Secrets of Raymarine

I'd appreciate any comments and/or recommendations on the most useful info to be displayed on the C-80 in the J.C.Lately. My mate and I are both looking at this through 67-year-old eyes and trying to assimilate information useful to operators notably short on practical power-boating experience.

We started out with a custom page which Les had setup and which some fool managed to reset to the defaults during a system software update. Currently we operate exclusively on a page of Chart, Heading Up, with Radar Overlaid, and a column of text data including XTE, Heading, COG/SOG, and Depth. We don't fish; just cruise.

Paul Priest
Sequim
 
Hi Paul,

On our E-80, I generally keep up a page similar to what you describe, but I change pages as the need arises... go to split screen (chart/radar) when the viz is low... switch to the triple screen showing bottom contour when in areas with shallows... switch to the full sounder screen when ready to anchor to get better bottom detail... to the screen that has a data box when we want to know the water temp... use the cross-track screen when going any distance over open water.

On the E, you go to the menu, scroll down to "page select" and you have a choice of 4 or 5 different empasis page menus. I assume it's similar on the C series.

I hope that is the info you are looking for. If you don't have a manual for your C-80, there is a pdf download available on the Raymarine website.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Paul,

You can set up your own custom pages for display. It's in the menu somewhere. Prob best to just go down to the boat and spend an afternoon playing with the unit. They had a quick start card which I did not find until after spending hours trying to figure things out. It is very nice to spend some time with no plans other than playing with the unit. Open every menu and sub-choices - take notes of the items of interest.

One of the confusing things is that many of the choices are listed on the bottom edge - that is when you need to push those bottom edge buttons.

It is way too stressful to try to do this while cruising!

John
 
Pn the C-80 my most used page is now a split screen both showing charts. One I keep at about 1 1/2 miles and the other at 6 or 12. You have the big picture and a detail at all times. If I want the larger full screen shot I go to the single for entering bays, ports, anchorages, marinas etc. I have the radar overlay over the charts also. I think Mac on Island Ranger turned me onto this.

On the info blocks I have lat and long, SOG and COG and depth displayed.
 
Is there something or someway to set the internal clock on the E series? I have tried to figure this out and no success. I want it to make sure tide times are accurate.

David, thanks for sharing how you set up your screen. I like that idea. Do you just keep the radar on the 1.5 mile range or is there a way to set it up with different ranges for each chart?
 
I have noticed that one of the Raymarine-related items frequently sold on eBay is a screen protector. Is there actually any need for this?

Warren
 
ppriest":eihra9hd said:
Jim B.

What's the advantage to displaying Chart and Radar in separate windows?

PAP
Click to expand...

Hi PAP,

In really low vis conditions, I put the radar overlay on the chart at the same scale and then use the other side for the radar screen... the contrast is better on just the radar screen and the minimal "blip" that may be a boat without a reflector shows better. The overlay on the screen makes it easier to pick out the "solid stuff" out there. I can also quickly scan out on the radar range and back.

Hope that makes sense.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
According to theC-80 Reference Manual:
"Head Up mode displays the chart with your boat's current heading upwards... NOTE: ...the chart will not update unless the heading changes by at least 10 degrees..."

Reasonable design parameter to avoid the display dithering when the boat is yawing about in choppy seas. However, it would be useful to know if what Raymarine actually means is that, in Head Up mode, the unit can only display one of 36 possible orientations (360 degrees divided by 10 degrees of heading change) of the chart on the screen. [This is not unreasonable from the standpoint of the display designers as the unit quite likely has, by today's standards, a sloooow processor and little working memory.]
If such is the case it could be good to know in order to anticipate, especially in situations of very limited visibility (sp. fog) when the chart is about to lurch into a new position.

Any pertinent experiences or observations?

Paul Priest
Sequim
 
Anyone know how to get fine scratches off the C80 display? Mostly from people poking at fish blips or points of interest. When the display is off, scratches are very noticeable.
 
chromer":xrr98wl7 said:
Anyone know how to get fine scratches off the C80 display? Mostly from people poking at fish blips or points of interest. When the display is off, scratches are very noticeable.
Click to expand...

I don't have that problem, but it must be a problem as there are many people selling screen protectors for the C-80 and E-80 on eBay. Maybe I should be pro-active and get one?

Warren
 
I haven't looked at the C-80 animated tide thing much until today. In the past, I've been focused on the shrinking/growing stack near the Tidal icon. I zoomed out once, and now see lots of green arrows around indicating tidal flow and speed. I was inspecting the San Juans for fishing areas for the derby - hence lots of arrows around the islands and passages. I apologize if everyone already knows this basic information.
 
chromer":2zoyxbwn said:
Anyone know how to get fine scratches off the C80 display? Mostly from people poking at fish blips or points of interest. When the display is off, scratches are very noticeable.
Click to expand...

