Navigation electronics are the most-used part of a yacht and often the hardest to diagnose. A blank screen, AIS targets that disappear, or an autopilot that wanders off course are usually not caused by the instrument itself but by a power, network or wiring fault. At our workshop in Turgutreis, Aslan Yacht diagnoses faults on board at system level and inspects control boards at component level.
Yacht electronics and marine electronics service
For yacht electronics and marine electronics, motor yachts and sailing yachts have different needs, and we serve both on board and in the workshop around Bodrum and Turgutreis. A large share of electronic faults trace back to the supply, so we treat boat electrical work together with our Yacht Electrical service. For sensor and control issues on mechanical systems such as engines, generators, air-conditioning and pumps, see our Climate & Mechanical page.
What we do
- Chartplotter and MFD installation: console mounting, power supply, network connection and software updates. We cover selection criteria in our chartplotter and MFD guide.
- Radar: antenna mounting height, cable routing, heading sensor integration and setup. See installing a boat radar.
- AIS: Class A and Class B transponder installation, GPS antenna and VHF antenna sharing (splitter).
- Autopilot: drive unit, rudder feedback sensor, compass calibration and sea trial.
- VHF and DSC: radio and antenna installation, MMSI entry, GPS connection and SWR measurement.
- NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183 networks: backbone design, terminators, power feed point, converters and fault finding.
- Internet and remote monitoring: 4G/5G router, Starlink, GSM alarm and sensors for monitoring the yacht remotely.
- Board repair: measurement, solder repair, relay and connector replacement on equipment control boards.
Typical faults we solve
- Depth, wind or engine data dropping out intermittently on the displays.
- The whole network becoming unstable after a new device is added.
- AIS seeing other targets but not transmitting its own position, or the reverse.
- The autopilot losing the course in a seaway, "no pilot" or sensor errors.
- VHF being hard to hear even at short range.
- Electronics rebooting whenever the engine is started.
The last one is usually caused by voltage sag during cranking. Putting the electronics supply on a separately fused circuit, and stabilising it with a DC-DC converter where needed, is handled alongside our Yacht Electrical service.
Rules we follow on an NMEA 2000 network
Most data loss comes from a network that was built incorrectly. On every installation we check:
- Exactly two 120 Ω terminators total, one at each end of the backbone.
- Drop cables to each device no longer than 6 m, connected to the backbone through a T-connector rather than daisy-chained.
- Network power fed from a single point, fused, and preferably close to the load centre, with sufficient voltage measured at every device.
- Device LEN (load equivalency number) values totalled to check the power budget.
- Connectors seated firmly and protected from moisture and salt where exposed.
More detail is in our article on NMEA 2000 network installation and troubleshooting and on the NMEA standard body's own site.
Our process on board
- System inventory: we map which devices sit on which network, and where the power and fuse points are.
- Measurement: supply voltage, network resistance, SWR and signal checks; devices are isolated one by one to find the faulty one.
- Repair or replacement: the fix is applied at cable, connector or device level. Board faults are inspected in the workshop.
- Configuration: data sources are selected, calibrations carried out and software updated.
- Sea trial: autopilot, radar, AIS and similar systems are verified underway.
Equipment we work with
We work with instruments from the common marine electronics brands and resolve compatibility issues in mixed-brand networks. On the energy side we connect Victron Energy GX devices to the NMEA 2000 network so battery and charging data can be shown on the navigation displays. Remote monitoring options are covered in monitoring your yacht remotely, and digital switching systems in smart yacht automation. For the systems that generate the energy data, see our Energy and Battery Systems page.
Motor yachts vs sailing yachts
Motor yachts typically carry several MFDs, an open-array radar, digital engine data, cameras and sometimes a separate flybridge station. With a long, busy network, planning the power feed and segmentation matters.
Sailing yachts route antenna and wind sensor cables through the mast; connectors can be damaged when the mast is unstepped, and salt and vibration weaken connections over time. Power consumption is also critical, so radar and display draw are factored into every choice. General electrical needs for sailing yachts are covered on our Sailing Yacht Electrical page.
Service area
We work on board at Turgutreis D-Marin, Yalıkavak Palmarina, Milta Bodrum Marina, Gümüşlük and the boatyards on the peninsula; board repairs are carried out at our Turgutreis workshop. A pre-season electronics check confirms autopilot and radar settings before the first passage of the year. To arrange an installation or report a fault, reach us through our contact page.
