Swallow Yachts Forum > Technical

Side-stepping the technical silos

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Sea Simon:
Thanks GW & A, very useful.

GW. Watching your Sailproof posts with great interest, as I think this is a similar direction to which I will take.
Looking out for deals on the run-out 10", as I can't see that I need greater processing power on my sort of boat/applications?

meanwhile...
I like my cheap London chartplotters ruggedised Samsung tab, with UKHO charts (at <£200, this is as cheap as a phone really, and it doesn't really matter if I break/loose it?). I see the Sailproof as a super-duper ££ version of this? Handy to view/use at helm, which Raymar plotter built into cabin bulkhead most certainly is not. Also that location perhaps a bit vulnerable to weather and winch handles (I have 4 winches) for a £1500 replacement?

My plotter (Raymarine) and Wireless wind (Nexus/Garmin) are both now dead and obsolete (from 2012 I believe). As a stop-gap, I've installed a Raymarine i40 Bidata display, to give speed and depth...only to find that the speed/temp transducer has also died. grrrr!
Got a new retractable speed/T sensor for £150. 200kHz.
Looks like the new Tri data sensors (Speed+Depth+Temp) run at 250kHz - a "silo within a silo"? so will need ANOTHER sensor if modernising to B&G Triton?


I'm thinking Sailproof tab for Nav & AIS display, plus perhaps B & G Triton2 for Depth/speed/wind sail info?

Andy might know if the B&G stuff plus a multiplexer, and AIS engine of some sort would work together to give me what i hope for?
It would be ideal to be able to screen mirror the sail data on the tablet.

I'm not convinced that I need an AIS transponder, at least not hereabouts...yet...but may well bite the bullet and buy an AIS transceiver for "a few" £ more?

Sea Simon:
similar, but different - yet related.

I've been in the RAM mounts silo for quite a while now. Have found their suction cup mounts excellent for what I need.
Both my trusty old Garmin GPS 72, and the Samsing tab do well in these. No holes in my boats either!

Recently strayed into the Navisafe starport/Railblaza silo for some other small items. good so far.

However, I see Sailproof tend towards the ROKK/Scanstrut mounts silo, of which I have no experience...or investment.
thoughts?

Graham W:
Simon,

Like you, I’ve mostly used RAM brackets and am reluctant to swap silos to ROKK.  Whatever you get, it needs to be heavy duty as the 10” Sailproof is a bit of a beast.  I’m not sure that even a heavy duty suction cup is up to the job of providing a suitable mounting point for whatever bracket you choose.

For the under foredeck mount, I’ll continue to use a RAM Tab-Tite HD, which fits the Sailproof well and is sturdy https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mount-Tab-Tite-Passive-Holders-Smartphone/dp/B00DUU2MLM/ref=asc_df_B00DUU2MLM/.

I’m not sure yet about what to use at the alternative mounting position at the aft end of the centreboard capping.  It could be a bodged-together marine ply casing attached to a cannibalised Garmin fishfinder mount.  The tablet would slot into the top or side of the wood casing at an angle of 45° or thereabouts (I need to see what angle is best for viewing) and could swivel horizontally by 360°.

Sea Simon:
GW,

RAM.
I use a dedicated cradle for the GPS 72 (almost too secure!) And a tab tight for the Samsung rugged tablet. Brought the next size up, rather than the very snug version and this gives a bit of future  proofing, hopefully?

One has a bendy metal stem (flex rod) the other a short rigid strut. Both suction bases stick very well to the smooth shiny inner bulwark/cockpit sides of a BRe.

I find the GPS 72 excellent for finding small buoys/racing marks in pre-known positions, OK when set up but "programming" requires it to be very close by. Hence movable mount is ideal.

AndyB:
Simon,
I am not sure what your new speed/t sensor so not sure what its output is but assume its output is direct to the i40. The i40 connects directly to the sensors and outputs in Seatalk to other devices. The B&G Triton takes input from a NMEA 2000 network.

To move forward you need to adopt a strategy on what backbone to use for the sensors etc etc. If you feel strongly about the Triton and it is a very good display then I would purchase sensors that produce a NMEA2000 backbone and messages. Airmar do very good tri data with NMEA2000 output. I would also purchase a NMEA2000 to Wifi converter and then use a display such as the sailproof to run Navionics/Imray( which now works) /Aquamap etc. I believe that if you have the ST1000/2000 raymarine tiller pilots that we all seem to have you need seatalk to send waypoints but NMEA0183 can be used for cross track error etc. I tend to use it by setting the next direction rather than send /setup waypoints so if you do that it is simpler. But it works best for me when receiving wind data so NMEA0183 is beneficial.

Do note that sailproof screen resolution is 1280*800 which some would say is too small but the new B&G Zeus range also have the same resolution. This seems the optimum density for navigation whilst compared to battery drain. Since both 10 inch and 8 inch have the same you will not lose screen information by going for the 8 inch - you might just need better eyes :) Note the Zeus has 1200 nits and sailproof 1000 nits

So have a look at all your working devices, workout what output they provide - NMEA 2000/0183/seatalk or direct to a device ( like your sensors). Then draw a network map of what you want and then you can work out what convertors/ new devices you need.  If you decide you have current 0183 devices that you wish to retain  then a multiplexor like the MiniPlex-3Wi-N2K will handle seatalk, 0183/2000 and output in wifi with its own router or connect to an existing router.

I could go on forever but if you are effectively starting from scratch I would go for NMEA 2000 devices a 2000 to Wifi converter and decide whether you need a tiller pilot to follow a route.  I have decided I do not need this functionality but will look at pypilot to see if I can produce one for my setup. My current designs are difficult in the cross track error world. If you have lots of 0183 devices then you can get a multiplexor

Send me an email and I will send you a phone number if you want to talk it over.

Best regards
Andy B

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