Connecting Raymarine E80, AIS250 and AP16 pilot?

[Bejasus]

anyone know how to do this?
The AIS is currently using the E80 NMEA output configured at 38400 for this application, but I would also like the Simrad AP16 Auto Pilot to have access to the wind data for Nav Info, autotack and the likes. This requires NMEA at 4800.

 

[gjgm]

I m sure you could ask Raymarine customer support...?

 

[alan]

I would have thought that you are using the NMEA INPUT on the E80 for the AIS in; so you could use the NMEA output for the AP16. Of course this means setting up the input and ouput ports for different baud rates ............. I'm not sure if this is possible but should be.

Alan.

 

[Foxy]

Raymarine tech support article available online somewhere...

From what I remember, you have couple of choices - either slow down the ais receiver nmea output to something else (only a couple of models allow this so prob not practical) and change the input/output speed on the E80
or derive the nmea from a seatalk to nmea converter using any point on the seatalk network and use this for your AP - this is necessary as when you alter the input nmea speed on the E80, it also alters the output.
If you have another piece of raymarine gear like a course computer (obviously not in this case) you can derive a nmea signal from there too. I.m not sure if anything else does this for you or more likely you just have to buy a converter. Does you pilot steer well to the wind though? Normally they are a little bit ....well rubbish and prob not worth spending the money for. Where it is handy to have the nmea signal is for your dsc radio for example! Bum innit!?

 

[Bejasus]

I have already put the question to Raymarine Customer Support and I am awaiting an answer.
The NMEA in/out from E80 goes to/from the AIS250 and the radio feed also comes from the AIS250 unit and gets the GPS/DSC info in this way.
There may be a way to capture the depth, wind and speed data from the ST70 before it enters the E80 and possibly taking a Seatalk to NMEA converter from there. We are currently looking into this.
Of course the obvious solution would have been to purchase the new ST70 autopilot, but that is an expensive option when I have a perfectly good AP16 which by all accounts is a pretty good autopilot.

 

[Bejasus]

It would appear from Raymarine's answer that the way to do it is as I thought. 'T' in a connection in the ST70 line to a SeaTalk/NMEA interface and take the data from there to the AP 16.

 

[hightech]

The AIS250 NMEA 4.8 port will output data suitable for your pilot, that is what it is there for, page 15 of the AIS250 manual.