Serene
Senior Member
I am about to start a project to refresh the electronics on-board my boat. I would prefer not to do a wholesale remove and re-install of new equipment, but would rather slowly add/replace items on a priority basis.
But before I do any of that I am trying to determine which pieces can be re-used and still achieve my goal of having the latest electronics and adding AIS & wind instruments, but without spending too much money. This may drive a decision on future brand.
My first preference is to move to Furuno so I can use a PC with TimeZero software and link this with radar, sounder, autopilot, AIS, wind instruments and also wi-fi so I can see AIS targets on Navionics on an iPad.
But I was thinking staying with Raymarine may be a better option to re-use existing equipment, however after doing some research I am more confused, but think the only component which will work with the newer Axiom+ chartplotters is the CP370 sounder module.
Anyway the boat has mechanical steering and uses a rotary drive with a Raymarine S2G AST course computer and ST6002 control head, so before I go wholesale into Furuno I am trying to find out if they support a rotary drive but cannot see it referenced anywhere.
The boat currently has the following equipment;
Raymarine E80 Chartplotter
Raymarine S2G AST & ST6002 Autopilot (with rotary drive for mechanical steering)
Raymarine 24Nm Radar (older magnetron type unit)
Raymarine CP370 Sounder Module
Raymarine RAY218E VHF Radio
The boat does not have AIS or wind instruments and wi-fi (for iPad use), which I would like to add.
Before ripping everything out and replacing with all proprietary Furuno gear, I am trying to work out a more considered approach which can be done piece by piece.
Everything is currently functional so I could leave it all in place while I add AIS (am confused as to how the E80 will support AIS, but could use it on the iPad in the short term) and wind instruments, but need a longer term plan worked out before I start selecting equipment. This way I can replace items on a piece by piece basis.
So questions;
1. Does Furuno make an autopilot rotary drive for mechanical steering?
2. If not, will a Furuno course computer control the existing rotary drive?
3. If not, do any other manufacturers other than Raymarine make a mechanical rotary drive? (I have found the Type 1 and Type 2 rotary drive units in the Raymarine catalogue, but can’t find rotary drive mentioned by Furuno or Garmin)
4. If I stick with Raymarine, what (if any) of the existing equipment can be re-used with the newer Axiom+ chartplotters? (I think just the CP370)
5. For the Australians, I am having a hard time finding Furuno pricing here, where is the best place to go?
I work in software development so am technically literate, but have found the proprietary marine electronics manufacturers to be very difficult to understand and don’t see a logical upgrade pathway from my existing Raymarine equipment to contemporary Raymarine electronics without a wholesale replacement exercise.
To avoid this sort of situation again in the future I would prefer to go NMEA2000 with all equipment plugged into this network rather than use a proprietary system.
I could use components from places like Digital Yacht, Yacht Devices, Maretron, etc. with a dedicated navigation PC running TimeZero software. Of course this approach would still require a Furuno radar and autopilot, plus one Furuno chartplotter on the flying bridge due to being exposed to weather.
Am I missing something?
But before I do any of that I am trying to determine which pieces can be re-used and still achieve my goal of having the latest electronics and adding AIS & wind instruments, but without spending too much money. This may drive a decision on future brand.
My first preference is to move to Furuno so I can use a PC with TimeZero software and link this with radar, sounder, autopilot, AIS, wind instruments and also wi-fi so I can see AIS targets on Navionics on an iPad.
But I was thinking staying with Raymarine may be a better option to re-use existing equipment, however after doing some research I am more confused, but think the only component which will work with the newer Axiom+ chartplotters is the CP370 sounder module.
Anyway the boat has mechanical steering and uses a rotary drive with a Raymarine S2G AST course computer and ST6002 control head, so before I go wholesale into Furuno I am trying to find out if they support a rotary drive but cannot see it referenced anywhere.
The boat currently has the following equipment;
Raymarine E80 Chartplotter
Raymarine S2G AST & ST6002 Autopilot (with rotary drive for mechanical steering)
Raymarine 24Nm Radar (older magnetron type unit)
Raymarine CP370 Sounder Module
Raymarine RAY218E VHF Radio
The boat does not have AIS or wind instruments and wi-fi (for iPad use), which I would like to add.
Before ripping everything out and replacing with all proprietary Furuno gear, I am trying to work out a more considered approach which can be done piece by piece.
Everything is currently functional so I could leave it all in place while I add AIS (am confused as to how the E80 will support AIS, but could use it on the iPad in the short term) and wind instruments, but need a longer term plan worked out before I start selecting equipment. This way I can replace items on a piece by piece basis.
So questions;
1. Does Furuno make an autopilot rotary drive for mechanical steering?
2. If not, will a Furuno course computer control the existing rotary drive?
3. If not, do any other manufacturers other than Raymarine make a mechanical rotary drive? (I have found the Type 1 and Type 2 rotary drive units in the Raymarine catalogue, but can’t find rotary drive mentioned by Furuno or Garmin)
4. If I stick with Raymarine, what (if any) of the existing equipment can be re-used with the newer Axiom+ chartplotters? (I think just the CP370)
5. For the Australians, I am having a hard time finding Furuno pricing here, where is the best place to go?
I work in software development so am technically literate, but have found the proprietary marine electronics manufacturers to be very difficult to understand and don’t see a logical upgrade pathway from my existing Raymarine equipment to contemporary Raymarine electronics without a wholesale replacement exercise.
To avoid this sort of situation again in the future I would prefer to go NMEA2000 with all equipment plugged into this network rather than use a proprietary system.
I could use components from places like Digital Yacht, Yacht Devices, Maretron, etc. with a dedicated navigation PC running TimeZero software. Of course this approach would still require a Furuno radar and autopilot, plus one Furuno chartplotter on the flying bridge due to being exposed to weather.
Am I missing something?