Dumb or smart GPS Antenna?

[BlueSkyNick]

Standard Horizon CP175 - had its own smart antenna which went off the stern rail into the oggin.

From a friend I have acquired a used Garmin smart antenna but I can't get the CP to work. I have spent quite a while making sure I've got the connections right and believe that I have because I am detectin satellites but not seeing any position.

Being a smart antenna it is supposed to put out NMEA sentences including position. I am only seeing the 'bar graph' of the satellite received levels so the antenna is effectively being dumb. The circular chart which shows their orbit positions is empty and the status only says 'ACQUIRING'. I would expect the plotter to be able to resolve a position from the satellites but it's not.

Right now it seems I need a proper smart antenna that works but am trying to avoid the expense

Any and all sensible suggestions welcome

 

[nimbusgb]

If the antenna is a smart one then it must be passing signal strengths via nmea sentences to the cp so it is working in that regard.

The antenna, sorry receiver or puck, may be outputting a version of nmea that your cp doesn't understand. Nmea 0180, 0182 insteand of 0183 1.5 or 0183 or some such.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

J

If the antenna is a smart one then it must be passing signal strengths via nmea sentences to the cp so it is working in that regard.

The antenna, sorry receiver or puck, may be outputting a version of nmea that your cp doesn't understand. Nmea 0180, 0182 insteand of 0183 1.5 or 0183 or some such.

That's interesting .... Further research required!