Raymarine electronics hookup help

Frill

New Member
I am trying to get farmiliar with the boat eletronics such as chart plotter, Ais, and auto helm. I am sure someone on here knows exactly what I need todo. I will try to keep it simple.
I have a Raymarine ST 6002 Auto helm thats tied into the smart pilot X5. This was on the boat when I bought it.
I have purchased an Em-Trak 921 class B Ais for it.
I have also purchased a Raymarine Axiom+7 chartplotter.

Now, I am confused on what needs to connect to what and what cabling do I need? I am thinking I am thinking it should all connect to the smart pilot X5? And then I see ports for NMEA 2000 and 0183, which one should I use?
On the back of the ST6002 is an empty SeaTalk port, could I use this to tie in my chart plotter?
Here are some pics as to what I am looking at.
Should my chart plotter wire into the AIS or smart pilot X5, or can I adapt it to plug into the other port on the ST6002
Note: the old chartplotter Standard Horizon CP 300i is tied into that white junction block with the blue data cable on the other end going to the smart pilot X5
I thought I could figure this out for sure but I needs some guideance from someone that knows a little more than I do........lol
Thanks in advanced guys!!!
 

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We see this scenario often... Unfortunately is it not always possible to connect this box with that display through any old cable and have a functioning system when the switch is flipped.
In short you are attempting to have semi old school technology talk and play with new school equipment. The ST 6002 and the X5 were designed to talk and work together. They do so via Raymarine's Sea Talk I/O which is a generation or so behind your newly purchased plotter. That equipment also communicates in NEMA 0183 if needed. The AIS that you purchased communicates in NEMA 0183 and the newest NEMA 2000 protocol, so it theoretically could communicate with the older Raymarine equipment via NEMA 0183 but has no reason to do so. The AIS has no reason to talk to an autopilot and the autopilot has no information that the AIS would want or need.
The chart plotter on the other hand is designed to communicate in Ehternet/Raynet and NMEA 2000. It should/does need to talk to the autopilot but they do not speak the same language because their communication protocols are not compatible. The plotter could/should talk to your AIS via NEMA 2000 over a NEMA backbone. That connection is simple, a plug and ply NEMA 2000 backbone.
To get your chart plotter to talk to your Ray pilot is theoretically possible utilizing a NEMA 0183 to NEMA 2000 converter but we have seen time and time again where the transmitted bundles of information often do not receive or transmit as usable data. The only way to know is to purchase the gear (converter & cables), hook it up and find out . Often some, all or none of the functionality will work. It is most often an expensive crap shoot.
You are looking for fast free advice to a complex set of problems that instrument integrators earn a living at trying to figure out and make happen. Seldom is it an EZ thing and many times it is unobtainable. Raymarine older stuff (Sea Talk communications) doesn't even talk to Ray's new stuff without a proprietary black box that costs around $900. We have had issues with brand new (fill in the manufactures name) equipment talking to the same generation equipment by the very same manufacture purchased all brand new at the very same time.
Then there is the wireless equipment. I won't even go down that rabbit hole and I would recommend that no one else does as well. It has gotten better but it still has issues.
Today it is difficult to find bad equipment, almost everything is of good quality. Typically, designing a system to meet the end users needs and desires becomes the hardest nut to crack. Ultralights and sport boats need different gear to provide the correct data feedback to the sailors who are dialed in enough to use that data. In most cases that boils down to the refresh rates meaning that in a 35,000 lb cruiser a system that refreshes the hull speed rate every two seconds is plenty good enough. In a sport boat that refresh rate of two seconds filters out all to much important data trends and the crew does not get back sufficient data to tell if the boat is accelerating, slowing or at a steady state. Most of the newer equipment is all digital and the duration of the stairstep of the digital change is often too course of feedback. Recently the higher end stuff has gone back to analog sensors allowing them to sample the data at what ever rate is needed to get a smoother transition and allow for a more refined look at the changing trends.
You didn't mention if you are a cruiser or a racer, but if you are a racer less is becoming more. Multiple displays of semi useless information is impressive but often confusing and can tend to cloud the real problem at hand. Hard core racers in my opinion only really need SOG (speed over ground) and TWS (true wind speed) to optimize a boats speed. In both readouts the information needs to refresh as often as possible, old information is useless information it is like reading yesterdays newspaper or reading a newspaper at all for that matter. Today when we see multiple displays they are best dedicated to providing data like headstay tension and backstay load that are utilized by the crew to keep the boat into prescribed data points for the wind conditions.
I wish I had better news for you but it is what it is.
Dale
 
Very good Dale and well said.
I have learned that I am better off keeping the old and new seperate. There is no big advantage to setting my course from my new chartplotter, not a big deal. I am a cruiser, or at least am trying to become one. When I get this in the water I should hope the new chartplotter and AIS will work, I will try the old autopilot and if it works, then bonus. If it doesn't work, off to the store for a new one, it is as simple as that.
To recap; I have a post on another forum and between you and them I am up to speed on what needs to happen here. The marine dealer also sold me an Anchor NMEA backbone kit that will tie my new components together nicely and that is what will happen. I will run the autopilot seperate and go with that. I won't be crossing oceans for years at a time here just currumnatigating Islands in the summer months and having fun.
Thanks for your input Dale!
Bryan
 

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