Cheap instrument setup

[armchairsailor]

I inherited a raymarine ST80 multiview screen and a bunch of through hull fittings installed, but currently nothing is linked up. I’m looking to get some sort of instrumentation working over the next few months so I at least have depth showing. At the moment I’m planning on sourcing the wiring to fit transducers to the hull, but are there other things I could link up (SIMPLY) to give me more integrated functionality? I realize that if I dropped a couple of grand I could have everything, but that’s not the point of the exercise.

It also has an old fishfinder but judging from the state of the screen, I doubt it would ever work.

Can I link a handheld gps (I’ve got a garmin etrex) to it, to get heading and position? I also don’t know what’s up the mast, but I suspect a simple indicator or burgee might be my simplest bet there.

I grew up sailing with nowt more than an echo sounder, so having navionics on my phone is something of a revelation.

Possibly I’m just overthinking things, and should just get speed, depth, a compass and charts, for all the pottering I’m going to be doing with my old thing. What does the panel think?

 

[lw395]

Depth is almost a must-have.
A compass is pretty much essential.
A h/h gps with a charger and a bracket so you can see it from the helm is easy to do.

Wind and speed instruments are optional. A windex that's illuminated by the tricolour is the best wind indicator.

 

[Rafiki]

Of course it depends on how much you want to spend !
I think it will be difficult to get the Garmin etrex to link up, suggest you keep it as back up. Assuming that you dont want to spend big on a autopilot then a traditional ( non-electronic) compass is best. Then wrt depth I would look at ebay for Raymarine ST60 instruments. They are readily available and according to a friend who works for Raymarine were the best and most reliable instruments they ever made. you can certainly get a second hand depth and transponder for £200.
Do you want to a wind instrument - the transponders ( bit up the mast) are surprisingly expensive. Do you need a speed instrument - not really if you are going to have a chartplotter. I would try and stick with Raymarine ST60 or ST60+ second-hand at least that's what I have done. These instruments are so easy to get to talk to each other.
As regards a chartplotter, I bought a Lowrance fishfinder plotter new , which was surprisingly cheap ( half the price of the Raymarine equivalent) BUT, and this is important it output NMEA 0183 ( many now only output NMEA2000). So if you can get a second hand one that isnt too old and outputs NMEA0183, then it is easy to get it to talk to Raymarine ST60 instruments. In particular look for the ST60 or ST60+ Graphic display or the NASA equivalent then it will show loads of information from the chartpotter such as speed, dtw, and information from your other Raymarine Instruments.

 

[doug748]

You might buy one of these for £200 and bobs your uncle:

http://www.cactusnav.com/raymarine-...ics-siilver-charts-p-19892.html?cPath=1117_32

You could carry it over to any new boat and you can get by without speed or depth if you use the plotter with due attention. Importantly, it would give a grand level of comfort and interest in local water pottering.

As pointed our above, wind information is optional you can buy a new sounder for £90 if you feel it necessary. Stick the PO's old junk on Ebay

 

[William_H]

As already said wind instruments on mast top are a source of much pain as they are easily damaged by birds etc and difficult to get to. Etrex can be connected to get data out with several data forms available however you need a connector for the Etrex. Used to be available on internet but they also need a 3v supply so need a power regulator also cheap from China. However I would go for one of the cheap GPS engines (built into the antenna) to drive your instruments. Leave Etrex as a back up.
You mentioned cables for depth sounder. These are usually of a type and cut specifically for the sounder and transducer. Although often you can use an old transducer fitted for perhaps reduced performance. (worth a try). olewill

 

[john_morris_uk]

....and you can get by without speed or depth if you use the plotter with due attention. Importantly, it would give a grand level of comfort and interest in local water pottering.)

Many (most people) who goes aground complain that their plotter said there was enough water,,,

The echo sounder doesn’t lie. I don’t like sailing anywhere without an echo sounder...

He’s got navionics on his phone. A compass and an echo sounder is all he needs. (Get a paper chart as a back up, and a hand bearing compass for pilotage and collision avoidance. If the boat is small and wet, get the chart laminated.)

Cheap as chips and keeps it all simple. All IMHO.

 

[armchairsailor]

He’s got navionics on his phone. A compass and an echo sounder is all he needs. (Get a paper chart as a back up, and a hand bearing compass for pilotage and collision avoidance. If the boat is small and wet, get the chart laminated.)

