The displays of my Northstar and Navman wind & depth/log have karked it.
I have a repair kit (from USA) for one display, but have not plucked up courage to use it as I must cut wires and bring same to the workshop to operate and I feel the chance of success is low (I have good fingers for farming).
I really only want depth, which I find very important in southern port Phillip Bay. The separate GPS will handle log/speed and wind is intuitive after 60 years of sailing.
Question for the brains trust: Will the current depth transducer and its wires input directly to e.g. a Raymarine i40 BiData or equivalent? Or, indeed, what is your prefered display for simply Depth? Will I need e.g. SeaTalk connectors?

......Looking forward to being bamboozled by science....

Am not a spark but there are numerous excellent prior posts covering insts in general including depth. Raymarine usually have good service suggest give them a call.

See prior posts;

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Garmin-GNX-Wireless-Wind-Pack---any-good-

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Garmin-GNX-Wireless-Wind-Pack---any-good-?page=1#25

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Depth-Transducers

The i40 display should work with your transducer, BUT although Airmar the producer of all ? Transducers ( at least the stuff we commonly use )
the wiring is not standard, so you will find anomalies. I gave up and just got the combo that pair. And of course depending on your hull construction you maybe able to mount an in hull transducer. But I must say I do like the unmistakable big, no frills, no colour, no fish, how much water you have under you of the i40

Thanks Woko.
Do you mean that it may be difficult to sort out which of the 7 wires currently connecting the defunct Navman Multi to use for a new i40?
I can see that I must do some research on the current transducer and its connections.

What does the back of the instrument look like? You could try the wiring diagram below.
I think if its an older transducer, NMEA 0183 it may not work if the new instrument is NMEA 2000. You can get a magic box that will convert some NMEA 0183 to 2000 but not all?? I had a problem years ago where we changed everything except the transducer. The guy couldn't get the depth working on the new system. After a while he asked if we changed the transducer ? We had to get a new transducer as well !
As woko said sometimes its just easier to buy the right transducer.

Select to expand quote

MuttonBird said..
Thanks Woko.
Do you mean that it may be difficult to sort out which of the 7 wires currently connecting the defunct Navman Multi to use for a new i40?
I can see that I must do some research on the current transducer and its connections.

Hi MB,

The Old Configuration
This is the details for the 7 wire 3100 Multi interface.
There should be two other interface cables (a long and short dongle).


With your old configuration, the transducer usually bypasses this and plugs directly to the Multi via the depth transducer cable (short dongle). If this is the case, then;
- The transducer doesn't use the above 7 wires. Ergo:
- Your transducer is not NMEA or Navbus,
- It'll use a simple digital or analogue signal. The Navman Multi will know what signal type it is, so everything works peachy.

The new configuration
For the I40 BiData,, there is a Seatalk port and two dedicated input ports (like your Multi).
The current depth transducer I'd bet won't interface through the SealTalkport. Like NMEA, Seatalk is a protocol designed for:
- one talker to multiple listeners; or
- multiple talkers to multiple listeners,
Older depth transducers are neither. They are much simpler. One talker to one listener.
So it's most likely it will not have an NMEA or Seatalk capability.
This means you have to pick from one of the other inputs listed below.
On the I40 BiData diagram, the best chance for your transducer will be to connect it using ports 1-3.


Woko and Tarquin said it upthread, its a 'no guarantees' thing unless you know what your depth transducer is!
Cheers,
SB

Thanks Shaggy.
Will research transducer a bit more.
I'm still a little out of my depth ........ pun definitely intended!