I have finished with commissioning the water system. I flushed the winter antifreeze and cleaned the tanks with a very dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite (bleach).
I have installed the PDQ Wifi booster system; I need to check on the configuration procedure.
The repair number of my Raymarine radar is 434835; ETR is 5/28/14.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Friday, May 16, 2014
I found my GPS
I finally solved the problem with my Raystar 125 GPS. The trouble was embarrassingly trivial; I had swapped two leads on one plug in the lazarette of the boat, where testing it was very awkward.
After I straightened it out, the whole suite of electronic navigation devices started to operate.
I see a green flashing light on the LED for the GPS; I see a green LED on the front of the AIS. I see periodic data flashes on the NMEA multiplexer, indicating that it sees data on one of its channels. I see a flash on the AIS light on the VHF antenna splitter, about every 5 minutes or so, indicating that it is transmitting my position and vector. I can see the ship's location on the screen of the VHF, which implies that it is prepared for emergency message transmissions.
The radar scanner is still at the repair depot, but I can receive and transmit AIS data. Among other ships, I can see that of the Charles W Morgan, which is moored 6 miles away at her pier in Mystic, testing her navigation equipment in preparation for the start of her 38th voyage tomorrow. I can see my own location and vector on the Web site "Marine Traffic", which intercepts and displays the locations reported by AIS.
I have not moved from the pier, but my location is displayed correctly on the chartplotter.
When the rain ends later this weekend, I will load the hotel supplies on to the boat and commission the water system.
My GPS seems to be lost
Last fall, I removed the Raystar GPS 125 installed in the mizzen mast, in favor of the antenna for my AIS 650. This spring, I found that I cannot use the AIS 650 for navigation, so I am attempting to install the GPS 125 again, but it refuses to work.
As I read the manual, I should supply + 12VDC to the cable connected to the GPS, ground its green and brown wires to its shield, and watch the GPS boot (red flashing LED), listen (amber flashes) and acquire a fix (green flashes every 2 seconds). If I wish, I should be able to read the serial data output on its yellow wire, measured with respect to the ground.
What happens is more subtle. When I apply power, sometimes the LED flashes red, sometimes it does not. Often the LED stays stubbornly off. I have removed all other connections to the unit, but I can't seem to get it to operate consistently.
Apparently I cannot buy a direct replacement for the Raystar 125 from Raymarine. They now sell the Raystar 130, which has no NMEA 0183 output, favoring instead their proprietary Seatalk (ng) bus. Using this GPS would require at least one adapter, from Seatalk (ng) to Seatalk (1), and then some arrangemet to convert its data from Seatalk (1) to NMEA 0183.
I understand that Garmin still sells a GPS that uses the NMEA interface. I hate to add another brand to my boat, but it seems that this may be the path of least complication in the short run.
On the other hand, the Seatalk (ng) bus is a lovely adaptation of the NMEA 2000 "standard", implementing a nice moisture-resistant version of a CANnet. Its topology is backbone-and-drop; it has fairly wide bandwidth, and its operation is largely independent of any particular unit. Unfortunately, very little of my electronics could be reused.
As I read the manual, I should supply + 12VDC to the cable connected to the GPS, ground its green and brown wires to its shield, and watch the GPS boot (red flashing LED), listen (amber flashes) and acquire a fix (green flashes every 2 seconds). If I wish, I should be able to read the serial data output on its yellow wire, measured with respect to the ground.
What happens is more subtle. When I apply power, sometimes the LED flashes red, sometimes it does not. Often the LED stays stubbornly off. I have removed all other connections to the unit, but I can't seem to get it to operate consistently.
Apparently I cannot buy a direct replacement for the Raystar 125 from Raymarine. They now sell the Raystar 130, which has no NMEA 0183 output, favoring instead their proprietary Seatalk (ng) bus. Using this GPS would require at least one adapter, from Seatalk (ng) to Seatalk (1), and then some arrangemet to convert its data from Seatalk (1) to NMEA 0183.
I understand that Garmin still sells a GPS that uses the NMEA interface. I hate to add another brand to my boat, but it seems that this may be the path of least complication in the short run.
