[CA] Upgrading and connecting Raymarine instruments to Garmin 7610 MFD

[Nokay]

(Great forum!)

I got a used sail boat that has the following configuration:

- Garmin 7610 MFD
- Garmin 18 HD Radar

The above are not connected to the Raymarine components, which are:

- ST60+ depth/speed tridata and wind
- SG3 autopilot computer
- ST6002 pilot controller

I'd like to do the following:

- Connect instruments to the Garmin MFD.
- Establish STNG bus to add NMEA 2K components in the future.
- Upgrade Tridata and Wind with new i70s displays.
- Avoid costly upgrade of radar, Garmin MFD or the S3G ... for now.
- Future: Upgrade pilot controller with new p70s controller.
- Future: Add AIS and GPS enabled VHF to STNG bus.

My questions are mostly around how to properly connect the pilot and Garmin MFD into the system in the near future (with ST6002 ST1 controller) and slightly more distant future (with p70s STNG controller).

It seems my options are:

1) Attach S3G to STNG using Raymarine ST1 to STNG converter and initially connect ST6002 to S3G via ST1 cable and in future simply add p70s to STNG bus.
2) Based on a separate post I read, maybe establish secondary STNG bus for p70s and S3G and somehow connect to primary STNG bus via STNG to ST1 converter or perhaps via NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2K converter. (If so, why?)
3) Connect MFD via NMEA 0183 to S3G (If so, why? Can I connect MFD via 2K bus in that case?)

Will under any option, pilot information become available on the Garmin MFD? Will the Garmin be able to control the S3G (not sure if that is possible under any option ... it is not an important goal of mine)? I would like to get heading from the fluxgate compass for example though.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

(Please see attached diagrams for my rough plan.)

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Nokay,

I recently went through this exercise within another customer having a very similar equipment. While the ST-STng Converter will do a fair job of bridging data to/from instruments and GPS sensors having a SeaTalk communications interface, the same cannot be said for the legacy autopilots having a SeaTalk communications interface. In the end, we found it necessary to use a NMEA 2000 to NMEA 0183 data bridging device (ex. Actisense NGW-1-ISO-STNG, etc.) to interface the legacy Raymarine autopilot to the NMEA 2000 backbone. Accordingly, the SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter shown within your Goals 1-4 diagram would need to be replaced with a SeaTalkng 5-Way Connector and an Actisense NGW-1-ISO-STNG which would in turn be interfaced to the autopilot course computer's NMEA 0183 Port 1. Additionally, the NMEA 2000 backbone shown within the Goals 1-4 diagram would be in need of a power insertion spur.

Regarding the Goals 1-5 diagram, please refer to the comments for the Goals 1-4 diagram. Additionally, when used with a compatible legacy autopilot lacking a SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 communications interface, the p70/p70R/p70S/p70RS autopilot control head must be interfaced to a SeaTalk bus which is in turn directly interfaced to one of the powered SeaTalk ports of the autopilot's course computer, not to a SeaTalkng backbone as you diagram shows. The communications interface of the p70/p70R/p70S/p70RS autopilot control heads will support either SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 communications (for use with Evolution or SPX autopilots) or SeaTalk communications, but not both simultaneously. Raymarine offers the A06047 ST to STng Adapter cable to permit these autopilot control heads to be interfaced to compatible legacy autopilot lacking a SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 communications interface such as your S3G autopilot course computer.

When so interfaced, I believe that you would find that heading and rudder angle data from the autopilot will be bridged over to the NMEA 2000 backbone.

[Nokay]

Thanks Chuck, I will give the Actisense NGW-1-ISO a go!

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

You're welcome.