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After Midnight

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I went with one of the basic Nexus start packs (image below, detail on this page

http://www.nexusmarine.se/templates/Pro ... 06D81C9%7D.

 

It does fail one of your criteria, in that it has a box about the size of a fag packet that collects the data from the masthead transducer, joins it up with the data from the through-hull transducer and flicks the whole lot on to the displays. But if I could install it... :roll: there are maybe only three or four plugs that you need to hook up anyway.

 

I did play around with the calibration a bit before realising that it worked best exactly as it was supplied.

 

As Gappy posted (somewhere) they have a practice of pulling the gear out of the box and checking that it works before they let it go out to a customer.

 

One thing you might want to bear in mind is that if in future you want to move beyond the basic functionality of that package, you will need to add a server and doing it that way will possibly work out more expensive than going straight there in the first place.

LARGE_nx_startpack3.jpg

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Yes NX2 simple and works! May even fit existing skin fitting!!

 

You can add on in stages, add big displays behind mast or in cockpit. Useful for more experienced sailors now that their sight is knot as good as they tell others its OK :thumbup:

 

The wind display may be connected to a wired sensor if you have one already at masthead, but the wireless is easier and keeps everything the "same" brand, so already well tried & tested.

 

Download the manuals and pre-read before buying.

http://www.nexusmarine.se/templates/Page____240.aspx?epslanguage=EN

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KM,

 

Not sure how you're going to get it to talk to each other better if you don't go for either a standards based network or lock in with one manufatcurer.

 

NMEA data straight from the sensor (so the same data can be used in all of your instruments, plotter, laptop, etc) without any black box, is your best way to achieve that. Then you can choose any display you want.

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wireless and a black box.....

2 things that make me nervous.

 

 

Kiwi Yaching have a specially designed suitcase with a FULL system so if you talk nicely to them, you could have a play / test sail.

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KM,

 

Not sure how you're going to get it to talk to each other better if you don't go for either a standards based network or lock in with one manufatcurer.

 

NMEA data straight from the sensor (so the same data can be used in all of your instruments, plotter, laptop, etc) without any black box, is your best way to achieve that. Then you can choose any display you want.

Yes I've noticed that while many say they chat with others it appears that only happens in a very strict and often limited way. I'm thinking a single manufacturer is the way forward.

 

As the most important instrument for me is Ray, my auto driver, I may have to start there and work forward. Currently have Navman and never had an issue but it just won't talk nice to Ray. Seems to be a NZ V Aussie like situation. You can understand most of what they say but then there is the odd WTF? that just chucks it into some disarray causing random actions. My boat doesn't need more random, it can only just cope with me as it is :)

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KM,

 

Not sure how you're going to get it to talk to each other better if you don't go for either a standards based network or lock in with one manufatcurer.

 

NMEA data straight from the sensor (so the same data can be used in all of your instruments, plotter, laptop, etc) without any black box, is your best way to achieve that. Then you can choose any display you want.

Yes I've noticed that while many say they chat with others it appears that only happens in a very strict and often limited way. I'm thinking a single manufacturer is the way forward.

 

As the most important instrument for me is Ray, my auto driver, I may have to start there and work forward. Currently have Navman and never had an issue but it just won't talk nice to Ray. Seems to be a NZ V Aussie like situation. You can understand most of what they say but then there is the odd WTF? that just chucks it into some disarray causing random actions. My boat doesn't need more random, it can only just cope with me as it is :)

 

KM

 

My Raymarine autohelm talks to my Navman via NMEA. Admittedly, it mostly says things like "You know what, Mr Plotter, I couldn't give a toss where you want me to go, I'm thinking of doing my own thing today.... here goes..." etc. So I have a bunch of Navman/Navstar talking to each other on proprietary Navbus and the odd man out (Ray) chipping into the conversation (mainly making idle threats) speaking NMEA.

