I am an NMEA neophyte. I am trying to connect my Raymarine speedo,
depth, and wind indicator. They use SeaTalk. Apparently, SeaTalk is
not NMEA language. I thought the point of NMEA was to make multiple
manufactures equipment communicate, much like MIDI (musical instrument
digital interface) works for electric guitars, keyboarsd, and
synthesizers.

I have a Garmin GPS, which does have some NMEA capabilities. I would
like to connect it to my ICom VHF, for the DSC feature. I would also
like to connect my sounder to the GPS to show depth on the Garmin. Is
this possible? Does anyone know where to get more information about
NMEA and connecting these various devices? I've already learned a bit,
but have a long way to go.

Also, from what I hear, the issue of "daisy chaining" is somewhat
resolved by the new NMEA 2000 protocol. Easy connectors, simple
wiring. Still, NMEA reminds me of DOS based computing. (it amazes me
that windows has DOS underlying it!)

I am sorry I bought my Ray Marine instruments that are not NMEA
compatible, if that's the word. Apparently, if I get a multiplexer, I
can make Sea Talk convert to NMEA. I'm sure all this junk is in it's
infancy, and one day will be resolved by some very cool technology.
It's already pretty cool, especially the Blue Tooth multiplexer made by
a company I don't know but recommended by someone on a google group.

anyone that cares to discuss this, I'm listening.

thanks

Luc

I am an NMEA neophyte. I am trying to connect my Raymarine speedo,
depth, and wind indicator. They use SeaTalk. Apparently, SeaTalk is
not NMEA language. I thought the point of NMEA was to make multiple
manufactures equipment communicate, much like MIDI (musical instrument
digital interface) works for electric guitars, keyboarsd, and
synthesizers.

And much like MIDI, not everything works with everything else, especially
when combined. NMEA works well when there's not a lot of devices. There
are a number of multiplexing boxes available that can help manage multiple
talkers/listeners.

One point of SeaTalk was to get around the limits of NMEA.

Also, from what I hear, the issue of "daisy chaining" is somewhat
resolved by the new NMEA 2000 protocol. Easy connectors, simple
wiring.

The jury's still out on NMEA 2000 and it's actual standardization. It will
be a good thing when it does stabilize. Meanwhile, NMEA 0183 can be made to
work quite well.

Still, NMEA reminds me of DOS based computing. (it amazes me
that windows has DOS underlying it!)

Except it does, and hasn't since the days of NT and XP. Wake up.

I am sorry I bought my Ray Marine instruments that are not NMEA
compatible, if that's the word. Apparently, if I get a multiplexer, I
can make Sea Talk convert to NMEA.

Yep, you can gateway the signals to/from seatalk to NMEA.

I'm sure all this junk is in it's
infancy, and one day will be resolved by some very cool technology.

Meanwhile things like SeaTalk and NMEA 0183 get the job done pretty well.

It's already pretty cool, especially the Blue Tooth multiplexer made by
a company I don't know but recommended by someone on a google group.

Bluetooth, feh, I have no desire to leave my navigation data to the whims of
that crappy-ass protocol. I'll take a wired connection anyday, at least for
the important stuff.

"Bill Kearney" wrote in message
...
Bluetooth, feh, I have no desire to leave my navigation data to the whims
of
that crappy-ass protocol. I'll take a wired connection anyday, at least
for
the important stuff.

What exactly is crappy-ass about Bluetooth? We have a Bluetooth enabled
multiplexer and it works very well, just as reliable as a wire as long as
you are within the radio range.Even pilots are changing to Bluetooth
connections between the pilot-plug and their laptops, which enables them to
go anywhere on the ships' bridge.

Meindert

"luc" wrote in news:1141256143.930521.307560
@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:

I am sorry I bought my Ray Marine instruments that are not NMEA
compatible, if that's the word.

Ah, let the hacking begin!
http://www.thomasknauf.de/seatalk.htm

There are many companies making Seatalk to NMEA converters, which are quite
pricey, of course. Just put:
Sealtalk to NMEA converter
into the Google search engine to smoke them out.

Conversion between Seatalk and NMEA on Lionheart takes place in the RL70CRC
radar/chartplotter display, which statements are controllable in the
display menus. Our main GPS is the Raymarine Seatalk Raystar 120:
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/P...ection=2&page=
80&product_id=144
The NMEA multiplexer feeds from the RL70CRC's NMEA output to the rest of
the boat's network.

Looking at the website, I notice they have whole new designed radomes to
replace our crappy 2D domes that rain inside and rot the potmetal guts.
Hope the new one is sealed up.

