Raymarine ST60 Log transducers

[dolabriform]

It's my understanding that the Raymarine part E85001 interface is a 2 way NMEA0183 to original Seatalk and the ST60 display can be either the master log or a log repeater.
If I'm right then your biggest challenge will be to get hold of an E85001 I expect.
This from the E85001 manual:
Chapter 1: Introduction
SeaTalk is the language used by Raymarine products to share
information. This is unique to Raymarine. The PC/SeaTalk/NMEA
Interface, by providing conversion between SeaTalk, RayTech PC
and NMEA 0183 data formats, allows operation with other
manufacturer's equipment and with PCs.
The PC/SeaTalk/NMEA Interface provides:
• Connection of SeaTalk to a PC running RayTech
• Conversion of NMEA 0183 data format to SeaTalk
• Conversion of SeaTalk to NMEA 0183 format
• Operation of the Raymarine Main Alarm when an alarm condi-
tion exists on the SeaTalk bus

The manual lists VLW and VHW sentences as Inputs to the interface so it all seems do-able.

Derek

This is exactly what you need, I have one installed on my boat to convert the seatalk to NMEA, but it also goes the other way and converts waypoints from the plotter to Seatalk for the autopilot.

Edit: There's a couple for sale on ebay at the moment

 

[ithet]

This is exactly what you need, I have one installed on my boat to convert the seatalk to NMEA, but it also goes the other way and converts waypoints from the plotter to Seatalk for the autopilot.

Edit: There's a couple for sale on ebay at the moment

But are we sure that the ST60 or ST60+ can actually display waterspeed via Seatalk 1? If that is so then very interesting as I actually have an E85001 installed.

 

[dolabriform]

But are we sure that the ST60 or ST60+ can actually display waterspeed via Seatalk 1? If that is so then very interesting as I actually have an E85001 installed.

From here:
Changing Master/Repeater Setting on ST60/ST60+/i50 Tridata Instruments - Printable Version

Changing Master/Repeater Setting on ST60/ST60+/i50 Tridata Instruments

If a ST60/ST60+/i50 Depth or Tridata Instrument does not sense that its depth transducer terminals have been connected to a compatible 200kHz instrument depth transducer, then the instrument will configure itself as a depth slave and repeat depth the depth value received via the SeaTalk bus or SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone. Similarly, if a ST60/ST60+/i50 Speed or Tridata Instrument does not sense that its instrument transducer terminals have been connected to a compatible speed/temp transducer, then the instrument will configure itself as a speed slave and repeat the speed value received via the SeaTalk bus or SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone.

 

[prv]

But are we sure that the ST60 or ST60+ can actually display waterspeed via Seatalk 1? If that is so then very interesting as I actually have an E85001 installed.

Yes, the idea is that you can have additional displays as repeaters at a chart table, on a motorboat flybridge, on the mast of a racing yacht, etc. Only one of them needs to be connected to a transducer.

Pete

 

[tillergirl]

AP - perhaps I'll try again

"The Nasa doppler thingy has an NMEA output. I wonder if you have a Raymarine interface it will auto reverse engineering that into the Seatalk bus. Nasa sell it without the instrument head, obvious feeding it into a plotter. "

Raymarine have had interfaces - NMEA v Seatalk and vice versus for years and years. I had one on TG and used it for 15 years. Way back it was originally to convert Seatalk to NMEA and I never needed to convert NMEA to Seatalk so that is why I 'wondered'. It's dead easy to see all the Seatalk conversion into NMEA on the bus but you can't see - or at least I couldn't - the Seatalk conversation. There are alternative products available.

 

[rickp]

To the OP's point - Airmar used to have a replacement that was an ultrasonic unit with a box of tricks that mapped the signals into the pulses required by the ST60 head unit. I have it, and it works well. Its their CS4500 product but I think its been discontinued now.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

To the OP's point - Airmar used to have a replacement that was an ultrasonic unit with a box of tricks that mapped the signals into the pulses required by the ST60 head unit. I have it, and it works well. Its their CS4500 product but I think its been discontinued now.

