[TG] SeaTalk network issue

[wjmuseler]

I have an existing Raymarine e7 plotter with version 60 instruments and autopilot. All connected via seatalk and the saetalk ng converter for the e7 interface. The instruments and plotter are at the helm station with the pilot "brain" below deck.

This season I purchased a Simrad R35 VHF with the wireless mike and AIS interface. I purchased the converted cable to go from the NMEA2000 port to a Raymarine NMEA 2000 5 pin plug. This is where my problems have begun. I can not get any more wires up to the helm station. So I was looking at the Pilot "brain" and saw two SeaTalk three wire terminals, which were each wired up. Thinking that I should be able to purchase another SeaTalk ng converter and tap into that terminal I could then run a cable over the VHF. So I bought the converter and a SeaTalk Tee Connector and backbone cable. Wired everything up and the VHF will not recognize any GPS input, it says all it sees is NMEA 0183.

Any suggestions?

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hello Will,

I'm not sure what happened with your forum question originally, but I'll copy our separate conversation here for other users' reference:

Anyway; running Seatalk1 from the pilot to a second convertor and then NMEA2000 to the VHF ought to give you GPS data on the VHF. That's not really a solution, though, as Seatalk1 is too old to have any support for AIS data (AIS didn't exist when Seatalk was designed), so by your connection method, you won't get any data from the AIS receiver in the VHF to the e7.

Rather than attempt to diagnose the problems with a partially-functional solution, I'd suggest we do it properly. There are only two ways to do this: get a SeatalkNG/NMEA2000 backbone cable up to the helm (depending on what you have where, perhaps we can sacrifice some Seatalk1 cabling and use it's space and as a mouse line?), or get NMEA0183 cabling up to the helm. I hate NMEA0183 (it's the marine equivalent of VHS video and is long past retirement), so I would always recommend option 1. There is no way to send AIS data over ST1 at all.

If you can tell me what devices and cabling you have where, we can see what the options are. A diagram would be best.

Tom

Quote:Tom,

Thank you for the reply. I am not 100% sure how my network is connected from the S1 Pilot Controller to the displays at the helm station. The Helm station has a ST60 Speed, ST60 Depth, ST60 Wind and Auto Pilot Controller which are all connected via SeaTalk three prong cables. When I purchased the e7 plotter I also purchase the SeaTalk ng converter so that it would interface, and it works well and is located at the helm station as well.

Attached is the terminal diagram of the S1 and circled is where I tied in the second SeaTalkng converter. Based on your email, this connection is not correct? I tried to get the NMEA to connect and it would not.

Regards,

Will

Connecting an ST1-STNG convertor to the second Seatalk terminal on the S1 *should* give you GPS data to the radio, but as I say, that's only a partial solution (no AIS data) and the troubleshooting options if it's not working are very limited. A diagram of the complete system rather than just the S1's terminal strip would help us see if there are any other options apart from the two I've raised (new cabling) or what you've already done.

As far as troubleshooting your current connection goes:
- what shows on the second ST1-STNG convertor's diagnostic LED? Does this match the 'normal operation' code in the convertor's manual?
- how exactly do you have the connections between the S1, convertor and radio? Two blue terminators, the centre yellow connector going to the pilot, a black blanking plug in the unused white STNG spur connector and an STNG-Devicenet adaptor cable in the last white socket, or something else?
- does the VHF offer any NMEA2000 diagnostic capability, can it list connected devices in order to prove that the physical network is working?

Regards,
Tom