HS5 + NMEA2K +

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Randall,

Q1. My plan is to tie all of my Raymarine systems (Radar, GPS, MFD's) into the HS5 Network Switch and then bring my NMEA data (AIS, Yamaha, VHF, Fuel Flow etc) into the NMEA port on my Master MFD.
A1. Ethernet communications within a system of Raymarine products is limited to the following types of Raymarine products:
- compatible Raymarine MFDs having an Ethernet communications interface
- Quantum radomes, Digital/HD radomes, HD/SuperHD Open Array Pedestals
- compatible fishfinder sounder modules having an Ethernet communications interface (CP100, CP200, CP370, CP470, and CP570)
- compatible SiriusXM Satellite Weather/ Radio Receivers (future)
- Raymarine and compatible FLIR branded thermal cameras
- Raymarine and compatible third party IP cameras

Other products will be interfaced to the system via SeaTalkng/NMEA 2000, SeaTalk, or NMEA 0183 communications. As Axiom MFDs do not feature a NMEA 0183 or SeaTalk communications interface products having such interfaces which need to be interfaced to the system must be interfaced via a NMEA 0183 to SeaTalkng and/or SeaTalk to SeaTalkng Converter respectively.

Q2. My other idea was...Could you potentially tie the NMEA info into the High Speed port on the HS5 switch using the SeatalkNG to NMEA adapter? Or is there a better solution?
A2. The system is not designed to support the end which you have suggested ... see the response to Q1.


Q2. Axiom #1 is my Chartplotter Radar. Axiom $2 is my Sonar. Any difference in which I choose as the master?
A2. No. However in systems featuring upper and lower steering stations, the Data Master MFD will typically be assigned to the MFD which is most frequently used .

Q3. I have an older A70D that I will use as a back-up and could potentially tie into the net. It has a P58 Transducer hooked to that one and am thinking I might Y-out the connection and route my 50/200 info into my Axiom MFD as well. Do you see any benefit to this?
A3. Raymarine fishfinding products are not designed to be interfaced to transducers in the manner which you have specified ... i.e. the transducer must be interfaced to only one fishfinding product.

Q4 I can always display that data on the A70D and do not necessarily need the additional sonar pic. I will use this as a back-up chartplotter as well, since it has Navionics too.
A4. Fishfinder imagery cannot be shared between an Axiom MFD and an A-Series Classic MFD. However, both may be interfaced to the SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone to support sharing of alphanumeric GPS, instrument, navigation, and system state data. As the A-Series Classic MFDs did not support multiple sources for any one type of data, care must be taken to ensure that a system which features an A-Series Classic MFD features a single source of GPS, wind, speed, depth, heading, GPS datum, date, and time.

I now understand why Marine Electronic installers bill what they do. Glad most of my systems are new and compatible :)

Thanks again for all of the great info!!!