N2K Analyzer

To JON TC -- Sorry this is off topic. If you want to sell your B&G instruments, I am looking for a replacement Network Depth unit. Contact me at windman_sail at fastmail.us

Jon, N2KAnalyzer is free but you have to have a USB100 to run it (unless maybe it runs through Airmar or Actisense gateways, which seems possible, but may not be).

Yes, the USB100 can be a Third Party Gateway, as I understand it, but it's not currently set up that way, because, I think, the Third Party Gateway is not yet a published NMEA standard.

I think the question should be "is communicating with the PB200 via N2K worth the cost difference between an Airmar NMEA 2000 gateway and the Combiner box worth." I don't know the cost diffence but I think answer is yes, regardless. Just check out the difference between WeatherCaster on N2K and on 0183. They are worlds apart in terms of utilities, flexibility, and speed.

This is a transition period, which makes everything more complicated, but where we're transitioning to is NMEA 2000 for most all sensor communications (radars, cameras, and a couple of other broadband items excepted).

I like the Maretron product for being able to run N2K analyzer with it, but is there some way we can check to see that using it as the gateway will allow Weathercaster software to run with complete functionality?

"Yes, the USB100 can be a Third Party Gateway, as I understand it, but it's not currently set up that way, because, I think, the Third Party Gateway is not yet a published NMEA standard."

The USB100 does not work with WeatherCaster in N2K mode right now; I tried it. And N2KAnalyzer does not work over the Actisense NGT-1, but WeatherCaster N2K does; tried both. Both these conditions could change, and may.

Jon,

Would you have any Maretron devices on the network? In that case a USB100 makes sense, as then you can use it to upgrade the firmware of your maretron network.

If you don't plan any Maretron displays or sensors you're better of using the Actisense NGT-1 or even a NMEA-0183-to-2000 converter. The latter will work with existing software; the Actisense will work with software adapted for it, such as WeatherCaster and Expedition chart plotting sw.

Has anyone got this running on a Mac?

Kees, how would a 0183/2000 translator make sense, since you can't really run WeatherCaster through one? Plus, at this moment the fastest, most versatile 0183/2000 translator seems to be the Maretron USB100 (the expensive Furuno probably excepted).

Hi Ben,

As you know, and have reported as well, at the moment the situation regarding interfacing with NMEA 2000 on the PC side is still very much in flux.

- Existing software such as most chart plotting software only knows how to talk NMEA-0183 to a (virtual) RS-232 port.
- Various software requires particular NMEA-2000 interfaces. That is: not all NMEA-2000 compatible software can work with all interfaces, as you have stated above.
- Various hardware requires particular NMEA-2000 interfaces or hardware in order to install firmware updates.

A clear Windows API that would be adhered to by all would clearly be beneficial. Until this happens I'm afraid we'll see that people will sometimes be forced to buy more than one interface.

What you need depends on what you want. If you have a PB200 and want access to all its data (and be able to upgrade it) you need a NMEA-2000 interface that Airmar supports, e.g. the Airmar or Actisense units.

If all you need is access to the wind, GPS and course information then you can get away with a Simrad AT10, which is the cheapest of the bunch AFAIK.

Or even better, if that is the only info that Jon wants to convert to NMEA-0183 he could also get the Airmar PB200 with the combination cable and NMEA-0183/2000 splitter box.

Hope this clarifies what I tried to say.

--
Kees