On the other hand, the Seatalk (ng) bus is a lovely adaptation of the NMEA 2000 "standard", implementing a nice moisture-resistant version of a CANnet. Its topology is backbone-and-drop; it has fairly wide bandwidth, and its operation is largely independent of any particular unit. Unfortunately, very little of my electronics could be reused.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Diverse, but limited, successes
As I wrote before, all of the electronics attached to the mizzen mast I had rebuilt malfunctioned when I launched Rune this spring. After finishing a depressing set of commissioning tests, I set out to repair the electronics, one unit at a time.
I decided that repairing the Raymarine Automatic Identification System (AIS650) should be easy. Its external unit is a simple antenna, but it still wasn't producing any fixes. I walked through the six connectors between the receiver and the antenna, and found both an intermittent short and an weak open. After finishing, I was rewarded by a simple green LED on the front of the machine.
I dismounted the radar scanner between rain showers, and sent it to its birthplace for refurbishment.
Although I find it amazing to learn, the GPS in the AIS650 cannot send its data to the chart plotter. In order to use the C70, I have to replace the Raymarine Raystar 125 GPS that I removed from the mizzen. Eventually, I shall build a new platform on the mast; it is really the most sensible place for the GPS sensor. In the interim, this year, I shall install it on the top of the mushroom vent on the transom. To firmly affix the GPS without damaging the vent, I shall replace its beautiful bronze lid with a tawdry one of plastic, to which I will bolt the GPS. Holding the plastic lid onto the vent will be its own problem.
The Raystar 125 is a full GPS system, with its own integrated antenna, receiver, and digital output. Therefore I shall just connect it to the Seatalk(tm) network when it has been installed.
On Thursday, when I arrived at the boat, I heard the engine alarm bell sounding from the dock! Since the engine was not running, it was very strange. To stop the bell, I had to open the main battery disconnect. I then turned off the engine alarm override, and found that the engine started as it had before. I concluded that I had partly moved the alarm override switch into its shut (non-override) position when I was in the locker next to it, and that wave action moved it all the way during the night.
The engine started, but not the way it should have. I had already noted, last year, that the alarm was not operating as expected, and the problem was on the list for later resolution.
When the key is turned to energize the engine, the oil pressure alarm is designed to sound, and then be defeated when the glow plugs are energized. When the engine starts, and the oil pressure meets its minimum, the oil pressure limit switch closes, and the alarm is kept off.
I found that the positive wire for the alarm circuit was connected on the supply side of the engine switch, rather than the engine side. Hence the DC was supplied to the alarm even when the engine was off. Reconnecting the wire in accordance with the wiring diagram corrected the engine operation.
I decided that repairing the Raymarine Automatic Identification System (AIS650) should be easy. Its external unit is a simple antenna, but it still wasn't producing any fixes. I walked through the six connectors between the receiver and the antenna, and found both an intermittent short and an weak open. After finishing, I was rewarded by a simple green LED on the front of the machine.
I dismounted the radar scanner between rain showers, and sent it to its birthplace for refurbishment.
Although I find it amazing to learn, the GPS in the AIS650 cannot send its data to the chart plotter. In order to use the C70, I have to replace the Raymarine Raystar 125 GPS that I removed from the mizzen. Eventually, I shall build a new platform on the mast; it is really the most sensible place for the GPS sensor. In the interim, this year, I shall install it on the top of the mushroom vent on the transom. To firmly affix the GPS without damaging the vent, I shall replace its beautiful bronze lid with a tawdry one of plastic, to which I will bolt the GPS. Holding the plastic lid onto the vent will be its own problem.
The Raystar 125 is a full GPS system, with its own integrated antenna, receiver, and digital output. Therefore I shall just connect it to the Seatalk(tm) network when it has been installed.
On Thursday, when I arrived at the boat, I heard the engine alarm bell sounding from the dock! Since the engine was not running, it was very strange. To stop the bell, I had to open the main battery disconnect. I then turned off the engine alarm override, and found that the engine started as it had before. I concluded that I had partly moved the alarm override switch into its shut (non-override) position when I was in the locker next to it, and that wave action moved it all the way during the night.
