Chart Plotter Upgrade

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braithra

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Ive got a 2005 Jeanneau with Raymarine electronics - the main chartplotter (Raymarine C70) is slowly dieing (screen problems). Does anyone have any advice on possible upgrade paths which dont involve replacing the Radar or any of the other instruments (ST60 for wind, speed, log and ST6001+ autopilot). Im told the new Raymarine E series is incompatible with the existing Radar (Raymarine 4KW) and im concerned about compatibility issues with the autopilot.
 
The new E is fabulous, but I went with the C. All the same functionality bar the touch screen and a 700 quid saving against the E for a 12".
The wi fi link gives you full touch screen control on your ipad so you won't miss it.

I have a mix of ST50 instruments and ST60 instruments. An interface box is needed to get the old style seatalk in, then your whole legacy system just works.

My autopilot is a very old unit vintage 1993. It also works, and I can control it fully from the plotter. All more of a mis mash that yours.
You are right that the radar will need to be changed. But the new digital ones offer a significant improvement and you will be able to get a couple of hundred back for the old one on ebay. Sell the old cable too they are worth a few bob.

All in all it will cost a bit, but the improvement is significant enough that it feels better than just replacing a broken thing.

Oh and don't bother with the pre loaded silver charts, buy without charts and get the proper chip to get the best out of your new toy.
 
Also press around the edges of your C70 screen to make sure it's making a good contact - the source of many old C series issues. As stated above, your radar dome is analogue and not compatible with the new Raymarine kit.
 
If it is the common C70 "image turning into lines problem" the fault is almost certainly a bad connection between either the ribbon cables joining circuit boards, or a poor connection on the clipped-in piggyback circuit board and the main board. Have taken mine apart half a dozen times and wiggled connectors and relocated board (unit long out of warranty). First fix lasted a year, then three months, then two, etc. Seemed to be getting worse.

Last week took it to BT Marine at Falmouth marina who applied glue, updated the software, and gave it back working again - £45. They say their cure is usually permanent.
 
jwilson said:
If it is the common C70 "image turning into lines problem" the fault is almost certainly a bad connection between either the ribbon cables joining circuit boards, or a poor connection on the clipped-in piggyback circuit board and the main board. Have taken mine apart half a dozen times and wiggled connectors and relocated board (unit long out of warranty). First fix lasted a year, then three months, then two, etc. Seemed to be getting worse.

Last week took it to BT Marine at Falmouth marina who applied glue, updated the software, and gave it back working again - £45. They say their cure is usually permanent.
Click to expand...

thats' a good tip. So hard to find companies like that.
 
I've replaced an older Raymarine 435 with an e7. I have ST60 instruments and an ST6001 autopilot controller. The installation was very easy. You will need the SeaTalk to SeaTalk Ng converter, but it is plug and play. The Raymarine support team emailed me about the installation and informed me I would need to even provide power to the Seatalk Ng converter, against the instructions supplied, and they were right. I love the Bluetooth interface with both my stereo and i phone pad etc.
 
Many thanks for all the advice - can anyone reccomend any other manufacturer plotters that will work with the old analogue Radar and Seatalk setup. A
 
braithra said:
Many thanks for all the advice - can anyone reccomend any other manufacturer plotters that will work with the old analogue Radar and Seatalk setup. A
Click to expand...

There are none. You would have to source a Raymarine C or E series classic display from eBay if you really want to change the plotter and keep the radar.
 
Here is what I did some years back in a previous boat that had very similar Raym kit to the OP. Kept an original and working screen for Radar - separate and additional to the new incoming Garmin. Bought Garmin 4000 series MFDs and connected them via a Seatalk coverter box to the Raym depth and AP that were already there are working fine. The Garmin MFD's had their own GPS too. Everything worked well. In fact I kept the old GPS going on the Raym plotter as a back up. At the time, this was the most effective way of upgrading to bigger easier to use screens (my objective), without needlessly throwing away the other functioning kit. The only true disadvantages were not being able to get the Radar overlay on the Garmin and having to look at a 2nd screen.
 
Reading the posts here to try and work out the best approach for a similar reason.

I currently have a jeanneau kitted out with st60 multi/tridata/wind, st2000 tiller pilot and furuno gp-31 gps. For reasons of (supposed) compatibility the path seems to be a raymarine chart plotter, but the complete lack of any raymarine agents except on the south coast, and a total lack of response to various emails to raymarine concern me somewhat.

If I give up on raymarine and get a garmin instead how easy is that to integrate with the existing st2000 and instruments? Or am I better off in the long run scrapping the lot (expensive I know) for something that is actually supported and supportable locally ( ie anywhere that isn't the Solent)?

In the current climate of disposable electronics and I am not inclined to spend money on kit that doesn't appear to have a reasonable support ecosystem so raymarine aren't endearing themselves, and the local boys at force 4 advised against for the same reason.

Anyone have any advice or experience on how best to fit this all together?
 
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