Raymarine Plotter Issues

[mark1882]

Hi

I have 2 Raymarine C90w chart plotters, one at the nav station and one on binnacle in the cockpit. There is a Navionics gold card in the nav station plotter. I am having a few issues/have queries abut functionality etc. . I have looked through the manual and cannot find info about these issues and have also emailed Raymarine but have not a response so any advice or comeents would be welcome.

1) Is there a log function that records distance travelled over the ground as opposed to distnace through the water which the boat log measures.
2) I occasionally get AIS navigational alarms but am not sure what these are.
3) AIS targets sometimes disappear on the binnacle plotter only to reappear an few minutes later whereas they remain there on the nav station plotter.
4) I can’t find out how to change the clock time. I can find out how to change the time format but not the clock itself.
5) I sometimes see a square on the chart around ports as if there is a chartlet but don’t know how to access this as I just normally zoom in.
6) The level of detail on the nav station plotter (which has the Navionics gold card installed is much more detailed than on the binnacle plotter eg contour lines etc. but I am pretty sure that they used to be the same.
7) Is there an anchor watch facility which alerts you if you drag your anchor whilst asleep?
8) Waypoints sometimes do not seem to appear on the binnacle plotter whereas they always appear on the nav station plotter.
Many thanks
Mark

 

[maby]

Regarding your point (6), how are the two plotters connected? Raymarine plotters can share mapping data, but only if they are connected via the high speed network (effectively Ethernet using non-standard plugs). It sounds like you do not have the high speed interconnect and the plotter outside is just displaying its built in low resolution base map. This could also impact on (8) - I think that waypoints are also shared over the high speed interconnect.

 

[ex-Gladys]

If you were talking NMEA, then it's quite normal for Class B AIS targets to disappear and reappear, just because of the refresh cycle on AIS (can't remember but it's a few minutes). Maybe the settings on the two plotters for AIS display are different?

 

[pvb]

I think that virtually all of your questions are answered in the Raymarine user manual. MFDs are complicated bits of kit, with numerous features, and I'm afraid you can't just turn it on and expect to know instinctively how to work it; you need to invest some time reading the manual carefully, with the MFD turned on in front of you, and see how all the functions operate. In the process, you'll learn how to get the most out of your MFDs.

Just as examples, setting the time is covered in the "Initial setup" section. Also, one of your MFDs has to be designated the Master display; the other one is a repeater. If you look at the "Operating a networked display" section, you'll see a list of the functions which are not repeated but which have to be individually set on each plotter - one of these is "Show/hide waypoints", which explains why one MFD doesn't show them. Study the manual, and all will become clear!

 

[maby]

I think that virtually all of your questions are answered in the Raymarine user manual. MFDs are complicated bits of kit, with numerous features, and I'm afraid you can't just turn it on and expect to know instinctively how to work it; you need to invest some time reading the manual carefully, with the MFD turned on in front of you, and see how all the functions operate. In the process, you'll learn how to get the most out of your MFDs.

Just as examples, setting the time is covered in the "Initial setup" section. Also, one of your MFDs has to be designated the Master display; the other one is a repeater. If you look at the "Operating a networked display" section, you'll see a list of the functions which are not repeated but which have to be individually set on each plotter - one of these is "Show/hide waypoints", which explains why one MFD doesn't show them. Study the manual, and all will become clear!

But do make sure that they are linked up in a way that supports what you want them to do! Raymarine gear has many connection options and they don't all support all functionality...

 

[pvb]

But do make sure that they are linked up in a way that supports what you want them to do! Raymarine gear has many connection options and they don't all support all functionality...

The C series Widescreen installation instructions basically recommend linking the displays by SeaTalkhs or SeaTalkng, both of which support available functionality, as would NMEA2000.

 

[maby]

The C series Widescreen installation instructions basically recommend linking the displays by SeaTalkhs or SeaTalkng, both of which support available functionality, as would NMEA2000.

NMEA2000 certainly does not support cartography sharing and I'm pretty sure that Seatalk ng doesn't either. I'm pretty sure they don't support sharing of routing and waypoint data either.

 

[pvb]

NMEA2000 certainly does not support cartography sharing and I'm pretty sure that Seatalk ng doesn't either. I'm pretty sure they don't support sharing of routing and waypoint data either.

If he can see the cartography on both displays, presumably they're linked by something which supports networking.

 

[maby]

If he can see the cartography on both displays, presumably they're linked by something which supports networking.

His point (6) indicates that the cartography does not match - made me wonder it the interconnect is adequate - particularly coupled with his point (8) since waypoint and routing synchronisation requires Seatalk hs if memory serves me correctly. I suspect that the plotter at the helm is just displaying the base map.

 

[pvb]

His point (6) indicates that the cartography does not match - made me wonder it the interconnect is adequate - particularly coupled with his point (8) since waypoint and routing synchronisation requires Seatalk hs if memory serves me correctly. I suspect that the plotter at the helm is just displaying the base map.

One of the features which isn't necessarily networked is chart presentation, if the display is set to "Local". I doubt that it's only showing the base map - that's very basic indeed.