I looked at this closer, i've actually wore off my coating by pointing at fish returns on my sonar window!
 
chromer/Warren: Maybe the screen protectors are for the guys who poke their screens a lot. ? Now I have not even looked into what a screen protector is for these units, but, if it is like a "tear-a-way" film like in NASCAR windshields, this may not be a bad idea. We often get tossed a bit in the boats, and have "stuff" on our little ol fingers....that when pointing out something on the screen....ends up on the screen.

Then, there are also those sneezes....... that come out of no where...but end up going ....everywhere... :embarrased :amgry :cry

Hummm.. Maybe they have inside windshield tear offs as well.

Byrdman
 
I forgot once and left my Garmin 182 on for a long trailer trip. Burned the current map right into the screen, like a computer will do without the screen saver. You could only really see it when the unit was off or looking at an angle.

Then I sold the boat (along with the 182! :oops: )

Charlie
 
OK, I'm over my head here and need help from someone who knows more than I do about the C-80 or marine electronics.

We have a 2006 C-80 with raymarine 2KW radar, raymarine GPS, raymarine depthsounder and a KVH 1000 fluxgate compass on C-Cakes. The display normally shows course over ground (green line), heading (red line) and current (blue arrow varying in thickness and direction depending on current strength and direction). It is very handy because I can see at a glance the direction and strength of the current, the effect of the current on the vessel (set) plus where the boat will be in 6 minutes (vector length).

While returning from Nanaimo last week the C-80 started showing really big side current indications on the order of 8Kts when I knew the data was not accurate. I did slow 360's and discovered that the current arrow always showed at 90 degrees to the heading and was the same size regardless of heading. I rebooted the C-80 and when it spun up the current would show what looked like an accurate indication then within a minute or two it would grow rapidly to the big current at 90 degrees indication. Thinking it was the fluxgate I recalibrated that unit, no effect. I then did a settings reset on the C-80, no effect. So I did a settings and data reset that supposedly is like a clean reboot on a computer, no effect. I turned the fluxgate compass off and noticed that the radar overlay changed dramatically. I had been so focused on the current vector I had not noticed that the radar overlay was also off kilter with the overlay showing at about 90 degrees to where it should be...and...with the fluxgate on the boat symbol on the screen would not rotate as the boat heading/course changed. If I turned the fluxgate off the "no heading data" warning came on, the radar overlay went back to normal, and the boat symbol would properly rotate. I contacted KVH and they said if the compass was providing accurate heading data (it seems to be) the problem was in the C-80. I did another settings and data reset here at home and when heading out this weekend noticed that now the C-80 will not show any vector lines at all. No heading, no course, no current. I have tried everything I know of to diagnose this problem to no avail. I checked with Raymarine and they have a fixed flat rate repair cost of $599 plus $90 for a "bench test" so sending the unit to them is not an option.

Right now I am operating the unit without the fluxgate and with no vectors showing. It seems to navigate properly.

Help!
 
Hi Barry, great to meet you at Nanaimo. This summer I have heard a bunch of similar situations like yours. All Raymarine products C-70, C-80, E80, E120 and A series and all right after crossing into Canada. The units have done strange things from flashing on and off to scrolling thru pages to showing strange headings and funny readings like yours. I don't know what it might be but could be the "falling" off the chip syndrome. The unit may be all of a sudden lost as it is used to running in US waters. Try turning it off before the border and insert the new chip for Canada prior to crossing. Let it boot up with the new info that may help.

I keep my boats Raymarine free and it seems to help. Run a Garmin nuvi or a 76csx for backup.
But seriously great thread, you're not alone.

Raymarine does get the job done but they are not very good on the manuals and the techs basically assume we know as much as they do. I talk to them several times a week in the summer and get headaches most times. I almost insist when selling Raymarine that people take their boats to Victoria or Vancouver where there is a factory trained installer. Regular marine electricians and owners seem to have challenges getting up and running. One does need to know the manual. Cheers George :lol:
 
Are you sure the compass is providing the correct information? As I understand the problem, if you turn the compass off, the chart's orientation adjusts to a correct position? If so, then I don't see how the compass is correct. I had a similar problem. If I turned the compass off while running the c-80 would then switch to using the COG for chart orientation. Mind was only off 5 or 10 degrees but that makes a huge difference on where you wind up when traveling 20 miles. I never did solve the problem but figured it was a compass issue. It might be cheaper to buy a second compass and test it than to send the c-80 in for repairs. Sorry if I misunderstood your problem.
 
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