away from my boat for another week, but I will uninstall the app and reinstall and try again… However, while I want to be optimistic, I am not. If I learn anything I will post again.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by apetersonjr

I have a Zeus 3 and an iPad Air 4. I enjoy the concept of using the B&G app on the iPad, to either mirror, or remote control the Zeus plotter. It works great the first time I activate the remote control. However, if I leave the app, and toggle to Navionics and or if I turn off the remote control and try to go back, I then get the error message and I am unable to connect. That point I have never been able to reconnect, without powering down the Zuse plotter, and restarting the B&G app. I Emailed support, and they responded with, “ It seems to be due to a Wifi connexion issue. Either the ZEeus Wifi, your Ipad Wifi is faulty. Or there are other wifi devices onboard which can jam the communication. On a first step, uninstall and reinstall the app, this may help.”

I don’t believe any of the devices are faulty. My gut feeling is that the app is still quite buggy, hardly ready for market, and the Wi-Fi connectivity is still not perfectly dialed in. I am away from my boat for another week, but I will uninstall the app and reinstall and try again… However, while I want to be optimistic, I am not. If I learn anything I will post again.

Yes, this is what we experience as well. We have just totally given up and stopped using the app. Currently we use iSailor on the iPad and enter some waypoints on the plotter manually.

[Alden]

Originally Posted by apetersonjr

I have a Zeus 3 and an iPad Air 4.

Hello apeterson.

It’s nearly a year since I raised connection problems with B&G support. They released a firmware update which fixed the problem. We have had mostly good performance since. For example, when anchored in a gale I have gone to bed with the iPad standing on the adjacent shelf, allowing me to watch the anchor swing and essential numbers. Remote control has worked well too.

Two intermittent ‘features’ have been:

- moving off the app has required me to re-establish the remote connection
- the app would shut down after around 10 minutes of inaction on my behalf, which is not helpful while sleeping.

Summary - this remote control feature can work really well and it’s worth persisting to figure out what the problem is.

[bamiller619]

My issue was with the Zeus3 wifi. I sent the unit back and the new unit works with my iPad although I can’t say I have extensively tested the remote feature. I bought a triton2 remote display and mounted that below deck which is very nice just no chart. It also can control the autopilot which serves as a backup if the Zeus dies. I also use OpenCPN on my laptop as a back up and iSailor on my iPad so I have 3 redundant charting systems.

[fogmachine]

So far the Link app has been laggy and frustrating. OTOH using SEAiq on laptops and tablets connected to Zeus3 WiFi has been great. On recent passages we've mirrored an iPad on a saloon TV and found it better than the Zeus for many nav activities, especially monitoring progress and traffic on night watch.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by fogmachine

So far the Link app has been laggy and frustrating. OTOH using SEAiq on laptops and tablets connected to Zeus3 WiFi has been great. On recent passages we've mirrored an iPad on a saloon TV and found it better than the Zeus for many nav activities, especially monitoring progress and traffic on night watch.
Attachment 248911

Could you repeat this a little slower for us idiots who have no idea what you are talking about.

Zeus3=B&G Chart Plotter
SEAiq=multi platform chart plotter
Zeus3 WiFi=???
laptops and tablets connected to Zeus3 WiFi=???
Mirrored an Ipad on a TV=????

What is running where and how is it being displayed?

Boggles me how much I don't know.

[apetersonjr]

Hi, I wish the firmware would have fixed the issue for me. I am completely updated on firmware. I just had this issue while sailing from Tahiti-Bora-Bora-Tahiti, November 9-15... I return to the boat on December 4, and I will confirm that my firmware is updated again, but I think it is!

[s/v Jedi]

I strongly recommend to create a “boat-wifi” system that carries all your instruments data: GPS, depth, speed, wind, AIS, heading etc. and do this independent from any of the normal systems, i.e. without using a chart plotter or AIS transponder to create this wifi. If you have something that can do this, think of it as a great backup, but use a dedicated product from a company like Yacht Devices for primary service.

Once you have that, it doesn’t matter which app you use and also OpenCPN will all be able to receive all that data wirelessly by just connecting to that wifi.

If you like to have a big screen, you can use a smart TV that supports Apple Airplay (natively or using an adapter) and mirror your iPad to it. That said, I recommend to use a MacMini on the big screen instead. You can run OpenCPN directly on it or still use AirPlay to mirror, but also use it as a great entertainment system when not underway. The MacMini has full conformal coating and holds up very well to the humid and salty environment.