The engine started, but not the way it should have. I had already noted, last year, that the alarm was not operating as expected, and the problem was on the list for later resolution.
When the key is turned to energize the engine, the oil pressure alarm is designed to sound, and then be defeated when the glow plugs are energized. When the engine starts, and the oil pressure meets its minimum, the oil pressure limit switch closes, and the alarm is kept off.
I found that the positive wire for the alarm circuit was connected on the supply side of the engine switch, rather than the engine side. Hence the DC was supplied to the alarm even when the engine was off. Reconnecting the wire in accordance with the wiring diagram corrected the engine operation.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Spring commissioning 2014
The masts are now stepped, and boat has moved to her summer berth on Margin Street. Engine commissioning went without a hitch, replacing the sea water impeller and the first two fuel filters. The trip out of the boatyard was mercifully routine.
The post-launch checks are not going well. When I powered the Raymarine C70 multifunction display, I saw a message "No Scanner". I have checked the continuity of the conductors in the mast cable, and they are good. The scanner itself, a Raymarine type RD218 2KW radome, seems to have failed. I am troubleshooting with the aid of the Raymarine support forum, but I am sure that I am going to have to dismount it, and return it for intensive care.
In order to use the Raymarine AIS650 in active (class B) mode, I must use its internal GPS with the antenna mounted on the mizzen mast. I have been unable to fix a position. The status LED on the front panel of the AIS is red, indicating a fault the electronics can see. The cable resistance measures a short, indicating that one of the connectors is bad. Troubleshooting is beginning.
The post-launch checks are not going well. When I powered the Raymarine C70 multifunction display, I saw a message "No Scanner". I have checked the continuity of the conductors in the mast cable, and they are good. The scanner itself, a Raymarine type RD218 2KW radome, seems to have failed. I am troubleshooting with the aid of the Raymarine support forum, but I am sure that I am going to have to dismount it, and return it for intensive care.
In order to use the Raymarine AIS650 in active (class B) mode, I must use its internal GPS with the antenna mounted on the mizzen mast. I have been unable to fix a position. The status LED on the front panel of the AIS is red, indicating a fault the electronics can see. The cable resistance measures a short, indicating that one of the connectors is bad. Troubleshooting is beginning.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
New for 2014
In 2013, I made a few minor improvements:
I purchased an electric outboard for the dinghy. The new outboard is very light, and so clean I'm happy to store it in a berth. The motor, a Torqueedo Travel 1003, is satisfactory but not at all thrilling. It is quiet, but not soundless; it is powerful, but not strong enough to plane the dinghy; it has a lot of distance, but not enough to motor to Watch Hill and back on a single charge.
I added a solenoid for the CNG gas stove. This was a very simple safety-related improvement, which makes it very easy to cut off gas at the source when the stove is not working.
I installed an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transceiver, the Raymarine AIS 650, connected to the VHF, radar and chart plotter. It operated through 2013 in passive mode, listening to the broadcasts of other vessels, and plotting them on the screen.
In order to operate the AIS in Active Class B mode, in which Rune broadcasts her position and vector, the AIS650 must use its own GPS receiver, separate from any other, like the Raystar 125 we have been using all along.
When I tried to install the new GPS antenna, associated with the AIS, into the mizzen mast, I was unable to remove the old cable. The cable for the old GPS had been glued into place when the mizzen was repaired from the dismasting seven years ago. Therefore, I tasked Taylor and Snediker Woodworkers, LLC, to rebuild the mizzen mast, beginning in the Fall of 2013.
When Wade, at T&S, tried to free the GPS wire, he had to open the mast. He found a piece of heavy-duty electric wire, apparently a length of #14 extension cord, had been fastened into the hollow center of the mast from its foot to its head, with stainless steel wire staples. The wire had been cut near the foot,and its end stuffed inside the mast. Similarly it was broken about 2 inches short of the exit port at the top. I suspect that this wire was used to carry the HF signals from the LORAN antenna which was on the head of the mizzen when I bought the boat. That wire was so thick it prevented me from passing new wires through the mast. Of course, its impedance would have been completely wrong for the HF signal from the antenna and the lack of a coaxial shield would have injected noise into the receiver, and effectively reduced the system sensitivity.