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KM

 

My Raymarine autohelm talks to my Navman via NMEA. Admittedly, it mostly says things like "You know what, Mr Plotter, I couldn't give a toss where you want me to go, I'm thinking of doing my own thing today.... here goes..." etc. So I have a bunch of Navman/Navstar talking to each other on proprietary Navbus and the odd man out (Ray) chipping into the conversation (mainly making idle threats) speaking NMEA.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Hmmmm.... OK maybe I should revisit the current crop of stuff them. The paperwork I had shows the strings both use and only the odd one matched up. Must suss what this Navbus dodacky is. The word Proprietary can be scary these days.

 

I must admit to having a desire to have some knowledge of how things work so I can at least attempt to try and work out why I'm in a reported 90kts of wind yet fully sailed and still drifting.

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The word Proprietary can be scary these days.

 

I must admit to having a desire to have some knowledge of how things work so I can at least attempt to try and work out why I'm in a reported 90kts of wind yet fully sailed and still drifting.

 

As I understand it, in my limited knowledge, often the "proprietary" NMEA sentences are sent more frequently than the basic NMEA sentences, hence the statements that "we have faster data" in our equipment. Some instruments need to be told exactly what sentence to "listen for" and so ommits reading the other "say ten" sentences running around your wiring (network). So some instruments (or systems) require you to set up what NMEA sentence to "actually send" as well as the receiving instruments need to be told (setup) exactly what sentence to listen to.

 

So the GPS had to be told to send a GLL out on the Output 2 channel that was then connected to the VHF and now we have Lat & Long appearing on the VHF screen, which will be sent in the DSC distress message if activated.

E.g.

 

$GPGLL,4916.45,N,12311.12,W,225444,A,*1D

$GP = NMEA sentence from a GPS

GLL - Geographic Latitude and Longitude (hangover from Loran)

Where:

GLL Geographic position, Latitude and Longitude

4916.46,N Latitude 49 deg. 16.45 min. North

12311.12,W Longitude 123 deg. 11.12 min. West

225444 Fix taken at 22:54:44 UTC

A Data Active or V (void)

*iD checksum data

 

Note that, as of the 2.3 release of NMEA, there is a new field in the RMC sentence at the end just prior to the checksum.

 

 

Yet to do: Get the depth GRAPH on the GPS / plotter screen.

 

So perhaps your 90kts is a maximum wind speed from a recent gale when you were nice and warm. safely home fast asleep :thumbup:

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KM

 

Hooking up the Navman stuff using the proprietary Navbus system is actually astonishingly easy. Even this idiot managed to do it. Assuming each instrument is correctly installed in it's own right, all you do then is literally connect all the orange cables together and all the blues. That's it. The Navman boxes then chat amongst themselves happily. If you want to add the Ray, you can only easily do it by wiring to the NMEA of one of the Navman instruments - take your pick either wind or plotter. If you want to extend beyond single point and get your Ray to talk to more than one Navman unit then you are into setting up an NMEA network/bus. Which I have not bothered with, since all my kit is now on borrowed time.

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Oh that makes it all look a bit better then. I don't remember seeing orange wires only blue but I will suss deeper.

 

All I really want is the wind gear to talk to Ray so I can set Ray to wind angles rather than straight line compass course. If the rest doesn't chat it doesn't really matter. I don't have a plotter and don't see one in this boats future, can't see why it would ever need one.

 

I prefer the KISF principal. Yes most use the KISS principal but often I'm way more fuckwit than stupid.

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Oh that makes it all look a bit better then. I don't remember seeing orange wires only blue but I will suss deeper.

 

All I really want is the wind gear to talk to Ray so I can set Ray to wind angles rather than straight line compass course. If the rest doesn't chat it doesn't really matter. I don't have a plotter and don't see one in this boats future, can't see why it would ever need one.

 

I prefer the KISF principal. Yes most use the KISS principal but often I'm way more fuckwit than stupid.

 

Emailed you a COLOURED wiring example of NAVBUS in excel.

