[C320-list] Instrumentation

[Stephen Cox]

> I currently have:
> A) Raymarine C80 chartplotter in the salon connected to a 
> Raystar 125 GPS receiver, not connected to anything else.
> B) Raymarine ST4000+ autohelm control head at the helm, with 
> the wheel controller and fluxgate compass, also not connected 
> to anything else.
> 
> C) Raymarine ST60 Speed and Depth at the helm, with their 
> transducers below, also not connected to anything else.
> 
> I'd like to add wind, maybe AIS, get the chartplotter to the 
> helm, and get everything talking to each other.

You can wire everything you have now together simply using the original
SeaTalk.  As I understand it, your C80 will then be able to display all
sorts of info as well as set waypoints etc for your autopilot.  Its
surprising that you haven't already done so as you are missing out on the
full capability of what you have installed.

> 
> My questions for anyone out there, based upon your experience 
> with the C320...
> 
> 1) Does anyone have experience (good/bad) with wireless wind 
> transducers and TackTick (now Raymarine Wireless)

No
 
> 2) Do I need to drop the mast to wire a masthead wind transducer?

While it may be easier to do it on the ground there is no reason why it
couldn't be done with the mast up.

> 3) Do you have thoughts about using one big multi-function 
> display vs. normal individual instruments? 

What do you do if the one big instrument fails?  If its an afternoon sail it
would be an incovenience.  If you were doing some serious passage making it
would be sub optimal to say the least.

> 
> 4) Has anyone had success with anything new/innovative, such 
> as iPad based or something other than RayMarine?
>

I currently use Windows laptop based charting in the cabin where I have an
ST70+ instrument repeating all the data available from my GPS, Wind, Depth,
Speed and autopilot instruments.  I now have the same charts on an Android
tablet but have yet to use in earnest.  At the helm I have used a mounted
handheld GPS into which I download waypoints from the laptop.  The autopilot
is used simply to maintain a heading rather than sterring to a waypoint.  I
use paper charts as an initial planning and backup tool.
 
> If you had to do it all again, what would be your preferred setup?

I am in the process of fitting an E7 at the helm which will give me charting
there as well as lots of other information displays.  I will not be removing
my depth, speed and wind instruments even if I could. (I have ST60
instruments and these do the interfacing between the transducer and Seatalk
so need to keep them or upgrade everything to SeaTalk NG at much expense for
no real gain).  I already have the RS125 GPS interfaced to my DSC equipped
VHF radio to provide location in an emergency call situation and I am
considering adding an AIS receiver to complete the system.
   
> I prefer simple and reliable, but I'm not sure if that it 
> wireless (less cabling to go wrong), multi-function (fewer 
> components), or stand-alone instruments (tried & true with 
> isolated components).

Wiring up your various instruments with SeaTalk is very simple.  Instruments
can be daisy chained together where they have two SeaTalk sockets on them or
brought to a common point using the SeaTalk Junction Box or as I do, a
combination of both to minimise cable runs.  You don't even need to use
Raymarine cables if you can source the small crimp on terminals that go onto
the SeaTalk male pins.
 
> I'm wishing the prior owner got the deluxe instrument package 
> and I wouldn't have to solve this riddle :)

You will understand your system much better if you have installed it
yourself and consequently be better able to diagnose any issues that occur
down the track.  There is plenty of information about connecting the
instruments together in the downloadable product manuals available form the
Raymarine web site if you don't have the originals.

Stephen Cox
Tegwen #1141