Garmin Plotter talking to Raymarine Autohelm

jrudge

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My radar is intermittently not happy and the plotter is an C120 classic.

I have a possible decent deal on a Garmin 7000 series plotter and given the radar needs changing anyway I am tempted to swap over.

The lower helm would remain Raymarine ( I use the lower helm very rarely and only in poor weather or long trips ).

From what I have read

- the Raymarine auto helm will work with Garmin ( as in follow the route) but as to other functions like engage / disengage it gets a bit grey

- if there are 2 plotters ( in this case Raymarine and Garmin) auto helm must only talk to one of them ( which is logical) as unlike now they are not networked.

This is not ideal if using the lower helm, but the only practical impact would be an inability to edit the route from below. I could still stops follow etc by using the lower auto helm station.

There are pros and cons of this and I wondered if anyone had actually done this and how it worked out?
 

ChromeDome

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I'm on a blend of makes and models where all integrate flawlessly on the NMEA 2000 protocol. Plug 'n Play as long as manufacturers comply with the standard as those making own variants (to protect their brands?) might be .. slightly incompatible :LOL:

Previously had NMEA 0183 devices also and those took some adapting to incorporate themselves into the network. Got it working, but features in next generation products commonly are N/A to older gear so won't share all data easily.

I believe the NMEA standards are quite solid and that a NMEA 2k network as a backbone is the way to go. Using adaptors to mate NMEA 0183 devices may bring shortcomings, in my experience.

Hence, if not done already, putting an NMEA 2k network in place would be my first suggestion. Despite connectors being different for some manufacturers, the comms are the same so you'd need connector conversion at the most, to combine all makes.
 

Keith-i

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I have a Garmin 7012 connected to an oldish Raymarine autopilot, S1 I think. The plotter sends its route to the pilot via nmea0183 but can't engage or disengage the pilot. That is done by the ST5000 pilot head at the helm. All depends i suppose on whether your pilot is N2K (Seatalk NG) or not and whether it uses proprietary Raymarine protocols as to whether the Garmin would be able to fully control it beyond just sending routes or goto's.
 

jrudge

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The boat is 2004 so the auto helm will be of a similar vintage. NMEA 0183. However it does have a modern control head which supports NMEA 2000 but given the thing is build on 183 I an not sure what would happen if it also got 2000 signals!

Good to know that it does at least work if a route is running on the Garmin.
 

MapisM

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The plotter sends its route to the pilot via nmea0183 but can't engage or disengage the pilot.
That always stroke as a feature added to chartplotters just because they could, with no meaningful purpose.
Possibly aside from getting rid of the AP control display - which is something I wouldn't like anyway.
Do anyone of you folks with the latest and greatest gizmos actually control AP from the plotter, in real world?
Just curious...
 

MapisM

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My radar is intermittently not happy
J, did you open the radome cover and have a look inside?
Mine also misbehaved, and I found out that for some reason water (and/or condensation, not sure) found its way inside the radome, leaving rust in most internal components.
I brought it with the display to a Raymarine center, with two goals:
1) check if the radome was the real culprit and the MFD was working correctly, since the visual check clearly pointed in that direction but you never know.
2) suggest if it was repairable, and at which cost.
As it turned out, the radome was indeed the culprit, and beyond repair.
So, I bought one on eBay. 100% plug and play, with no need to snake cables or make any other adaptations.
In your boots, I'd investigate this possibility.
Unless you are interested in a new toy regardless, of course! ;)
 

jrudge

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I prob should get a Raymarine guy to look at it !

re do I control the autopilot via the plotter. I engage it as when I press goto as it says “engage autopilot ?” To which I say yes.
 
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vas

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That always stroke as a feature added to chartplotters just because they could, with no meaningful purpose.
Possibly aside from getting rid of the AP control display - which is something I wouldn't like anyway.
Do anyone of you folks with the latest and greatest gizmos actually control AP from the plotter, in real world?
Just curious...
yep, often, why, what's the problem with that?
Of course flat seas D speeds always, no need to play with A/P head settings

V.
 

MapisM

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Well I didn's say that there's any problem. Rather a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
All I must do to set the route on the plotter and then press a button on the A/P head is move my hand by 5 inches or so.
Even a lazy git like myself can handle that! :)
 

vas

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lazy git, it may be an issue if you're a cheapskate like myself and only have one control head at the lower helm but i'm often running from the f/b, which would mean going up and down the steps. Pretty sure you wouldn't approve :p
 
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