Looking at the website, I notice they have whole new designed radomes to
replace our crappy 2D domes that rain inside and rot the potmetal guts.
Hope the new one is sealed up.

"Sealed up" being a theoretical state in the marine environment, of
course. Do the Raytheon open array antennas still have drain tubes to sling
water "in case" there should be any "condensation"? Hmmmmm?
Got about 12 liters of water out of an 8 foot Krupp Atlas one time. The
beautiful, almost new, 64 mile radar would only get echos from about half a
mile.
A good "TR down" installation had one or more mica "dams" in the
waveguide to keep from having wet feet in the pilot house (or the "void").
Old Chief Lynn

"Lynn Coffelt" wrote in
:

"Sealed up" being a theoretical state in the marine environment, of
course. Do the Raytheon open array antennas still have drain tubes to
sling water "in case" there should be any "condensation"? Hmmmmm?
Got about 12 liters of water out of an 8 foot Krupp Atlas one
time. The
beautiful, almost new, 64 mile radar would only get echos from about
half a mile.
A good "TR down" installation had one or more mica "dams" in the
waveguide to keep from having wet feet in the pilot house (or the
"void").
Old Chief Lynn



The drain tube is where the water intrusion enters the 2D case at
dusk...exactly like an empty fuel tank...as the case cools to condense it.
The water can't drain out because of the many plastic stringers in the
bottom of it, and it being flat, not sloped to channel water to the drain
tube.

How stupid it is. Open any SEALED Icom AT-130 antenna tuner that's been to
sea for years and you'll find it looks just like the day it was installed
inside unless the lightning blew it apart. Of course, the Icom's plastic
box ISN'T held together with 4 little screws around a 3' diameter o-ring,
either.

From the look of Raymarine's picture of the RD-424 new dome, it also has 4
screws instead of a proper seal.

If they'd left the whole bottom open with a big hole so the air could blow
out the humidity inside the dome...it would probably be fine that high up
on the mast.

From the look of Raymarine's picture of the RD-424 new dome, it also has 4
screws instead of a proper seal.

If you want to rant about Raymarine, take it to another thread. Really, it
gets old.

"Bill Kearney" wrote in
t:

f you want to rant about Raymarine, take it to another thread.
Really, it gets old.



If you don't like what I post, simply don't read it.

If you work for Raymarine or one of their dealers, tough ****.

In article ,
"Lynn Coffelt" wrote:

Looking at the website, I notice they have whole new designed radomes to
replace our crappy 2D domes that rain inside and rot the potmetal guts.
Hope the new one is sealed up.

"Sealed up" being a theoretical state in the marine environment, of
course. Do the Raytheon open array antennas still have drain tubes to sling
water "in case" there should be any "condensation"? Hmmmmm?
Got about 12 liters of water out of an 8 foot Krupp Atlas one time. The
beautiful, almost new, 64 mile radar would only get echos from about half a
mile.
A good "TR down" installation had one or more mica "dams" in the
waveguide to keep from having wet feet in the pilot house (or the "void").
Old Chief Lynn



After that Krupp had run for a couple of weeks, all that water would
have been excited to steam and gone, if the Maggie lasted that long......

Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

"Bruce in Alaska" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Lynn Coffelt" wrote:

Looking at the website, I notice they have whole new designed radomes
to
replace our crappy 2D domes that rain inside and rot the potmetal
guts.
Hope the new one is sealed up.

"Sealed up" being a theoretical state in the marine environment, of
course. Do the Raytheon open array antennas still have drain tubes to
sling
water "in case" there should be any "condensation"? Hmmmmm?
Got about 12 liters of water out of an 8 foot Krupp Atlas one time.
The
beautiful, almost new, 64 mile radar would only get echos from about
half a
mile.
A good "TR down" installation had one or more mica "dams" in the
waveguide to keep from having wet feet in the pilot house (or the
"void").
Old Chief Lynn



After that Krupp had run for a couple of weeks, all that water would
have been excited to steam and gone, if the Maggie lasted that long......

Bruce in alaska

Well, we did put in a 5kw 2J42 just to see what would happen (because
we were ill prepared, and that's what the tube kit had)...... but in a few
hours it just didn't ring very well at all. Bob ???, an old Radar Electric
guy taught me that the best tool in the kit was an earphone. You could tell
almost anything going on in a pulse maggie with such beauty and ease.
"Bob ???" had a reputation with Decca 050's and 101's almost as great
as "George" from Ketchikan. I owed Bob much of my livelihood for a few years
for his ability to teach me by telephone! He could play the guitar almost as
well as he could diagnose Decca Group 9's weird behaviors.
Old Chief Lynn (050's forever)