ST 2000+ RayMarine auto pilot

[zellerj]

I recently installed a ST2000+ tiller pilot on my Catalina 30. I want to have this autopilot talk to my NMEA2000 network, so I can pilot using both wind data (from a Garmin Nexus Wind instrument) and my GPS (from a Garmin 740S). The instructions for the ST2000+ tiller pilot says that it can communicate with a NMEA 0183 interface.

I thought NMEA 2000 was backwards compatible, so that the ST 2000 would work with the NMEA 2000 network.

Anyhow I bought another NMEA 2000 T and a drop cable, added them to my network, and stripped the drop cable to review the white and green data wires, and wired these two wires into the ST 2000+ plug as instructed, and the auto pilot does not see the wind instrument.

Anybody out there in A4 land have and solved this issue? Any advice on where to go for more help?

[W2ET]

Hi, Jim:

I have found answers to some quirky technical questions on reddit, but I don't see anything re Raymarine there.

Bill

[GregH]

Many ways and converter modules out there. A couple of ways you can do this

1/ Via Raymarine items
- Raymarine #E70196 NM0183 converter to SeatalkNg (NMEA 2000)
- then use either Raymarine #A06045 Devicenet Female Adaptor or Raymarine #A06046 Devicenet Male Adaptor to your NMEA 2000 network.

2/ various gateways such as
-Actisense NGW-1-AIS NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 Gateway
- Yacht Devices have various gateways depending upon your needs (what I am using)

[zellerj]

Thanks Greg for you thoughtful post. After a call to RayMarine, I learned waht you said and that I need to purchase a NMEA2000 to NMEA0183 converter, and connect the converter cable to the tiller pilot. Since this converter costs over $200, I think I will just use my new auto pilot the old fashion way.

[GregH]

Another company (I am using their products) is https://www.yachtdevices.ca/products...ateway-ydng-03

they have a whole range of devices. Not cheap but potentially less to go straight from your NMEA 0183 to 2000 backbone.

[W2ET]

Garmin has pretty much eaten RayMarine's lunch in the marine electronics business. It's as if RayMarine doesn't wish to play. Maybe they're too busy with government/military stuff?

Bill