Need to replace your Raymarine Autopilot? - Beware!

[Steve C Cronin]

After 13 years of intermittently reliable service our Raytheon 4000+ autopilot finally died last week. Now this was one of the last autopilots made by that company to not need a separate "Course Computer" to operate and is still a very popular unit if a quick look around this marina is anything to go by.

A trip to the local Raymarine dealer brought a "kit" consisting of a p70 control head, an ACU-100 course computer, an "Evolution" EV-1 sensor (Posh fluxgate compass, Fred!) and a 4000+ Mk II wheelpilot drive unit. The latter is redundant in our case as I fitted one of those last year to upgrade our old 3000 long belt drive unit, so the new one will be going on eBay soon. Some €1500 in total to that point.

Now Raymarine have invented "Seatalk NG" to replace the original "Seatalk" referring to these as "Seatalkng" and "Seatalk1" respectively. This is a new "single rail" type system and the terms "Backbone", "Spur connector", "T piece", "Terminator" "Five way connector block" and "Elbow Spur" now have to come into one's vocabulary. You also need a lot more space in the instrument pod to accommodate these new connectors and devices and arrange not to bend the cables through a radius tighter than 4" (although they come rolled into 2" radius coils in the box!).

If, as many will, your existing, other instruments are of the same Raytheon/Raymarine suite, say ST60, ST70, etc., you will also need a Seatalk1 to Seatalkng adaptor block with it's five outlets and cute little green led. This kit is another €140 or so. If your plotter/GPS outputs NMEA 0183, this too is incompatible with the new system and you either need to upgrade this or buy yet another adapting device made by a firm called "Actisense" at €350 because the one claimed to work by the dealer just does nothing.

So, there it is. When your faithful AP finally goes T - U, expect major disruption, major expense and contradictions in the support available.

Oh, and Raytheon STILL insist that their new High-Tech system works best when connected to one of their ancient old M81105 Rudder Reference Units. Why couldn't they have designed THAT out when changing just about everything else?

 

[robmcg]

I have to agree with you. I am not sure what has happened to Raymarine but they seem to have no one there who seems to understand the techy side of their products. Ask the same question 3 times and you will get 3 different answers. The seatalkNG to seatalk1 converter is pure profiteering on a piece of kit they know everyone will need to integrate their older ST instruments.

 

[prv]

The seatalkNG to seatalk1 converter is pure profiteering on a piece of kit they know everyone will need to integrate their older ST instruments.

Or, looking at it a different way, the fact that new Raymarine instruments will not easily integrate with your existing ones means that you might as well consider Furuno, Standard Horizon, Garmin, B&G, etc as well.

Breaking backwards compatibility is always a bit of a risk for tech companies, as it means your new stuff is on a level playing field with your competitors' instead of having the advantage of incumbency.

Pete

 

[FullCircle]

I mixed and matched with used bits.

I don't understand the comment about the rudder reference, surely that's a plus that it hasn't changed?

I bought an SPX-30 and a 6001 secondhand, but have since changed to SeatalkNG and P70, with a previous generation C90W plotter. Works excellently.

The linear ram was the most expensive bit, but I now have a spare used one I have rebuilt.

I can also heartily recommend the B&G Triton stuff, except you can't do group lighting changes with the P70.......

 

[Cardo]

Would Raymarine's current autopilot upgrade offer not been suitable for you?

http://www.raymarine.co.uk/view/?id=10135#.U-icuFZrj_E

Up to a 39% discount on a new Evolution autopilot if you trade in your old AP's brains. Use your existing motor (as you have) and simply upgrade the control head, brain and compass.
I've been contemplating it, but my current, ~12 year old Robertson/Simrad AP is still going fairly strong.

 

[robmcg]

Or, looking at it a different way, the fact that new Raymarine instruments will not easily integrate with your existing ones means that you might as well consider Furuno, Standard Horizon, Garmin, B&G, etc as well.

Breaking backwards compatibility is always a bit of a risk for tech companies, as it means your new stuff is on a level playing field with your competitors' instead of having the advantage of incumbency.

Pete

But the price of the converter! I would be surprised if there was more than £15 worth of materials in it, so why sell at an inflated price and introduce a barrier to sales? Counter intuitive economics by Raymarine.

 

[prv]

But the price of the converter! I would be surprised if there was more than £15 worth of materials in it, so why sell at an inflated price and introduce a barrier to sales? Counter intuitive economics by Raymarine.

That's kind of my point.

Pete

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Tech gear can be evolved as Seatalk was over a long life cycle until at some point a quantum leap is required, which is SeatalkNG. It's part of the natural life cycle of electronics and at some point you have to make the leap to the new standard, look how long Seatalk has been going, I bought a brand new autopilot control head last year that was compatible with Raymarine equipment on board that's more than 10 years old. That's impressive. And although I've called their tech support line about a dozen times over the years I've always received superb advice. They also operate a web forum where a member of staff is tasked with answering customers queries and joining in tech discussions. At some point my gear will fail and I'll have to go the NG route, it will be a pain but I've learned over the years to generally trust Raymarine and the way their stuff is a bit like Apple, it works one way, there's little you can do to customise it but as long as you stick with Raymarine gear it will just all work with itself.

 

[Topcat47]

you think you have problems? My autopilot pre-dates Raymarine and I"m trying to repair/source a new ram. It's a direct drive via an epicyclic gearbox not the rubber band units currently in vogue.