Raymarine C80 Plotter with AIS and DSC VHF

[paulrae]

Well, I succumbed to temptation at the boat show and bought a Standard Horizon DSC VHF to replace my old non-dsc unit that's been palying up a bit. I know that some folks aren't keen on DSC, but that argument's been had before on the forum.

My problem is that the NMEA socket on my Raymarine C80 plotter is used by the AIS box, so it looks like I can't use it for the DSC radio. The C80 manual suggests the use of a "RS232 interface box" to convert from Seatak to NMEA0183. A quick Google indicates this unit is available at the bargain price of £120 - more than the cost of the radio /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif!

Does anyone have any other (less costly) suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[pvb]

The E85001 SeaTalk-NMEA Interface Box is probably the cheapest solution. You could use a multiplexer, but a suitable one would probably cost more. If it's any consolation, the E85001 is "only" £109 from JG Technologies.

 

[Elessar]

Is it a NASA AIS?

 

[KREW2]

Don't want to hijack the thread but..........
I was thinking of buying an AIS unit, then I found out it needs an NMEA input, which I already use for my DSC radio. I suppose it would be cheaper to buy a small second hand GPS and connect it up to that.

 

[paulrae]

You know how sometimes, when you get back home from visiting the boat, you think, "damn, I should've looked at that"? Well, I should have looked at that. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Unfortunately, I don't know what type it is. The boat's new (to me), and the AIS was fitted when I bought her. All that the broker's bumph says is Raymarine C80 and AIS.

 

[Elessar]

OK the problem is with the Raymarine kit (except the latest stuff) is that there is only 1 NMEA port and if your output is set at the speed for the DSC, the input cannot be set at the speed for the AIS.

If you have a GPS that can send NMEA, then what you do is connect the output of that that to the DSC and the AIS (if it's a NASA, don't know about others). You then connect the AIS to the plotter, set the plotter to AIS speed, and the AIS passes the GPS information through at the higher speed along with its own data.

If your GPS can only send seatalk, then the best option in my opinion is a separate GPS (digital yacht, £85) which you connect to the DSC VHF only. You could make up a spare cable as an emegency plotter input in case your main GPS fails, although you would of course lose your AIS.

 

[alan]

As Ellesar said: on some AIS units (e.g. Easy AIS) you can connect the GPS to the NMEA input port and feed the multiplexed sentences (GPS + AIS) to the C80 at AIS data rate. You need to check on what your AIS is capable of doing; else you will need a mux or Seatalk/NMEA converter.

Alan.

 

[pikeyrm]

The cheapest way would be to put your position manually into your dsc radio, it will beep at you every 4 hours if you dont, no hardship putting it in,

 

[Playtime]

One of these might be the answer - around £100 for the simpler ones.

 

[Amphitrite]

A multiplexer will help - there is one unit that can slow down the output NMEA output speed for input into the DSC.

 

[Elessar]

why complicate things and add the expense when an extra GPS is cheaper even if you can't use the AIS as the multiplexer?

 

[Elessar]

i'd have gone 100 miles at crusing speed in 4 hours, even in a slow raggie you'll have gone more than 15 a club racer will have gone 25 or more - not a good solution IMHO.

 

[Bejasus]

if the AIS is a Raymarine AIS250, then it has a NMEA 0183 output on the card, which can be used for your DSC radio or autopilot or whatever


PM sent

 

[CPD]

You can pick up a new Garmin etrex at £70 which will input to your DSC or AIS. I would do that if nothing else better comes up.

 

[hightech]

Any other RM instruments or pilot onboard?? If so then they often have a NMEA in/out port.

 

[pikeyrm]

i was giving a cheap option it could be done every minute if you like but not practicle, the stated 4 hours is the most before the system goes mad at you and alarms

 

[Elessar]

No matter how often you do it you'll be giving out position data which is WRONG. The longer you leave it the more wrong it will be. A search for you will start in the wrong place, or if you gave an accurate description verbally you will have created ambiguity or confusion. At my cruising speed positional data thats just 10 minutes out of date would create a 50 square mile search area. There are better ways to save 85 quid!