Lowrance 3600i & Autohelm 300 course Computer?

Richard10002

Richard10002

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Got the plotter rigged on deck with the NMEA cables fed to the autohelm course computer... also have a range of ST60 displays and ST7000 autohelm.. The computer is currently fed by a Raymarine GPS aerial.

Having looked at a lot of the options in the Lowrance menus, I cant actually see anything which could be usefully fed from the Autohelm system. e.g. I cant see any selections for depth, windspeed, or even speed through the water.... or am I missing something?

Going the other way... NMEA OUT from the plotter, I have connected to the DSC VHF and this shows what it can... position, speed, course, time, which is good.

If I connect the NMEA out to the autohelm, I presume that I will have to disconnect the existing aerial, (or do I), but will the autohelm then follow a route from the plotter? and could I lose some of the features of the ST60's?

Would this be better placed on the Yahoo group?

many Thanks

Richard
 
I would not place ONLY on yahoo group ......

I would keep on here and gain any advise / info from all possible avenues. In fact I would suggest you post as well on the GPS Nav group AND the Lowrance Plotter group. See if anyone can help.

Despite what some have said - all are complimentary, to help people in specific areas ....

Ok ..... I assume that the autohelm is a raymarine product and is most likely preferred Seatalk format. The Lowrance cannot issue Seatalk protocol - only NMEA 0183 and Network 2000. I don't think the error is from the plotter - a study of the autohelm manual may bring forth an idea / suggestion.

The Lowrance does not accept extra data for dsiplay such as external instruments - log, e/s etc. so am confused by your post where you say "I cant actually see anything which could be usefully fed from the Autohelm system. e.g. I cant see any selections for depth, windspeed, or even speed through the water.... ".
The plotter will feed TO the Autohelm - not FROM it.

If you have a Raymarine GPS feeding instruments ....... they will be on Seatalk most likely. As to the Autohelm ... does it follow the Raymarine GPS ? Still confused as - your message implies a Raymarine GPS antenna but not Raymarine plotter ... How can it and why just an antenna ?

Somethings missing here ...... ?????
 
I am slightly confused as to what you re trying to achieve. What is that you want your plotter, autopilot and instruments actually to do and/or tell you?

With your current setup I assume that the autopilot is autopiloting and the ST60's are all providing their respective data correctly. I assume also that the plotter is telling you where you are correctly and providing its other plotter benefits.

Are you trying to get the plotter to be able to provide better tidal data in some clever wayby 'knowing' the depth, (I am not familiar with all the facilities of that plotter so I am not sure what it is totally capable of), or ar you wanting the autopilot to be able to accept courses and steer to routes from the plotter, or what?
 
You may be right sbc, but the Lowrance 3500 (external GPS version of his 3600) has display options for fuel levels etc, so does it have data input? I'm pretty darn certain however it won't show his ST60 data.
 
But if I remember rightly - based on Network 2000 bus ...... I have the 3500 also ... will have to check my manual when I get home later.

Interesting if it can be hooked up.....

But anyway - I'm still confused a bit by the original post .... trying to imagine what is connected where etc.
 
I cannot comment whether the Lowrance will display speed thru water, wind, etc sourced from other NMEA sending sensors.

With respect to the 300 course computer as long as the Lowrance and the 300 read the same NMEA pilot sentences (the 300 ones are listed in the manual a copy of which should be on the Raymarine site if you don't have one) then you should have no problem with the pilot following a route on the plotter - however, the Lowrance is not a combination I have tried and the proof is in just trying it (unless by chance you strike someone who has tried it already). A possible problem that you may run into is that for position the 300 only puts out the GLL header on the NMEA port (but is not limited to that on the input port) - suspect will not be an issue but something to keep in mind and is why the 300 will not send a readable position to some DSC radios.

I would expect that you will have difficulties if your Raymarine GPS data is on the Seatalk bus or on NMEA IN to the computer if you then feed the Lowrance GPS data into the 300 computer's NMEA IN port. Of course, if you have a compatible display for the Raymarine GPS it could be isolated from the 300 computer and operated as stand alone.

