We are picking up this project as we have had a near lightning strike that caused some damage, but as it has been a long time since we last worked on it, let me first describe what we had done earlier:
We started by removing and selling all our old electronics: Raytheon radar/plotter and a plotter/fishfinder, an old but trusted Furuno GPS unit and a complete B&G Hydra2000 system that included cockpit instruments, compass, wind, depth, speed etc. This brought in a surprising amount of cash.
Next we dumped equipment that had no more life in it: a VHF with two remote stations; a forward looking sonar; a man overboard alarm system and a satellite telephone system.
Then we kept some equipment: our old WH Smith autopilot for backup and our Simrad AP25 autopilot which can be connected to NMEA2000.
Then we selected the new electronics. This all starts with the NMEA2000 network for which we selected Maretron components. They have a computer program called N2KBuilder that you can use to design the network and which checks all the design rules regarding cable lengths, voltage levels etc. It even generates the material lists for easy ordering.
The network needs to provide data from many sensors to instruments that need it. We also need a computer interface for configuring, updating firmware and navigation programs and a display. For this we also selected Maretron as the primary supplier and we selected the following components:
- WSO100 ultrasonic wind/weather sensor. This sensor has no moving parts and provides wind direction, wind speed, air temperature, humidity and barometric pressure.
- GPS200 satellite positioning sensor. It can simultaneously lock onto 32 satellites from the GPS and GLONASS constellations, as well as WAAS and MSAS augmentation systems. The important data it sends onto the network is the current position, date and time, course and speed over ground and magnetic variation for the current position.
- SSC200 solid state compass. This unit has a rate gyro and besides magnetic heading, it also provides data for pitch, roll and rate of turn.
- DST110 triducer. This is an Airmar unit but buying it from Maretron enables seamless configuration from their displays and software. This unit provides data for speed through water, water depth and water temperature.
- USB100 NMEA2000 to USB gateway. This provides a USB port and comes with dreaded Windows drivers :-o
- DSM250 display. This is not only a great display; it allows us to configure alerts for anything we want. It is installed in the salon.
Next brand that we selected on both reputation and experience was Furuno. We bought the following:
- GP33 satellite navigator. This unit supports 12 channels GPS-only, which is still good enough :) It does have WAAS augmentation and a display/control unit, but this is mostly a backup unit to the GPS200 sensor and other navigation screens. It does allow us to store waypoints and routes and feed data onto the NMEA2000 network, including input for the autopilot. This unit is installed at the navstation
- Navnet3D MFD12 multi-function display with DRS-4D 4kW radar dome. Now that I write this there are newer radar sets available but this is a solid performer, with a great radar display with ARPA tracking that can be combined with AIS targets. It is a huge step up from the Raytheon we had :) The display is installed in the pilothouse and the radar antenna in the mizzen mast on a nice gimballed mount.
- RD33 displays. These are multi-function displays that can show almost all data that is on the NMEA2000 network. One is installed in the pilothouse and the other in the master cabin so we can keep an eye on it while in bed.
Our Simrad AP25 autopilot is based on the old RobNet from Robertson but the display unit also had SimNet connectors which are compatible with NMEA2000. We simply used an adapter cable to connect it and this added data to the network from it rate gyro compass and rudder angle sensor. It also allowed it access to all other network data that it uses for steering.
This is how we started this season and I will write posts on all the add-ons and modifications we make this season. For starters, here is the new network diagram:
Help with some clarification on an older post on Cruisers & Sailing Forum, dated 16-08-2009, if you can remember any of this. It was a while ago!
"From My Design to My Installation: New AC Power System"
"- The main panel service select breakers. Here I get a little tricky. Almost every AC panel have these: two double pole breakers with some slider that forces you to switch off one before you can switch on the other. They are intended for shore/generator or generator/inverter selection. I select between the main system and the small inverter. But now the tricky part: the main system is 120/240V and the small inverter is 120V only. The double-pole breaker for the main system has L1 on one pole and L2 on the other, at 25A breaker value. We don't put neutral on there for several reasons (need 3-pole breaker, neutral=jumpered hard to ground etc.). The second breaker, for the small inverter has a trick: one pole switches L; neutral isn't connected here either and the second pole inter-connects the two 120V bus bars of the panel (L1 and L2). This means that the output of the small inverter is available at all 120V breakers. You normally need two inverters for that, or an extra AT."
I'm confused. I'm confused a lot. Any help or diagram about what you are doing here? At your convenience!
Sincerely, Stephen
Posted by: Stephen Narron | 25 June 2016 at 17:28