The Bench

Our current favorite compass for use with the Ockam system is the Maretron SSC200. It is a 3-axis turn-stabilized electronic compass, and is relatively inexpensive. It is also widely available, so it can be obtained fairly easily (including through our Web Store). It can also be calibrated for deviation using a variety of methods, so it is rather flexible in actual use, unlike many other compass types.

One method requires a connection to a PC for serial communications. However, this method is not very practical unless you are very comfortable with working with this type of low-level hardware configuration. It requires a certain familiarity with electronic hardware and software, so it is not suitable for everyone. Even those who are well-versed in this type of work find it to be a bit of a bother. Personally, I avoid this method when possible.

Another method requires the use of one of Maretron’s proprietary displays. This method has the clear advantage of ease-of-use, but the display itself is a little expensive (USD 800 retail price). Some people have installed this display as a heading repeater for the steering station (like with the KVH AC100) and gotten the additional calibration functionality as a bonus. Most people do not want to incur the additional expense, so this is not usually a viable method. Some servicing dealers happen to have a DSM200 for use in calibration, so you may be able to arrange something with them if you want to go this route.

By far the most popular method is the simple power-on calibration method. The SSC200 will perform a calibration after power-on when a few simple steps are followed (see page 11 of the current SSC200 manual). This is probably the simplest method, but feedback can be a problem. The compass will indicate a successful deviation calibration by sending the compass headings 000, 090, 180, and 270 each for two seconds, followed by the actual heading. If you had a direct indication of the compass heading, this would not present much of a problem. However, the Ockam system typically has some sort of averaging set for the display data, so this confirmation message can get masked by the display averaging.

The best way to get around this is by setting the display averaging for heading to zero on a T1 processor. This forces the system to display the information as it receives it. The display averaging for heading can be set through a computer connected to the Ockam system; this option is unfortunately not available through a Matryx display. The command to set heading to zero display averaging is A23=0 with a direct command through a terminal session. Display averaging can also be set on the OckamSoft driver through the Control tab under the Avgs radio button by entering 0 in the Val box and clicking the Execute button.

The 001 Unisyn processor cannot have a display averaging value set lower than 0 or anything other than an integer, so the lowest value is 1. You may be able to catch the Maretron confirmation sequence with this, but it is not likely.

Regardless of the processor used, you should set the display averaging back to the value it was before. The default value for heading averaging is 1 second, so the command is A23=1 if setting by direct entry.

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I wrote the following letter to the editor in response to the article titled "Keep Your Insurance Paid Up" in Scuttlebutt 2747:

A lightning strike contains an impressive amount of energy. Temperatures in a lightning bolt can easily exceed those found on the surface of the sun, and the electrical current can exceed 40 kiloamperes! Even if the electronics survive a lightning strike, they should be treated with suspicion, as the component parts have probably been subjected to induced voltages or currents outside their specified maximum tolerances.

Lightning protection on boats is used to minimize structural damage, not to protect electronics. Protection for electronics against lightning strikes would have to be similar to what the military uses to harden installations against nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP): a Faraday cage with electrically isolated power and signals. On a racing yacht, the weight and power required for that is prohibitive. Without protection against EMP, even a nearby lightning strike may induce enough current in the yacht’s wiring to damage on-board electronics. I have encountered many instances where a boat was not directly struck by lightning, yet had several electronic items fail.

As mentioned in the article, the best strategy is to get insurance coverage for your electronics, and keep up on the premiums. There’s little that can be done to repair an item when lightning has burned through the circuit board!

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With the current world economic problems, most people have started to analyze their purchases very carefully to maximize value for cost. Ockam has always provided tremendous value. Our equipment may cost more than some of our competitors, but they do not approach the "bang for the buck" (or "Usability for the Euro") that we provide.

Our equipment is long-lasting. It is common to see our instrument systems still operating perfectly 15 years after installation. Sometimes we get items in for check-out that have been operating normally for over 20 years! After a little work, most units are ready to go for another 20 years. I like to joke with owners of these older systems that they likely have crew younger than the instrument system. Barring a lightning strike or lengthy submersion in water, our equipment is extremely durable.

