[CA] [CA11] C70 to Axiom 9 Upgrade

[Brad Smith]

I think I am going to upgrade my C70 classic to Axiom 9. I see there is an adapter plate for the C70 to the Axiom 9. I currently have my C70 mounted in my dash.

This is for a 28' Sea Ray day boat to run around the Barnegat Bay in NJ. I primarily want to do Fuel Management. I have the Fox Marine Engine monitor for my single engine. I currently have a hummingbird Depth finder (separate). There is a DSM connected to the C70 that is a fish finder that does Depth and Temperature. I am NOT fishing in the boat but like the Depth and Temperature option. Understand that DSM and transducer is probably outdated for the Axiom and will not work with it.

1. Is the footprint depth behind the Axiom 9 smaller then the C70. I have no room to go deeper. I see there are also mounting brackets for a flush type mount.

2. What do I need to get Depth and Temperature. Can I buy the MFD only and buy a transducer the following year since the boat is already in the water? Do I have to make the decision now if I want to add a Transducer or not ?

3. I am also interested in the Dock to Dock routing. Will it route me outside the channel via the fastest route in deep enough water to a waypoint ?

4. I have a Navionics Gold from 2012 in my C70. Would it be cheaper to buy Axiom with no Charts or Lighthouse Charts and do the upgrade option at Navionics because I have purchased in the past with them? I saw some sort of upgrade option if you had purchased with them in the past.

5. What is needed to connect a UNIDEN UM415 to the Axiom to get GPS information for DSC? I currently have a Statalkng to NMEA 0183 converter in my backbone the the C70 uses to get the engine information that I was unsuccessful in using for the C70 to Uniden VHF.

6. Do I need to purchase additional Wires to connect the Axiom to the SeaTalkng Backbone? Does the included with power plug into it ?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Brad,

Is the currently installed fishfinder transducer operational with regard to both temperature and depth?

[Brad Smith]

Yes, I believe it is a DSM30 or DSM300. Probably 30. Boat was purchased used installed in 2010. Its a Transom mounted Transducer.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Brad,

Q1. Is the footprint depth behind the Axiom 9 smaller then the C70. I have no room to go deeper. I see there are also mounting brackets for a flush type mount.
A1. Such information may be found within the installation guides for the respective products. See the excerpts below:





Q2. What do I need to get Depth and Temperature. Can I buy the MFD only and buy a transducer the following year since the boat is already in the water? Do I have to make the decision now if I want to add a Transducer or not ?
A2. Rather than an Axiom 9 MFD, it would be recommended that an Axiom 9 RV MFD be installed. The transducer which is presently interfaced to the DSM may be disconnected from the DSM and then may then be adapted to be interfaced to the Axiom 9 RV MFD's Transducer socket. Should it later be desired to utilize the RV capabilities of the Axiom 9 RV MFD, then a RealVision transducer may be installed and then interfaced to the Axiom 9 RV via a Y-Cable, which would permit continued used of the existing transducer as well for operating at planing speeds.

Q3. I am also interested in the Dock to Dock routing. Will it route me outside the channel via the fastest route in deep enough water to a waypoint ?
A3. The Dock to Dock Autorouting feature only takes into account water depths and attempts to create a route having the shortest distance while meeting the specified constraints. Should depths be deep enough outside of the channel, then the route produced may indeed include legs which are outside of the channel.

Q4. I have a Navionics Gold from 2012 in my C70. Would it be cheaper to buy Axiom with no Charts or Lighthouse Charts and do the upgrade option at Navionics because I have purchased in the past with them? I saw some sort of upgrade option if you had purchased with them in the past.
A4. I am not aware of any such offerings by Navionics. The posted price differential for bundling the Axiom 9 RV MFD with a Navionics+ chart card is $100.

Q5. What is needed to connect a UNIDEN UM415 to the Axiom to get GPS information for DSC? I currently have a Statalkng to NMEA 0183 converter in my backbone the the C70 uses to get the engine information that I was unsuccessful in using for the C70 to Uniden VHF.
A5. It is recommended that the E70196 VHF NMEA 0183 to STng Converter Kit be used to supply DSC VHF radios requiring GPS data from a 4800 BAUD NMEA 0183 source. This backbone component would be installed within the powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone to which the MFD and engine gateway would each be interfaced as spurs.

