I am going to upgrade all the 32-200 instruments. Wind, Speed, Depth, AIS, Chart plotter, Radar and Auto pilot. Since I've been away from sailing everything has changed. I don't want to break the Bank, but I would like to put a nice package together for southern California. If someone could recommend and point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated. All opinions will be of high interest. Joe
New Instruments
- Thread starter jav317
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william.haas
1990 Ericson 28-2
I recently upgraded with the Raymarine i70s System Pack for wind, speed, depth, and temperature; a Raymarine Axiom 9 with Navionics for an MDF/Chartplotter; a Raymarine EV-100 for autopilot, and am using the AIS data off of my VHF which I did not upgrade. In the future I do plan to add a standalone AIS as well. It seems like many folks on this forum updated their electronics in the past year and a half (pandemic projects?) and there are lots of forum posts and a few blog entries on the installs. Also, you might be surprised but there is a good market for used electronics and your existing instrumentation likely has some value. For example, my new autopilot was $1,000 but I was able to move the old one for $700 (net $300 upgrade). I just wouldn't bet the bank on a sale. Raymarine usually runs some type of offer in the off season and Defender will likely have a Memorial Day sale that might also bring you some savings.
Some think radar is unnecessary in Southern Cal. I'm one of them.
I wrote (laboriously perhaps?) about my own recent electronics upgrade on my blog.
I spent about $5,500, netting out some eBay money from selling older stuff.
Planning
A new dashboard
A new pedestal guard and gauges
Routing wires etc.
AIS stuff
Installing
Installation Pt. 2
The last link has my actual costs. I suppose being engrossed in this project was why the first few months of Covid seemed rather painless.
I spent about $5,500, netting out some eBay money from selling older stuff.
Planning
A new dashboard
A new pedestal guard and gauges
Routing wires etc.
AIS stuff
Installing
Installation Pt. 2
The last link has my actual costs. I suppose being engrossed in this project was why the first few months of Covid seemed rather painless.
I didn't upgrade my autopilot but did everything else you mention. Like the others I went the Raymarine route, but with i50/60 instrument bundle. Axiom 9 and Quantum radar package because Great Lakes fog is no joke. For AIS I went with the Vesper 8000. About $5,000 all in with a new navpod, network cables, and wiring.
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Teranodon
Member III
If you have a good chartplotter on your pedestal, and if all your sensors are networked, then you can have the data displayed in front of you (with the layout customized on the screen). This will save money and minimize the number of holes for individual displays. Personally, I chose the other route: my depth, speed and wind are on the cabin bulkhead, for everyone in the cockpit to see. I think that this decreases the chances of running aground or gybing accidentally. I thought long and hard about this, because drilling big holes in my boat is always traumatic, no matter how many times I've done it.
An anecdote: one of our Club members is going all-out with new electronics on his 30-footer. Some guy talked him into installing a 12-inch touchscreen chartplotter on the bulkhead where he can't reach it from the wheel. The cutout is enormous. I tried to talk him out of it.
Here's my view from the helm. Note that I mounted my old Garmin 78sc on the side. It displays nav info: GPS speed, distance to mark, VMG, bearing, compass rose. Saves real estate on the main 9-inch screen. Powered from the house bank, of course.
An anecdote: one of our Club members is going all-out with new electronics on his 30-footer. Some guy talked him into installing a 12-inch touchscreen chartplotter on the bulkhead where he can't reach it from the wheel. The cutout is enormous. I tried to talk him out of it.
Here's my view from the helm. Note that I mounted my old Garmin 78sc on the side. It displays nav info: GPS speed, distance to mark, VMG, bearing, compass rose. Saves real estate on the main 9-inch screen. Powered from the house bank, of course.
David Grimm
E38-200
Your old wind,depth,water speed/temp can be combined and turned into seatalkng/nmea 2000 via a raymarine itc-5. Works well with my garmin chart plotter.
By the way - Congratulations on moving ahead with your 32-200 purchase.
I found your pictures under your profile post. Looks like a beautiful boat.
Sooner or later, someone will pester you to put your boat details in your signature line for this site. If you click on your username in the top right and then choose "signature" you can modify your details to show your boat and engine type, name if you wish, some pithy phrase etc. with every comment posted. Helpful for others when soliciting advice etc.
I found your pictures under your profile post. Looks like a beautiful boat.
