Networking Chartplotters

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dedwards

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Hi All,

I'm planning an install with a chartplotter under the sprayhood and then with the critical data repeated at the helm. Given that 2x of the small instrument displays costs about the same as a plotter, I was thinking about just putting a second plotter on the helm.

Problem is, I cant find any information on how 2x networked plotters actually work. eg, if you set a course on one will it appear on the other?

I am aware of the wifi functionality of modern plotters but am concerned that a) tablets may not be bright enough and b) I don't like the fact that they both have to show the same screen (ie you cant have one screen in chart mode and the other in data mode).

Any suggestions?
 
I have two B&G Zeus2 plotters networked on my boat (one at the chart table and one at the wheel), they share the chart data, way-points, Radar/AIS overlay , instrument data, etc, etc.

The one snag is that for some reason the waypoint name doesn't appear to be shared over the network.

At the risk of stating the obvious the unit with the chart chip in needs to be on for the other one to pick this information up!
 
You are right about tablets not being bright enough. They can be very useful and I use mine occasionally, and have a waterproof case for it, but the battery life alone would not make one a substitute for a plotter, though I have 12v available in my cockpit.The Raymarine plotters can duplicate but would not be a cheap option.
 
We have a pair of Raymarine plotters. The master is an E140wide under the sprayhood and the slave is an E120wide at the nav station. Being large plotters (the 140 being a 14 inch display) you don't need it behind the helm as it is visible from the wheel. To save power on a trip we turn the nav station plotter off. We have 5 Raymarine devices included two graphics which are located above the main hatch. These are programmed with what ever we deem critical information. The only thing we have at the helm is the engine panel and controls and an autopilot head. We have a second autopilot head above the main hatch. Our set up is for long distance cruising. We find we spend minimal time behind the wheel. Crossing oceans the on watch crew is usually under the sprayhood at night where the main plotter provides AIS, radar and everything else you could desire. You could repeat info at the wheel but to be honest the plotter is so large that you can see everything fine.
 
I have a Garmin at the helm and a repeater on a Hudl down below, although an IPad would be better. Uses a WiFi link and the repeater is fully functional.
 
I would only say that if you want to use the plotter in conjunction with the autopilot then those two instruments need to be near each other, otherwise you put a waypoint in the plotter and then have to go to the autohelm to get it to follow the new track - at least that's how mine works. I need inputs on both devices before it'll change course and follow a new track.
 
Baggywrinkle said:
I would only say that if you want to use the plotter in conjunction with the autopilot then those two instruments need to be near each other, otherwise you put a waypoint in the plotter and then have to go to the autohelm to get it to follow the new track - at least that's how mine works. I need inputs on both devices before it'll change course and follow a new track.
Click to expand...

My older-generation Raymarine (C70 plotter, S1 pilot) doesn't work like that. I can control the pilot completely from the plotter at the front end of the cockpit, including putting it in and out of auto altogether. Normally I let the helmsman know before grabbing control out of her hands :p

(I'm not sure about steering-to-wind mode, I've never noticed that option on the plotter and it's possible that it might only be available from a dedicated pilot head.)

Pete
 
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WE have a Garmin MFD in a pod on the coachroof under the sprayhood. We have a Garmin GM10 display for Windspeed/direction/ plus boatspeed, depth etc in a small pod on the pedestal guard . There is a second such pod on the pedestal with he Raymarine Autopilot control head and this has scrollable user-settable pages to display any data on the network, like X-track error, CTS, SOG, VMG to waypoint etc. The Raymarine pilot ( Evolution EV100 wheelpilot) is fed data from the Garmin NMEA 2000 network via a NMEA 0183 link.( the pilot has no NMEA 2000 input) The pilot gets waypoint and route data from the Garmin network and can thereby be set to follow a track between waypoints, or an entire route, or even to follow the required apparent or true wind angle using data from the Garmin masthead transducer. I can see no need for a repeat of the radar display nor chart display at the wheel itself as a) we can easily see the 10 inch MFD screen on the coach roof from anywhere in the cockpit and b)if we really need a close-up view, just engage the pilot and go looksee. Unless racing or bored the pilot does the steering routinely and the main plotter/radar with chart overlay and MARPA//AIS/ display is right by where I normally sit. If following a track the pilot needs a button press to confirm the required course change and thatis done at the pilot control display at the wheel, it cannot be done as far as I know from the plotter display.
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If you are going to buy two new plotters, then go Raymarine. They interconnect via Ethernet and share absolutely everything with no complex setup. They will also share a single set of charts - which can be a big cost saving. Buy your chosen set of charts for one plotter and they will be available on both.
 
maby said:
If you are going to buy two new plotters, then go Raymarine. They interconnect via Ethernet and share absolutely everything with no complex setup. They will also share a single set of charts - which can be a big cost saving.
Click to expand...

