Positioning chartplotter - NMEA implications.

[eddystone]

Was planning to locate chart plotter on a swinging bracket just inside the companionway but there are some problems. As an easier alternative I was thinking of fixing it above the chart table in place of an old Decca which also provides a handy power lead. it would have a long (not more than 2 metres) coiled power lead so that I could remove it and attach it to the bottom washboard as an alternate location . Short term it would be self standing, but at some stage I would need to connect other things using the NMEA interface, e.g. AIS. Any reasons why having an extendable NMEA cable would be a problem?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

No. Cable run lengths on our boats are trivially short compared to ships.

 

[doug748]

I have no doubt it would work.

I have had most arrangements over the years but was never quite content till I fixed the thing above the companionway. I store it on a bracket by the chart table when not in use. In theory I could use it there but never have.

The leads are hidden and just protrude the odd 6in where they are needed. I found all the other alternatives a bit fiddly, in the way, and the trailing wires niggled me.

 

[knuterikt]

Was planning to locate chart plotter on a swinging bracket just inside the companionway but there are some problems. As an easier alternative I was thinking of fixing it above the chart table in place of an old Decca which also provides a handy power lead. it would have a long (not more than 2 metres) coiled power lead so that I could remove it and attach it to the bottom washboard as an alternate location . Short term it would be self standing, but at some stage I would need to connect other things using the NMEA interface, e.g. AIS. Any reasons why having an extendable NMEA cable would be a problem?

I don't know what type of plotter you have..
But my plotter came with two "pigtail" cables for interfacing with other electronics (NMEA 0183).
These cables have a plug with screw lock that fits into the plotter (MFD).
I also have one NMEA 2000 plug on the plotter.

My plotter is installed on the pedestal guard in a pod, I have to many cables connected to make it practical
Because I have a mix of NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, radar and external screen with keyboard & mouse (at the chart table) there we have lots of cables attached to the plotter..
Power
NMEA 2000 cable (Wind/depth/speed)
Ethernet for the radar
Two Pigtails for NMEA 0183 (heading sensor, GPS, VHF, AIS)
USB (Keyboard & Mouse)
DVI (External screen)

The two "problems" I can think of is the number of cables and the length of the pigtails.
If you can use NMEA 2000 the cabling will be less bulky and you would only need one not so bulky cable extra to connect to the NMEA 2000 backbone.

Make sure the connections at the plotter end are watertight connections.

 

[xeitosaphil]

Was planning to locate chart plotter on a swinging bracket just inside the companionway but there are some problems. As an easier alternative I was thinking of fixing it above the chart table in place of an old Decca which also provides a handy power lead. it would have a long (not more than 2 metres) coiled power lead so that I could remove it and attach it to the bottom washboard as an alternate location . Short term it would be self standing, but at some stage I would need to connect other things using the NMEA interface, e.g. AIS. Any reasons why having an extendable NMEA cable would be a problem?

Not sure which chart plotter you have but when I fitted my Standard Horizon 300i, I fixed a bracket and power/data plug to the plotter bare ends and the same socket to the chart table bulkhead on a small black plastic enclosure. Same arrangement on the cockpit bulkhead outside, all waterproof connections made with Bulgin Micro waterproof connections. I now use plotter in cockpit and at chart table no problems at all. Didn’t like the idea of trailing leads.
The plotter is also interfaced with AIS receiver, so no data connection problems with any of it, just a thought.

Copied from a previous post of mine:

I decided to use a 8pin Bulgin Micro buccaneer pcb socket fitted to a small black enclosure box which allowed me terminate within the box fitted to the Chart table bulkhead. The actual plotter had a 8pin bulgin plug fitted so it could be fitted to a 8pin socket in the Cockpit. This seemed to me to be the easiest way to do it once the connections had been made.

You could just fit the plotter cable to a Bulgin 8 pin inline plug connector and use the extension cable with a inline socket connector but the other end would have to be hard wire to facilitate the gps connection.

Bulgin product PDF Catalogue file link below

http://www.bulgin.co.uk/PDFs/Cat83_s...-2010_mini.pdf

Supplier Link

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/?searc...view-type=List

You can buy all different combinations depending on your requirements but you need to order the correct components for your own application if in doubt give them a ring?

Bulgin Product PDF Link
http://www.bulgin.co.uk/PDFs/Cat83_s...-2010_mini.pdf