Q6. Do I need to purchase additional Wires to connect the Axiom to the SeaTalkng Backbone? Does the included with power plug into it ?
A6. Should the backbone have been constructed from SeaTalkng Networking components, then an A06075 39.4in (1.0m) DeviceNet Female to SeaTalkng Spur Adapter would be required adapt the MFD's NMEA 2000 DeviceNet plug to be mated to a spur socket within the backbone.

[Brad Smith]

Thanks for the Information. That exactly what I needed !

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

You're welcome.

[Brad Smith]

I have the Axiom 9 hooked up in the boat. GPS signal populates to the VHF.

Transducer plug to DSM 30 appears to be a different plug. How do I adapt it to the Axiom 9?

GPS seems to take about 5 min to acquire its fix. Is this normal?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Brad,

Q1. Transducer plug to DSM 30 appears to be a different plug. How do I adapt it to the Axiom 9?
A1. An Axiom 9 RV MFD's transducer socket may be adapted to permit it to be mated to a transducer which had been directly mated to a DSM30 or DSM300. The part number for this adapter cable is A80489. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing where one may purchase parts for Raymarine products.

Q2. GPS seems to take about 5 min to acquire its fix. Is this normal?
A2. This would not be normal for a MFD has been installed in a location affording it an unobstructed view of the skies overhead. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject. Should the MFD be so located and the MFD require 5 minutes to acquire a GPS position FIX between power on/off/on cycles, then it would be recommended that the MFD be exchanged by the dealer (if purchased within the last 30 days or sent to Raymarine’s Product Repair Center to be bench checked / serviced (if purchased more than 30 days ago).

[Brad Smith]

I swapped out the Axiom 9 with a new one and had the same problem with the GPS. It is hit or miss if it works and takes a long time to acquire a fix. Sometimes over 20 min. It is flush mounted in the dash with the instruments and VHF radio above it, also flush mounted.

Where is the antenna on the Axiom GPS? Front on the screen somewhere?

Would the VHF radio be interfering with it somehow?

It's a clear view of the sky as the panel is in an open location of the boat.

I think there is Raystar 125 that was integrated to my C70. Can that be used as an external GPS? What wires would be needed? It was wired into a SeaTalk1 wire for the C70.

Currently I have my VHF radio networked in with a E70196 VHF NMEA 0183 to STng Converter Kit, to get it GPS information for the DSC. Would something have to change with an external antenna ?

Would at RF suppression ferrites fix the GPS reception problem ?

Thanks.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Brad,

RF suppression ferrites would not address the reported issue. Raymarine does not recommend installation of VHF radios within 3' of other electronics. However, a VHF radio which is not transmitting or switched OFF should have not impact upon nearby electronics (except devices designed to detect the earth's magnetic field (ex. EV-1 / EV-2 CCU, autopilot fluxgate compass, instrument compass, etc.). Should the vessel feature a hard top and/or the helm be constructed from metal, then GPS signal strength available to helm mounted GPS sensing devices will indeed be reduced. Should the vessel feature a Raystar 125 GPS Sensor, then it would be recommended that a second SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter (the VHF NMEA 0183 to STng Converter Kit and SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter Kit utilize the very same SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter). The second SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter would be connected to the first SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter via an appropriate length of SeaTalkng Backbone Cable (blue w/black stripe). As the current SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone is powered if properly installed, then SeaTalkng Power Cable supplied with the second SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter Kit will not be used.

The Raystar 125 GPS Sensor's Cable will be spliced to an appropriate length of SeaTalk Cable having a molded press-fit 3-pin plug. To do so,
- the RS125's red and green leads will be spliced to the red lead of the SeaTalk Cable
- the RS125's yellow lead will be spliced to the yellow lead of the SeaTalk Cable
- the RS125's brown & black/bare leads will be spliced to the shield/bare lead of the SeaTalk Cable
The cable assembly's molded press-fit 3-pin plug will be inserted into the socket of a D244 SeaTalk Junction block. The SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter Cable's molded press-fit 3-pin plug will also be connected to the aforementioned D244 SeaTalk Junction Block. Finally, SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter Cable's yellow plug will be connected to the color coded SeaTalk socket of the second SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter.