Bob, my old GPS (Magellan Fx324) was located at the chart table by PO and connected to other Ray instruments and autohelm via NMEA which were already together via SeaTalk. This needed to be upgraded to NMEA 2000 or the SeaTalk to Seatalk NG to integrate the E7. I tried the NMEA 2000 route but not being a techno geek, was unable to make it work. So I threw money at it and the problem was solved. Bought a Seatalk NG trunk with backwards compatibility to SeaTalk. It worked perfectly first time.
I originally put the E7 at the chart table only to get it working, and planned to move it to the helm. However over last season where we did a lot of sailing, I found that the chartplotter was mostly fine at the table. That's because my wife does most of the helming these days, leaving me to do a - the grunt work, b - trim adjustments and c - decision making on course selection etc, all of which she prefers to leave to me (you can see who the real captain is). So I go down to the chartplotter, set a course selection via Go To Waypoint and she can see it on an ST60 at the helm. For us it's working fairly well like this, for both cruising and racing. And being lazy with regard to moving the Seatalk NG trunk and E7 wiring to the helm I am inclined to leave it that way. Being coastal sailors (Great Lakes) we're not out at the helm doing overnight trips and even if we do one, I think the iPad, suitably protected will do fine. The Raycontrol app presents an exact image of the E7 screen including virtual controls for cursor and selection buttons. When you make adjustments to the E7 it is shown on the iPad. When you adjust on the iPad it is shown on the E7. Pretty slick. The iPad is not simply an alternate for the E7, and controls it directly. Cheers Steve Hood S/V Diamond Girl C&C 34 Lions Head ON ------------------------------ Message: 10 Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:44:21 -0400 From: Robert Boyer <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Stus-List iPad Enclosure for Cockpit Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I have been thinking about upgrading my RayMarine chart plotter to the E7 for its larger display. I think the display I have right now is the A50 (I don't have my model number with me at home--its on the boat). What is involved in upgrading the display to the E7? I currently have my chartplotter at the helm and wouldn't have it any other way. I usually sail with only the two of us. The chartplotter is made for the weather--it really should be at the helm (in the weather) while the iPad is not waterproof and should be out of the weather. I use my iPad as a redundant source of navigation info (using iNavX), rather that working with the chartplotter. I realize that everyone uses their equipment differently but I can't envision a way to use a chartplotter in the nav station effectively. My setup is for traveling the ICW and the Bahamas, as well as sailing the Chesapeake Bay. Bob Bob Boyer S/V Rainy Days (1983 C&C Landfall 38 - Hull #230) email: [email protected] blog: dainyrays.blogspot.com "There is nothing--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." --Kenneth Grahame -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://cnc-list.com/pipermail/cnc-list_cnc-list.com/attachments/20140414/0c 890f40/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com [email protected]
