new chartplotter and tiller pilot

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steveeasy

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Hi
I am just about to buy a new BandG Vulcan 7 that is NMEA 2000. My plan was to pick up a Raymarine ST 2000 at the same time and use them together. ive just noticed the st2000 is NMEA 0183 input | SeaTalk. Does this mean they wont work together ?.

Thanks
Steveeasy
 
The short answer is that they won't work together unless you install something to convert data from your NMEA 2000 network to NMEA 0183 for the tiller pilot. However as far as I can recall, the tiller pilot does not require any data when used to simply steer to a heading. The NMEA probably adds ability to follow waypoints on a route or maybe steer to a wind angle if you have wind instruments. On the size of boat using a tiller pilot, these are not really essential features.

To give a better answer, it would be useful to know if you already have an existing NMEA2000 network for other instrumentation. If not, you might be better off with a plotter/MFD that has NMEA 0183 support.
 
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I believe the Simrad tillerpilots (maybe not the tp10 but the bigger ones) have a Simnet connection,, which is nmea2000 with different plugs, so you should be able to connect the two fairly easily.

Alternatively a raymarine stng to seatalk converter and a nmea2000 to seatalk ng converter cable would feed the data to your raymarine Tiller pilot - worked for me with a Vulcan 5 and nmea 2000 network. Send wind and waypoint data fine but you can't control the pilot from the chartplotter screen.
 
As woodstock says, if you get a Simrad TP22 instead of a Raymarine ST2000, you can just plug'n'play. Bearing in mind the reliability issues which seem to plague all tillerpilots, there's no real reason to choose Raymarine over Simrad.
 
Hi,
No ive no networks at all. Very surprised the Raymarine sp2000 tiller pilot does not have a NMEA 2000 set up. equally the Vulcan cant work with NMEA 0183. ( A modern chartplotter and a standard new tiller pilot). ill look at another plotter and perhaps get a simrad tiller pilot.

thanks

steveeasy
 
steveeasy said:
Very surprised the Raymarine sp2000 tiller pilot does not have a NMEA 2000 set up.
Click to expand...

The product's been basically unchanged for over a quarter-century, apart from switching from black with square buttons to grey with round buttons some time in the early 2000s. So I'm not at all surprised :)

Pete
 
Even if you do link it to plotter it will not change course at a waypoint without you confirming on the tiller pilot. So it's all a bit pointless really. Also it works with the cross track error. So if you switch to manual to play chicken with a freighter, when you switch back to auto it will take you back to your original track rather than towards the waypoint.

I believe it can sail to NMEA wind. If that's what you intend disregard the above!
 
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NMEA0183-1024x699.pngNMEA0183-1024x699.png

Hi,
Quite like the idea of this. Perhaps I could use this set up to add my existing Airmar P319 depth and wind Transducers. They are suggesting using a Navtec AT10. Quite expensive around £100. has anyone used this or something similar.

Steveeasy
 
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steveeasy said:
×



View attachment 70226View attachment 70226

Hi,
Quite like the idea of this. Perhaps I could use this set up to add my existing Airmar P319 depth and wind Transducers. They are suggesting using a Navtec AT10. Quite expensive around £100. has anyone used this or something similar.

Steveeasy
Click to expand...

I went through a similar process to yourself when I upgraded to this plotter last year from an old GPS 128. The plotter is fantastic by the way, short handed sailing, especially into busy shipping areas at night time is a lot lot easier when you can remain in the cockpit.

For myself, I ended up biting the bullet on a full NMEA2K network and upgraded my cockpit displays to match (they had good deals on at the time ) which of course made matters a lot easier.

You didn't mention what your current depth / wind etc instruments are, but around £100 for an NMEA2k to 183 bridge is about right. Unfortunately nothing NMEA2000 is very cheap, I believe this is down to licensing fees, I want a N2K VHF but they're over a 100 quid more than the equivalent 183 version.

I use the the ACTISENSE NGW-1 for getting AIS info from 183 to 2K and it works fine.

Your setup should work well, but remember without adding a rate compass to the network you won't be able to make use of the Sailsteer features of lay lines etc.
 
Ceirwan said:
I went through a similar process to yourself when I upgraded to this plotter last year from an old GPS 128. The plotter is fantastic by the way, short handed sailing, especially into busy shipping areas at night time is a lot lot easier when you can remain in the cockpit.

For myself, I ended up biting the bullet on a full NMEA2K network and upgraded my cockpit displays to match (they had good deals on at the time ) which of course made matters a lot easier.

You didn't mention what your current depth / wind etc instruments are, but around £100 for an NMEA2k to 183 bridge is about right. Unfortunately nothing NMEA2000 is very cheap, I believe this is down to licensing fees, I want a N2K VHF but they're over a 100 quid more than the equivalent 183 version.

