Updating my MFD with a few system upgrades.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Shawn,

For the benefit of others who may be viewing this post and considering whether an external GPS sensor or external GPS antenna would be necessary, please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject.

Q1. Can I use the Seatalkng Spur cable that is supplied with the AIS650 directly into the c125?
A1. Like any devices which is designed to communicate via SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 communications protocol, each such device must be individually interfaced as a spur to a powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng backbone. In this case, the AIS650, c125, and Raystar 150 GPS Sensor will each individually be interfaced as spurs to a spur to a SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone. Information concerning how to construct a SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone and listing all of the available cable lengths (and corresponding part numbers) may be found within the SeaTalkng Reference Manual.

Q2. Will the addition of the RS 150 necessitate setting up a Seatalkng backbone to allow interface with the c125?
A2. Yes. See the response to Q1.

Q3. If I should elect to live with slower GPS signal acquisition, and not use the RS 150. Can the AIS power supply come off of my house bus via the appropriate fuse, or must it be powered via Seatalkng?
A3. Please refer to the FAQ addressing when an external GPS sensor or external GPS antenna may be necessary within a system. Of key note is the fact that insufficient GPS signal strength may reduce the accuracy of the GPS position FIX or cause the GPS FIX to be intermittent. It is strongly recommended that a Raystar 150 GPS Sensor be added to this system given the reported acquisition issues. Regarding the AIS650, please note that it is not designed to be powered from a SeaTalkng backbone and must be powered using the Power/NMEA 0183/Silent Mode Cable within the AIS650's package. Choice of which of the vessel's power circuits will be used to supply power the GPS sensor is a subjective one. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing recommendations for powering marine electronics.