NEMA 2000 networks...what are they good for?

I just bought a new sonar 'fish finder' and read the owners manual (not a man thing to do, but the wife insisted). There was a supplement added to the manual about the NMEA 2000 networks. I have an older boat...a 1997 Bayliner. It obviously doesn't have any NMEA 2000 components, except for the new sonar. But in reading the supplement I see a lot of usefulness in potential upgrades for the boat.

But I am a do it yerselfer. I don't want to buy a package that consists of the wire(buss), sensors and display that all you do is hook it up and turn it on. I am a techno junkie. Technology doesn't even have to serve a real purpose...it can just be eye candy for me. Of course, if it does serve a purpose it's an added bonus.

So I'm finding myself searching for some sort of NMEA 2000 systems that may run from a laptop unit. Any way to connect the buss to laptop or a Smartphone would be my preference. I have a Treo 700p with a bluetooth GPS receiver that has Pathaway map manager and TomTom Navigator. I'd like to add nautical mapping to it. I'd love to see an app that monitors any useful sensors on the boat. I realize that the sonar for the 'fish finder' is going to be bandwidth intense so the Treo won't be able to display much more than maybe bottom depth...but wouln't that be sweet if I could connect the buss to my Treo through bluetooth so the info is on my hip no matter where I am on the boat. A laptop would be in the cockpit where a larger screen makes it more useful.

Am I dreaming...or is this sort of technology available?

Nate

I know of no radar gear that works with a PC as it's display.

> Am I dreaming...or is this sort of technology available?

For sensors other than radar, sure. Maretron sells a USB black box that'll interface your PC to an NMEA2000 network. I've got NMEA2000, Seatalk and NMEA0183 all running in our boat. But I rarely use the PC as an active member of the network. The chartplotter (a Raymarine E-80) generally does a better job at the helm. The interface, screen and buttons are just better suited for it. I've got one GPS on seatalk, along with the autopilot, depth and speed and the fuel flow and engine data on NMEA2000. The laptop pulls GPS via NMEA0183 from the chartplotter. Weather comes from Sirius satellite and is fed to the chartplotter via Ethernet.

I do use Rosepoint's Chart Navigator on the PC for route planning or more detailed location searches. I don't currently pull NMEA2000 data into the PC. If/when I do it'll probably be using Maretron's interface.

Personally I prefer the built-in screens instead of laptops, PDA or cell phones. When the going gets rough the built-in equipment is a lot less likely to get ruined (or splashed overboard).

-Bill Kearney

Do a Google search on BLACK BOX RADAR

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=black+box+radar&btnG=Google+Search

I have been using various PCs on boats for over 10 years.