New boat, new electronics. Now or later?

[hscrugby]

Originally Posted by IslandInfedel

If you’re single handing, the autopilot, AIS and depth are going to be VERY important outside of just day sailing.

The autopilot is older, but works. Depth works, but doesn't link with anything else. Depth is on the list once she's back in NC, or whenever we pull her out of the water again.
Autopilot is on my list of look really close at it, try to decide whether to upgrade it before coming home, or before the long trip in the spring.
Basically, we've got a short list of "fix/upgrade" before she leaves Florida, then a longer list to do once up here and about 90 minutes from home. Then a longer list of "maybe"
I'm thinking from local friends and here, electronics should be fix/upgrade the wind gauge and add AIS and then evaluate everything else on the trip from Florida home.

Now to try and find someone selling a used wind gauge and ais transponder... [emoji16][emoji16]

Thanks

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by hscrugby

So buying (all done but she's in Florida still) a used boat, hans Christian 33, and with that comes the shopping spree.
The computer geek in me wants to go all in open cpn, tablets/pi etc. But I think that'll be down the road. Maybe.

Don't.

1. As others have posted upthread, get to know the vessel and its other needs. After a few short voyages you are sure to find things more important that will require investment of your time and money.
2. Price out an OpenCPN solution including suitable waterproof, high-brightness display and charts for areas of interest, and compare that to similarly capable commercial products
3. Actually try to use the charts you've selected, with OpenCPN, using hardware you already have, before committing funds

It's got a Garmin 740s with radar that works well, icom 502 that works. Spare older Garmin plotter that shows maps and depth. Viewable on the hatch from the cockpit the depth is the only gauge that works. The speed and wind gauge don't.
Would I buy better tossing the bucket of money to go all in new gauges nmea2000, AIS, and new VHF to tie into the AIS etc. Or should I just get the wind and ais now, and then slowly add other items? How often do people use the ais to VHF interface?

You don't need wind unless you are either:

1. Using an autopilot in apparent wind mode, or
2. Running at night under sail.

Wind sensors are expensive and unreliable. On most vessels they're a money sink.

Any new budget AIS transponders that are good?

Your choices are:

• Cheap imported transponders on eBay that are, how shall we say, primarily intended for sale in markets with less stringent regulations
• Blind AIS transponders starting at around $750, plus an AIS-aware VHF starting at $550
• The Vesper Cortex which is at $1850 and worth every dollar if it does what Vesper says it does (it's new to the market)

How much AIS will help depends on where you sail. For me, it's useless, because the vessels that pose a collision hazard are small and fast and don't have it.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Your choices are:

• Cheap imported transponders on eBay that are, how shall we say, primarily intended for sale in markets with less stringent regulations
• Blind AIS transponders starting at around $750, plus an AIS-aware VHF starting at $550
• The Vesper Cortex which is at $1850 and worth every dollar if it does what Vesper says it does (it's new to the market)

That price is high for a good AIS transponder. I'm seeing good class B SOTDMA transponders as low as $550-ish. CSTDMA would be even cheaper.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by hscrugby

Autopilot is on my list of look really close at it, try to decide whether to upgrade it before coming home, or before the long trip in the spring.

You might want to see whether the autopilot support in OpenCPN meets your needs before you decide OpenCPN is for you.

I'm thinking from local friends and here, electronics should be fix/upgrade the wind gauge and add AIS and then evaluate everything else on the trip from Florida home.

Inside or outside? If you're on the ICW the windex is going to be useless because you'll be motoring most of the time, and are certainly not going to sail at night.

[hscrugby]

Mostly outside, cause I don't want to motor the entire trip. What's the point if a sailboat if you're just gonna motor. [emoji16][emoji16]

[AKA-None]

If you want to play with opencpn then do it on your existing pc

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by hscrugby

Mostly outside, cause I don't want to motor the entire trip. What's the point if a sailboat if you're just gonna motor. [emoji16][emoji16]

I prefer the outside but I have sailed the inside with and even sometimes tacking against the wind. It is possible for me to tack under most bridges on the ICW if the wind is directly against me.


I never have had any sort of engine in my boats. So it's possible to sail the ICW but it's more of a challenge and takes more sailing skill and will take longer.

Originally Posted by Jammer

CPN solution including suitable waterproof, high-brightness display and charts for areas of interest, and compare that to similarly capable commercial products

I never had a high brightness display or waterproof except the one I was given (a prototype of a completely waterproof computer that cost $6k to engineer) I managed to burn it out in just a few hours by compiling opencpn on all 4 cores. I didn't realize it needed to be underwater to be reliable, and they said they never stressed it... it overheated.

Using an autopilot in apparent wind mode, or

1. Running at night under sail.

Wind sensors are expensive and unreliable. On most vessels they're a money sink.

