P70s and old ST6000+ Autopilot

[Bob234]

Hi, hope you can help.

I want to upgrade my Raymarine system (Pathfinder radar and Plotters, ST60 Instrument heads) but can't do everything yet.

I would like to fit an a95 or a125 MFD and i70s and p70s instrument heads. I know my pathfinder analogue radar won't talk to the digital MFD so will keep the radar linked to the old RL80C as a standalone for now.

My autopilot has a Type 300 Course Computer talking to a Type 2 Hydraulic Linear Drive, 2005 vintage (and can also switch over to a Rotary drive as a back up).

My questions are:-

1 Can my old Type 300 course computer link to the P70s via converters etc? I have read that you can't link the computer directly via a Seatalk/Seatalk ng converter but must instead make an nmea connection to the mfd. I understand from the forum that perhaps you now can. The comments I read did not relate to a course computer as early as mine though.

2 If the answer is No, and I update now to an Evolution autopilot will it talk to my hydraulic Linear drive? I understand that messages are nmea but my old unit would have been 0183 and I imagine the new ones are nmea 2000.

If I can delay upgrading my autopilot until later I will, but if I need to do it now I would rather not have to change the expensive linear drive as well.

Your advice would be much appreciated!

Many thanks

Bob234