All my first-hand knowledge is a generation out of date, but is this really a uniquely Raymarine ability? I would expect any manufacturer's current equipment to do exactly the same.

Pete
 
maby said:
If you are going to buy two new plotters, then go Raymarine. They interconnect via Ethernet and share absolutely everything with no complex setup. They will also share a single set of charts - which can be a big cost saving. Buy your chosen set of charts for one plotter and they will be available on both.
Click to expand...

There's one trick that I got fooled by though with Raymarine. Someone had set both of them to master, and that really confuses them to the extent that symptoms were leading in other directions. No position from the GPS, so map in use was random, and various other. Only because someone else had seen this before was it easily solved.
So, one must be master, and one slave. There's no room on a boat for 2 masters!
 
Baggywrinkle said:
I would only say that if you want to use the plotter in conjunction with the autopilot then those two instruments need to be near each other, otherwise you put a waypoint in the plotter and then have to go to the autohelm to get it to follow the new track - at least that's how mine works. I need inputs on both devices before it'll change course and follow a new track.
Click to expand...
Set up a route and you can move to the next waypoint from the autopilot.
 
B and G Zeus plotters can also be networked to share charts, data, routes and waypoints. We have a Zeus 8 at the helm and a Zeus 7 at the chart table with a Triton display on the bridgedeck. They share charts as well as data from the log and speed transducer, AIS and, hopefully (once we have it installed) the wind transducer on the mast head.
 
maby said:
If you are going to buy two new plotters, then go Raymarine. They interconnect via Ethernet and share absolutely everything with no complex setup. They will also share a single set of charts - which can be a big cost saving. Buy your chosen set of charts for one plotter and they will be available on both.
Click to expand...

Garmin also do this and have been doing so for about a decade. Pretty sure all the big names will also do it.
 
prv said:
All my first-hand knowledge is a generation out of date, but is this really a uniquely Raymarine ability? I would expect any manufacturer's current equipment to do exactly the same.

Pete
Click to expand...

not in my experience - I had multiple Lowrance (as in Simrad) plotters installed brand new in our previous boat about three years ago and they would not share cartography.
 
I've just installed a B&G Zeus 2 at the navstation and connected it to my Cockpit mounted Zeus 3. B&G and a dealer both tell me that its simply a question of connecting them via ethernet. I've done this but they aren't sharing charts or waypoints (although I can see the Halo radar on the newly installed Zeus 2. This is connected to the cockpit mounted Zeus3 which must be acting as a bridge to the Zeus2 for the radar...but nothing else is shared) Any ideas? I can't easily see anything that I need to configure in any menus...

Thx
 
matt1 said:
I've just installed a B&G Zeus 2 at the navstation and connected it to my Cockpit mounted Zeus 3. B&G and a dealer both tell me that its simply a question of connecting them via ethernet. I've done this but they aren't sharing charts or waypoints (although I can see the Halo radar on the newly installed Zeus 2. This is connected to the cockpit mounted Zeus3 which must be acting as a bridge to the Zeus2 for the radar...but nothing else is shared) Any ideas? I can't easily see anything that I need to configure in any menus...

Thx
Click to expand...
Is each display showing up on the UDB (User Data Base) tab on the diagnostics page of the other plotter?

Try the Reset Display List option described on page 41 of the manual [PDF]

I see the UDB section refers to various version numbers, so I'd be checking the version numbers match up and reviewing whether any firmware upgrades need to be done.

Check the IP addresses of the two units are different and also that they're on the same subnet - post them if you don't know what that means.

You should really have started a new thread for this, rather than resuscitating someone else's 5-year-old one only to hijack it.
 
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