Upgrading electronics without "messy" look

Z-Worthy

Z-Worthy

Active Member
Jun 20, 2014
457
Sandusky, OH
Boat Info
2002 Sunseeker 44 Camargue
Engines
450hp Cat 3208s
We have a 1997 400DA with what I believe to be original electronics. The autopilot (Raymarine type 100 with RayPilot 650) seems to have died, and I'm struggling to get it functioning again. The radar is the original Raymarine open-array with Pathfinder RL80C and the GPS is a Raymarine RN300. I use an iPad with Navionics as a chart plotter when I'm heading to a new area. For the most part, these are more than I will ever need for the type of boating we do. But since the autopilot might be more time and expense to repair than replace, it's making me consider a full electronics package (I'll probably keep the radar, since it's basically stand-alone and works great).

With that said, the dashboard layout of our boat does not offer any large flat spaces to mount any of the newer larger flat-screen displays. And it's not in my budget to start messing with fiberglass boxes and a full dash redesign. Personally, I don't care for the esthetic result of multiple externally mounted displays. That's the easy and cheap way to go about this, but it starts to get really messy up on the dash.

So if I want to replace my current setup with similarly sized displays that will still maintain a fairly "factory" dashboard appearance, what companies offer the best options? What has everyone else done when they upgraded electronics? Is this a fairly easy do-it-yourself project or should I really leave this to the professionals?
 
Not that it matters, but I wouldn't expect your Pathfinder to be original. I didn't start seeing those until '98 or '99? (unless your boat was a late build)

I'm a Garmin fan. I had my 41XX replaced with a 5212, and it fit perfectly. The XX wasn't as vertical as the screen made it appear, and the Garmin isn't as wide as I had feared it was.

I had it installed, but I wouldn't do that again. The 400 dash offers plenty of space to work in, and you know what they say about if you want something done right... NMEA2K makes things really simple (once you grasp the concept of drop vs backbone). The integration into the old 650 AP could present a challenge, but it sounds like that won't be an issue for you.

I just installed a DSC VHF. The only issue that made it more than a 20 minute project was that I couldn't find my bus. I eventually found it - a stereo installer and moved it and strapped it to another bundle with zip-ties. :smt013 I was surprised they found time to do that, with being so busy strapping speaker cables to power cables and power cables to starting batteries...:smt013:smt013:smt013

I've been hawking eBay looking for used 7212's. It's the same form-factor as my 5212, but faster and can control my Fusion stereo. I was hoping that I could manage a swap for about a $500 delta, but I think I need better eBay skills...

My next project will be new dash panels so I can ditch the long-defunct Raytheon GPS and plotter units. I plan to fill the real-estate they leave open with GMI displays. I don't understand why they're so expensive though...
 
Z I have the same boat and I mounted twin Garmin 741 displays. They look factory. I will get a picture in the next day or two. They fit right on the panel in front of the switches with room for a radio and an autopilot.
 
Riptide III said:
Z I have the same boat and I mounted twin Garmin 741 displays. They look factory. I will get a picture in the next day or two. They fit right on the panel in front of the switches with room for a radio and an autopilot.
Click to expand...

What do you use each for? One for chart plotter and one for autopilot?
 
I also use 2 plotters. I don't have a 400DA so a photo won't help you, but as to why, they are more than panel fillers.

We boat in an area with multiple entrance channels from the Gulf of Mexico to harbor areas, we also have the Intra Coastal Waterway in this area. On a trip from one location to another, you will navigate in open water (or winding channel in the ICW). If you use your plotter for planning your channel entrance, it is difficult to maintain perspective of your location, time to arrival, and distance to arrival to the approaching sea bout. With a second plotter, you can let one do its thing on the sea bouy waypoint while you actively use the 2nd one for planning your approach to an unfamiliar channel in a much tighter scale.

I guess it is like a bow thruster…….not really necessary, but it is more than a convenience. It makes entering unfamiliar ports a much safer.

While you are addressing panel redundancy, consider adding a second VHF. In of military activity…..USAF, Navy, USCG, DEA, Corp of Engineers…..if you cruise with other boaters, having a second VHF allows you to actively monitor 2 frequencies. The military will issue warning calls on VHF 16 if they have an operation underway in the area (most of our boating is in a DOD restricted zones). A 2nd VHG lets you monitor 16 as well as the channel you and your friends have chosen to use like 68, 72, etc.
 
fwebster said:
A 2nd VHF lets you monitor 16 as well as the channel you and your friends have chosen to use like 68, 72, etc.
Click to expand...

