Driving an NMEA wheel pilot remotely

[NickRobinson]

My twin helm boat has (Paul Rainbow's) wheel pilot outside in the cockpit.
This means I need to make adjustments there.
How do I use the old NMEA it comes with to interface to a laptop or my Garmin 152 via serial at the wheelhouse helm?
Ideally, drop a pin in Memory Map and use GOTO.
No solution for the manual clutch needed.
TIA N.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Depends what the laptop has Nick, either serial to NMEA or USB to NMEA, then just connect to the autopilot NMEA IN.

Once connected, you do indeed use the GOTO function, then engage the autopilot. Worked a treat when i had it fitted to my boat, i connected it to my Garmin plotter and it steered to compass, waypoint or wind (it got wind data from the plotter via the N2K network onboard).

 

[NickRobinson]

Hi Paul. (very happy with the WP30, BTW) I wondered if you had interfaced it.
I'd either be wiring to my elderly Garmin 152 (easier to put a coat on and go outside...) or the preferred laptop using a FTDI serial to usb cable
such as this- (I'm assuming serial/RS232/NMEA connect as long as the devices are on the same page.)