advise on electronic setup boat on a new boat

[mikakun2012]

Hello, this is the very best forum on boat i have found !

first, please forgive any english mistakes because i'm not a native.

We have decided to get a boat for live aboard in pacific/indian ocean and maybe to build it (with assistance of an experienced builder) and i have already been reading threads here in there the past few weeks.

Before making any decision on whether buying or building I have to design the boat i want/need to evaluate all the costs. I'm now working on the electronic set-up with for objective : the maximum functionalities at the cheapest price whatever the headaches for installation.

I don't like the idea of having many interfaces and buying a quality/large display all in one is expensive (6000 to 8000usd from what i've found)

I'm a newbie in marine electronic (but with some technical skills) so i'm learning at every webpage i consult & getting little overwhelmed by the quantity of infos i'm trying to absorb right now, hence i need perspectives now to evaluate my idea of setup.

At this stage the cheapest/safest/most complete/most quality combinations appears to me to be :

a nmea multiplexer
*to connect to all antennas & sensors (AIS,VHF,GPS,wheather station radar?navtex? winds, speeds, sounders...?)+autopilot? all bought separately at best price/quality value.
*with at least 2 output -> one for a pc at the chart table with all the necessary software, one for an ipad or android (with usb input - don't want wifi - for reliability and health reason as well) with the necessary apps in a waterproof case for the cockpit (with a home made support to fit above the wheel)
+ one backup notebook
+ for safety bag balise+gps+vhf(?) all in one

i still have to find radar antenna with NMEA output, search for vhf driver/tuner software to operate vhf antenna from laptop (with laptop microphone / boat speaker - laptop to boat amplifier) and much more to make sure it is viable

It seems that with this strategy i don't have anything redundant other than deliberately for backup purpose (or maybe the gps of the ipad if we have external gps antenna)
+ i can connect any brands equipments which makes maintenance/replacements/upgrade of any component straightforward cheap and easy again without ending with unnecessary redundancies.

When i have finish on this search i'll post the estimation i'm getting, in the mean time thanks a ton to expose any flaws in my concept that i'm not seeing by lack of understanding of functioning of the different tools.

[gonzo]

Buying separately may seem to cost less but is usually a bad strategy. Compatibility problems with mismatched components are common. The worse part is that they can be intermittent. Manufacturers sell completer systems that are plug and play. Their main advantage is in tech support and availability of spare parts and software upgrades. A mismatched system will need an electronic engineer, possibly whoever installed it, each time there is a problem.

[Submarine Tom]

I agree with Gonzo completely. What is your budget?

-Tom

[mikakun2012]

if you have the cash and don't want to know how it works and expect to rely on customer service where you will be in need of them, a all in one is more adapted.

or half the price by working out the multiplexer, choosing carefully software and instruments and spending a week more in tuning settings (i'd guess)

both ways works, but both ways don't work for everyone.

[michael pierzga]

Far more reliable to purchase top class ,stand alone, non networked electronics.

Radar separate from chart plotter , autopilot separate,alarm system separate , data acquisition separate.

The only piece of networked gear is the navigators brain.

[mikakun2012]

please back up your claim

the talker is the same, the listener is navigator choice through multiplexer, and then the talkers remain independent working independently from each other

it's hardware making data then it is data transfer whether to the attached digital display whether through the multiplexer to the listener of your choice

why is the multiplexer not reliable ?

[gonzo]

Most modern displays have inputs for all the systems. The plugs are different so you can't put them in the wrong place. The system integrates all the inputs automatically.

[michael pierzga]

Hundreds of thousands of miles and 200 days at sea per year for the past 40 years. One spark of lightning will disable a networked ship. One failed component will disable the next in the chain. Then you cant steer, cant see and cant sense. For max reliability keep systems stand alone.

[mikakun2012]

it's like an integrated multiplexer

multiplexer can create voltage problem but there are work around:

http://www.busse-yachtshop.de/dae_datenwandler.html

[michael pierzga]

I have an nmea multiplexer to feed nmea to the GMDSS gear. It fails every few years and then I must tear the headliners down and physically run 20 or 30 meters of NMEA loaded wires to Sat com and gear. A pain in the ass

[gonzo]

Reliability is always greater with stand alone, redundant systems, regardless of type. However, the OP put cost as the first requirement. That gives an integrated system preference. It is always a hard decision.

[mikakun2012]

lightning on an antenna would burn the rest, i can visualize this, i'll look into it, thanks

For max reliability keep systems stand alone.

but i don't yet fully understand how that's incompatible with using a multiplexer for advanced functionalities & a all in one display.
in both case i'll need some minimal standalone backup

[mikakun2012]

Originally Posted by michael pierzga

I have an nmea multiplexer to feed nmea to the GMDSS gear. It fails every few years and then I must tear the headliners down and physically run 20 or 30 meters of NMEA loaded wires to Sat com and gear. A pain in the ass

lol you're using one after all, at 300bucks for the most expensive, every few years seems quite fine

(& if i proceed i'll be careful of the wiring at the design stage of the hull)

[mikakun2012]

also it was stated in OP that i would get balise+gps+vhf backup

shall i add other backup in my list ?

(it will be a cat with small draft & good stability)

[gonzo]

EMR from a lightning strike will damage all electronics that have antennae at the mast top. If will most likely damage all other electronics too. I have investigated maybe thirty lightning damaged boats, and the electrical path is always unpredictable and spread. It is not realistic to expect that an electrical spark that can travel a mile can be protected by a couple of inches of air insulation.