Muppet requires Raymarine E-series help

[Shuggy]

I've recently acquired a Raymarine E120 plotter but cannot for the life of me determine how to show my forward track. What it will show is the fluxgate compass heading, but my brain doesn't appear to be tuned in to the Raymarine interface so I'm not finding it intuitive. Unless I'm missing something the manuals don't help (there's every chance I have missed something - the combined manuals are as thick as Yellow Pages).

What I see is a red line protruding from the front of the boat icon which matches my heading, but not my track (just thought I would reinstate this in case it wasn't clear).

A caveat - it is not plugged in to any wind instruments. Could this be the reason? Will the E series only show the forward track if it shows wind too? That can't be right or the principle would not work for any non-sailing boats.

Tips gratefully received. Sadly I'm too far away from the boat to try them out immediately so please don't expect any feedback if you are the genius who can point me in the right direction - but praise will follow after the next visit to the sea!

Thanks.

 

[Juggler7823]

I don't understand your request. A track shows where you have been! It can't show it in front before it has happened. It can be set to show your forward vector (COG)

 

[Shuggy]

I don't understand your request. A track shows where you have been! It can't show it in front before it has happened. It can be set to show your forward vector (COG)

Thanks. Most helpful.

 

[Juggler7823]

I have RL80Cs which are very old. I have the choice of Heading or COG as forward vector. You should be sure which (if any) you are displaying.

 

[haydude]

I've recently acquired a Raymarine E120 plotter but cannot for the life of me determine how to show my forward track.

Are you the lucky one who got the cheap(ish) one on eBay?

I do not have the instrument with me right now, but ... pushing one of the soft buttons at the bottom of the screen will reveal the context soft buttons, one of them will be "Tracks" (see the manual how to get there), push the relative soft button, there will be a "start track" function. Once activated you can change colour and name the track.

I hope this helps.

 

[Shuggy]

I have RL80Cs which are very old. I have the choice of Heading or COG as forward vector. You should be sure which (if any) you are displaying.

I appreciate the help, but I'm not sure you read what I wrote. I am sure.

 

[Shuggy]

Are you the lucky one who got the cheap(ish) one on eBay?

I do not have the instrument with me right now, but ... pushing one of the soft buttons at the bottom of the screen will reveal the context soft buttons, one of them will be "Tracks" (see the manual how to get there), push the relative soft button, there will be a "start track" function. Once activated you can change colour and name the track.

I hope this helps.

Thanks, but no, it doesn't help. For the sake of clarity then, I am looking how to display COG.

 

[Ariadne]

RTFM, and turn the tracking option on, easy!

Seems to work for me, so I can see where I've been/get back out out of a tricky entrance etc. The heading marker is different and shows you where you are pointing.

 

[Shuggy]

RTFM, and turn the tracking option on, easy!

RTF post!

 

[Ariadne]

The track is your Course Over the ground, its a mark up of exactly where you have been so it is your actual COG.

Your heading marker points where the ships head is pointing (mine is set to infinity) at the time, I haven't noticed a separate heading marking or something like that projecting an assumed COG as opposed to the ships head.

By the way mine isn't connected into any instruments apart from an old Garmin 152 either so it ain't that.

 

[crisjones]

Shuggy,

You need to press the "Data" button on the plotter - this is a fixed, marked button not a "soft key". Then press the "chart vector" soft key, you can then turn on whatever vectors you want.

To adjust the length of the vector press "menu" button, then select Chart Setup from the list using up down arrows on cursor pad or twiddly knob, then press right arrow on cursor pad. Next choose Vector length. Mine are all set to "infinite" but you might want something different. You can also change the vector line thickness on the same menu.

As you say, the Raymarine interface is a bit difficult to get your head round. However all the info is in the manual - check the index. Although the manual is not much easier to use than the plotter itself!!!

Hope that answers the question.

 

[NOHOH]

What you should be looking for...in addition to the thin red line coming out of your boat icon on the screen....is a thin GREEN line....This is produced when you have successfully connected your gps to the chartplotter.......for some reason....yours apparently isn`t connected

 

[Shuggy]

You need to press the "Data" button on the plotter - this is a fixed, marked button not a "soft key". Then press the "chart vector" soft key, you can then turn on whatever vectors you want.

Cris - thank you for reading the post! I cannot get the vectors function to work which (on reading the manual...) is because my other instruments are not connected to the E series display. However, on my old budget Standard Horizon plotter I could get a forward view of COG which I guess it calculated through changes in actual position and projected. Do you know if the Raymarine can do the same, or do you have to have the log connected?

I do plan on connecting everything else up at some point but not in the immediate couple of weeks. As I said in the first post, it's fine having the fluxgate heading as a red line sticking out of the bows, but the COG (which I still maintain you can describe as a forward track!) would be much more useful.

Thanks.

Shuggy

 

[Shuggy]

What you should be looking for...in addition to the thin red line coming out of your boat icon on the screen....is a thin GREEN line....This is produced when you have successfully connected your gps to the chartplotter.......for some reason....yours apparently isn`t connected

Ah! I don't have one of those. But it does know where I am - confusing, eh? And it knows my COG and SOG but only in the little data window at the top of the screen. Hmmm.

 

[NOHOH]

I don`t have mine in front of me either....or the manual.....but if you are getting that data at the top of the screen...then all that is wrong is a setting.......as suggested...start with the data screen and with a combination of the soft keys ...I can`t offhand remember which you will get a `show COG vector`button to press..... it may also be worth looking in the `setup` menus........Good Luck

 

[Shuggy]

The track is your Course Over the ground, its a mark up of exactly where you have been so it is your actual COG.

Your heading marker points where the ships head is pointing (mine is set to infinity) at the time, I haven't noticed a separate heading marking or something like that projecting an assumed COG as opposed to the ships head.

By the way mine isn't connected into any instruments apart from an old Garmin 152 either so it ain't that.

Thanks Ariadne. My red line shows compass heading rather than projected COG. If I disconnect the fluxgate compass the red line disappears.

 

[PeterR]

As others have said what you want to display is a vector not a track. As you say to get a heading vector you need your fluxgate compass connected but to get your course over the ground (COG vector) - which is what you seem to want - all you need connected is your GPS arial. I assume that must be connected or you would not get a position so all you have to do is select COG vector.

 

[Shuggy]

Thanks Peter. The vectors seemed to be disabled but perhaps it was just me... hence the muppet reference! I will have another go. Part of me yearns for the simple (and less power hungry) set-up I had on the last boat.