connecting gps to raymarine sl70c

[jimmyk]

I have asked a similar question to this recently so sorry if i am being annoying. I am now thinking of buying a seperate gps receiver/aerial for my plotter. I have seen them on ebay abou a hundred quid. The question is how to connect it to the sl70. It says seatalk or nmea. If i connect via seatalk the i will use up my seatlk socket which i want to use to connect to the st4000 autopilot and wind which are already linked. If i connect via the nmea cables do i need a cable to power up the gps. I am sorry if this sounds a bit thick. i am in fact a bit thick

 

[[164147]]

You can buy Seatalk junction blocks or boxes to connect multiple items to a single display.. Essentially you just connect the same wires together which you can do yourself.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

There is likely to be a spare sea talk connection on one of your other displays, wind or autopilot you can just plug it in there and daisy chain everything.

 

[jimmyk]

There is likely to be a spare sea talk connection on one of your other displays, wind or autopilot you can just plug it in there and daisy chain everything.

Aah so if I plug the gps into the st4000 autopilot. The plotter will pick this up?

 

[johnalison]

I don't think there is any problem connecting to nmea. My old B&W Raymarine plotter was connected to a Garmin GPS thus some time in the distant past.

 

[jimmyk]

I don't think there is any problem connecting to nmea. My old B&W Raymarine plotter was connected to a Garmin GPS thus some time in the distant past.

Yes. It was the power to the gps aerial that was/is confusing me

 

[PaulRainbow]

Yes. It was the power to the gps aerial that was/is confusing me

Best to fit a NMEA GPS receiver, IMO. It will be NMEA 0183, so will need a power supply. Just connect the power cables to the same place as the plotter (via it's own fuse) and it'll only be on when the plotter is on.

 

[[164147]]

I'd advocate using a Seatalk GPS and a single Seatalk bus.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I'd advocate using a Seatalk GPS and a single Seatalk bus.

Why ?

What will he need to purchase and how will he connect the equipment ?

He is already using the Seatalk port, but has nothing connected to the NMEA port.

 

[duncan99210]

Why ?

What will he need to purchase and how will he connect the equipment ?

He is already using the Seatalk port, but has nothing connected to the NMEA port.

If he daisy chains it to an existing connection or just uses a vacant seatalk socket, then he kills two birds with one stone: he provides GPS data to the network (including the chart plotter) and power to the antenna. If he fits a straight NEMA 0183 GPS, then he has to route it to the chart plotter AND provide a power feed to the antenna. By diasy chaining or using a spare seatalk socket, he doesn't need any other bits of kit. My GPS antenna is connected to the second seatalk socket on the tridata display, whilst the second chart plotter is daisy chained to the autopilot control head.

 

[[164147]]

Why ?

What will he need to purchase and how will he connect the equipment ?

He is already using the Seatalk port, but has nothing connected to the NMEA port.

Raymarine GPS antennas are available in Seatalk or NMEA - most on eBay are Seatalk. The Seatalk interface provides power and data - you only need one port on the display as you just connect corresponding wires together - or if you want use a Seatalk junction box. You can then use GPS via Seatalk if he so wishes on any other connected equipment.

Edit - What Duncan Said

 

[PaulRainbow]

It's all a bit 6 of one, half a dozen of another, but i'd still go with NMEA. It's no more wiring than Seatalk, 2 data wires and 2 power wires. It will send GPS data to more than one device if required (including non seatalk equipment such as the VHF) and will be compatible with any future changes in hardware.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It's all a bit 6 of one, half a dozen of another, but i'd still go with NMEA. It's no more wiring than Seatalk, 2 data wires and 2 power wires. It will send GPS data to more than one device if required (including non seatalk equipment such as the VHF) and will be compatible with any future changes in hardware.

He will have to wire up the separate power cables is the main problem of choosing to go NMEA it is also not compatible with NMEA 2000 and will require an interface. His simplest and cheapest option is to use and choose a Seatalke GPS and connect 3 wires into a spare Seatalk plug. There is one disadvantage in that if he wants to run a DSC VHF such as an Icom that requires positional data in NMEA format he is going to have to get either another GPS or an interface, although some of the Raymarine course computers had a NMEA output and saved that problem.

 

[[164147]]

It's all a bit 6 of one, half a dozen of another, but i'd still go with NMEA. It's no more wiring than Seatalk, 2 data wires and 2 power wires. It will send GPS data to more than one device if required (including non seatalk equipment such as the VHF) and will be compatible with any future changes in hardware.

No it isn't. Seatalk is clearly the better option using a single common bus for all of his Raymarine equipment. NMEA 0183 is outdated itself and unidirectional. You can output GPS to the VHF using NMEA from the display.

 

[RichardS]

I would also go for Seatalk with a Raymarine system .... I use both systems with my Raymarine set-up and Seatalk is easier to work with plus no faffing about with data speeds.

If you buy a Seatalk + NMEA GPS you can always revert to NMEA if you abandon Raymarine in the future.

You can connect different devices into a Seatalk1 socket direct to the pins by just crimping the cables in parallel onto small 2.8mm size spade connectors so you don't even need the special Seatalk connector. After yesterday I now consider myself a bit of an expert at crimping 2.8mm Seatalk1 spades.

Richard

 

[[164147]]

If your cables all have connectors on and not tails you can go the posh route and buy one of these.

 

[jimmyk]

If your cables all have connectors on and not tails you can go the posh route and buy one of these.

i have ordered that very one to do the job. been some very good advice given on here and thanks to all. I have bought myself a box of wago connectors too. It will keep me quiet at half term

 

[ianj99]

He doesn't make it clear that the GPS receiver has Seatalk. If not he will have to use nmea. (Only a Raymarine GPS is likely to have Seatalk and will be overpriced compared to other brands of receiver)

 

[[164147]]

Yes he does - it's a Raymarine SL70c

Used Raymarine GPS Seatalk antennae are around £85 on eBay.

 

[PaulRainbow]

He will have to wire up the separate power cables is the main problem of choosing to go NMEA

Just wire it to the plotter power, via it's own fuse.

it is also not compatible with NMEA 2000 and will require an interface.

What does N2K have to do with anything here ?

His simplest and cheapest option is to use and choose a Seatalke GPS and connect 3 wires into a spare Seatalk plug.

I disagree. Two power and two data wires using a brand new sub £100 receiver that will be compatible with the vast majority of equipment out there.

There is one disadvantage in that if he wants to run a DSC VHF such as an Icom that requires positional data in NMEA format he is going to have to get either another GPS or an interface, although some of the Raymarine course computers had a NMEA output and saved that problem.

Other advantages include, a brand new receiver for the same or less money than a 10 year old second hand Ebay one. A receiver that will work with just about any plotter/VHF/Autopilot etc that he has now or is likely to buy in the near future.