Unfortunately, you're right on all counts! Raymarine even used to sell it for use with the ST60+, but they no longer do so, and Airmar have discontinued it. Unfortunately, Airmar's suggested replacements aren't compatible (only NMEA outputs). And I don't want to pay that much and have to get a conversion box as well - especially if said conversion box is a reverse-engineered one.

 

[ithet]

My

Yes, the idea is that you can have additional displays as repeaters at a chart table, on a motorboat flybridge, on the mast of a racing yacht, etc. Only one of them needs to be connected to a transducer.

Pete

So, if I have only one set of instruments it will work like that? In that case I don't need to send pulses just STW or VHW into my E85001?

 

[DipperToo]

If a ST60/ST60+/i50 Depth or Tridata Instrument does not sense that its depth transducer terminals have been connected to a compatible 200kHz instrument depth transducer, then the instrument will configure itself as a depth slave and repeat depth the depth value received via the SeaTalk bus or SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone. Similarly, if a ST60/ST60+/i50 Speed or Tridata Instrument does not sense that its instrument transducer terminals have been connected to a compatible speed/temp transducer, then the instrument will configure itself as a speed slave and repeat the speed value received via the SeaTalk bus or SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone

If the head unit reconfigures itself as a 'slave' or repeater, am I right in thinking that it will therefore no longer record trip data as it will be relying on a 'master' somewhere to record that additional data?

 

[dolabriform]

If the head unit reconfigures itself as a 'slave' or repeater, am I right in thinking that it will therefore no longer record trip data as it will be relying on a 'master' somewhere to record that additional data?

That is a very good question and I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that!

Probably a question for Raymarine

 

[prv]

So, if I have only one set of instruments it will work like that? In that case I don't need to send pulses just STW or VHW into my E85001?

I‘m pretty sure that’s correct. I don’t know if there‘s a list somewhere of what sentences the E85001 supports, but I’d expect VHW to be amongst them.

(note STW isn’t a sentence type, I just couldn’t be bothered to look up what sentence(s) carried Speed Through Water )

Pete

 

[dolabriform]

This is from the owners manual:

 

[dolabriform]

If the NASA doppler log behaves the same way as my AIRMAR NMEA DST-800, the log distance is stored in the transducer, so that would be sent over NMEA and converted to Seatalk and then displayed on the ST60

 

[ithet]

If the NASA doppler log behaves the same way as my AIRMAR NMEA DST-800, the log distance is stored in the transducer, so that would be sent over NMEA and converted to Seatalk and then displayed on the ST60

Yes, the NASA instrument sends VLW + VHW. I see a test project here, generate dummy NMEA messages from Arduino for waterspeed, distance and temp. Convert them to Seatalk via E85001, then see what the ST60s (with transducers removed ) display. Shame about lockdown!

 

[dolabriform]

Yes, the NASA instrument sends VLW + VHW. I see a test project here, generate dummy NMEA messages from Arduino for waterspeed, distance and temp. Convert them to Seatalk via E85001, then see what the ST60s (with transducers removed ) display. Shame about lockdown!

I have arduinos and ST60 at home, but the E85001 is on the boat

 

[cloud-nine]

I've got a suite of Raymarine St60 instruments, including the log. As most people have found, the log only works when clean, and in East Coast waters, I find it doesn't stay clean for very long, and is also blocked by beasties attaching around the transducer.

Is there a doppler (or other non-mechanical) transducer that is compatible with the Raymarine ST60+?

 

[cloud-nine]

A friend at NASA told me that they were working on a variant of their electromaqgnetic log with a pulse stream
output that mimics a paddle wheel and will work with the ST60 log. Why not give them a call.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

A friend at NASA told me that they were working on a variant of their electromaqgnetic log with a pulse stream
output that mimics a paddle wheel and will work with the ST60 log. Why not give them a call.

Thanks - that sounds very interesting.

 

[MapisM]

Thanks - that sounds very interesting.

If you would find out more about that, could you let us know?
I for one might be interested.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

If you would find out more about that, could you let us know?
I for one might be interested.

I have just had a response from NASA Marine, saying that they will have a modified version of their EM transducer that will output a pulse output suitable for use with the ST60.