Making use of the data
Now that you’re generating all this data, you’ll naturally want to get it onto a phone or tablet, where you can view it from anywhere on board. The simplest solution if you have a modern multifunction display is to use the MFD’S built-in Wifi. Check the maker’s instructions on how to switch on the Wifi function, which may require you to give the network a name and a password. Then use your smart device to connect to that Wifi network, just as you would at home. Remember that the phone or tablet won’t be able to access the internet through the Wifi connection with the MFD, unless you have separately set that up.
There are limitations to this, however, as Ben Holdsworth explains: ‘You can only use the manufacturer’s own app to view data,’ he says. ‘It can simply repeat the screen of the plotter — that’s all it really allows you to do, which is great, because you can create waypoints and turn the radar on and off. You can be tucked up in the saloon, keeping an eye on things.’
Garmin’s app is called Activecaptain, and includes everything from charting to autohelm control. Raymarine has two apps that simply mirror the screen of the MFD, along with whatever data happens to be displayed, while its new Raycontrol app for tablets is more versatile. B&G’S app, called Link, gives you control of most of your MFD’S functions from the phone or tablet.
If you really want to liberate your data, then you need a dedicated NMEA Wifi bridge. ‘It pulls the data off the system and broadcasts it out,’ says Holdsworth. ‘You open whatever app you want, to view the data.’ This is very different to your home router, so dispel any notions of using your old Talktalk box. Another reason to use this approach would be if your MFD uses its Wifi channel for connecting to a radar or camera.
There are many such Wifi devices available and if you have even a small N2K network then it is simple: just plug the Wifi gateway into your backbone and away it goes. As power runs down the backbone, there is no need for a separate connection to the battery. Products include Digital Yacht’s Navlink2 (£210) and Actisense’s W2K-1 (£185).
If your network runs on older NMEA 0183, then the installation can be a little more complex. Just as in Scenario 1, you should first determine how many instruments need to get their data onto Wifi. If it’s just one, then you’re in luck: simply wire in a NMEA to a Wifi gateway like Digital Yacht’s WLN10 Smart (£150).
More instruments mean more complexity and, if they don’t daisy-chain together (like Raymarine Seatalk or B&G’S old Network units), then you will need a multiplexer to combine all the talkers’ outputs into one data stream. This will then feed smoothly into the Wifi gateway, and thence, onto your phone or tablet.
Some products combine the multiplexer and Wifi function in one box, such as Quark-elec’s QK-A031 (£100.80) which has inputs for three NMEA 0183 signals and one Seatalk (Raymarine’s networking standard). Digital Yacht produces another such unit called the WLN30 Smart (£210), which can take up to three different instrument inputs.
To view the data on your phone or tablet, you need a suitable app first. There are literally hundreds to choose from, all with slightly different functions ranging from charting to data logging, as you can see from the short selection below. If you specifically want an instrument-style display with none of the distraction of chart overlays and weather forecasts, Nmearemote (£14) looks good, supports a really wide range of NMEA sentences and can be heavily customised. Once you’ve downloaded the app, simply connect your phone to your new Wifi network in the usual way, and away you go.
Note: Some Wifi bridges, including the Garmin GNT10, will only share data with their own proprietary apps.