Electronically subnormal seeks help

[FullCircle]

Well,
we have now bought the boat, and I have deleted the Instrument pack as Monsieur Jeanneau will not do anything with the low spec (but new tech) C70 Chartplotter.
Therefore we are in the position of having a totally clean sheet with regard to instruments. The boat is a Sun Odyssey 35 Lift Keel on the East Coast and used almost exclusively for cruising about, with jaunts across the Nordsee. It will have an ST4000 Wheel Pilot.

GPS/Repeater
Log/Depth/Wind
Radar
Lap Top maybe?
Radio (Simrad 68 is included but swappable) and handheld or remote

Budget probably max 3 and a bit thousand, which leaves just enough for a Cruising Chute....

So over to you, good brethren. I guess I will be expected to buy another battery or two.....

Oh, and I have a bit of time, delivery is next March so several generations of Whizzbangs will pass by the time LIBS has passed astern....


Ta

Jim & Lynn



<hr width=100% size=1>Our engine will never wear out - it only runs for 5 mins before packing it in again.

 

[claymore]

The very best solution

would be to arrange to meet up with a few of us at the LIBS. I've had a brief consultation and it appears that Para, Jimi, TCM, Stugeron, Tome TKen Big Nick and I would be more than happy to form an executive committee to help and advise. Bring the cheque book and naturally, we would be happy to participate in a pre-spend planning and social activity on the evening prior to the Excel spree

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>regards
Claymore<font color=purple>
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[Twister_Ken]

Forward looking echo sounder seems like a good idea.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Talbot]

If you intend significant use of radar when sailing only, you might also want to consider some auxiliary system to add amps into your batteries. (solar or wind)

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[FullCircle]

Re: The very best solution

What splendid fellows you all are. As I come up from the bowels of Essex, I turn up on the day. Whilst I am sure you would be fiscally responsible with my hard earned on a pre-spend consultative evening, I feel it may be of more benefit to meet in the Guinness stand at about 12ish, when I will be more than happy to assist the purchase consideration and decision making committees choices by tendering the Queens paer promisories over the bar in exchange for brain liquid.

In the meanwhile, I would be grateful for some preliminary thoughts on manufacturers packages and what sings correctly to each other. Experiences with longevity and reliability may be primary to your thoughts.

Names to me for the formation of the instrument quango.


Thanks as ever

Jim

<hr width=100% size=1>Our engine will never wear out - it only runs for 5 mins before packing it in again.

 

[tome]

Jim

Couple of quick thoughts.

Instruments - Raymarine ST60 with NMEA bridge

GPS/Plotter - many to chose from

Navtex/ Instrument Repeater - ICS Nav6 plus. brilliant and all you need at the chart table. If you connect your instruments & GPS via NMEA multiplexor will record all data at 15 min intervals which can be downloaded to a PC end of trip.

VHF - Simrad RD68 was my choice and pleased with it.

Laptop - hmmm???

Claymore handles my billing and will no doubt come a-knocking.

Cheers, must get out of this office!
Tom

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[claymore]

Re: The very best solution

Tome has it really - Do like Icom radios though. I wouldn't bother with a chartplotter - just a laptop and a decent nav programme with a gps linked through an nmea cable. My vetus autopilot used to talk to my Raytheon GPS but I think it was a bit complicated and pointless really. If you calculate the course on the laptop then set the autopilot - the projected course on the laptop will tell you if things are ok and its easy enough to adjust an autopilot. I think the previous owner had the intention of programming the route into the gps, setting the autopilot to respond to the GPS then sitting back and letting it all happen.
I don't have any waypoints in the GPS, they are all on the laptop software so you just open the route which is displayed as a big red line on the chart, all you need to do then is get the boat icon and the projected course to sit over the red line. Sailing by numbers as Dear Heart calls it
You will be expected to stump up for the evening grub - the lads have hearty appetites but we know somewhere in Drury Lane where TCM has a part share so we'd pass on the discount.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>regards
Claymore<font color=purple>
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[Evadne]

If I were fitting out from scratch the only electronics I'd have is:
trailing log (cos I like them)
Nasa whizzy light echosounder
vhf base station & handheld, plus second pushpit-mounted ariel
sea-me radar transponder
handheld GPS (for those wherethef'arewe moments)

leaving plenty of money left over for the wine cooler and contents. If you like playing with electronics on the boat then I'd recommend the vhf set-up (in case you plan on losing your mast) The wine cooler and transponder will probably mean you need a second battery.

