Which Electronics system to choose?

machone said:
Thanks, I'll check. Maybe a separate AIS would be better but a combined unit seemed 'efficient'.
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I don't think it really makes much difference. The problem is not the radio, but the fact that the plotter is low on NMEA0183 ports. I think the smaller ones only have one input and one output, and they have to be at the same speed. So as soon as you connect an AIS (whether standalone or built into the radio) you need to choose the high speed, and GPS output at 38,400 is not accepted by many things.

Navico clearly have it in mind that people should be using NMEA2000, and the 0183 is just there for backwards compatibility. Unfortunately, for the typical sailing boat retro-fit, 0183 still makes more sense.

This wasn't a problem for me as the plotter won't really be connected to much - I have a cheap standalone GPS "puck" feeding the radio, and a separate AIS display.

Pete
 
An alternative is to have something like an Actisense NMEA multiplexer. Mine has several In and Out for 4800 and 1 x 38400, also a USB feed to the lappie.
 
Direct Drive - Lewmar

I've been recommended the Lewmar 1/4 ton direct drive instead of the b&G/simrad T1 piston under deck drive. Anybody had any experience with this lewmar unit, good or bad?
 
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machone said:
I've been recommended the Lewmar 1/4 ton direct drive instead of the b&G/simrad T1 piston under deck drive. Anybody had any experience with this lewmar unit, good or bad?
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I was recommended the Whitlock 1/4HP by the B&G installers, Precision Navigation.
 
I've tried the B&G Zeus Touch, best thing since sliced bread. With 7 inch Zeus Touch screen and iPad, screen size is not an issue. If you are sailing then long range radar is also not an issue, the claims of range for Broadband are seriously overstated but within 10nm very good and at 200m fantastic. The savings on power for Broadband are not great, maybe 25%, - but the instant on and low power on standby are exceptional. The new software from B&G on historic wind is very good (but its just software and everyone else will have it soon).

I'd be looking at everything from one supplier - no arguments over compatability.

I cannot comment on AIS nor DSC, neither are big things in Oz. We are still relying on Raymarine wind and log (essential - tells you about tide, ocean currents etc) and for autopilot - all of which have been reliable.

I believe all Navico's wind is the same B&G unit, all autopilots are Simrad - but things might change with the new marketing focus.

But whatever you buy - it will be superseded in 6 months.

Good Luck

Jonathan
 
machone said:
Did you take their recommendation? Are you..them! :-)
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No, I am not them......:D

I got a VERY good offer of a Raymarine Type 1 Linear 12v (plus a load of other Raymarine SeaTalkNG bits) from a forumite (it was a sailing school spare) which saved me over £1500 over the cost of the Whitlock.


At that price, I will get a spare.....
 
Will start a new thread asking about the whitlock!

Neeves, I've heard the same from a few people but there are also people who say the exact opposite. I see the logic of both views. B&G do have a great plotter but I'm not sure the tacking stuff will be relevant or work properly on my very bad sailing sailing boat! I'd like a bigger screen than the 7, which seems stupidly small for a split radar/nav which is a very useful screen. With an ipad this would be negated somewhat but my idea was to be able to 'glance in' through the companionway which with the 7(reasonable price) would be a waste of time. The 12 Zeus is a stupid price for a bigger screen - why??
 
machone said:
Will start a new thread asking about the whitlock!

Neeves, I've heard the same from a few people but there are also people who say the exact opposite. I see the logic of both views. B&G do have a great plotter but I'm not sure the tacking stuff will be relevant or work properly on my very bad sailing sailing boat! I'd like a bigger screen than the 7, which seems stupidly small for a split radar/nav which is a very useful screen. With an ipad this would be negated somewhat but my idea was to be able to 'glance in' through the companionway which with the 7(reasonable price) would be a waste of time. The 12 Zeus is a stupid price for a bigger screen - why??
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Big marinised screens do seem to cost a lot, but having had an ipad look at 'damp' and fail then having a fully waterproof screen makes sense (and in the long term saves money).

We have the 7 inch NSS, and now having had ample time to play with the Zeus Touch which costs little or nothing more - I wish we had the Touch. The Touch does everything the NSS does and plus. We have Broadband, 3G, and it all works well. I'd have agreed with you, 7 inch is too small - but it works. To me the cost of the 8 inch is not worth it and the 12 inch worse, put the 7 inch 'outside' and use the ipad inside. its very convenient to be anywhere on the boat and be able to look at the ipad, you can make a cup of tea, change an fuel filter and be watching the ipad (I've changed the fuel filters when single handed, wished I'd had an ipad then!). You can always disconnect the 7 inch and take it home if security is a problem. If you want Broadband you then need Navico. I think the other suppliers have the same issue - their radars demand their MFDs because the software, or enough of it is in the MFD. Its the way to lock us in - good marketing? We wanted Broadband, because we do not have AIS, and its not necessary here - if we sail to Tasmania from Sydney we might see 4 large commercial vessels - but we use radar for navigation, dodging thunderstorms, locating a position to anchor etc and we wanted the BB lower power 'on' usage and the instant 'on' (if we 'see' something we want to know now - not 60 second later when the unit has rewarmed up).