John
 
I knew this was going to be confusing <g>

[ QUOTE ]

Ok ..... I assume that the autohelm is a raymarine product and is most likely preferred Seatalk format. The Lowrance cannot issue Seatalk protocol - only NMEA 0183 and Network 2000. I don't think the error is from the plotter - a study of the autohelm manual may bring forth an idea / suggestion.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is not necessarily a problem, merely a query regarding connectivity, and what will read what, from where.

[ QUOTE ]

The Lowrance does not accept extra data for dsiplay such as external instruments - log, e/s etc. so am confused by your post where you say "I cant actually see anything which could be usefully fed from the Autohelm system. e.g. I cant see any selections for depth, windspeed, or even speed through the water.... ".
The plotter will feed TO the Autohelm - not FROM it.

[/ QUOTE ]

The lowrance has wires for NMEA IN and NMEA OUT. This part of the query is regarding NMEA IN.... if it has NMEA IN, I am assuming that there must be some info which it can usefully receive. Having connected it to the NMEA out of the Autohelm, I cant see anything it could usefully receive.... If that is the case, so be it.

[ QUOTE ]

If you have a Raymarine GPS feeding instruments ....... they will be on Seatalk most likely. As to the Autohelm ... does it follow the Raymarine GPS ? Still confused as - your message implies a Raymarine GPS antenna but not Raymarine plotter ... How can it and why just an antenna ?

Somethings missing here ...... ?????

[/ QUOTE ]

The thing that is missing is the Raymarine plotter.... I've removed it as it is not necessary, and I can give it to my dad for his new boat. But I have retained the Autohelm and computer, and the Raymarine aerial... all of which seems to feed the ST60 instruments fine, almost certainly via Seatalk.

having removed the Raymarine plotter, I have lost the ability to set a route to be followed by the autohelm, (which is not necessarily a problem), although it would be good to revive this facility from the Lowrance plotter.

However, if I feed the autohelm from the NMEA OUT of the Lowrance, I am guessing that the input from the Raymarine aerial at the same time as input from the Lowrance plotter will conflict?

I can live quite happily with the Raymarine aerial, (and depth and wind instruments), supplying info to the autohelm computer but, having lost the route facility, it may be nice to get it back.

Not sure if this makes any more sense.... hope it does.

Thanks for the help so far.... even if only in formulating the question <g>

Richard
 
Makes more sense now ....

I ask why keep the Raymarine gps antenna connected to autohelm when the Lowrance can supply the data needed for steering and also route following.
Also autohelm out is debatable in whether it's useful. If you made it Plotter TO Autohelm .... ie autohelm IN - then that would make sense.

If the Lowrance can accept data via NMEA from the other instruments - then you may actually have provided youeslf with a single display ! But being a smallish screen - do you really want that much displayed or just be available if you want it ??

Unless another has a better suggestion - I would personally only connect Lowrance to the AH ... leaving RM GPS antenna to other gear .. if really needed.
 
Data in to 3500C

Ok .... been playing with the PC 3500C emulator and reading the manual.

The emulator shows that data in such as Fuel Tank contents / useage is via NMEA 2000 bus...... not via NMEA 0183.

Second that the Manual does not cover this data in route ... but does on pages 15 - 16 cover NMEA 0183 comms. This clearly shows that autohelm and if you wish - substitute GPS antenna can be fed / feed from / to this plotter.

So I think via the Lowrance Group I shall investigate this further and if an answer is gained - post it back here for all.

If anyone has actually set-up a 2000 bus / network with one of these plotters that includes any data instruments etc. - then I think we would all be interested. The 2000 system appears to be a little ahead of its time !!
 
Just found .... by accident.

The Lowrance has a Battery Voltage Monitor built in .... now how good or useful it is ... we shall find out when I get back on board soon .....
 
Re: Just found .... by accident.

have used the voltage reading in a window on all Lowrance models - really usefull.

I am looking at fitting bennett trim tabs and they have an optional bus that works to display tabs on the 3500's screen.

However as you had already pointed out the screne is already a little small............can see how the single 10" screen, with equivilent definition, linked to all the boats systems is going to be the way of the future on even quite small boats though
 
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