E120 - Autopilot & GPS

[TravisPWoodard]

I'm wrapping up my upgrade from a C120 to E120. My connections are as follows:

SeatalkHS - HS switch - SR100 & DSM300 - SRA 50/Transducer
Radar - analog radar
Seatalk 2 - NMEA2k backbone (via Mare-005) - Engines/trim tabs - power

That leaves the NMEA 0183 and Seatalk/Alarm Out ports open.

The last two pieces of equipment to hook up are:

1. Raystar 125
2. S2 Course computer (hooked up to fluxgate compass, rudder sensor, ST 8002, and power)

As I understand it, both are able to be hooked up to both ports. I'm currently thinking I will run the GPS to NMEA and the S2 to Seatalk. I believe this will allow direct connections and avoid any converters.

Q1 - will this configuration work and is it optimal?
Q2 - will I be able to control the autopilot from the display or simply use the track feature to goto waypoints?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Travis,

Q1 - I'm currently thinking I will run the GPS to NMEA and the S2 to Seatalk. Will this configuration work and is it optimal?
A1 - Yes, it is indeed possible to do as you have suggested, particularly as the system does not feature any of Raymarine's more recently introduced devices having a SeaTalkng communications interface. The advantage of you proposed installation is that the NMEA 0183 output of the RS125 may be paralleled to supply GPS data to not only the MFD, but also to a DSC VHF radio.

Q2 - will I be able to control the autopilot from the display or simply use the track feature to goto waypoints?
A2 - When updated with v5.69 software an interfaced to the equipment in the manner specified within this thread, then the MFD's autopilot controls feature may indeed be exercised. However, the Autopilot Controls feature within the E-Series Classic MFDs was primarily intended to support the autopilot's Track mode did not feature jog commands (+/- changes to heading).

[TravisPWoodard]

Awesome! Thank you for the swift response.

While the VHF dsc has not been a priority, it is of interest. When you say connect it in parallel, does that mean I can simply connect the mfd NMEA out to the NMEA in of the VHS while connecting the mfd nmea in to the RS125? That would be awesome. I thought I would need a multiplexer and am trying to keep my costs under control (happy wife, happy life)!

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Travis,

Q1. When you say connect it in parallel, does that mean I can simply connect the mfd NMEA out to the NMEA in of the VHS while connecting the mfd nmea in to the RS125?
A1. No. The advantage of paralleling the NMEA 0183 output of the RS125 to both the NMEA 0183 input port of a VHF radio and to that of the MFD is that the MFD need not be powered ON in order for the VHF radio to continue receiving GPS data. See the diagram below describing how the MFD, RS125 and DSC VHF radio would be interfaced to one another. A NMEA 0183 multiplexer would only be required should you desire to have the MFD automatically plot waypoints associated with DSC position reports.