Frank, are you saying that you prefer two in-dash radios over a built-in and a portable? Even my ooooold VHF could scan 16 while tuned to another channel. My new radio can scan multiple channels. I prefer a handheld for redundancy because of portability and internal battery power.
 
Pretty much what Frank said. Plus I have a sounder hooked up. They can also run your entertainment center/radio plus, satellite weather, redundant radar, engine instruments, video, ECT. you will be surprised at all the uses you might want a third. I will not be down to the boat until Saturday or Sunday but I will send a picture then.
 
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Z
I'd need a pic of your helm but if you remove your old RL80c, you might be able to buy a new panel from flounder pounder and mount two smaller plotters in that space. This is exactly what I'm going to do. My open array radar antenna died so I'm replacing the radar and plotter. I had already put in a garmin a couple ofyears ago, but now I need to re-arrange things.

This is the Ray and Garmin together...

20160708_074443_zpskeeysjid.jpg


Here's the Ray removed. The faux wood panel to close up that big hole is $125 at Flounder Pounder. I'll cut a hole in it to mount the 2nd Garmin. May cut a 2nd hole to move the 1st Garmin up but haven't decided yet.
20161022_112228_zpsxlzcydnc.jpg
 
RollerCoastr said:
Frank, are you saying that you prefer two in-dash radios over a built-in and a portable? Even my ooooold VHF could scan 16 while tuned to another channel. My new radio can scan multiple channels. I prefer a handheld for redundancy because of portability and internal battery power.
Click to expand...


Yes, I prefer 2 fixed mount radios. I also have a hand held but its range is pretty limited and is about 1/3 that of a VHF with a fixed mount antenna that is 8' above the arch. The other issue for me is that both my VHF's have scanning capability but they give priority to the strongest signal so the transmission I am monitoring can go in and out if I am a ways out from the transmission. For me, in this area where we operate in restricted areas that can have AF, Navy, etc. operations going on at any time the value of 2 radios is in being able to monitor the warning calls to other boats as I approach what ever the military is doing. They have a bad habit of telling approaching boat to do a "180˚ turn, go back 5 miles to X˚ lat; y˚ long. then detour 5 miles to the south and resume your course." Constant monitoring is the way I avoid needless detours like that……if it is AF Marine Operations on the VHF, they are firing or retrieving a sub scale drone target so I find them on the radar and pass about a mile south of their position. They are watching on their radar and will respond when you call on the VHF and temll them your intent.The Navy is doing diver training or working with deployed submersibles and they will do the same thing ig you call them in advance of running into their safe zone.

So this is another bow thruster thing……I don't NEED the second VHF but I have the panel space and it sure makes running a boat in this area a lot easier and safer.
 
fwebster said:
we operate in restricted areas that can have AF, Navy, etc. operations going on at any time the value of 2 radios is in being able to monitor the warning calls to other boats as I approach what ever the military is doing. They have a bad habit of telling approaching boat to do a "180˚ turn, go back 5 miles to X˚ lat; y˚ long. then detour 5 miles to the south and resume your course." Constant monitoring is the way I avoid needless detours like that……if it is AF Marine Operations on the VHF, they are firing or retrieving a sub scale drone target so I find them on the radar and pass about a mile south of their position. They are watching on their radar and will respond when you call on the VHF and temll them your intent.The Navy is doing diver training or working with deployed submersibles and they will do the same thing ig you call them in advance of running into their safe zone.
Click to expand...

Ok, that sounds like a real P.I.T.A. place to go boating, and I'm saying that as guy whose boating territories include Lake St Clair, Erie Islands, U.S. Canada border, Miami and Ft Myers! :grin:
 
RollerCoastr said:
Ok, that sounds like a real P.I.T.A. place to go boating, and I'm saying that as guy whose boating territories include Lake St Clair, Erie Islands, U.S. Canada border, Miami and Ft Myers! :grin:
Click to expand...


Actually it isn't. The military understands this is pleasure boating paradise and they do their thing in clearly marked restricted areas well out of the way of most recreational boating. Part of making it work this well is understanding the DOD needs and communicating, hence, the second VHF. The only real inconvenience comes when a visiting Navy vessel not familiar with the area anchors too close to the channel entrance. They stay busy in RIB's running sight seers away.
 
Phil, those look perfect! If I can't get my original setup functioning again, that's definitely the direction I'll be heading. Did you get new panels from Flounder Pounder or somewhere else? I might go the cheap way and just make a new panel with black starboard, because I can do that myself with a router. The prices on those replacement dash panels boggle my mind sometimes.
 
The panel for mine is $125 on FP.
I see the ones with all the cutouts are much more expensive. I'm sure you can get one made with no cutouts, then cut out what you need yourself.
 
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