DSM300 and dual transducers

[WarrenMudd]

I currently have an E80 Classic, DSM300 (connected via SeaTalkHS ethernet), and dual transducers on the transom (50 and 200). I have not physically located the DSM300 yet, but the cable charts for it show only one transducer input. My question: how are 2 transducers hooked into DSM300? Is there a Y cable? Could there more than one DSM300? And if I upgrade to Axiom 9, which transducer would I hook up?
Confused!

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Warren,

Please click here to view a FAQ addressing how one may identify the models of transducers installed onboard the vessel. While the DSM300 is compatible with a number of fishfinder sonar transducers, it is neither compatible with any 200kHz-only transducers and it is not designed to be interfaced simultaneously interfaced to more than one fishfinder sonar transducer. DSM compatible transducers feature both 50kHz and 200kHz transducer elements. Should a DSM compatible fishfinder sonar transducer not feature speed through water and/or water temperature sensing capability, then it may be interfaced to a compatible fishfinder speed/temp transducer via a Y-cable supplied with the fishfinder speed/temp transducer. Additionally, the E-Series Classic MFDs were not designed to be interfaced simultaneously to more than one DSM.

It is suggested that you positively identify the make and model of each transducer. The transducer plug which is presently mated to the DSM300 would instead be plugged into the appropriate Axiom transducer adapter or Axiom transducer Y-Cable.

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[WarrenMudd]

I have now positively identified my 2 transducers: Airmar P66 and Airmar P39. I cannot locate any DSM300 module, although the stack of manuals I got from the PO has one. So I'm guessing both of the Airmars are cabled directly into the E80 Classic. Since the CF reader on the E80 is kaput, I'm replacing with Axiom 9. Is this an instance where I can use a "Y" cable adaptor? The P39 is plugged into the NMEA port on the back of the E80, and the P66 is plugged into the Seatalk port, and something else (GPS?) is networked into the SeatalkHS (Ethernet) port.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Warren,

Airmar's P39 transducer appears to have been produced in analog and NMEA 0183 / NMEA 2000 variants. Should the Airmar P39 be the Smart NMEA 0183 / NMEA 2000 version of the P39 transducer, then it may indeed have been interfaced to a power circuit and to the E80's NMEA 0183 cable to supply the system with numerical depth, speed, and temperature data. This transducer would not have supported fishfinder features. Should you desire to instead interface the transducer to an Axiom MFD, then it would be recommended that the transducer be configured for NMEA 2000 communications (recommend consulting with Gemeco, Inc. (Airmar’s US distributor (803 693 0777))) for details. The Axiom MFD or Axiom RV MFD and transducer would then each be interfaced as spurs to a powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone. Should you elect to construct the backbone from SeaTalkng Networking components, then an A06045 15.7in (0.4m) DeviceNet (F) to SeaTalkng Spur Adapter or A06075 39.4in (1.0m) DeviceNet (F) to SeaTalkng Spur Adapter may be used to connect these devices to a spur socket within the backbone.

It would not have been possible to interface the P66 analog transducer to the SeaTalk port of an E-Series Classic MFD. As the E80 did not feature an internal GPS sensor, it is indeed quite possible that the E80 was interfaced to a GPS sensor supporting SeaTalk communications. Should the P66 instead have been interfaced to the DSM30/300 (as you have suggested may be installed onboard the vessel). This would have permitted use of the MFD's fishfinder features. If so, then the transducer may be unplugged from the DSM's Transducer socket and instead connected to the Transducer socket of an Axiom RV MFD via an A80489 Axiom RV to 7-pin CP370/CP300/DSM30/DSM300 Compatible Transducer Adapter.