[CA] [CA11] Electronics Replacement Installation

[Drew1010]

Hi All,

I'm tackling the task of replacing all of my electronics on my 33 foot sailing boat with new and have purchased the following:

- Raymarine I70 wind, depth & Speed pack (including Raymarine ITC-5)
- Additional Raymarine I70 display
- Raymarine C97 MFD
- Raymarine autohelm EV100 with P70S control head

I am struggling on how i am best to cable/network for the installation, in particular i am looking for advice on the following items:

1) How should power be run to the backbone? Can this be done directly to the ITC-5 to then reticulate via the backbone?

2) If the backbone is powered, can power simply be provided to the C97 MFD via a spur cable? I understand that it will not give me all functions but i only want to use it as a chart plotter.

3) I plan on mounting the C97 MFD in a Navpod at the helm and passing the cable down through the stainless rail at the helm, to do the least damage and make it as simple as possible i plan on using a stripped end spur cable. Is this recommended or is there a better way?

4) Is there an advantage of connecting the autohelm into the network? It is currently standalone but is old ST40 gear. What are the benefits?

I have put together a schematic of how i think the system should be put together and welcome advice prior to purchasing the additional cables/connectors required to complete the installation.

Cheers

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Drew,

Diagram comments:

The diagram is incorrect with regard to suggesting that the Evolution ACU100 will be interfaced directly to the backbone and that the p70S and EV-1 will in turn be interfaced to the ACU100. Like other SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 devices, the p70S, ACU100, and EV-1 CCU will each be installed via an appropriate length of SeaTalkng Spur Cable to the system's powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone.

Q1. How should power be run to the backbone? Can this be done directly to the ITC-5 to then reticulate via the backbone?
A1. While the backbone may be powered from any spur socket, it should be powered from a spur socket which is located at the approximate midpoint of the backbone's LEN load.

Q2. If the backbone is powered, can power simply be provided to the C97 MFD via a spur cable?
A2. Negative. MFDs are neither designed to be powered nor to supply power to a backbone. MFDs must be powered via the power cable packaged with the MFD.

Q3. I plan on mounting the C97 MFD in a Navpod at the helm and passing the cable down through the stainless rail at the helm, to do the least damage and make it as simple as possible i plan on using a stripped end spur cable. Is this recommended or is there a better way?
A3. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject. As indicated therein, it is recommended that the backbone terminate within a sailboat's binnacle pod. It is typically not be necessary to remove a backbone or spur cable's plug to pass it though binnacle tubing and it would be recommended that both binnacle tubes be used.

Q4. Is there an advantage of connecting the autohelm into the network? It is currently standalone but is old ST40 gear. What are the benefits?
A4. There's no disadvantage in doing so. It would simply permit the ST40 to repeat data from the system. A SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter Kit would be installed as a component of the backbone to which the ST40 instrument would then be interfaced.