'Wind plot' is very good, the tacking stuff, better than guessing - and it costs little extra.

Here the support is very good from Navico, but it was equally as good from Raymarine.

Jonathan

PS I do not see Apple ever marinising their units - it would reduce sales too much! Buy a waterproof bag/pouch, now!
 
ukmctc said:
I have just fitted Garmin, fantastic, no wires, just plug and play. Beats all other systems hands down and can be fitted by anyone.
all instruments talk to each other, displays are easy to understand, Im looking forward to getting the radar soon, again no wiring problems, just plug in.
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Reading the above, it sounds that "Garmin use a wireless network". Is this the case? Or is their wired network perceived to be easier to install than others (eg: Raymarine)??
 
Surely that applies to most "all the same manufacturer" systems - you just daisy chain a plug in cable carrying the appropriate customised bus system. It only get complicated when using open systems (NMEA) or different manufacturers!
 
ukmctc said:
marinesuperstore are knocking out GMI10's at £195, under half price. I have just fitted 4x GMI10's, GWS kit (wind, depth, log, air temp, water temp, barometer), chart plotter 5012, DSC 200i, control mic, £2859. its all plug n play, new radar and 2nd chart plotter will cost me £1800.
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Sounds like you are doing OK with Kindle then!
 
Talulah said:
I upgraded last September to new Radar/Plotter/Instruments. Initially I thought I would go B&G Zeus Plotter, 4G radar and Triton instruments.
In the end I opted for Raymarine. Firstly I was put off at the Southampton Boat Show by the lack of interest by the sales people. Then when I looked at the dimensions of the Zeus display it wouldn't have looked quite right where I wanted to mount it. And then the costs were just getting silly.
6 months on I'm very pleased with the new Raymarine C/E Series. These new plotters are so much better than the older range. The digital Radar is just so much better than the old analogue one connected to the C70.
(With the new digital radar I just wouldn't worry about the performance difference when comparing it with 4G radar.)
The one thing I'm not happy about is the new Raymarine i60's wind instruments buzz. They obviously cancelled the sailboat testing due to lack of wind otherwise they would have realised how annoying that is. (They were shocked to discover this defect on their new infant product but haven't yet fixed it.)
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Apologies for the thread resurrection (I was searching for info on B&G autopilots), but I thought it might be helpful to note that a software update is available for the i60 to minimise the 'buzz'
 
Norman_E said:
Whilst I don't have or need radar, if you are going to put in an NMEA 2000 instrument system you need the transducers as well as the displays. Probably the cheapest way to start is to buy a complete starter kit with the cables (which are pretty expensive on their own) plus the through hull speed and depth transducer and the wind transducer. The hull transducer will be an Airmar one, whatever make of kit you buy, but the masthead unit will be specific to the instrument make, although its NMEA 2000 output will work with any. I bought the B&G starter kit, but in some ways the Garmin one is better because its mast head cable has a user installable plug on one end. allowing easier installation. Garmin also include a lightning suppressor. In addition the Garmin mast head unit has a barometric pressure sensor, which the B & G one does not. With that sensor the instruments can display current pressure and can show a barograph display giving you a very useful graphical warning if pressure is falling fast. The Garmin starter set of transducers, cables and one instrument is cheaper than the similar B&G Triton set. If I was buying again I would chose Triton displays at each helm and have a Garmin GMi 10 because the latter gives you a close hauled or running magnified wind display, something that the Tritons lack. If you can wait till they appear Garmin has just announced the GM1 20 with a bigger screen, which should be in the shops in a few months, and may well have a starter set offer. After final installation and sail testing of my new NMEA 2000 network which uses several different makes of equipment I intend to write an article for PBO.
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After spending most of 2014 reading every instrument thread on here as we have some new kit to get, the above post (with the exception of the new wide screen Garmin display which I did not know about) sums up my conclusions exactly ! Also, I would steer clear of Raymarine backbone imo.

Haha - just noticed the date of my quoted post - just goes to show what bullshit I am capable of posting :)
 
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Storyline said:
After spending most of 2014 reading every instrument thread on here as we have some new kit to get, the above post (with the exception of the new wide screen Garmin display which I did not know about) sums up my conclusions exactly ! Also, I would steer clear of Raymarine backbone imo.
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I have a full Garmin system on my new boat, with GMI20 displays, and it's very impressive. I wouldn't describe the GMI20 as "wide screen", but it is a crisp and versatile display.
 
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