Connect Old Raymarine Stuff to New NMEA 2000 Backbone?

jkidd · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:28 pm Post subject:

Tyboo
That’s right any nmea2000 gps antenna will give him gps speed, mpg, range. The backbone that is installed with the Suzuki motor is a rebranded Lowrance. It is compatible with Lowrance, Garmin, B&G, Simrad, Navico networks. Ray marine might require a converter. But any of the brands above would just plug in. Basspro has a Echomap UHD 73sv on sale right now for 350 off. $449.97 it would have the gps antenna built in and I think that one is loaded with Navionic maps and might future proof him a little bit. He can just leave the old gear the way it is. The Suzuki gauge is a little bit limiting you would just have to build a few screens to see everything and would have to switch between screens to see everything. With a small mfd you would be able to see everything on one screen.

ssobol · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:09 pm Post subject:

jkidd · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:00 pm Post subject:

hardee · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 11:53 pm Post subject:

I am pretty sure the C-80 or C-120 (Classic as they call them now) will be able to do the functions with AIS, radar and GPS. The issue I ran into was that the C-120 only had spots for input from 3 devices, so that is why I had to go to the Multiplexer. All the devices go to that, then it sends all the pertinent info to the C-120 on one of the available inputs.

Wonder if Pat got all (wire)tied up in his project? Or maybe on the way to Portland.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:11 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the replies!

I have spent quite a few hours on the boat down at the marina staring at the rat's nest behind the helm. Sportcraft did me one big favor, they moved the autopilot pump down to the very bottom so it no longer obscures what is behind where it was previously mounted.

You are all hitting right around what I want to do. The goal is to get GPS input into the Suzuki SMG4 display so the functions relating to speed and position such as MPG will work. Sportcraft neatly tied up everything coming from the SMG4 in one bundle and everything coming from the engine in another bundle. I cannot see where they connect with cutting the zip ties on each bundle, but I see NOTHING that looks like an N2K backbone or a cable to plug into an N2K backbone.

So one route would be to figure out how to connect a new N2K GPS directly to the SMG4 and not worry about anything else being connected to the N2K side of things.

The other route would be an N2K backbone with a multiplexer for all the NMES 0183 stuff, so for example the RS125 GPS receiver would provide the GPS information to the C-80, the S1000 autopilot, and whatever else, as well as the SMG4. New N2K stuff could just be plugged into the backbone as it replaces the old stuff.

I am looking for the simplest and most economical solution, which I THINK is the first route above, but the rub is that I need to find out where and how the N2K antenna (or puck?) would connect to the SMG4. If I could find that it already had an N2K backbone or even connector to one, I would be most of the way there. Without finding where and the SMG4 N2K connector is or how it connects, I am stymied. Sounds like Tyboo knows the answer to this, since he has the exact same engine and display that I now have,

jkidd · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 2:28 pm Post subject:

This is kind of an old picture, but it works the same.

Back at the engine you have the engine interface connected to a tee with a terminator resistor on the end. Some where in the middle there will be a tee that supplies power to the network. If you follow the wire coming out of the gauge it should go to a tee. All you have to do, disconnect the wire on the tee and add another tee to connect the gps module. The tee for the power can be any where between the two terminators. To add any device you just break a connection along the length of the backbone add a tee and add the new device. The terminators need to stay at the ends of the cable.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 2:45 pm Post subject:

Well, one question was just answered by Ryan at Sportcraft! The connector for the drop cable to an N2K backbone is on the back of the SMG4 display unit itself under a cover. He said it will require an N2K starter kit, which I just ordered.

Now I need to figure out the N2K GPS antenna. This one from Defender for $185 looks like it would fill the bill - any other suggestions?

This will result, at least at first, in my having at first two completely separate systems or "networks" on-board - the existing 2005 NMEA 0183 stuff, which all still works, getting GPS input from the RS 125, and the Suzuki SMG4 N2K display connected to a new N2K backbone and fed with an N2K GPS antenna.

At some point one of these N2K WiFi multiplexers that can convert 0183 and 2000 bidirectionally would be very nice - integrates everything and shows output on an iPad to boot. If I understand things correctly, with this all the old stuff would also be able to get GPS input from the N2K GPS antenna.

The benefit of this seems to me to be that I can replace all the old stuff - which is not "junk" in my mind because it has worked for 16 years and still all works - incrementally with new stuff as we feel necessary or worthwhile. A new VHF and likely a new MFD are probably in the not too distant future. This would be in addition to the existing C-80, at least for a period of time, because the C-80 shows depth sounder output from the Depth Sounder Module and the radar display from the Raymarine radome. And Jody - we have never felt our lives were in danger because of the 16 year old electronics! We cruised 5,428 miles around the Great Loop in 2017 with this equipment plus an iPad over the held on a RAM mount running various nav apps, and did just fine!

ssobol · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 4:15 pm Post subject:

Having two networks is what I ended up with. NMEA 2000 is designed to talk on a bus to multiple things sharing different information. NMEA0183 is really only designed for one way traffic and one source can only support a limited number of listeners.

The receiver you link to will do what you need it to. Be aware that that one also has a heading sensor in it. If you feel you are ever going to use that feature, you need to consider it when installing the receiver.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:13 pm Post subject:

hardee · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:20 pm Post subject:

Pat, that Mini Multiplexer is a newr version (by about 6 years) of the shipmodule one I have and it has worked flawlessly.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:45 pm Post subject:

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:51 pm Post subject:

The N2K backbone starter kit was ordered from Amazon yesterday and is arriving today. The GPS receiver with heading sensor was ordered from Defender this morning, and will get here when it gets here! It may take Defender two days to ship and take UPS 5-7 days to get it here. This feels like a start on advancing into the current century!

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:54 pm Post subject:

Here is a photo of the N2K socket for the drop cable on the back of the Suzuki SMG4 display, right where Ryan from Sportcraft said it would be. It was under a little rubber cap.

TyBoo · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:17 pm Post subject:

Aha. My mistake there - I thought the cable came with the display. Mine was all hooked up to the backbone with a couple of Tee connectors in it when I picked up the boat.

Feel fortunate that your GPS device is so cheap. A local surveyor had a GPS head unit stolen from one of his instruments and it was valued at over $40,000. It was returned anonymously the next day with an apology note.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 10:38 pm Post subject:

And here is my N2K backbone. It also came with two six foot drop cables. The one tee will only allow two devices to be connected, and in my case, one will be the Suzuki display and the other will be the N2K GPS. However, it is simple to add additional tees, and they are fairly inexpensive, I will probably get one to be ready for the next N2K device i buy!