Cheap as chips and keeps it all simple. All IMHO.

Good to know my theory is confirmed. I like cheap as chips! Thanks for all your replies. I will endeavour to hunt down a bunch of the seatalk cables for the multiview and in time replace the defunct fishfinder that fills the hole below it with an old chartplotter that can be linked in. And fly a burgee! Cheers.

 

[NormanS]

Many (most people) who goes aground complain that their plotter said there was enough water,,,

The echo sounder doesn’t lie. I don’t like sailing anywhere without an echo sounder. ......

It depends on the waters that you sail in, and the type of sailing that you do. I almost never look at the sounder, but I do have a fishfinder, which I find invaluable when anchoring.

 

[john_morris_uk]

It depends on the waters that you sail in, and the type of sailing that you do. I almost never look at the sounder, but I do have a fishfinder, which I find invaluable when anchoring.

I didn't want to go into details about false echoes off soft mud over hard mud/rock and multiple echoes in shallow water, or sailing in areas where the continental shelf is so close to the shore that the echo sounder goes off the scale very quickly after sailing out of the harbour, but in general the echo sounder doesn't lie... A fish finder is only a fancy echo sounder anyway. I've used one a few times and they are sometimes more trouble than they're worth.

 

[NormanS]

I didn't want to go into details about false echoes off soft mud over hard mud/rock and multiple echoes in shallow water, or sailing in areas where the continental shelf is so close to the shore that the echo sounder goes off the scale very quickly after sailing out of the harbour, but in general the echo sounder doesn't lie... A fish finder is only a fancy echo sounder anyway. I've used one a few times and they are sometimes more trouble than they're worth.

If you anchored a lot, as I do, you would find that a fishfinder gives a lot of information relative to anchoring. e.g. type of ground, presence or otherwise of weed etc.
I would be interested to hear how fishfinders would be "more trouble than they're worth". I've never found that, but I'm always willing to learn.

 

[john_morris_uk]

If you anchored a lot, as I do, you would find that a fishfinder gives a lot of information relative to anchoring. e.g. type of ground, presence or otherwise of weed etc.
I would be interested to hear how fishfinders would be "more trouble than they're worth". I've never found that, but I'm always willing to learn.

I also anchor a lot.

The last fish finder I used (on a commercial fish farm support vessel) was always giving false readings. It may have been the installation of course, but we had to fiddle with the gain all the time to get it to function. Conversely on my personal boat, my ST60 just reads the bottom (accurately) up to about 120 meters deep when it goes out of range.

I used to find that the whirly wheel led ones used to give you an idea about the state of the bottom as well...

 

[NormanS]

I also anchor a lot.

The last fish finder I used (on a commercial fish farm support vessel) was always giving false readings. It may have been the installation of course, but we had to fiddle with the gain all the time to get it to function. Conversely on my personal boat, my ST60 just reads the bottom (accurately) up to about 120 meters deep when it goes out of range.

I used to find that the whirly wheel led ones used to give you an idea about the state of the bottom as well...

My fishfinder is on my MFD, and has never given any problems. Yes, the old flashing LED Seafarer ones certainly gave much more info than the present digital ones.

 

[steve yates]

Many (most people) who goes aground complain that their plotter said there was enough water,,,

The echo sounder doesn’t lie. I don’t like sailing anywhere without an echo sounder...

He’s got navionics on his phone. A compass and an echo sounder is all he needs. (Get a paper chart as a back up, and a hand bearing compass for pilotage and collision avoidance. If the boat is small and wet, get the chart laminated.)

Cheap as chips and keeps it all simple. All IMHO.

This.
And if you want fancier, just get an android tablet and run navionics on that.

 

[john_morris_uk]

This.
And if you want fancier, just get an android tablet and run navionics on that.

This??

 

[armchairsailor]

This??

Steve meant "wot he said".

Anyway, little development: yesterday I spoke to a local electronics guy who pointed out the ST80 Multiview is a repeater, not an instrument in itself. Thus I'd have to shell out on more seatalk specific gear to get it started. Thus I've decided to go for an old plotter/ fishfinder and/or sounder that will run NMEA (the cables are already there) and flog the ST80 to pay for it. And blank off the old hole.