First the good news

Cracked it

The so called NEMA output from a Raymarine Multi should be floating, but the
positive terminal is at 12v; something to do with being able to use the NMEA
out terminals for an alarm. This as it were "shorts out" the RS232 on the
laptop

Now the bad news

You need a RayMarine PC/SeaTalk.NMEA Interface (E85001). Cost about £100.
Yet another RayMarine Con, but it solved the problem

Phil


"Arnold" wrote in message
oups.com...
hey Phil,

the data you gave me is valueble, but I am missing one very important
thing (what the problem might be). what is the voltage of your
powersupply? (test by voltage meter, and the reading of the St60
multi), if that lies arround the 11 volts (or 11.9 as in the data you
wrote), it might be to low, and the batteries sort of dead. A 12V
powersupply should be somewhere arround 13.x V when charged. I have 4x
105ah 12v battieries installed, and when my voltage drops below 12.5
volt, I desperatley need charging.

if this is the case, try linking the instruments on a other battery
(just for the test, don't make it expensive, use a spare one or
something), and hook up your laptop to that thing too. If my thoughts
are correct, this should work.

(a lack of power supply affects your data, so when an other device is
linked, the voltage drops a bit further and the data is crippled/not
send) an other problem could be te capasity of the powersupply, if this
is to little, the voltage drops even further.

as for my own problem, it is still at the same point, wich is:
"theoreticly solved". I'll need to find time, somewhere in the next 1.5
week.

succes to you,
Arnold

PS:
where are you from?, I am from the netherlands.