Seatalk Failure

[tholley55]

Hi, I'm looking for advice to troubleshoot a Seatalk network . The system is comprised of the Following : RL80C and RL70C Plotter/Radar MFD's, ST8002 Pilot, S3G computer, ST60+ wind, ST 80 Masterview, ST60 multiview. The system has worked well for the 7 years I've owed the boat, but recently it went into Seatalk Failure and nothing works. I get the message "no data" on the multi view and "Seatalk Failure" on the autopilot control head. I believe all the devices are in working order and suspect wiring. It's a model year 2000 Catalina 470 and I don't know where all the various junctions are located in the boat. My approach has been to bypass devices and wiring to hopefully get it to start up properly and then one by one bring on devices to see where the fault lies. However, even with taking everything offline (as far as I can tell), it still will not start without Seatalk Failure. My method (probably incorrect) has been to unplug the Seatalk wire at the Computer, which I assumed powered all the devices (except MFD's). I then plugged in a single known working device (wireless smart pilot) and restarted. However, it still fails. In view of this can you suggest diagnostic steps I should follow to find the problem ?

Tim Holley

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

thank you,

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Tim,

Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject. Should no equipment additions, substitutions, or modifications to the SeaTalk bus have taken place, then the problem is most likely resulting from failure of the SeaTalk communications circuitry of one of the system's devices. My recommendation would be to reduce the system to the RL70C or RL80C and one of the instruments or the GPS sensor and then verify communications between them. The databoxes or the RL80C or RL70C would be used to verify SeaTalk communications. Be aware that instruments such as wind, depth, and speed do not require communications to report data that they themselves determine. As you have suggested, identification of the device(s) having faulty SeaTalk communications circuity is simply a matter of one by one adding devices to a small working system and then verifying that communications persists.

Please be aware that none of the items listed can be services by Raymarine's Product Repair Center any longer. However i50 / i60 instruments may be used to replace ST60/ST60+ instruments having failed SeaTalk communications circuitry.

SeaTalk instruments, autopilot components, GPS sensors, and chartplotters featuring a 1st generation SeaTalk interface which do not additionally feature a SeaTalkng interface (ex. ST40/60 Instrument Displays, ST6001, S2G, Wireless AP Controller, Raystar 125 GPS Sensor, etc.) should be interfaced to one another, in any order, connected via a daisy chain or to SeaTalk Junction Blocks, using standard SeaTalk Cables having press-fit 3-pin plugs. SeaTalk Cables can be joined using D244 SeaTalk Junction Blocks, splices, marine grade terminal strips, or R55006 SeaTalk Auxiliary Junction Boxes. SeaTalk Cable is available in 15", 1m, 3m, 5m, and 9m lengths. This method of interfacing is referred to as a SeaTalk bus. The SeaTalk bus may be powered via SeaTalk Auxiliary Junction Box (best practice) or via the SeaTalk port of an autopilot course computer. Larger SeaTalk busses may feature more than one power insertions to offset line losses. A sample system diagram may be seen below: