B&G NEMA 0183 to new Chartplotter

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TonyB
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Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:33 pm
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California
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B&G NEMA 0183 to new Chartplotter

Post by TonyB »

Hey folks,
I am wondering if anyone had been successful at networking an older B&G system (Hercules 690 processor) to a newer chartplotter using NEMA 0183. Spent a few hours with this yesterday to no avail. The B&G equipment appears to be original. The new chartplotter is a Lawrence Elite 7 Ti (seems to be a fairly nice unit). Trying to connect the two for Wind, Depth, Boat Speed to Chartplotter and GPS info to B&G system.

Thanks!
Tony
SV Circe 1997 Freedom 40/40 - Hull #20 - Richmond Yacht Club, Richmond, CA

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Castaway
Posts: 286
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:40 pm
Location: Lerwick, Shetland Isles

Re: B&G NEMA 0183 to new Chartplotter

Post by Castaway »

I have a Hydra 330 processor and B&G Vulcan plotter (similar to the Lowrance, I think). I am told that I need an "Actisense" connector to convert the B&G output to NMEA 0183. It might also provide a NMEA 2000 output, which would be more use for the plotter, and anything else you might later add. So far, I haven't got it up and running, though I hope to sort it next season, when I have had a faulty Hydra 2000 display fixed. My boat is four countries and three days' journey away, so I wont have any answers soon. There is a B&G NMEA 2000 connector, but it apparently won't work with any earlier processor than the Hydra 2000.
Gerald Freshwater,
s/y 'Castaway', (UK F35 cat ketch, centreboard, 1987)
Lerwick Boating Club
Shetland Isles, Scotland

TonyB
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:33 pm
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California
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Re: B&G NEMA 0183 to new Chartplotter

Post by TonyB »

I think I am ready to throw in the towel and buy an Actisense. I think that the B&G probably talks some proprietary or intermediate version of NEMA 0183. Apparently the Actisense is good at recognizing and translating pretty much all "flavors" of 0183 to NEMA 2000 and back.
Tony
SV Circe 1997 Freedom 40/40 - Hull #20 - Richmond Yacht Club, Richmond, CA

Belanich
Posts: 97
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 10:51 am

Re: B&G NEMA 0183 to new Chartplotter

Post by Belanich »

I have a similar problem so I was also thinking about installing a Nmea 2000/0183 interface. I looked at the specs of the Actisense and of the Yacht Devices units and they seem the same except for price. The Actisense unit cost ~$200 wereas the Yacht Devices costs ~$150. Does anyone have experience with either of these interfaces?

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