YAPP Crew Watcher - 2 testers required

[AngusMcDoon]

Does this use the same ST output as the Raymarine Lifetag system? If so, would one of those ST1 - STng converters work? http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=1597
It would be an added expense, but hopefully still far cheaper than a Lifetag system!

I don't know what the Raymarine system sends or whether the converter converts it. As long as my device receives GPS data somehow it provides a heading and distance back to the last known location on its display. It doesn't have to be linked to a chartplotter.

 

[Cardo]

I don't know what the Raymarine system sends or whether the converter converts it. As long as my device receives GPS data somehow it provides a heading and distance back to the last known location on its display. It doesn't have to be linked to a chartplotter.

I appreciate the unit itself can work as a standalone, but I also find the idea of the plotter receiving the MOB signal and itself plotting the location very useful.

I was going off this from your OP
"a full Seatalk system including a chart plotter of some kind that can display the MOB alarm"
So if the Lifetag system uses some sort of standard ST MOB msg, then hopefully this would also work.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I appreciate the unit itself can work as a standalone, but I also find the idea of the plotter receiving the MOB signal and itself plotting the location very useful.

I was going off this from your OP
"a full Seatalk system including a chart plotter of some kind that can display the MOB alarm"
So if the Lifetag system uses some sort of standard ST MOB msg, then hopefully this would also work.

I don't know what Raymarine products send this MOB message but I expect the Lifetag does. The message is listed in Thomas Knauf's Seatalk page, and if I send it to my old RC530 chartplotter it does appropriate things. I would like to know if later chartplotters do the same (I expect they do ) which is why I need testing on boats other than mine. I don't know if the Seatalk to SeatalkNG converter passes the message through, but would be interested to know if anyone can try it. My testing is limited to the equipment I possess.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

I'll be testing it on a C70 multifunction and an RL70C connected either via Seatalk to the NMEA input on the S3G or via direct NMEA input to the C70.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I'll be testing it on a C70 multifunction and an RL70C connected either via Seatalk to the NMEA input on the S3G or via direct NMEA input to the C70.

I don't understand that. How do you connect Seatalk to the NMEA input on the S3G? Also my device has no NMEA output so can't be connected directly to an NMEA input on a C70. Do you have a display connected by Seatalk? My device has the following interfaces...

NMEA0183 - input only for receiving GPS position data
Seatalk - input and out put for receiving GPS position data and for sending MOB alarms

The reason for this is I am not aware of any NMEA0183 message for sending a MOB alarm and position.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Sorry, my poor description. The RL70C takes GPS position via seatalk from the S3G which in turn has had it from a NMEA GPS input. The MOB unit I will be testing will take its input and output via Seatalk when connected to the RL70C.

On the C70 I will give the MOB unit its GPS via NMEA and let it communicate with the C70 by Seatalk. That way I will hopefully cover all its input and output capabilities.

I hope that sounds more like it?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Sorry, my poor description. The RL70C takes GPS position via seatalk from the S3G which in turn has had it from a NMEA GPS input. The MOB unit I will be testing will take its input and output via Seatalk when connected to the RL70C.

On the C70 I will give the MOB unit its GPS via NMEA and let it communicate with the C70 by Seatalk. That way I will hopefully cover all its input and output capabilities.

I hope that sounds more like it?

Sounds better. I'll post it when it stops raining and I can cycle to the PO.

 

[Martin_J]

Angus..
Have you looked into the DSC and DSE NMEA sentences as sent between a DSC radio and associated chart plotter?
I believe the DSC sentence is the one used in the Standard Horizon radios when sending the sentence via NMEA to inform the Standard Horizon chart plotter that it has heard a DSC Distress Alert.
The position and type of distress alert is then shown in the correct position on the plotter.
DSE is probably used in the position request so would be irrelevant to this project.
Hope this helps.. Martin.

 

[Martin_J]

In case anyone thinks I was getting confused between DSC and NMEA sentences in my posting above..

I was suggesting the NMEA 3.01 sentence such as the example below..

$CDDSC,,2350726540,,10,00,0504700103,1609,,,S,*2

Adding a zero to the end of the MMSI is the easy part.
What could be tricky is that the position information is sent in a different format to the usual $GPGLL sentence.

 

[Cardo]

The reason for this is I am not aware of any NMEA0183 message for sending a MOB alarm and position.

I found this:
http://www.nmea.org/Assets/21030814 nmea 0183_man overboard notification_mob_sentence amendment.pdf

But it doesn't look like our Raymarine e7 supports the sentence, so I don't know how widely supported it is.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I found this:
http://www.nmea.org/Assets/21030814 nmea 0183_man overboard notification_mob_sentence amendment.pdf

But it doesn't look like our Raymarine e7 supports the sentence, so I don't know how widely supported it is.

Only came out 6 months ago so nothing likely to support it yet.

 

[Cardo]

Only came out 6 months ago so nothing likely to support it yet.

Latest LightHouse (newish Raymarine plotter OS) overhaul came out in January! But I guess Raymarine aren't in a rush to implement it.