I use the the ACTISENSE NGW-1 for getting AIS info from 183 to 2K and it works fine.

Your setup should work well, but remember without adding a rate compass to the network you won't be able to make use of the Sailsteer features of lay lines etc.
Click to expand...

Hi,
I am getting the idea now. buy a reasonably priced chartplotter and then you have to buy all the expensive add ons. Rate compass, I thought it used its internal GPS. Thank you for your help. much appreciated.

steveeasy
 
IT does use the internal GPS and works well as a standalone chartplotter, but you'll need to add a compass heading to use the sailing features (something like a ZG100 gps/compass would work). The Simrad tillerpilot may supply this if connected, might be worth calling B&G/Navico UK - 01794 518448 - they were really helpful to me when I was setting up my system.
 
I wanted to hook up old Raymarine speed and depth, and add wind, to my Vulcan5. Ended up having to buy an ITC-5 Instrument transducer converter - ouch!
I don't have the ST2000 tiller pilot hooked up as I have no intention of passing over that amount of control to the system.
 
steveeasy said:
×



View attachment 70226View attachment 70226

Hi,
Quite like the idea of this. Perhaps I could use this set up to add my existing Airmar P319 depth and wind Transducers. They are suggesting using a Navtec AT10. Quite expensive around £100. has anyone used this or something similar.

Steveeasy
Click to expand...

AT10 is Simrad’s 0813 to N2K conversion box. I have had one bridging my 0183 to N2K networks for years now, very happy with it. It used to be the cheapest converter around.
 
steveeasy said:
Hi,
I am getting the idea now. buy a reasonably priced chartplotter and then you have to buy all the expensive add ons. Rate compass, I thought it used its internal GPS. Thank you for your help. much appreciated.

steveeasy
Click to expand...

No problem.

As woodstock said, it works absolutely fine as a plotter on its own, using the internal GPS. But it needs the rate compass to show stuff like the tidal vectors and what not.

I use the ZG100 that was mentioned.
 
Hi,
Just got this response from BandG.

V
You are correct that to have full functionality of the sailing features in the Vulcan you must provide GPS for SOG and COG (integrated GPS provides this) Wind, Boat speed (paddle wheel not SOG), Heading (not COG). It is possible to cheat the system to use SOG as boat speed if you do not have a water speed sensor which will still enable laylines but disable real time tide calculations (tide arrow on sail steer).

The TP22 will provide heading if connected to the Vulcan via an NMEA2000/Simnet network but it is worth noting that this will only be accurate when the TP22 is on the tiller or held in-situ at the correct angle when hand steering.
You will not need an AT10 but instead an NMEA2000 backbone, a Micro-c (male) to Simnet and a Simnet inline joiner.
The P319 can be your source for depth and Sonar. If supplied with a 9-pin plug (current model) int will connect directly but a Blue 7-pin plug version would need a 7-pin to 9-pin adapter.
I hope this helps.
Best regards,

Richard.

Navico UK Service Team


sTEVEEASY
 
Hi,
I was confussed trying to connect a chartplotter using NMEA 2000 and a tiller pilot using NMEA 183. I was told I needed to use a AT10 for them rto work together.

I then contacted BandG and they gave me confussing advice that I did not firstly understand. the response I got implied I could connect a device using NMEA2000 to another devise Using NMEA 183. due to simnet. the full response below might make it clearer to others.

VHi

The TP22 and TP32 both have NMEA0183 and Simnet connectivity. Simnet uses the same data protocol as NMEA2000 only a different physical connection hence the need for the inline joiner and Simnet to Micro-C converter cable in order to fully interface with an NMEA2000 backbone.

The internal GPS provides Speed over ground. This is different from boat speed from a paddle wheel. If you use only speed over ground you will not get calculated tide.

The P319 (using the 7 to 9 pin converter) will connect directly to the sonar port on the back of the Vulcan-7.

I hope this clears things up a bit.
Best regards,

Richard.

Navico UK Service Team


Lastly I apparently can connect MY P319 direct to the chartplotter with a special connector. Any ideas where I can find one?

Thanks

Steveeasy
 
Simnet is effectively NMEA2000. So if you use a Simrad tillerpilot, you can connect it via Simnet to your B&G plotter's NMEA2000.
 
Ive installed my new Vulcan 7 chart plotter on its own at present. Its been suggested I install a duel purpose through hull depth /speed transducer that will link to the chart plotter. no displays to save money and I can get all the info on the screen. does this sound workable ?. can the same be done with wind transducers ?

Only disappointment is ive no heading on the Vulcan even though its got GPS. I had heading on my 30 yr old Garmin 128. so I suspect I'm of to find a nmea 2000 compass.

Steveeasy
 
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