Radar will not stay in transmit mode

[mkgsail]

Hello, We use OpenCPN as our primary chartplotter. After we installed a NMEA2k network with B&G instruments we have had intermittent issues with the radar not staying in transmit mode after selecting transmit. It jumps back to standy mode within 1-2 seconds.

Our configuration:
OpenCPN v5.8.4-0+1637c28
Radar Plugin v5.5.0 (was crashing with prior rev of the Radar plugin too)
Windows 11, v23H2, wifi connection to boat network
OpenCPN is an allowed app in the Windows Defender Firewall.
Ethernet Switch/Router: NETGEAR AC1600 Dual Band Gigabit WiFi Router (R6260)
NMEA2000 gateway - Victron Energy Cerbo signal K server broadcast on R6260 wifi. OpenCPN connection setup attached.
Radar: B&G Halo 20+, ethernet connection to R6260
Internet: Starlink, wifi router bypassed with ethernet connection to R6260
There is also a YachtDevices NMEA 2000 Ethernet Gateway model YDEN-02 connected to the NEMA bus and ethernet connection to the router but no configured connection to OpenCPN. It provides NEMA data to Navionics on our IOS devices via wifi/UDP.

Any advice on a resolution is appreciated.
Thank you!

[champ8242]

Originally Posted by mkgsail

Hello, We use OpenCPN as our primary chartplotter. After we installed a NMEA2k network with B&G instruments we have had intermittent issues with the radar not staying in transmit mode after selecting transmit. It jumps back to standy mode within 1-2 seconds.

Have you seen any indication in the Log file?

[Douwe Fokkema]

Originally Posted by mkgsail

t jumps back to standy mode within 1-2 seconds.

Our configuration:
OpenCPN v5.8.4-0+1637c28
Radar Plugin v5.5.0 (was crashing with prior rev of the Radar plugin too)
Windows 11, v23H2, wifi connection to boat network

You are using a wifi connection between OpenCPN with radar_pi and the radar. This is unreliable due to the big amount of multicast UDP data that the radar produces. The YachtDevices YDEN-02 also transmits loads of multicast UDP. The connection between radar and OpenCPN should be completely wired. A router in between is fine, but if you want the wifi to be reliable for other purposes better keep the radar data from the wifi completely. You may consider to connect the radar to ethernet port of the computer, bypassing the router. The radar plugin transmits "stay alive" messages to the radar. When these packages get lost radar will switch off.

[mkgsail]

Thank you for the insight Douwe!

[mkgsail]

Originally Posted by Douwe Fokkema

You are using a wifi connection between OpenCPN with radar_pi and the radar. This is unreliable due to the big amount of multicast UDP data that the radar produces. The YachtDevices YDEN-02 also transmits loads of multicast UDP. The connection between radar and OpenCPN should be completely wired. A router in between is fine, but if you want the wifi to be reliable for other purposes better keep the radar data from the wifi completely. You may consider to connect the radar to ethernet port of the computer, bypassing the router. The radar plugin transmits "stay alive" messages to the radar. When these packages get lost radar will switch off.

I was finally able to implement the recommendation above and now have a direct, dedicated ethernet link between the B&G radar and the Windows 11 computer running OpenCPN. But I see erratic results. Sometimes it works perfectly for hours, other times I cannot get the radar to respond to the request to transmit or if it does begin to transmit it goes back to standby after only a few seconds. Anyone with recommendations to troubleshoot this please advise. Thank you.