I built my own wind sensors which are much more sensitive than at least the davis ones. I used fully ceramic ball bearings and the friction is low enough the detect 2 knots of wind, and steer in even less on my free software autopilot. The performace was very good. The angular sensor, diametrically magnetized magnet, hall sensor and the plastic (all 3d printed) ended up costing less than $20 with 0.1 degree resolution.


Why would you need wind sensors specifically running at night under sail?

How much AIS will help depends on where you sail. For me, it's useless, because the vessels that pose a collision hazard are small and fast and don't have it.

ais reciever can be rtlsdr which cost $8 but actually coast guard auxillary gave me free one for making it plot the planes in opencpn. It helped me avoid a few very close encounters because I called the cargo ship and they altered course.

[Snore]

As a delivery captain I firmly feel the pre-purchase sea trial only catches the glaring defects. It is only through use that you know what you have.

Based on that, get the depth gauge working and use an iPad for navigation. Once you have some time on the boat, determine if you want Ray, B&G or Garmin. Then buy that chart plotter, and a vesper with WIFI. The vesper will allow you to display all the boat’s data (if networked)and use the plotters location on your iPad. As you get money, fix or replace the wind gauges, and perhaps the depth gauge. Keep in mind, if you network everything, the depth will appear on the plotter.

As posted above, Vesper will let you connect NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000. For $50 on eBay you can get the converter that takes SeaTalk-1 to SeaTalk NG/NMEA2000.

Depending on how she will be used, consider spending $4-5k on new sails, if they are needed, before blowing a lot of money on electronics.

[IslandInfedel]

I would look at this AIS wise

https://www.simrad-yachting.com/simr...s-rxtx-rs40-b/

[MJH]

Originally Posted by hscrugby

So buying (all done but she's in Florida still) a used boat, hans Christian 33, and with that comes the shopping spree.
The computer geek in me wants to go all in open cpn, tablets/pi etc. But I think that'll be down the road. Maybe.
It's got a Garmin 740s with radar that works well, icom 502 that works. Spare older Garmin plotter that shows maps and depth. Viewable on the hatch from the cockpit the depth is the only gauge that works. The speed and wind gauge don't.
Would I buy better tossing the bucket of money to go all in new gauges nmea2000, AIS, and new VHF to tie into the AIS etc. Or should I just get the wind and ais now, and then slowly add other items? How often do people use the ais to VHF interface?

Right now just trying to think out loud and decide between buying just the two things, wind/ais or buying a bunch of stuff, or waiting and buying the whole setup once I have savings again.

Any new budget AIS transponders that are good?

Thanks.

Start sailing the boat. Draft a To-Do list of everything that needs to be repaired, replaced, or serviced/cleaned. Get your priorities in order: safety, operations, asthetics, nice-to-have you can afford.

If it works does it have to be replaced or can that money be used for something more important that doesn't?

New electronics today will be outdated next year. Get the best mileage for your dollar.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[hscrugby]

Down on the boat finally, messing around, fixed a few things found a few new things to fix this week... (Raw water pump for toilet leaked, macerator pump didn't work, anchor rinse pump didn't work, mast light didn't work. Fixed those... Then bored poking around to add 12v based USB charging...

I see hiding behind the cassette deck (on the list to be replaced. Cheaply)
Glad I didn't buy that simrad.
Now sadly, I don't have the right USB cord to even see if it's configured or working. [emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by hscrugby

So buying (all done but she's in Florida still) a used boat, hans Christian 33, and with that comes the shopping spree.
The computer geek in me wants to go all in open cpn, tablets/pi etc. But I think that'll be down the road. Maybe.
It's got a Garmin 740s with radar that works well, icom 502 that works. Spare older Garmin plotter that shows maps and depth. Viewable on the hatch from the cockpit the depth is the only gauge that works. The speed and wind gauge don't.
Would I buy better tossing the bucket of money to go all in new gauges nmea2000, AIS, and new VHF to tie into the AIS etc. Or should I just get the wind and ais now, and then slowly add other items? How often do people use the ais to VHF interface?

Right now just trying to think out loud and decide between buying just the two things, wind/ais or buying a bunch of stuff, or waiting and buying the whole setup once I have savings again.

Didn't read the whole thread. My advice: do nothing, for a year or so.

Wind and/or AIS if you must, but I wouldn't even do that... were it me. Instead, I'd spend that year thinking about what you need, where you want it, etc... then maybe do the whole upgrade all at once (assuming budget allows).

In the meantime, technology marches on... so whatever's available when you get a round tuit may well be slightly better ins some way or other anyway...

-Chris

[hscrugby]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Didn't read the whole thread. My advice: do nothing, for a year or so.



Wind and/or AIS if you must, but I wouldn't even do that... were it me. Instead, I'd spend that year thinking about what you need, where you want it, etc... then maybe do the whole upgrade all at once (assuming budget allows).



In the meantime, technology marches on... so whatever's available when you get a round tuit may well be slightly better ins some way or other anyway...



-Chris

True. Of course since I found ais on here, not powered though, maybe I'll find a working wind gauge if I keep looking. [emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]