Electronics Questions for Novurania MX530DL Airmar M260

canadian_eh · 13 April 2013, 05:01

I am in the process of adding some older electronics to my project a 1996 Novurania MX530DL with an 1986 Mariner 115hp inline 6 outboard. I have a Raymarine C80, and in the process of picking up a RD218, and DSM300. I know it is older kit but I liked the ruggedness of it.

I have a couple of questions:

1) Raymarine DSM300. Is anyone running this unit on here with the AirMar M260 (in hull transducer) and if so..where did you mount it? I am focusing on this guy because I am looking for good depth measurements at speed. Any other suggestions for transducers?

2) I am having a radar arch modified that has a gimble mount for the radar. I am having a bench seat added as my unit currently does not have one. how high did you mount your radar? (ie. How high did you make your arches)?

3) Do any of you have experience with the Raymarine AIS 650 unit? Pro/Cons? The reason I ask is although I am mainly playing on playing on the inland lakes of Ontario Canada I am really thinking of adding an AIS sensor if I venture out where the Great Lake freighters play.

Thanks for any help in advance.

Matt

Pikey Dave · 13 April 2013, 09:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by canadian_eh

I am in the process of adding some older electronics to my project a 1996 Novurania MX530DL with an 1986 Mariner 115hp inline 6 outboard. I have a Raymarine C80, and in the process of picking up a RD218, and DSM300. I know it is older kit but I liked the ruggedness of it.

I have a couple of questions:

1) Raymarine DSM300. Is anyone running this unit on here with the AirMar M260 (in hull transducer) and if so..where did you mount it? I am focusing on this guy because I am looking for good depth measurements at speed. Any other suggestions for transducers?

2) I am having a radar arch modified that has a gimble mount for the radar. I am having a bench seat added as my unit currently does not have one. how high did you mount your radar? (ie. How high did you make your arches)?

3) Do any of you have experience with the Raymarine AIS 650 unit? Pro/Cons? The reason I ask is although I am mainly playing on playing on the inland lakes of Ontario Canada I am really thinking of adding an AIS sensor if I venture out where the Great Lake freighters play.

Thanks for any help in advance.

Matt

1, I have the DSM300 with the M260. The M260 is installed about 2' forward of the transom just to the port side of the centre line. I had a Bailey hatch fitted into the deck to give access for fitting. The transducer will fit through a 8" circular hatch. It's a bit of a faff to install the tank for the txr but the results are worth it, I get a good clear echo at all speeds. Spend time getting the tank fitted correctly is time well spent. You can download the fitting instructions from the Airmar website.

2, My radar is around 2.5m above the deck at the transom, which is around level with your head when stood at the helm 3m away, which is safe enough. Not sure you need a gimble mount though, it will bounce around like buggery on a RIB.

3, I have the AIS 650. Not the easiest bit of kit to install, mostly due to the E80 software not recognising the AIS messages over NMEA0183, it took me a few days & several calls to Raymarine to sort it out, but it works fine now. I'm not sure how well the "C" series will handle it. It's clearly aimed at the N2K systems.

HTH

canadian_eh · 13 April 2013, 15:45

Hi Pikey Dave,

Thank you for the quick response and the heads up on how the AirMar M260 works for you. It sounds like it is work the money.

I have a couple of more questions.

When you installed the AIS650 did you use the mulitplexer portion at all that is built into it? My understand that it doubles as a mux so that I can wire in a DSC radio to it and a heading sensor + Fluxgate compass as well (for MARPA).

My other predicament is that the center console on the MX530 is towards the back of the boat (not sure how to add photos/link but there is one for sale on this site) which means the radar arch is relatively close. Hence my question about hot tall to make the radar arch/seat combo unit. I am struggling with not wanting to make it sale but also not wanting to fry my brains *laugh*.

Thanks again for all of the help or advice.

Matt

Pikey Dave · 13 April 2013, 23:40

I didn't use the inbuilt multiplexer, I have an Actisense multiplexer already on the boat & fed the AIS into that.

If you can get the radome 0.5m above head height you should be ok, without seeing the layout of your boat it's difficult to make a judgement. IIRC the beam spread is about 10deg above & below the horizontal, assuming you have a conventional analogue radar. The new fangled digital broadband radars are supposed to be safer, allegedly.