DSM 400

[Boatzguy]

Hi, I just spent a couple of hours on the phone with Raymarine support, elevated to level 2, and was told my DSM 400 sounder will not talk with my e165 MFD. This is a new boat to me, old owner says they worked together previously. Is this an absolute answer, no way to get these two kids to talk with each other? Is there any way to get just depth info to the MFD by adding a legacy fishfinder, then getting depth info to the MFD through the seatalk HS, or the seatalk NG?
System is e165 MFD with SeaTalk HS and SeaTalk NG inputs, 4kw HD radar to MFD via SeaTalk HS switch, RayStar GPS to MFD via SeaTalk NG, and DSM 400 is connected to the SeaTalk HS switch.
If this DSM 400 just won't talk to the e165, is there a newer sonar that will use the transducer (Airmar SS270w, 50kHz and 200kHz) I have installed? Thank you for any help or ideas to get my MFD to show the depth, I'm not a real fisherman, just want depth information.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Boatzguy,

As indicated by the Raymarine technicians with whom you have spoken, the DSM400 is not compatible (i.e. will not be recognized/utilized by the system for any purposes) with the a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFDs. However, should you interface an a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFD and the MFD to which the DSM400 is presently interfaced each as spurs a powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng backbone, then numerical depth data (as well as much other system data) would then be shared with the a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFD. Data requiring very high bandwidth such as cartography, radar imagery, fishfinder imagery, SiriusXM Satellite Weather / Radio, IP camera video, etc. cannot be shared though this interface. Should it be desired to use the old MFD primarily as a fishfinder/chartplotter, then you may want to consider instead interfacing the radome/open array pedestal instead to the new a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFD.

The transducers which had been designed for use with the DSM400 cannot readily be used with any other sounders. While it is conceivable that the currently installed 50/200kHz transducer may adapted to be mated to a CP370 Sounder Module (which in turn may be interfaced to the e165 MFD), Raymarine does not support such adaptations or slicing of transducer cables per the FAQ found here.

[Boatzguy]

Thank you Chuck for your reply, and I hope you can answer a few follow up questions.
Your answer sounds as if I have another MFD that is hooked to the DSM 400, I do not. It came to me connected to my e165, which I am now understanding will not work together, even though the previous owner of the boat said had at one time worked together for him. Can you please tell me what MDF or sounder screen would the DSM 400 have been designed to work best with?
Also, if I do replace the sounder with a newer one that will talk with my e165 MFD, will any of the new ones work with my Airmar SS270w, 50kHz and 200kHz through-hull transducer presently installed in the hull?
Again, thanks for your help.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Boatzguy,

The last models of MFDs that the DSM400 would have been compatible with were the E-Series Widescreen MFDs (E90W, E120W, and E140W) and G-Series GPM400, all of which have been retired for several years now. As indicated within my initial response, the transducers which had been designed for use with the DSM400 cannot readily be used with any other sounders. While it is conceivable that the currently installed 50/200kHz transducer may adapted to be mated to a CP370 Sounder Module (which in turn may be interfaced to the e165 MFD), Raymarine does not support such adaptations or slicing of transducer cables per the FAQ found here.