Raymarine / B&G / or...Help..!!

[Puff68]

I need advice on a path to go. Let me set up up the situation and I apologize now for it's length. Please correct me if I have information wrong.

Bought a new to me boat. It has the following:

Raymarine C80 display.
Raymarine analog radar head mounted on a post off the stern.
Raymarine i60 Gauges (depth, speed, wind speed/angle ).
Raymarine auto pilot.
Everything is working at the moment.
- I wanted to move the radar to the mast to allow the install of an arch and eventually solar panels. First problem in that the cable that connects the two units is no longer made, and when we start moving stuff around sometimes it does not like the move.

- Second issue I wanted a second display unit for the nav. station and the radar unit will not support two units.


So, do I upgrade to a newer Raymarine system for radar and displays and install the appropriate adapters to use the i60 gauges or ???? I have priced out some units and just not sure.


I was gathering information about other makes and had a lady from a local store who sold me on a B&G system. Adapters to make the current i60 gauges work no need to replace transducer or paddle wheel or wind vane.
Today I walked in and the price has increased exponentially. Now I'm not sure again.
So. I am looking for a radar that can run 2 displays (cockpit / nav station )
It will be primarily radar and chart plotter. (Thinking later down the road to replace other parts to same brand as needed or when the time comes).
I was thinking that a tablet with GPS and Navionics App would be a back up as a secondary and added benefit for pictures or email or what have you.
I was looking for something that would talk to existing good devices and not break the bank account to purchase and install. I can't believe all the issues cause I want to move the radar and post. Talk about cascading problems....sheeeez

[SailingPNW]

One option you have is install a new head unit in the cockpit, move the old one to the nav station and run a new radar just to the new chart plotter. The downside is the information on your new chart-plotter will be more limited, but it will allow you to upgrade a few items at a time. This assumes the other gauges are visible so you have all the information you need.

[two-rocks]

So many options.
My Raymarine Axiom and wifi based radar on the mast have been great. Your ipad has the bonus of acting as a second display with the same functionality as the axiom (mirror) or independent/redundant.
Furuno WIFI radar can be used without a head unit and overlay on the ipad.
I'm sure some of the others can as well.

[smac999]

the c80 is 15 years old. when you bought the boat you should have budgeted a whole new nav system into the price of the boat.

are they i60 gauges or st60 gauges? st60 is the same time period of the c80. if they are i60 they were already replaced at some point, and appear to be stng so should be able to tie into any new plotter.

sounds like you need 2 new plotters and a new radar. forget anything wireless.

get the ipad as a backup, but not to replace a proper fixed chart plotter.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by smac999

the c80 is 15 years old. when you bought the boat you should have budgeted a whole new nav system into the price of the boat.

are they i60 gauges or st60 gauges? st60 is the same time period of the c80. if they are i60 they were already replaced at some point, and appear to be stng so should be able to tie into any new plotter.

sounds like you need 2 new plotters and a new radar. forget anything wireless.

get the ipad as a backup, but not to replace a proper fixed chart plotter.

i have exactly the same setup with ST60, additionl raymarine e7 chartplotter with raymarine NMEA0183 TO 2000 adapter. ST60 are the best instruments ever, all you need, simple and reliable plus repairable if they break.
And exactly looking for the same, need a new radar and wanna be able to operate it at the helm and nav station of my cat.
Forget B&G their remote app blocking steering of the autopilot, lately a lot complains about the reliabilities of the plotter and strange UI. had it on my previous monohull and would not choose it again.
I am using my IpadPro 12,9" since 10years as chartplotter, planed as backup but the plotter is backup now. only when you need radar i need to mirror a chartplotter to it. I have muitple Ipads on board and powerbanks, so in case power outage I can still navigate. A hunter has enough protection at the helm that you can use an Ipad in a watertide case without problems, install an watertide USB charge plug too and put an antiglare folie on the screen and that works better then any chartplotter. If then get a 7" chartploter from top of the line series and mirror it to the ipad, that costs 700-1000Euro and you have all gadgets.



Option 1: new orca core (coming out in about 1-3 weeks) where you connect A new radar and as many as tablets as you want having a full chartplotter with radar. in this case I recommend Garmin radar as they are ahead and you get 48nm coverage while raymarine only does 24nm. Garmin chartplotter suck because they get disconitnued fast and you get no support then.

Option 2: raymarine radar and axiom chartplotter, their raycontrol app you can connect a huge number of tablets, I tested 7 and all worked in parallel. So one chartplotter at the helm and eg ipad Pro12.9" where you mirror your plotter, in this case you can take the 7" one which is 800Euro. Also integrates well with your old raymarine. Their UI is also best in market in my opnion. and yes raymarine supports 2 plotters on the radar.

[SV_FlyingTigress]

two rocks and smac999 both have good points. I had vintage raymarine in my vessel when I purchased it in Feb 2022 and after *MUCH* hand wringing, ripped every bit of it out except the 12v linear drive for the autopilot and put native B&G Zeus 3S 9" at the nave station, AIS, VHF, H20+ radar, Autopilot control/head & 3x Triton2 displays for sail data and autopilot in the cockpit with native NMEA 2K. It is a lot but the system works well together and drives the Raymarine linear drive just fine. It was a pretty straightforward installation. The H20+ radar (on mast) is absolutely amazing and VERY easy for me, a radar newbie, to interpret. It even tracks small wood fishing canoes and dinghy's from around 30 feet in front of the vessel and to the horizon. That radar is nuts. I'm getting AIS at about 24 miles away and I even have some mountains in between from my slip to the bay where I am seeing vessels. It costs but man is it a good system...at least so far.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Stephen_MO