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I strongly recommend to create a “boat-wifi” system that carries all your instruments data: GPS, depth, speed, wind, AIS, heading etc. and do this independent from any of the normal systems, i.e. without using a chart plotter or AIS transponder to create this wifi. If you have something that can do this, think of it as a great backup, but use a dedicated product from a company like Yacht Devices for primary service.

Once you have that, it doesn’t matter which app you use and also OpenCPN will all be able to receive all that data wirelessly by just connecting to that wifi.

If you like to have a big screen, you can use a smart TV that supports Apple Airplay (natively or using an adapter) and mirror your iPad to it. That said, I recommend to use a MacMini on the big screen instead. You can run OpenCPN directly on it or still use AirPlay to mirror, but also use it as a great entertainment system when not underway. The MacMini has full conformal coating and holds up very well to the humid and salty environment.

This is the best plan! We installed a NUC server connected to a touchscreen monitor that connects to a Yacht Device Ethernet NMEA adapter that also can mirror to a 50" flat screen. It's running SignalK and TimeZero. It's a wonderful addition to our B&G system!

We also ran a HDMI cable from the Zeus to the flat screen.

Everything but the large TV runs on 12v and is on our wifi network so our portable devices can connect. There is also a cell connection so we can check on things when we're off the boat.

[fogmachine]

Ok, a bit more detail.

I sail on several boats that have B&G Zeus 3 MFDs (chart plotter). One of the Zeus3 features is built-in WiFi and a server app that sends all the NEMA data to connected clients - usually a navigation app.

There are many nav apps that run on laptops, phones, and tablets - I've used SEAiq, OpenCPN, iNavX, Navionics, and probably a few others, and after a few thousand miles I prefer SEAiq ($25 for US waters; OpenCPN is free). Discussing the various apps should be a different thread.

All of these nav apps take the raw NMEA data and display a chart with AIS targets overlayed plus other navigation data. Some can even do radar overlay (may require wired ethernet). Some (SEAiq, OpenCPN, iNavX) require downloading charts from external sources - in US, NZ, and Argentinian waters official government charts are free.

On recent passages I ran SEAiq on a laptop so I could see how we were doing from my bunk. At the same time we ran SEAiq on an iPad that was connected to a bigish-screen TV in the saloon via an HDMI dongle (pictured above).

The iPad/TV-based system had many advantages over the Zeus display:
- It was much larger, so we could all see it from further away making it easy to have nav discussions
- It was visible from the galley when cooking
- It uses government charts - we used NOAA raster charts which is what we all grew up with - the CMAP and Navionics charts used by chartplotters are sometimes closer to modern art to my eye
- You couldn't mistakenly alter course from SEAiq - it's pretty easy to do when using a Zeus if you have an integrated autopilot
- In addition, we ran weather viewing/routing apps (PredictWind Offshore, LuckGrib) on the iPad and it was much easier giving briefings with the big screen rather than crowding around the tablet

The iPad/TV-based system has a few disadvantages, too:
- We needed the inverter or generator for the TV
- Since it was used for extended periods we needed to keep the iPad charged, too
- The iPad apps don't control the autopilot so you can't steer from them

As I said, the NMEA data server is included in the Zeus3 and other Navico chartplotters. For other brands you can purchase a "WiFi gateway" that does the same thing - I've used various schemes over the years including s/v Jedi's suggestion of a Yacht Devices dongle. They all work.

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by fogmachine

- You couldn't mistakenly alter course from SEAiq - it's pretty easy to do when using a Zeus if you have an integrated autopilot

I'm pretty sure you cannot adjust the autopilot with the B&G app.

[John29]

Hi Alden,
Re your problem-the app would shut down after around 10 minutes of inaction on my behalf, which is not helpful while sleeping.
Did you find a fix? I have same problem with both android phone and Samsung tablet. Thanks

[Larry99]

I have a Zeus2 and used to be able to connect it to a Linksys Wi-Fi router and then use Link to then connect my iPad to it and control the Zeus. That was two years ago. I tried it yesterday for several hours with no success. On the zeus I can see the IP address of the router. The iPad is connected to the Wi-Fi router so apparently the zeus can see the router. But I just cannot get the link to connect to the Zeus even though I can see its icon on devices on the left side. I have had no problems using a Linksys Wi-Fi router instead of their B&G product. Any ideas? It is very frustrating. Thanks

[BluewaterKarma]

I have an android version of the app and it works pretty well most of the time. But it sure can be buggy, just like their MFDs