Adding to Seatalk 1 instruments - Help please.

[CFarr]

I’m about to embark on reconfiguring my nav instruments and adding a new chartplotter.
I inherited the current instruments which are all working well and I have no reason to replace them.
The image below shows what I believe is the current connection set-up, partly confirmed by the ex owner.

The red line represents an intended Seatalk 1 cable so I can use the autopilot to steer to a wind angle.
I’m not sure the repeaters are wired as shown but they are definitely on a separate network from the wind ones.
Question: If I do connect them as shown will it be ok with the x2 12v supplies?

My other query is how to connect the proposed Zeus chartplotter?
I know I will need to use the Raymarine Seatalk 1 to seatlalk ng converter but where does it fit into the above?

Is there a better configuration?

Many thanks for looking.
Chris

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Why not have all your Seatalk1 stuff connected together, including your new Seatalk1 to NG converter, then everything will have everything? Are you keeping the Garmin 128 as a GPS source? If so you will have 2 sources of waypoint information to send to your pilot, if you use that facility, so you will have to decide which one to use - the Garmin or the new Zeus.

 

[FullCircle]

You need a Seatalk to NG converter kit.

http://www.raymarine.co.uk/view/?id=1597

Suggest you put it smack in the middle of your red line. The Seatalk will all feed in on one cable as supplied.
Then move the other Seatalk instruments off the Garmin 128, and on to the same Seatalk1 network.
I have got my Garmin 152 as the GPS supply to my VHF only. I feed NMEA into it via Actisense, but that is not really necessary.
The SeatalkNG is powered up by a 12v plug into the converter bar. You can daisy chain these f you need more(but your diagram suggests not.
You will need terminal end for the Raymarine bit, and the Z7 will also come with a terminal end. These are compatible. I have Triton Instruments and E90W Raymarine plotter, so they are capable of talking.

The Z7 will probably have a far quicker startup for GPS satellite fixes than the Garmin anyway.

The ST4000

 

[CFarr]

Why not have all your Seatalk1 stuff connected together, including your new Seatalk1 to NG converter, then everything will have everything?

Well, the wind instrument is literally round the corner from the pilot so would be very simple.
The master depth/log ones are at the nav table so wiring would be a lot more difficult.
You can't carry the date on from a repeater can you? If so I'll definitely do that.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

You can't carry the date on from a repeater can you?

I don't see why not.

 

[nigelmercier]

Why not have all your Seatalk1 stuff connected together...

I wondered that as well.

 

[Doineann]

I also had the usual collection of ST60's and added a zeus. However, I also had to link the DSC radio (which only had NMEA 0183) to the GPS from the Zeus and added an AIS receiver. I saw no point in keeping a stand alone GPS. Effectively I linked the St60's together as suggested, then had those wired to a seatalk converter and wired that to an NMEA 2000 backbone which the AIS also connected to, this left the 0183 on the Z7 free to connect to the radio.

 

[CFarr]

I wondered that as well.

That's now what I intend to do but I'm still unsure about the 12v supplies.
Each of the three separate networks has it's own 12v supply and the seatalk converter also requires it's own 12v.
If I do connect everything to everything is this going to be a problem?

The master depth and log displays at the nav table would require major woodworking in order to access so I'd rather not have to get to the rear of them.

Sorry for being thick but I can't find this info anywhere.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I would connect them all to the same supply taking power out of the Seatalk cable as intended, although the pilot will need its own supply somehow. Apart from the pilot all your Seatalk devices are low power consumers so you will be within the Seatalk current limit.

ST60 instrument heads (maybe not flush mounted ones though, never had those) can be secured to their bulkhead from the front or the back. You can pop off the front bezel with a screwdriver, and if front mounted, undo the 4 screws and out it comes. If they are back secured you cannot do this, but if major woodwork is required to get to the back I'd guess they are front secured.

 

[nigelmercier]

I would connect them all to the same supply taking power out of the Seatalk cable as intended ...

When I get round to rewriting my SeaTalk instruments I intend to make a ring, but omit the data line from the last hop.

 

[FullCircle]

That's now what I intend to do but I'm still unsure about the 12v supplies.
Each of the three separate networks has it's own 12v supply and the seatalk converter also requires it's own 12v.
If I do connect everything to everything is this going to be a problem?

The master depth and log displays at the nav table would require major woodworking in order to access so I'd rather not have to get to the rear of them.

Sorry for being thick but I can't find this info anywhere.

The Zeus will be powered up by the SeatalkNG 12v input. You can also separately power it at the Zeus wiring.
The ST4000 Wheelpilot will already have its own power supply, no need to change that.
The Seatalks will also be powered as they are already. No power is passed back through the SealtalkNG to the Seatalk1 plug.

 

[CFarr]

Thank you FullCircle.

Thanks also to Nigel & Angus for your input.