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KM the manuals can be found online here

 

http://www.navmanmarine.net/Navman/Templates/standardcontent.aspx?id=5278

 

The Wind3100 (assuming that is what you have) supports the following NMEA0813 sentences

 

NMEA 0183 outputs: MWV, VPW;

NMEA 0183 inputs RMC, VHW, VTG.

 

You need to figure out what your Ray requires to see if it is compatible.

 

Here is the wiring colour codes just in case.

 

 

 

BTW: The NAVBUS is proprietary so won't connect to your Ray.

 

 

*** Edit ***

 

Assuming you have a Ray 1000+ or Ray2000+, here is the NMEA interface and sentences supported.

 

 

 

At first glance it doesn't look like there are compatible sentences (Navman doesn't put out VWR).

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Ray is a 2000ST. And your mental prowGuess is even better as Yes 3100 windy gear. Branded Northstar but the same as Navman just without the issues.

 

Farrari has seen what I saw, they talk similar but knot quite the same.

 

The wind gear isn't fitted as yet so that's why I want to make sure it all talks as it would be a bastard to find out afterwards.

 

I am tempted to just got get some of Rays cuzzies and that should sort it all out, if knot it'll be 0800-RAY-SELLER-GET-YOUR-ARSE-HERE-AND-SORT-IT.

 

We do a fair bit with Rays NZ people so I may pop up and have a chat. If it all looks like a go, work may have to buy some technical instrumentation... for the Test Bed of course ;) It is a brand that doesn't seem to have the level of bitching attached that some others do so I suppose that's possibly a good thing. I must say I have had a good run out of the gear with that name on it and it is a old name so one would hope they have squished all the bugs by now. Actually we do a fair bit with most of the instrument sellers bar one or 2 so I may ask around and see if any have some trick stuff that isn't tricked up. Knot all options available are shown or promoted sometimes so being able to know who to chat to in the backroom can be damn handy at times.

 

Lot to be said for the simplicity of a length of string with knots in it and a damn good feather. Big power saving as well :) :)

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Errr.... hang on a mo. Maybe I can't go to L&B just yet, there is an embarrassment factor involoved.

 

Sent my handheld VHF in after Simrad R1 with a note saying 'broken won't go, what's wrong with it?'.

 

A day later it arrive back with a note saying 'Unit fine, owner is a dick. Charge the batteries and you'll find performance will increase dramatically'.

 

Bugger!! :oops: :oops: :oops:

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Errr.... hang on a mo. Maybe I can't go to L&B just yet, there is an embarrassment factor involoved.

 

Sent my handheld VHF in after Simrad R1 with a note saying 'broken won't go, what's wrong with it?'.

 

A day later it arrive back with a note saying 'Unit fine, owner is a dick. Charge the batteries and you'll find performance will increase dramatically'.

 

Bugger!! :oops: :oops: :oops:

Hmm, had almost the exact same experience myself a couple of months ago and have spent the last few days fault-finding again. I would almost be willing to take a punt at the model number you have got.

 

If it is anything like the way things went with mine, Lustys remove the battery pack, slot in their own used-every-day-and-known-to-be-reliable battery pack and reach the conclusion above - unit fine, owner is the problem. In doing so, they overlook the possibility that there may be problems with the actual battery pack that belongs to the unit. They do not seem to like being left switched off for an extended period (does that sound like something that could happen to handheld VHF? :roll: The manual recommends the batteries are pulled out and stored separately in that situation).

 

Corrosion of just a couple of the batteries seems to have been the culprit on mine - not a lot but enough to make it dodgy. Mine would switch itself on and off just by rotating it through 180 degrees in my hand - not the kind of thing you would want if you were bailing to a raft.

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Connecting my Ray auto to my Navman wind point-to-point via NMEA is exactly what I've done.

 

If I remember rightly, I had to connect the +ve NMEA output of the Wind to the +NMEA of the Auto. And then connect the -ve NMEAs of both to the -ve 12v battery supply. I think. :? But whetever the precise wiring is, it is definitely possible. Worst scenario, you can come and take a look at my setup and confirm the setup.

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