How to Interface Everything

[waterdog]

All right then.   This should be easy.   Got the new radar.  The Garmin 18 inch unit.  That ties into the new 4208 plotter.   Bought an ST60 wind instrument on ebay since the old one retired itself.   This should tie in nicely to the new X5 autopilot.  Oh yeah and the plotter.  And the old 520s should tie into the new 4208 just for giggles.   Now I just need an airmar speed/depth/temperature NEMA 2000 transducer and then I don't have to buy the other ST60 instruments.   And of course I can't forget to feed the VHF with NEMA data so that distress function works.  And of course link it back to plot position of the incoming calls.   Oh yes and repeat for the SSB.   Layer in the AIS data as well.  Good.  That sorts out the electronics.    I should be able to hook all this up in an hour or two.   

Now that just leaves the powering.   390 watts of new solar panels arrived.   Along with the Bluesomethingorother MPPT charge controller.  Now I need to get the 4 T105s to store all those electrons in.   Oh yeah and I better get a new start battery and find a place to put it.  Then it's just a matter of a new alternator and external regulator.   Oh and new power runs up the mast for the LED tricolor and anchor light with photosensor.  Might as well redo the panel.   And need to sort out the grounding for the SSB and autotuner and hook up the new insulated backstay.   Right and a new VHF antenna and cable.  Might as well run that straight back to the radio and ditch the connectors in the bilge.

And the trucking company called.  My rudder has arrived. 

I think I'll go back to my sewing.   Life is much less complicated there.   I've already figured out the interface between the thread and the needle. 

 

[Ron Hill]

Steve : You sound like a "glutton for punishment". 
I'd recommend that you solder each and every connection.  That way you know that you'll have a good/great electrical connection !!  I'd also further recommend that you check each and every function as you add each item to the interface, before you proceed to adding another!!!   Good luck

[Jon Schneider]

Might as well run that straight back to the radio and ditch the connectors in the bilge.

Interesting... what will you do if you ever want to pull the mast?  Just cut it at that point and add connectors later?  Really smart idea.  Wish you had said this a year ago.   

[waterdog]

That's exactly right.   I figure it's easy to route the extra 15 feet of cable and put the connector where it belongs... at the radio.   Then if down the road I'm pulling the mast again and don't want to pull the cable back from the radio I can always cut in and add a connector.  But they add insertion loss and the connection point at the mast base will become the weak point in the system.   It's a no brainer.

[Jon Schneider]

But they add insertion loss and the connection point at the mast base will become the weak point in the system.   It's a no brainer.

Maybe for you, but I didn't think of it when I installed a new antenna and ran a new cable down the mast last year....