Airmar H2183 Network Gyro Compass

Whether you are offshore fishing or just enjoying family time on the water, feel confident and comfortable that the H2183 is your reliable source for heading information. The solid-state three-axis compass, combined with Airmar’s additional advanced sensors and software provide unparalleled performance. What sets the H2183 apart from the competition is its ability to maintain 2° of heading accuracy under dynamic motion conditions, such as steep heeling, hard turns, and rough seas. Heading integrated with the three-axis rate gyro and three-axis accelerometer data allows the H2183 to maintain 2° of accuracy even if the vessel is pitching and rolling up to 30°. This level of accuracy is perfect for interfacing with autopilots, chart plotters, and radar systems. The H2183’s innovative circular design easily mounts and aligns on any angled bulkhead.

Product Features

• Better than 1° heading accuracy in static conditions
• Best-in-class 2° heading accuracy in dynamic conditions
• Three-axis solid-state compass provides heading data
• Three-axis accelerometer provides pitch and roll data
• Three-axis rate gyro provides rate-of-turn data
• Only recreational heading sensor that uses a three-axis rate gyro
• Easily mounts on any angled bulkhead
• IPX6 waterproof enclosure
• Default 10 Hz update rate for heading
• Outputs NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000® data simultaneously
• Built-in NMEA 2000 inline terminator for masthead use
• Cables sold separately

Important: Airmar cables are sold separately. This unit does not ship with any cables. Standard NMEA 2000 connectors will not fit this unit. You must use the special Airmar cables which are available in NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 versions, or as combination cables that enable both standards to be used. This unit has a special Airmar 9-pin connector at the base and only the Airmar cables will fit.

Calibration

Calibration of the compass can be carried out using the supplied Weathercaster software if you are using a combined NMEA 0183/2000 cable. If this unit is connected to an NMEA 2000 network only, you can use the built in auto-calibration mode. Each time that the device is powered up it looks for a continuous rate turn within the first 60 seconds of operation. If it senses a consistent rate of turn it waits until one complete revolution is complete and then it automatically goes into the calibration mode. The operator will know it is in auto-calibration as the data will temporarily disappear from the display screen. Once two additional revolutions are completed the data will re-appear on the display screen, signaling that the auto-calibration process is complete.

Terminating Airmar Cables

The Airmar NMEA 2000 cables used for the PB200, G2183, GH2183 and H2183 are available in lengths of 2M, 6M, 10M and 30M. The 2M and 6M cables are for use as drop cables, where the device is mounted no more than 6M from the network backbone. If you are using the 10M or 30M cables, these are too long to be drop cables under the NMEA 2000 standard. These longer cables should be installed so that they become one end of the network backbone. The 10M and 30M cables have an NMEA 2000 inline terminator built in to the cable, so that when you plug the cable into an Airmar device, that end of the backbone is correctly terminated without any need for a separate inline terminator.

Before May 2010, the inline terminator was built in to the Airmar devices, not the cable. This design was changed to better conform with the NMEA 2000 standard.

Video of H2183 Heading Sensor Accuracy