Simrad TP32 to NMEA2000

[mullet]

I’ve got a TP32 tiller pilot that I rarely use but probably would if I could hook it up to my NMEA net and tell it to steer to wind.

The pilot’s wiring harness has a yellow female simnet connection. I’ve found simnet-n2k adaptors but they all have female simnet connections too - and appear to be for connecting an NMEA device to a simrad network rather than the other way round. Can I cut the tiller pilot’s simnet connector off and just replace with an NMEA 2000 field connector? Or will this not work, or is there a simpler solution? I’m finding the navico documentation… unclear.

Also interested in anyone’s experience good/bad/otherwise when connecting a TP32 to a NMEA2000. Thanks.

 

[Martin_J]

That sounds like the easiest/quickest way to do it... The wire colours will be obvious.

Not one of my photos, but a clear exasperated of what you'll find here when you chop the plug off..
Into the Nitty-Gritty of NMEA 2000 | Cruising World

 

[Martin_J]

The Simnet to NMEA2000 kits look expensive for what they are...



But if you have the NMEA2000 parts already, and also have that Simnet <-> Micro-C cable, then perhaps you could just buy the Simnet joiner..

https://hudsonmarine.co.uk/products/navico-simnet-joiner-yellow-without-terminator-44172260

 

[mullet]

Thanks for the replies. I don’t have any of the Simnet adaptors or m-f converters - but I do have several cut off ends of NMEA drop cables. Don’t especially fancy spending £60+ on the Navico bits to see if the pilot has full functionality from NMEA so I’ll cut off the Simnet female plug on the pilot wiring harness and test it directly attached to an N2K drop cables. Don’t think there is much to lose from doing this as I doubt I’ll ever want to use the Simnet wiring.

 

[Martin_J]

Once connected, you should be able to confirm the TP32 is on the NMEA2000 network by listing the network devices, in a menu, on whatever other display(s) you already have on the network.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I did this. I just spliced into a standard N2K drop cable. Just make sure you get the colours right It's worked perfectly for the last 4 years.

 

[mullet]

Update: I cut the end off the simnet cable; found that it was a 5-core cable with same colours as standard NMEA (various sources suggested it would be 4-core, some that colours were different); screwed on an NMEA field connector.

Tiller pilot control from plotter for steer to waypoint is working as it should. I’ve not got wind instruments hooked up at the moment so don’t know about steer to wind yet - next thing to sort.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

[alanfw]

I just found your thread while looking for something related. I can confirm that the TP32 will sail to wind when you have an N2K wind sensor. It will also sail to waypoint but not follow a route with intervention at each waypoint.
(I have a Garmin Echomap, B&G WS320 wind sensor, B&G Precision 9 compass.)

I'm glad to hear that splicing the N2K cable to the Simnet cable worked - I spent the excessively overpriced adaptor a year ago. While rearranging my cables last week my adaptor cable collapsed - expensive garbage that had become brittle.

Cheers

Alan

 

[alanfw]

Sorry.... will NOT follow a route without intervention. I just need to press the NAV button again when the TP32 beeps at the end of each leg.