At any rate, the mast was nicely scarfed and rebuilt. The cable for the radar was passed from the entrance hole near the foot of the mast to an exit hole about 8' up, where a bracket holds the radar dome. A pair of electrical leads were sent to an exit point near the radar bracket to supply power to a cockpit lamp. A coaxial cable was installed from the foot to the GPS platform about 12' up. A grounded Ethernet cable was routed to the exit point near the head, where it was connected to a WiFi receiver.
I also ordered a new mizzen sail, from Doyle sailmakers. The old one was more than 23 years old. As soon as we can complete the 2014 spring outfitting, we'll try it out.
Now, in the middle of April 2014, Rune has been launched and we are awaiting a weather window to step the masts.
I purchased an electric outboard for the dinghy. The new outboard is very light, and so clean I'm happy to store it in a berth. The motor, a Torqueedo Travel 1003, is satisfactory but not at all thrilling. It is quiet, but not soundless; it is powerful, but not strong enough to plane the dinghy; it has a lot of distance, but not enough to motor to Watch Hill and back on a single charge.
I added a solenoid for the CNG gas stove. This was a very simple safety-related improvement, which makes it very easy to cut off gas at the source when the stove is not working.
I installed an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transceiver, the Raymarine AIS 650, connected to the VHF, radar and chart plotter. It operated through 2013 in passive mode, listening to the broadcasts of other vessels, and plotting them on the screen.
In order to operate the AIS in Active Class B mode, in which Rune broadcasts her position and vector, the AIS650 must use its own GPS receiver, separate from any other, like the Raystar 125 we have been using all along.
When I tried to install the new GPS antenna, associated with the AIS, into the mizzen mast, I was unable to remove the old cable. The cable for the old GPS had been glued into place when the mizzen was repaired from the dismasting seven years ago. Therefore, I tasked Taylor and Snediker Woodworkers, LLC, to rebuild the mizzen mast, beginning in the Fall of 2013.
When Wade, at T&S, tried to free the GPS wire, he had to open the mast. He found a piece of heavy-duty electric wire, apparently a length of #14 extension cord, had been fastened into the hollow center of the mast from its foot to its head, with stainless steel wire staples. The wire had been cut near the foot,and its end stuffed inside the mast. Similarly it was broken about 2 inches short of the exit port at the top. I suspect that this wire was used to carry the HF signals from the LORAN antenna which was on the head of the mizzen when I bought the boat. That wire was so thick it prevented me from passing new wires through the mast. Of course, its impedance would have been completely wrong for the HF signal from the antenna and the lack of a coaxial shield would have injected noise into the receiver, and effectively reduced the system sensitivity.
At any rate, the mast was nicely scarfed and rebuilt. The cable for the radar was passed from the entrance hole near the foot of the mast to an exit hole about 8' up, where a bracket holds the radar dome. A pair of electrical leads were sent to an exit point near the radar bracket to supply power to a cockpit lamp. A coaxial cable was installed from the foot to the GPS platform about 12' up. A grounded Ethernet cable was routed to the exit point near the head, where it was connected to a WiFi receiver.
I also ordered a new mizzen sail, from Doyle sailmakers. The old one was more than 23 years old. As soon as we can complete the 2014 spring outfitting, we'll try it out.
Now, in the middle of April 2014, Rune has been launched and we are awaiting a weather window to step the masts.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Cruising preparations
No matter how much you think your boat is ready, preparing to cruise brings a long list of needed improvements. We are about depart on a trip in celebration of our yacht club's centennial season, and it's the first long cruise we've done in 23 years. Some things needed to be checked!
I don't row our inflatable as well as I used to row the Dyer dinghy, so I acquired an 8-horse motor several years ago. We would travel on short hops from harbor to harbor, towing the rubber duck and its motor behind us.