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[Sea Devil]

I had a lightning strike which wiped out all - all my electronics - Had like you, to sit down and fairly quickly formulate a list of repalacements - a lot of which like the ssb were for long distance cruising but the basic list I ended up with was:-

Raytheon Wind, depth sounder, speed log (also had a Close hauled meter - depends on budget) all have been excellent on the following 30,000 miles.

A Nasa Navtext professional, good bit of kit and used a lot.
Ratheon Radar and Raytheon 6000 auto helm. *(Bambola is an old Angus Primrose Moody 36 and fairly heavy)

and most important a Garmin 125 GPS.

The electronic linkage between the Autopilot and GPS is not much use - works OK but I find fluctuations in the satalite signal makes the autopilot wander around a bit and anyway on passage I use my Hydrovane ss gear. Normally I just put a route into the GPS - line up the track on the compass and then adjust the course to match the yellow brick road track on the GPS which I can see easily from the wheel.
The radar is also linked into all this but I never bother with the linkage, except its useful to be able to see the GPS waypoint displayed when entering an anchorage or strange port at night - I mainly use the radar for pilotage near shore at night and in Fog. Most of the time its never on but when you do need it (thick fog) you really do need it. Would hate to be without it despite its infrequent use - Entering strange ports - anchorages its certainly an useful aid.

I have the cheapest Icom VHF and an Icom SSB 710 but you probably don't need/want the SSB. the Icom works fine although I found the older set that changed channel with a knob easier to operate than the push button and hold system......

two other items were a Gas detector alarm for the bilges - I think important - and a battery monitor (A Sterling).... I do have lots of Batteries and it is important to be able to monitor the state of them and also the amperage going in. Possibly not so important if you are marina based and have a shore power battery charger..

In praise of raytheon I have found their products to be excelent and more important the back up first rate..the computer linkage between the instruments developed a slight fault and had to be renewed in New Zealand FOC under the warrenty right at the end of the 2 years and after 15,000 + miles and was done with no hassel at all - good company.

I actually carry a very cheap hand held gps that was given to me with spare batteries in a Farraday cage (biscuit tin) put away in a locker in the bows - not a joke to run out of GPS with a lightning strike in mid ocean when the sextant tables are out of date... If you are not going far I would'nt bother as you can always work up your position from the log and do it in the old way. I log my position every 4 hours.

Not sure if all this waffel is useful and it is only opinion - Rayatheon are good - Nasa are good - Icom are good - Certain others are as well but ....

I think radar is very valuable after gps and haveing had a couple of close encouters sailing in fog without it & coming into night anchorages - really do reccomend it but it needs lots of practice - Hardest bit of kit to learn how to use properly.

the most usless bit of kit is a chart plotter - IMHO - Much better is a laptop with a chart package (I have Cmap) linked to the gps. Frankly it just makes life easier but is by no means essential - nothing wrong with putting a pencil mark on a chart and transfering the positiion to the gps - mind you when you are entereing a euopean or or USA anchorage or port at night the gps position superimposed on the Cmap chart on the laptop really is very impressive in terms of accuracy and confidence building........
regards

Michael

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time visit my web site
www.michaelbriant.com/sailing

 

[JR_Hamble]

I bought an RD 68 and all was well........then it just stopped working! The nice people that I bought it from replaced it without a murmur, and said it was very un-usual for a set to go wrong (which I believe).

Anyway, the new one - which I am very happy with, emits a series of four to five bleeps every now and again (about every 5 to 10 minutes). I can't figure it at all - nothing in the handbook - nothing to do with GPS position feed - have you got any clues ??

Thanks

Graham

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[roger]

battery charging?

I assume you will have a fridge as well as the electronickery. In that case you need to sort out battery sizes and charging methods.
I've now had one season - 2 1/2 months continuous with my new arrangements, 3 batteries, Sterling smart alternator regulator, Sterling smart battery charger, sterling low loss diode stack. I've had no problems at all - yet.


<hr width=100% size=1>Roger

 

[IanPoole2]

If your looking for a complete package - if you can see if you can source it all from 1 swindler, then you should be able to negotiate a hefty discount!

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