Our instruments are stable. Once set, calibrations retain the same settings. System options remain set until the processors is reset or the user changes them. The only time that it’s necessary to change a system setting is when the user feels the need to do so, or if the yacht physically changes and affects the sensors. A properly configured Ockam system does not need to be adjusted for years, if at all! There is no worry that turning off the system will erase your settings, unlike some other systems. And no external adjustments are needed on a properly configured system! This reduces the time spent fiddling with the instruments, and allows you to focus on other issues.

We strive to provide products that are serviceable. The modern attitude towards electronics seems to be that a faulty unit should simply be thrown out and replaced with new. We disagree. We select component parts that can be replaced if faulty, and do not glue the enclosures shut to seal them. We take the responsible design path that allows units to be serviced instead of thrown out. In a very few cases, our suppliers give up on a product years before we do. I guess they get tired of producing the same IC for 25 years!

We provide constant updates to our products to improve functionality. If a required feature is omitted, we do our best to add it. If a new development comes out and we need to take advantage of it, we can accommodate it. For instance, the T1 processor has had several FREE software updates in the past few years to allow the use of newer high-speed GPS units, newer file transfer methods, and new calibration methods. This has always been the Ockam ideal - constant updates to change along with new developments in racing technology.

We also have the capability to create custom items to work with our instrument system. Our system is extremely flexible, and allows for some very creative solutions for individual boats. Some of these solutions then go on to be standard items (such as the mast rotation interface). If there is a new technology that proves to be useful for the racing yacht, then we can incorporate it into the Ockam system. The decentralized Ockam approach allows modular updates and upgrades to accommodate custom interfaces easily.

All products are backwards and forwards compatible. ANY new unit bought today will work with ANY previous Ockam system. Likewise, an older unit will work with a brand-new Ockam system. One customer remarked to me that he was surprised when his new 2008 Raymarine chart plotter worked flawlessly with the instrument system originally installed in 1987. Not many instrument systems can do that; actually no other instrument systems, to my knowledge.

We provide expertise. After dealing with so many high-end racing programs over the years, we have developed and tested many solutions to issues that they find. With the trickle-down of technology and technique from these high-end programs to the average racer, more people find themselves faced with what they feel are unique and new problems. However, many of these problems have already been encountered and resolved by the vanguard, in some cases decades ago. We are never content to rest on our laurels, and are always working on resolving issues encountered by yachtsmen (and -women) to create a more capable racing instrument system.

Feel free to contact us for advice on your instrument system: sales@ockam.com or repairs@ockam.com - we would love to hear from you!

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We have a new product here at Ockam, as you may have noticed on our main web site. It’s called the LANBridge, model number 051L.

What does this product do? It attaches to the Ockam bus with the standard BNC connector, and provides all the data available on the Ockam bus (Ockam format and NMEA 0183) to a connected Ethernet LAN by UDP broadcast. This is similar to what the OckamSoft 4 driver could do, but no computer is required. The system can send the data out by UDP itself! It can also accept data input from a device attached to the LAN.

What is special about this? First, if you have a PDA running Ockam Eye, you no longer need a PC running below deck. All you need is a wireless access point (either dedicated WAP or integrated with a router) to provide the WiFi radio. Second, it eliminates many of the common problems found using RS-232 on board a boat if you are using a PC.

As usual, this new interface is backwards compatible. It will work with all previously produced Ockam Instrument systems. How about that… You can put this on a system built in 1983 and expect it to work! It will work with both the older 001 Unisyn based systems and the newer T1 Tryad based systems. The interfaces already in the field have been working flawlessly since first power-up! Tactical and navigational programs such as OckamSoft 4, Expedition, and Nobeltec VNS can accept UDP broadcasts as data sources.

We are also investigating a wireless (WiFi) version of this interface, as well as many other "flavors" of the concept. So far, the interest has been resoundingly in favor of the wired LAN version, but I expect to see the wireless version take off as well. We will continue to produce and support the 050 RS-232 interface and the RS-232 connection on the T1 processor, as the RS-232 signal format is robust and well-established in the electronics world, and is not expected to disappear any time soon.

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