As I planned our travel from port to port, I realized that the tow could be an annoying drag in the steep chop of Buzzards Bay, and a real hazard in tidal sluices like Wood's Hole. Therefore I plan to travel with the motor off and the inflatable stowed below.
I then realized how hard it wold be to swing the dinghy outboard to the deck while we're rolling at a mooring. Finally, I observed that the outboard would interfere with our mizzen if I mounted it on the push pit like everyone else does.
Consequently, I designed and constructed a deck cradle for the motor, and worked out a procedure for hoisting and rotating it with the mizzen boom. For many years, I've been worrying about this, but the cruise focused me on the problem.
BJ and I practiced the procedure for dismount, hoist and stow while we were at the dock last weekend. She was impressed with how smoothly it went, and she is rarely so taken with one of my inventions.
New technology has finally come to Search and Rescue in New England, so the Coast Guard's Rescue 21 equipment has been deployed. This means that if one registers one's VHF radio, and installs a link from a GPS to the radio, one can send a Mayday message with our instantaneous location at the push of a red "Distress" button. The nearest Coast Guard facility will, we hope, hear and respond directly to our location. I designed and installed the necessary wiring changes to feed the data using the NMEA 0183 wires and protocol.
Also, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) hardware is now available at reasonable prices for those who are are not compelled to carry it. I bought a Raymarine AIS-650 and installed it to pass data to our multi-function Raymarine chartplotter.
The new AIS is only set up as a receiver of AIS messages, because installing it as an active transmitter of our track and vector requires disabling the GPS we have used for ten years, in favor of the purportedly better machine integrated into the AIS-650 itself. I didn't want to risk our GPS distribution. just before leaving.
The data realignment required reworking the entire NMEA 0183 wiring on the boat. We use it for passing heading data to the radar display, compass information to the autopilot, GPS information to the plotter, and location to the VHF radio. I am hoping that all will work correctly as we head over our horizon. I can test everything but the autopilot, and that is somewhat of a worry.
I don't row our inflatable as well as I used to row the Dyer dinghy, so I acquired an 8-horse motor several years ago. We would travel on short hops from harbor to harbor, towing the rubber duck and its motor behind us.
As I planned our travel from port to port, I realized that the tow could be an annoying drag in the steep chop of Buzzards Bay, and a real hazard in tidal sluices like Wood's Hole. Therefore I plan to travel with the motor off and the inflatable stowed below.
I then realized how hard it wold be to swing the dinghy outboard to the deck while we're rolling at a mooring. Finally, I observed that the outboard would interfere with our mizzen if I mounted it on the push pit like everyone else does.
Consequently, I designed and constructed a deck cradle for the motor, and worked out a procedure for hoisting and rotating it with the mizzen boom. For many years, I've been worrying about this, but the cruise focused me on the problem.
BJ and I practiced the procedure for dismount, hoist and stow while we were at the dock last weekend. She was impressed with how smoothly it went, and she is rarely so taken with one of my inventions.
New technology has finally come to Search and Rescue in New England, so the Coast Guard's Rescue 21 equipment has been deployed. This means that if one registers one's VHF radio, and installs a link from a GPS to the radio, one can send a Mayday message with our instantaneous location at the push of a red "Distress" button. The nearest Coast Guard facility will, we hope, hear and respond directly to our location. I designed and installed the necessary wiring changes to feed the data using the NMEA 0183 wires and protocol.
Also, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) hardware is now available at reasonable prices for those who are are not compelled to carry it. I bought a Raymarine AIS-650 and installed it to pass data to our multi-function Raymarine chartplotter.
The new AIS is only set up as a receiver of AIS messages, because installing it as an active transmitter of our track and vector requires disabling the GPS we have used for ten years, in favor of the purportedly better machine integrated into the AIS-650 itself. I didn't want to risk our GPS distribution. just before leaving.
The data realignment required reworking the entire NMEA 0183 wiring on the boat. We use it for passing heading data to the radar display, compass information to the autopilot, GPS information to the plotter, and location to the VHF radio. I am hoping that all will work correctly as we head over our horizon. I can test everything but the autopilot, and that is somewhat of a worry.
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