Replacing Garmin cockpit with Raymarine

[n5ama]

I’m trying to replace a Garmin GMI multi depth/speed/wind display with a Raymarine 150 depth display/P79 transducer on my Contessa 32. I traced the existing P-79 transducer to my B&G V-7 radar unit that uses the transducer to display water depth and then the B&G apparently sends the info to the Garmin cockpit display.

This works as long as I want to run the radar but the transducer data isn’t sent to the Garmin when the radar is off.

In a perfect world I would like to send the P-79 to both the B&G radar and the new Raymarine depth gage independent of what’s on or off. I would like the data sent to the Raymarine if I only have a choice of one or the other.

The two units are close enough in size to make a decent replacement in the cockpit without any visible holes.

There are cabling differences between the Garmin and the Raymarine displays. Replacing the cables will be painful because of several tight turns (all behind a fiberglass channel) in the route to the rear of the instrument. I’ll probably attach a line to the cables at the instrument mounting location and reverse that by using the line to pull the new cables back through (with fingers crossed that the line doesn’t part half way through).

Raymarine has supplied a cable with 3 spade connectors that connect the transducer to the display but I don’t see a cable to connect the display to power. I also don’t see a cable that might connect the B&G radar to the display.

Any help with one or more of these issues would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom

[Calif.Ted]

Raymarine has supplied a cable with 3 spade connectors that connect the transducer to the display but I don’t see a cable to connect the display to power.

It would be powered thru the Seatalkng/nema2000 cable as part of the Seatalkng or nema 2000 network. Seatalkng and nema2000 are the same but use different cables, interconnecting is by use of an adapter cable.
Anything put on the nema2000 network via transducer or instrument is available to all devices/displays on the network.

[smac999]

It sounds like you have an analog transducer plugged into the mfd.

What you are asking for is a smart transducer with a nmea 2000 cable. This will give depth values only and not sonar picture on the mfd. depth to both screens if either is on.


Actully it looks like the i50 has an analog input. Like the old st60’s did. If so you can cut the end off the existing analog transducer, attach the spades. and plug it to the i50. The i50 should give depth to mfd if both are on. Via the same n2k network that is sending depth from the mfd to the gmi.

You can buy an nmea 2000 to stng adapter to plug the i50 into the old gmi n2k cable.

https://ca.binnacle.com/Electronics-...duct_info.html

[n5ama]

Great!! Thanks for the help.

I’m away from the boat right now but will be back tomorrow.

What I have with the new Raymarine display is a cable with three spade connectors for the display on one end and I’m not sure what the other end mates with. Perhaps it mates with a nmea 2000 block. I’ll have to check tomorrow and if it doesn’t, I’ll have to buy an adapter.

I purchased a new P79 transducer that has a 5 pin Airmar connector on it. I bought it because I didn’t know if the P79 currently on the boat was functional and if it had a plug that was compatible with the Raymarine stuff. I found the old P79 working and it plugs into a cable at the P79 end. That cable is what is connected to the B&G radar.

If I understand what you are saying is that I need to plug the P79, the Raymarine i50 depth display and the B&G radar into the NMEA 2000 block, all should work.

I’m not sure if I have enough ports on the existing NMEA 2000 to allow all those connections but if not, I guess I could add another set of connections to what I have.

If the connections thing is solved, the most difficult thing remaining is to pull the old Garmin cables and replace with the new Raymarine cables. When I attempt to pull the first Garmin cable, I’ll probably attach more than one string to give me additional chances in case I break off while attempting to pull the new set. The opening for the cables on the display is barely big enough to fit one cable connector at a time.

Thanks again for patience with a newbie and the help!
Tom

[n5ama]

Originally Posted by smac999

It sounds like you have an analog transducer plugged into the mfd.

What you are asking for is a smart transducer with a nmea 2000 cable. This will give depth values only and not sonar picture on the mfd. depth to both screens if either is on.


Actully it looks like the i50 has an analog input. Like the old st60’s did. If so you can cut the end off the existing analog transducer, attach the spades. and plug it to the i50. The i50 should give depth to mfd if both are on. Via the same n2k network that is sending depth from the mfd to the gmi.

You can buy an nmea 2000 to stng adapter to plug the i50 into the old gmi n2k cable.

https://ca.binnacle.com/Electronics-...duct_info.html

Ok, apparently I’m getting closer but it has been a very slow crawl.

The cable supplied by the outfit that sold me the i50 and the P79 transducer was just as you said. This cable has the 3 spade connectors on the end and is used with an analog transducer. According to the Raymarine service guy, there is an adapter connector (A06083) that plugs into one of the rear multi pin connectors on the i50. This adapts to a NMEA 2000 drop cable long enough to get to a connector port. I ordered a 3 port multi T and caps to fit whatever I don’t need along with a drop cable and the adapter connector. It will be a minor miracle if all this crap actually works together.

I’m hoping I can plug the P79 transducer (located in the bow of the boat) into an existing single port that runs to the navigation area via a backbone cable. That port was used for a speed transducer that I really don’t think I need (after all, my boat is a sailboat with a hull speed of a fast walk). I really don’t need to quantify if I’m moving along at a fast walk or a crawl.

The depth display is actually very much needed in Clear Lake with marginal keel clearance (especially in the winter). Two weeks ago I grounded twice (in Clear Lake channel) on the way out to Galveston Bay where the water is a bit deeper.

Thanks again for all the help and wishing all a great weekend.
Tom