MarysPool
New Member
I bought my 2006 Searay 250 SLX new with a Navman 5500 factory/dealer installed. After having first discovered, on this forum the Smarcraft connectivity, which was made available on newer versions of the Navman, I bought a Northstar 550 model NS002961U and Navco Smartcraft Gaterway AA010187. The specific purpose for this purchase was to get the Smarcraft data, via this instrument, which many have wrote about on this forum. But now after two months of much communication with the Navco support center, installing, uninstalling, reconfiguring, loading later versions of software, I have come to realize that there is a distinct possibility I won't get this system working on my boat..... and that after having spent some $700 for this upgrade that in its current smarcraft inoperable state does nothing more than my existing 5500.
So yes, I was hoping that via this forum there may be someone who has installed this device and may have one nugget of information that may resolve all. For me, this has been no "plug and play" operation.
I could write a book about all that has been done. But the high points
1) The Smarcraft configuration on this boat matches exactly the smartcraft electrical diagram, which is included in the SeaRay owners manual. I simply swapped out the 4-way smartcraft junction box for a 6-way. And verified the Smarcraft can-bus does have resistors on both sides of the network. The 1st question Navco will ask. Incidently, the factory installed SC1000 ver 3.04, which is a smartcraft capable instrument, is also connected to the same smartcraft junction box and works perfectly; has no problem reading the smartcraft data.
2) The 550 was setup per the setup instructions, smartcraft checkbox checked. It has been set, reset, newer software version loaded, even a special "secret" reset performed for which the procedure was provided by Navco.
3) The gateway has been sent back to Navco where they have verified today that it is working properly.
4) I have now been given authorization to send the explorer back to Northstar where they will test to verify it is working per spec. So yes, there is hope. Interesting to note that the gateway and 550 are sent to 2 different repair/test facilities, each being in a different part of the country. So if the 550 comes back as "working properly", I will have no verification that they work together.
So a question for something that lingers. Is my Smartcraft on the boat wired correctly and not causing the problem? So is it suffice to assume that since the SC1000 works properly and has no problem reading the smartcraft data that the smartcraft on the boat is working properly and therefore can be ruled out as at fault for causing this problem? I am not sure who can answer that. I have brought it to Navco's attention. But no real positive response from them.
Thanks in advance.
So yes, I was hoping that via this forum there may be someone who has installed this device and may have one nugget of information that may resolve all. For me, this has been no "plug and play" operation.
I could write a book about all that has been done. But the high points
1) The Smarcraft configuration on this boat matches exactly the smartcraft electrical diagram, which is included in the SeaRay owners manual. I simply swapped out the 4-way smartcraft junction box for a 6-way. And verified the Smarcraft can-bus does have resistors on both sides of the network. The 1st question Navco will ask. Incidently, the factory installed SC1000 ver 3.04, which is a smartcraft capable instrument, is also connected to the same smartcraft junction box and works perfectly; has no problem reading the smartcraft data.
2) The 550 was setup per the setup instructions, smartcraft checkbox checked. It has been set, reset, newer software version loaded, even a special "secret" reset performed for which the procedure was provided by Navco.
3) The gateway has been sent back to Navco where they have verified today that it is working properly.
4) I have now been given authorization to send the explorer back to Northstar where they will test to verify it is working per spec. So yes, there is hope. Interesting to note that the gateway and 550 are sent to 2 different repair/test facilities, each being in a different part of the country. So if the 550 comes back as "working properly", I will have no verification that they work together.
So a question for something that lingers. Is my Smartcraft on the boat wired correctly and not causing the problem? So is it suffice to assume that since the SC1000 works properly and has no problem reading the smartcraft data that the smartcraft on the boat is working properly and therefore can be ruled out as at fault for causing this problem? I am not sure who can answer that. I have brought it to Navco's attention. But no real positive response from them.
Thanks in advance.