TZT2 with autopilot

[Anonymous]

Just installing an update to my old NNvx2. Two issues so far. One is only reading four sats at 25% so thinking need to connect to my old external gps antenna (left in place from vx2). Also now to connect to my autopilot (7011) and heading sensor (gp700)??. There appears to be a short backbone from the FAP 7002 box but how to tie this into the TZT2? Very new to this so patience please...

 

[Johnny Electron]

The Vx2 can remain connected to the pilot by NMEA 0183. (if you want)

The TZT2 can connect to the Navpilot 711 by NMEA 2000. You would connect a NMEA 2000 drop cable from the MFD down to the NMEA 2000 backbone in which your pilot and PG700 already connect.

 

[Anonymous]

How can I connect gp320b to my network to improve sat reception to allow radar overlay

 

[Melville]

The GP320b does not enable radar overlay. You need to send heading info from your PG700 to the radar.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. Have the heading sensor info coming in but will have to try overlay again.

 

[Anonymous]

long day of trying (no luck) to wire a gp32 into the FAP7002 control box to share external gps data with my TZT2. Wired into the nmea 0183port but couldn't get sats any better. The built in GPS tracks 4-6 sats but none over 25%. Wired yellow/green/white/black into the 0183 port but external gps not showing up. Does this mean i have to buy a gp330b with nmea 2000 to get external gps reception for my TZT2? or am I not wiring correctly?
thanks for help.
tom

 

[Johnny Electron]

You are going several directions at once and it really is hard to understand what your current focus is. If the goal is heading, then you don't need to worry about the GP320B at the moment. You just need to have the TZT2 on the same NMEA 2000 bus as your Autopilot and compass. The TZT2 will see the heading data from the PG700 over the NMEA 2000 bus.

If your goal is to work on GPS position. You can't just connect a GP320 directly to the pilot unless it is in NMEA mode. If that GPS was EVER connected to a NavNet, it will go into a special mode and no longer speaks standard NMEA. The GP320B would need to be factory reset to NMEA mode. You can not do this with the Autopilot or the TZT2. You would have to do it with a NN1 or Vx2. Getting it cleared is a bit tricky because you need to pull the unit immediately after it gets cleared or it will see the NavNet and go back into the special mode again. If your internal GPS of the TZT2 isn't strong enough, it would be better to get a NMEA 2000 antenna for your 2000 bus. It is possible to get the GP320B to work through your pilot, BUT you would always have to have the pilot on to be your GPS 0183 to 2000 translator.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks,
Everything is working well now except for sat reception/slow sat acquisition time(7-9minutes each time). Spoke with customer support and he explained just what you indicated. Rather than send old 320b in for reset seems smarter move will be a new NMEA2000 gps antenna. Hoping this will give better/quicker sat reception. Otherwise all functions/overlay/autpilot interface are working well. Thank you for the help. Will let you know how an external gps helps reception.

 

[Johnny Electron]

Just ensure the installer follows NMEA standards for withdrawal distances between other RF sources. A good way to lose GPS sensitivity is to mount it improperly inside the radar beam or next to another RF source like an AIS or VHF whip.

 

[Anonymous]

Update:
Installed an external GPS antenna and dramatic difference on sat strength, time to acquire,etc. All seems fine now and time to put it all into use. Thanks for the help.
tom
‪

 

[CharlieP]

What GPS did you use? I tried the B&G Z100 and Vesper Marine XB-8000 and whilst they gave good position they would not allow Radar Target Analyser functions to work correctly

 

[Melville]

CharlieP-

Your GPS does not provide a heading sentence needed. COG is not used. What compass do you have connected feeding a heading message.

 

[CharlieP]

I have an Airmar H2183 heading sensor. The Z100 also has a heading sensor which works fine when stationary, but it is not accurate enough for ARPA or Doppler (the Airmar has a gyro as well.)

Heading sensor is a red-herring though. The key part is I have chosen 2 different GPS sources on NMEA2000 and whilst they gave excellent position data, the NXT Radar Doppler would not work. As soon as I went to an NMEA0183 GPS (which came over an actisense NMEA2000 bridge) it was fine, or when I used the built in TZT2 gps it was fine. As it happened the NMEA0183 GPS was the same gps that would not work on NMEA2000 being re-broadcast by the bridge!

So the question is... What NMEA2000 GPS works well with the TXT2? (preferably for the really expensive Furuno one!)

Cheers...
...(c)

 

[Johnny Electron]

If you really want to go to top performance for position and heading, the SC30 Sat compass. If you are seeking a good external GPS antenna, the GP330B is a great choice. You can flush, surface, or pole mount it.

 

[CharlieP]

And what would you recommend at the more budget conscious end of the spectrum?

 

[Melville]

And what would you recommend at the more budget conscious end of the spectrum?

While there are other brands of satellite compasses available we have not tested them and can't comment on their accuracy or compatibility.

 

[CharlieP]

Ah, OK, maybe recommend is the wrong word!

A better question is.. Is there a compatibility list for heading sensors GPS' that work correctly with the TZT2?

Many thanks...
...(c)

 

[Johnny Electron]

As long as it provides the proper certified NMEA PGN sentences, I have not see any problems with any brand. Some products will compensate and work better than others. There are too many products in the market to buy and test capability of each one. There no advantage for us to consider doing so. We certify and test our products. The others companies should do the same.

 

[CharlieP]

Well, I've tried to use both a Vesper Marine XB8000 and a B&G ZG100 as a GPS source - Both say they are certified (as you would expect, they are relatively well known companies) and when you use them as a GPS source (not heading, I have a separate gyro compass for that) the Doppler stops working on the TZT2. If you use the internal GPS or an NMEA 0183 GPS over an NMEA 2000 bridge Doppler works fine. So there is a problem somewhere!
...(c)

 

[Johnny Electron]

Doppler works if you have good GPS data but it needs to be good. There is a difference from having just enough for a GPS fix and the higher fix requirements needed for Doppler. The AIS unit you are trying to use for position would only put out a basic fix at best. I would recommend the GP330B.