What Navigation Equipment?

[Luke]

Does anyone know of a good read that would explain to someone (whos last experience of buying electronic nav aids was an RDF) what's out there, what does and doesn't fit together etc. NMEA, Seatalk - its all double dutch to me!

 

[billmacfarlane]

Seatalk is a propriety protocol created and used by Raymarine. What it means is that separate instruments such as an echo sounder and log and GPS can be linked together and data exchanged between them. NMEA is a step further. Instruments from different companies can be linked together and exchange data. An example of this is a chartplotter from e.g Simrad can be linked to a GPS from Furuno and the chartplotter will take its position data from the GPS and use it to display the yacht's position. With Raymarine instruments they offer both interfaces , Seatalk and NMEA via a converter box. Use NMEA if you have different makers kit.

 

[charles_reed]

I know of no UK books on the subject

But Dashew has a good explanatory chapter on the background in his "Offshore Cruising Encylopedia".

Try and get it from the library, probably in the CA library, or failing that you'll have to purchase it.

have a look on www.setsail.com

 

[longjohnsilver]

Try the www.mesltd.co.uk web site, they usually have some pretty clear explanations of electronics.

 

[billmacfarlane]

If you go to the following URL , you'l find a good expanation of the NMEA interface :
http://www.bmea.org/other/nmea_what_is.html

 

[Paulka]

I've just got "A Boatowner's Guide to Using PCs on Board" it's very basic, but gives you a good overview on most of the existing possibilities.
I will send it to you at no cost if you're interested.

Paul