Simrad plotter /antenna question

[Halfhitch]

I still have the original plotter that was installed on my 2004 Grady. It is a SIMRAD CE33. It has a 6 inch screen which is small for this day but the resolution and viewability is great. What I am wondering is if I could make it operate better/faster and more accurately by putting a smarter up to date GPS receiver on it. At present it has "stick" type antenna called, SIMRAD RS5640. It appears to be far behind current standards. ???

The plotter will operate on a 2K backbone. If this plotter could benefit from a more modern receiver, any idea which one? I would appreciate any advice you may have to offer. I plan to connect an AP also. For a sounder 'ducer it has a P66. I already found that I can't transfer my old waypoints from my previous boat so I'm not totally in love with this thing yet.

 

[ocnslr]

I just downloaded and read the manual for that unit. Very advanced when it was introduced. It has Simnet and NMEA 0183 connectivity. No NMEA 2K capability.

IMHO, not worth any expense to try to improve its performance. If it meets your needs, then just use it. If it doesn't, then replace it.

Our boat came with a Lowrance LCX-15MT, and I am on my fifth and sixth MFDs since then.

New GPS receivers will not interface to your unit, and would do nothing to improve your chart card options, screen size, processor speed, or user interface convenience.

 

[ocnslr]

You note that the plotter will operate on an NMEA 2K network. To do this you would have to have a combined 2K and Simnet network. Yes, it can be done but not worth the cost or effort.

 

[Halfhitch]

Thanks for the info/advice fellas. Thinking about how far things have come in the MFD world in last dozen or so years I figured I was kinda kidding myself that this was going to keep me happy.

 

[ioffe]

I just downloaded and read the manual for that unit. Very advanced when it was introduced. It has Simnet and NMEA 0183 connectivity. No NMEA 2K capability.

IMHO, not worth any expense to try to improve its performance.

You couldn't be more wrong.
SimNet is superset protocol on top of NMEA 2K (means NMEA2K + proprietary SIMRAD messages). SIMRAD GPS antenna with the latest chip can be had for $60-80 shipped. The cold start will be much faster, more precise, will update location twice per second. I had cx45 unit with SimNet antenna and couldn't be more happier.