Sooner or later, someone will pester you to put your boat details in your signature line for this site. If you click on your username in the top right and then choose "signature" you can modify your details to show your boat and engine type, name if you wish, some pithy phrase etc. with every comment posted. Helpful for others when soliciting advice etc.
p.gazibara
Member III
If you want some anecdotal evidence...
I’m a bit down on Raymarine. I have seen various strange glitches with some of their equipment.
Most notably on an Oyster 62 I was recently working on. Every display had an internal gps, yet the system was unable to find any gps position data. They owner ended up purchasing a new standalone gps. Once installed the system recognized the new god along with half of the old screen gps’ as well. So much for redundancy.
I think it may have had to do with firmware updates, etc. If there is anything I have learned while sailing, firmware updates are the worst.
I slightly favor B&G/simrad systems on yachts. I have also heard good experiences with Garmin.
On Cinderella, we don’t have any instruments aside from a second hand brand-less screen attached to an old Airmar depth transducer and a Ritchie compass.
Chart-plotting is done down below at the nav station via an inexpensive low draw 12v micro PC connected to a gps puck running OpenCPN. An antenna splitter feeds an inexpensive AIS receiver sending AIS data into the PC as well.
There are some interesting new units based on Rasberry Pi that can interface with standard airmar transducers and feed the into into Signal K as well, but that is definitely a trip down the nerd rabbit hole.
-p
I’m a bit down on Raymarine. I have seen various strange glitches with some of their equipment.
Most notably on an Oyster 62 I was recently working on. Every display had an internal gps, yet the system was unable to find any gps position data. They owner ended up purchasing a new standalone gps. Once installed the system recognized the new god along with half of the old screen gps’ as well. So much for redundancy.
I think it may have had to do with firmware updates, etc. If there is anything I have learned while sailing, firmware updates are the worst.
I slightly favor B&G/simrad systems on yachts. I have also heard good experiences with Garmin.
On Cinderella, we don’t have any instruments aside from a second hand brand-less screen attached to an old Airmar depth transducer and a Ritchie compass.
Chart-plotting is done down below at the nav station via an inexpensive low draw 12v micro PC connected to a gps puck running OpenCPN. An antenna splitter feeds an inexpensive AIS receiver sending AIS data into the PC as well.
There are some interesting new units based on Rasberry Pi that can interface with standard airmar transducers and feed the into into Signal K as well, but that is definitely a trip down the nerd rabbit hole.
-p
K2MSmith
Sustaining Member
I am interested in putting together an OpenCPN system based on Rasberry Pi with wireless devices , but I need a display/interface from the cockpit (have a tiller). I might look at something that can be mounted on a swing arm inside…
David Grimm
E38-200
I wouldn't bad mouth Raymarine for poor amature installation. However if you purchase Raymarine auxiliary units they can only be firmware updated via a Ray chartplotter! K2MSmith. I have used this little 10.1 inch monitor for several security camera jobs. Works great with raspberry pi 3. https://www.amazon.com/Elecrow-Rasp...d_rd_i=B076GZVCP2&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_rp_6_sc
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p.gazibara
Member III
Lol, that Oyster was far from an amateur installation. Nor were the big fishing launches I work on with similar issues. It is all anecdotal though.
But yes, I also use a CCTV screen for OpenCPN, but that is in a dry space down below.
If you wanted to have a waterproof unit in the cockpit, a tablet in a waterproof case is great. You can run both Navionics and teamviewer on the tablet. The latter will mirror the OpenCPN from the pi to the tablet via WiFi. They are free from wires and have great battery life/minimal draw when charging.
If one has an Axiom MFD and a WiFi connection, Raymarine firmware updates are as painless as updating an iPhone app.
I would recommend an Axiom MFD to anyone installing more Raymarine than the EV100 pilot alone.
Thanks Bill, I was looking at the Rayamarine and the Axiom makes since.
That's the difference between below Point Conception sailing and below Pt Dume I guess. I've used radar getting into Ventura Harbor so many times I probably qualify for an instrument rating if they had one. Thanks, I'll save the money for now and put it some where else. I'm thinking a good AIS system is a very good thing.
I agree, unless you're racing getting up and going to the pedestal to see what's happening is a hassle and safety factor. I'm thinking moveable Chart plotter and instruments over companion way.
Ok, will do. The deal isn't closed yet so I'll get things up to date after she is Officially ours.
Jav, I think you posted pictures to your own profile, which is fine, but perhaps you wanted them here for more public view?
Yep! I thought I was posting here. I'm not real good at these sites. I'll try to attach them again.
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