two rocks and smac999 both have good points. I had vintage raymarine in my vessel when I purchased it in Feb 2022 and after *MUCH* hand wringing, ripped every bit of it out except the 12v linear drive for the autopilot and put native B&G Zeus 3S 9" at the nave station, AIS, VHF, H20+ radar, Autopilot control/head & 3x Triton2 displays for sail data and autopilot in the cockpit with native NMEA 2K. It is a lot but the system works well together and drives the Raymarine linear drive just fine. It was a pretty straightforward installation. The H20+ radar (on mast) is absolutely amazing and VERY easy for me, a radar newbie, to interpret. It even tracks small wood fishing canoes and dinghy's from around 30 feet in front of the vessel and to the horizon. That radar is nuts. I'm getting AIS at about 24 miles away and I even have some mountains in between from my slip to the bay where I am seeing vessels. It costs but man is it a good system...at least so far.

There is a reason why vintage ramarine ST60s still work today after 15 years while your Bruch&Gammel Triniton TFTs can be happy if rheu make 7. Addirionally they are complex, hard till not readable with sunglasses, unrelaible and cannot be repaired.
Its easy to adapt old ramarine to new nmea, the key is put the adapter at the end of rhe old seatalk1...needed to learn that 2.
Whats needed is a new radar and chartplotter or blackbox that displays the radar data. There is a lot advantage for a new radar.
Garmin has the best radars but the 2nd worst chartplotter, raymarine has good chartplotters but radar is behind Garmin...

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by CaptainRivet

There is a reason why vintage ramarine ST60s still work today after 15 years while your Bruch&Gammel Triniton TFTs can be happy if rheu make 7. Addirionally they are complex, hard till not readable with sunglasses, unrelaible and cannot be repaired.
Its easy to adapt old ramarine to new nmea, the key is put the adapter at the end of rhe old seatalk1...needed to learn that 2.
Whats needed is a new radar and chartplotter or blackbox that displays the radar data. There is a lot advantage for a new radar.
Garmin has the best radars but the 2nd worst chartplotter, raymarine has good chartplotters but radar is behind Garmin...

Just on a side note, there are a number of radars which can directly be connected to a PC's network connection with a simple crossover cable.
On the PC side OpenCPN & the Radar Plug-in are needed and OpenCPN has to be allowed full access passed a firewall.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Just on a side note, there are a number of radars which can directly be connected to a PC's network connection with a simple crossover cable.
On the PC side OpenCPN & the Radar Plug-in are needed and OpenCPN has to be allowed full access passed a firewall.

And how do you run your OpenCPN at the helm station outside? 2nd the radar plugin for new doppler radar really supports only the garmin fully, the rest of the list i can also keep my 15years old raymarine radon 218, works fine.
Inside at Navststion on Laptop easy peasy but i really need radar for squal dedection and if your sailing during fog at the helm station...to realize that it will cost you the same as a chartplotter plus all the hasle to set it up.
So as cheap backup on your laptop yes....

[nohal]

The support for Navico Halo radars is actually better in the OpenCPN radar plugin (including doppler) as these are what pretty much all the main developers of the plugin use themselves. Also the Navico radars themselves seem to be better compared to Garmin.

[SailFastTri]

I like the Navico (B&G) radar better than Raymarine for close-in resolution of other vessels and buoys, even kayaks and rowboats, but it has poor range and poor rain resolution. If you want to avoid hitting nearby things in fog the Navico is best. I haven’t had first hand experiences with Garmin radar.
My Navico (B&G) multifunction display was buggy and didn’t operate properly with the Raymarine AP on my last boat. I would not recommend trying to mix them. No support from Navico for 3rd party integration with Raymarine, either.
I currently have the Axiom with Raymarine’s latest radar.
I’d recommend you stay with Raymarine unless you want to replace everything.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by CaptainRivet

And how do you run your OpenCPN at the helm station outside? 2nd the radar plugin for new doppler radar really supports only the garmin fully, the rest of the list i can also keep my 15years old raymarine radon 218, works fine.

Inside at Navststion on Laptop easy peasy but i really need radar for squal dedection and if your sailing during fog at the helm station...to realize that it will cost you the same as a chartplotter plus all the hasle to set it up.

So as cheap backup on your laptop yes....

Add a waterproof display outside. On the OpenCPN website there are lots of suggestions for it.

It's in the Raspberry section but works with laptops as well.

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...rdware:screens

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Add a waterproof display outside. On the OpenCPN website there are lots of suggestions for it.

It's in the Raspberry section but works with laptops as well.

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...rdware:screens

You can get an axiom 7“ plotter for 500bucks, I can plug it in instead of old and it works. Just The displays for opencpn are 150+, a raspi is 130, then add cables and cabling and you are at 400 easily, now add all the time you need to just set this all up till it runs….
Then I need to run cable from navstation to helm station through half the boat as this is not simply plugging into nmea and it works…makes neither economical unless openCPN is your hobby.

Why nobody ports that openCPN to an android app. That runs on a raspy pi so from spec it can run on any android device like tablet or phone. Would make a lot things more easier and opencpn would skyrocket.
Windows on boats is dead as Operation System and even the chartplotter manufacturer move to android.

[nohal]

OpenCPN is ported to Android.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by nohal

OpenCPN is ported to Android.

Hmm I missed that
Will install on my phone…
From a quick view it’s an isolated app that cannot connect to a raspi or mini pc running also opencpn to get eg Radar. Correct?
Or
Is it possible to connect with the android app to the raspberry pi where opencpn is running and connected to a radar?