Autohelm ST50 Plus Multi to Icom IC-M323 NMEA Wiring?

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roblpm

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Hi

A mate of mine has asked for help. I have a vague recollection of a similar problem when I was setting up my VHF but does anyone know better?

He needs gps input to his new radio.

ST50 NMEA out - Red (Signal) Blue (Ground)

Icom NMEA in - Yellow (Listener +ve) Green (Listener -ve)

Now he has tried connecting Red to yellow & Blue to Green and nothing.

But somehow I have the recollection that actually the blue and the green are not right. ie somewhere you connect something to the black 0v of the boat?! Maybe the green doesnt get connected at all at the radio end and the blue from the st50 gets connected to the boat 0v?

Hmmmmm??

Any ideas??
 
Agree that a better solution might be to connect the radio direct to the GPS.
There is a possible reason for the OP's problem though. If the ST50 Multi is similar to the ST60 Graphic, (and that I don't Know! ), then the NMEA output can be defined as an alarm output, which disables the NMEA output function., but not the input.
This is done in the set-up menu.
 
No setup menu in the st50 as far as i can see.

Is this significant?.....

The st50 manual describes signal and ground
The icom manual describes +ve and - ve.

Should the ground from the st50 just go to power ground and the radio - ve not be connected. Ie the circuit is completed on the radio through the power ground??!!

What is all this nmea +ve and - ve business??!!!!!
 
I had this arrangement on my boat when I bought her. It included a seatlalk to nmea converter see link

http://boatprojects.blogspot.com/2012/12/beginners-guide-to-raymarines-seatalk.html?m=1

The converter E85001 failed and a I installed a Garmin 12v gps puck powered by the radio supply. It was half the cost of the E85001 converter and had the advantage of gps on the radios without powering all the Raymarine st50s

May not suit your requirements but works well for me.
 
Maxi_10 said:
I had this arrangement on my boat when I bought her. It included a seatlalk to nmea converter see link

http://boatprojects.blogspot.com/2012/12/beginners-guide-to-raymarines-seatalk.html?m=1

The converter E85001 failed and a I installed a Garmin 12v gps puck powered by the radio supply. It was half the cost of the E85001 converter and had the advantage of gps on the radios without powering all the Raymarine st50s

May not suit your requirements but works well for me.
Click to expand...

But his st50 multi does say it has an nmea output so not sure he needs a seatalk convertor.
 
I know this is potentially insulting, but does the boat have a GPS? I only ask because I once had to explain to our managing director that a monitor provided for use with his laptop was not a computer... If there is indeed a GPS inputting a position to the Seatalk system, then you should be able to get the required output - but although the manual will describe how to extract this from the ST50 it only applies if it is available! Has the existing installation previously fed position data to an earlier radio?

Rob.

P.S. I have a stand-alone Garmin GPS 152 as talker with the Icom radio and ST60 Graphic as listeners. Worth noting that with a Garmin, you have to select NMEA output as it defaults to Garmin's network language which is not compatible with any other manufacturer's equipment. This feeds the position and other GPS derived data to be used for the DSC radio functions and through the Seatalk network to be used by the Autohelm.
 
Last edited:
roblpm said:
Hi

A mate of mine has asked for help. I have a vague recollection of a similar problem when I was setting up my VHF but does anyone know better?

He needs gps input to his new radio.

ST50 NMEA out - Red (Signal) Blue (Ground)

Icom NMEA in - Yellow (Listener +ve) Green (Listener -ve)

Now he has tried connecting Red to yellow & Blue to Green and nothing.

But somehow I have the recollection that actually the blue and the green are not right. ie somewhere you connect something to the black 0v of the boat?! Maybe the green doesnt get connected at all at the radio end and the blue from the st50 gets connected to the boat 0v?

Hmmmmm??

Any ideas??
Click to expand...

That wasn't a problem when I connected my garmin GPS (signal + ground) up to my SH VHF (NMEA +ve & NMEA-ve). I just connected then together and it worked fine. GPS output also goes in to a NMEA 2000 convertor.
 
Who knows!!

Anyway thanks to all the contributors. He has given up. He does definitely have a gps already but is just buying a new standalone gps mushroom for the radio. He should have bought the standard horizon with the built in gps!!
 
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