If you are able to connect to the Core, but the connection resets or fails often – follow the recommendations of this article. If you still have issues, contact us at hello@getorca.com.
The first part of this article is relevant for all connection types. For connection issues specifically via WiFi Link, see the bottom part of the article.
Problems staying connected via WiFi, WiFi-Link, and Bluetooth
Verify that you have sufficient supply power:
Open the Orca app
Connect to the Core
Go to Main Menu > My Boat > Connected Devices
Scroll down to Battery
Review that supply voltage is at least 12V
If your supply voltage is lower than 12V, connect the Orca Core closer to your NMEA2000 power cable and use a shorter drop cable for the Orca Core.
For large vessels with many NMEA devices: You may need to split your NMEA2000 network into multiple separately powered networks.
If you have power supply issues, contact Orca support for recommendations.
SimNet networks have a higher rate of power supply issues than NMEA2000 and SeatalkNG. If you have a SimNet network with more than 10 connected sensors or displays, contact Orca support for recommendations.
Verify that you have sufficient signal strength between the Core and your connecting device
Open the Orca App and go to Main Menu > My Boat
Connect to your Core
The Signal strength indicator is shown to the left of the connection status. It will turn red when the signal strength is low.
To review signal strength, place your device next to the Orca Core while connecting. After connection, progressively move your device away from the Core at 1-minute intervals to evaluate how the signal drops.
Verify that you have a stable NMEA2000 network
Open the Orca App
Connect to the Core
Go to Main Menu > My Boat > Sensor Diagnostics
Expand the NMEA status panel to review TX and RX errors
If you have a significant amount of TX/RX errors, you may have:
a) A broken device on the network
b) Termination issues
c) Congestion on the NMEA 2000 network
We recommend you to read up on this issue and contact support on hello@getorca.com for more details
Problems staying connected via WiFi-Link
WiFi-Link stability depends on your WiFi router. Due to the wide range of WiFi routers available, Orca is unable to provide guaranteed support for your particular router.
If you have challenges connecting via WiFi Link, we recommend the following actions:
Disable Access Point channel hopping – make sure your access point is locked to a single WiFi channel. Select a channel with little traffic
Install Core close to WiFi router – make sure the signal strength between Core and WiFi router is good
When setting a fixed WiFi channel, do not use channels 12, 13, or 14. The Core is FCC certified, and because of this, will not connect to those channels.