Electronics upgrade

[Fenders]

I have a Bavaria 32 2004 bought 6 months ago which I am really happy with. One of the items on my to do list is to upgrade the electronics. I see this as a winter task as I am sure it will take a while to understand how the existing kit is integrated.
The upgrade is basically centred around a new chart plotter. The existing one is a Lowrance  and the same as the boat. I do not have an age on the update chip for the Navionics gold card and having spoken to Lawrance they advise me that I can no longer install chart up dates as the size of the data is greater than the chart plotter can handle, which is 1mb. So I am either stuck with the Lowrance with out of date charts or I upgrade.

My other instruments are the standard fit of ST60 and ST4000 autopilot. All work fine so I will keep those.
One of the plotters I have been looking at is a Raymarine a65.
With my basic setup will I be able to connect a new chart plotter into my system or will I need to use a Seatalk converter and if so is it a simple task regarding wiring, etc?
Also will it be possible to integrate the speed log and depth data into the new system or will I need new transducers?

Fenders

[dawntreader]

You will need the Seatalk convertor but all items you have mentioned will be able to 'talk' to each other once this has been done. The info is available on Raymarine's Support pages:
https://raymarine.app.box.com/s/8o1sxspkhvf8ev7smk40/1/1327412824/30603262973/1

[Fenders]

Dawntreader

Thanks for the link

[Salty]

I can confirm Dawntreaders posting as correct having done the same upgrade myself, albeit to a Raymarine A77 chart plotter, and all my ST60 instruments including the autopilot continue to converse with each other. Additionally I can control the autopilot from the chart plotter if I choose to do so.

[Fenders]

Salty

Thank you for your confirmation.
Most helpful.

Fenders

[dawntreader]

I can confirm Dawntreaders posting as correct having done the same upgrade myself, albeit to a Raymarine A77 chart plotter, and all my ST60 instruments including the autopilot continue to converse with each other. Additionally I can control the autopilot from the chart plotter if I choose to do so.

Salty, I am about to implement this upgrade. One question: does the SeaTalk convertor need a separate 12v supply or is the power to the individual instruments sufficient?

[Salty]

Hi Dawntreader and Fenders,
No, if I remember correctly, there is just a single power supply only to the network. Whether this goes to Seatalk or to SeatalkNG doesn't matter as one system will feed the other.

[MarkTheBike]

Salty, I am about to implement this upgrade. One question: does the SeaTalk convertor need a separate 12v supply or is the power to the individual instruments sufficient?

Hi Dawntreader
If you have an ST4000 then read the installation manual carefully. I believe it states there must be a separate feed to it as the motor in the ST4000 causes voltage drops to less than 10.5v. This had been incorrectly wired on mine by the commissioning agent (all instruments, radar and plotter were on the same feed) and, whilst trying to work out why I was losing fix, I would regularly get voltage drops to 8.5v. Once the plotter/radar were separated, no more problems.

[dawntreader]

Salty/Mike, thanks for your comments - much appreciated.