Raymarine a-series repeater - can it connect via wifi like iPad?

[Ric]

I have a Raymarine E7D at the chart-table, but would like to add a repeater at the helm. I have been looking at the small a series and this has built in wifi like the E7D. So can it connect to the E7D via wifi (like iPad app), or do I have to connect it with a cable too? It is not possible for me to get a cable down the aluminium tubes of my steering pedestal unfortunately.

I have been reading the Raymarine installation manual and it is not clear. But since the cable connection is just a normal router cable surely it can also connect via wifi?

Normally I would ask this sort of question on the Raymarine forum but unfortunately they now only let the septics on that forum.

 

[Cardo]

The displays need to be connected via SeaTalkHS, which is Raymarine's fancy name (and proprietary waterproof connectors) for ethernet.

Query - If you can't run any cables, how are you planning to power the display?

 

[Ric]

There is already power at the binnacle for other instruments - but not enough room to pass another cable through the tubes, particularly the rather fat sea talkHS cables. I was therefore wondering if it would be possible to connect uniquely by wifi. I would have thought it would be technically possible? Seems odd that Raymarine would not offer this possibility.

Anyway, I have re-registered on the Raymarine forum as a septic, and have asked the question there (complete with suitable spelling and grammar errors). Hopefully I will get a response direct from Raymarine

 

[Cardo]

There is already power at the binnacle for other instruments - but not enough room to pass another cable through the tubes, particularly the rather fat sea talkHS cables. I was therefore wondering if it would be possible to connect uniquely by wifi. I would have thought it would be technically possible? Seems odd that Raymarine would not offer this possibility.

Anyway, I have re-registered on the Raymarine forum as a septic, and have asked the question there (complete with suitable spelling and grammar errors). Hopefully I will get a response direct from Raymarine

Ever hopeful, eh? Good luck on getting a different response.

However, if you do have any space in the tubes, you can chop the ethernet connector off one end of the cable and run this down the tube, and then crimp a new one on once you've routed it through wherever it needs to go. This is what I did with our radar cable, which also uses SeaTalk HS.

 

[Ric]

Yes, I chopped up my radar cable to get it down the mast. No problem splicing ethernet cables though bafflingly Raymarine don't like to admit that this is possible. I always wonder whether they have ever actually tried to install any of their kit in boats themselves because they don't seem to understand the problems of routing cables everywhere.

One possibility that occurred to me for my helm station- I have a Seatalk classic cable running up the tubes to my ST60 instruments. If I remove the Seatalk Classic cable, I could fit the ethernet cable - but then what do I need to convert back to Seatalk Classic to power my ST60 instruments?

Still don't understand why Raymarine don't just make the instruments connect via wifi - seems an obvious step...

 

[Cardo]

Yes, I chopped up my radar cable to get it down the mast. No problem splicing ethernet cables though bafflingly Raymarine don't like to admit that this is possible. I always wonder whether they have ever actually tried to install any of their kit in boats themselves because they don't seem to understand the problems of routing cables everywhere.

Because they want you buying their super expensive cables, instead of standard cat5 off a reel.

One possibility that occurred to me for my helm station- I have a Seatalk classic cable running up the tubes to my ST60 instruments. If I remove the Seatalk Classic cable, I could fit the ethernet cable - but then what do I need to convert back to Seatalk Classic to power my ST60 instruments?

Sadly, I don't know much of anything about ST classic.

Still don't understand why Raymarine don't just make the instruments connect via wifi - seems an obvious step...

The WiFi implementation is extremely limited. The MFDs will only ever create a network, they can't join one.
The modern, STng instruments themselves connect using STng, which is used for both power and data. I guess Raymarine figure if you need to run a cable anyway, there's no point faffing with WiFi.