NMEA 0183 head scratcher

[Plevier]

I'm guessing you were perhaps looking at a 9" plotter. Have you considered the Raymarine a95? This has two NMEA0183 ports - one is input only and can be set to 38400baud for AIS, the other is input and output and can be set to 4800baud. The SeaTalk port is SeaTalkng but you can get a converter if you want to use your old SeaTalk connection.

I think we are seeing a steady move away from NMEA0183 connectivity on MFDs, so if you want to keep using the rest of your system, it might be better to upgrade your plotter sooner rather than later. At £1040, the a95 probably costs about the same as the Lowrance with a multiplexer.

Yes 9" touch wide screen.
Price less than half the figure you mention - hence the unbudgetted impulse purchase.
Amazing deal from jgtech. Just bitterly disappointing that it turns out this version has been reduced to one port. Yes I'm sure you're right, 0183 is on the way out.
I am staggered that a single channel baud rate converter isn't available economically. I have no need of a several channels multiplexer!

 

[pvb]

Yes 9" touch wide screen.
Price less than half the figure you mention - hence the unbudgetted impulse purchase.
Amazing deal from jgtech.

Ah, right, £549 for a HDS9m Gen2 Touch, not exactly "less than half". And with a multiplexer, you'd have been looking at £750ish, so creeping up. I do think that the relentless progress of NMEA2000 and similar systems is going to make networking very difficult in the near future. The problem is that many old instruments and autopilots just keep on working, for years and years, despite their old-fashioned connectivity. If the new charts are making the C70 rather too ponderous to be useful, you're going to have to bite the bullet!

 

[Plevier]

Ah, right, £549 for a HDS9m Gen2 Touch, not exactly "less than half". And with a multiplexer, you'd have been looking at £750ish, so creeping up. I do think that the relentless progress of NMEA2000 and similar systems is going to make networking very difficult in the near future. The problem is that many old instruments and autopilots just keep on working, for years and years, despite their old-fashioned connectivity. If the new charts are making the C70 rather too ponderous to be useful, you're going to have to bite the bullet!

It was less than half, he's charging more now for a small extra batch he's managed to get (still a brilliant deal). The mux cost was not anticipated as the unit was said to have 2 ports. The problem only emerged after receipt.
It also means buying a chart update as it needs SD card not CF (presumably applies to a95 as well)
With total cost now approaching £800 instead of under £600 - it has to wait. Not top priority.
I was hoping there might be a YAPP to rescue me but it seems not.
C'est la vie.
Good news for someone on jg's waiting list.

 

[pvb]

Have you tried disabling some of the layers of the chart? Would this make it work a bit quicker?

 

[Plevier]

Have you tried disabling some of the layers of the chart? Would this make it work a bit quicker?

I have tried setting to minimum detail it didn't seem to make any difference. I'm not sure if that is the same as disabling layers. I probably need to study the massive and often incomprehensible manual.
Frankly I loathe the thing. Using it is so appallingly difficult compared with the Garmin 750 I had before.