Wednesday, 26 March 2025

NMEA 2000, instruments and autopilot

This network was completed and operational in Sept 2024.   The drawing was done in Maretron's N2K builder.  Not a perfect drawing but it serves the purpose. Not yet connected is the Victron Cerbo GX.   (Which is the hub to which the AC and DC devices is networked and monitored.)    This requires an VE.can to NMEA2000 adaptor.  In a perfect world, the Victon data would be seamlessly N2K compatible, ane would be displayed on the MFD.   Not sure this is the case.   I'm not certain what the benefit of N2K integration with the Victon network might be.  

  • Standard Horizon GX1850B and SSM70H RAM4 remote mic  (2024)
  • B&G zeus broadband 4G Radar
  • B&G zeus3-9 worldmap MFD
  • B&G zeus3-7 worldmap MFD  (2024)
  • B&G NAC-3 Autopilot (2024) and new rudder position sensor.
  • B&G NAIS-500 class b AIS transceiver
  • B&G GPS-500 GPS antenna
  • DST810 through hull sensor (2024)
  • WS320 wireless wind sensor  (2024)
  • WS200 Bluetooth (2024)
  • forward looking sonar

Final refinement and troubleshooting was completed in August 2024, having been slowed by a defective 4-port splitter block and a still silent radar.   MMSI  numbers now entered in the VHF and NAIS500. 

Jun

A Zeus3 7" MFD has been installed above companionway in the prior instrument housing, where there is just enough space to install it.    Made the replacement instrument panel, thinner than the original.  (It’s what the supplier had in stock.).  






This small pod will be retained for a possible autopilot controller, or?



 


Jan 2024 post

Have purchased a DST810 sensor, WS230 wireless wind, and second Zeus3 display for the helm. (all N2K)    This will replace the existing autopilot controller as well as provide full info display at the helm.   (Later:  didn’t fit at the helm, and I didn’t like adding the massive pod required.  It’ll go over the companionway.  Probably didn’t need it but it does provide a good instrument display and autopilot control.  )

Now all that is needed is to resolve the autopilot and troubleshoot the radar.  Radar:   https://www.bandg.com/help--support/?stPage=contentListPage-1

may need an adaptor to eliminate the junction box - 000-0127-56


Nov 2023 Post

Sakura has some relatively current electronics (gps, radar, chartplotter/mfd, sonar, ais, vhf, satphone) but also retains the original Raytheon autopilot, depth/speed/wind instruments.   Wind data is currently not displaying, I would assume the sensor is malfunctioning.   The older instruments are otherwise functional but do not fully integrate with the new.   The autopilot technology in particular has improved significantly and is therefore on the upgrade list.

New(ish) - 

  • Raymarine Ray53 VHF
  • B&G zeus broadband 4G Radar
  • B&G zeus3-9 worldmap MFD
  • B&G NAIS-500 class b AIS transceiver
  • B&G GPS-500 GPS antenna




Old - to upgrade
  • Raytheon autopilot 
  • ST60 Depth, speed, wind











2 comments:

  1. Thanks again for putting in the effort to share this. Did you replace the autopilot actuator? If so, with what and was the install relatively straight forward? My Simrad a/p is on its last legs, and I researching its likely replacement.

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  2. I did not replace the hydraulic drive and cylinder, but I did replace the aged Raytheon "brain" with the B&G NAC-3. Apparently the NAC-2 is not able to provide enough current. The more sophisticated racing oriented systems are more complex that I need or want to deal with. The Rudder position sensor must also be replaced as it works on a different electrical principle, however it shares the form factor of older Raymarine (and I assume other) units, so the installation should be straightforward.

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