Garmin 120 XL for the modern age

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Chris Pink

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I have inherited on the purchase of a yacht, a Garmin 120XL. From the dawn of computing.

Now it's still capable of picking up a GPS signal and it has NMEA 0183 so is it worth trying to interface this with a tablet or laptop running a more modern chart software such as Navionics?

If so what black box would I need to produce a USB signal from the NMEA output of the 120XL?
 
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Chris Pink said:
I have inherited on the purchase of a yacht, a Garmin 120XL. From the dawn of computing.

Now it's still capable of picking up a GPS signal and it has NMEA 0183 so is it worth trying to interface this with a tablet or laptop running a more modern chart software such as Navionics?

If so what black box would I need to produce a USB signal from the NMEA output of the 120XL?
Click to expand...
You could employ it hardwired, to feed NMEA data to a DSC VHF.
 
The Garmin 120 is a good piece of kit, and shouldn't be despised IMHO.
To connect, you will need either an old laptop with a serial port, (unlikely now ) or a serial to USB converter for a few pounds off ebay. You will also probably need to wire a matching 9 pin d-sub connector, for which some skill at soldering is useful.
Pin 2 nmea out; pin 3 nmea in; pin 5 nmea ground.
 
Chris Pink said:
it doesn't have a D-connector, simply two flying leads (NMEA in and Out) and ground.

So perhaps this?

http://www.mesltd.co.uk//digital-yacht-usbserial-adaptor-specific-nmea-ftdi-p-12868.html
Click to expand...

Only if you want to spend lots of money. This would be cheaper...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Converter...ting_Parallel_Serial_PS_2&hash=item3cd5baeea9

with this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9-WAY-SER...ting_Parallel_Serial_PS_2&hash=item3386b7f055

You will need to solder 2 wires to the socket.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Only if you want to spend lots of money. This would be cheaper...
Click to expand...
I've had a lot of problems with those cheap USB/Serial adaptors, the drivers are rubbish and keep causing a BSOD with an "IO Error". I've tried three different eBay sources, all the same. Note that I'm not a wimp when it comes to messing with a PC, but I gave up.

My suggested adaptor is this one: "FTDI USB to Serial RS232 Adapter Cable with COM Retention"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004ZMYTYC/dolcetto-21
Half the price of the "Marine" one, and better.
 
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Chris Pink said:
it doesn't have a D-connector, simply two flying leads (NMEA in and Out) and ground.

So perhaps this?

http://www.mesltd.co.uk//digital-yacht-usbserial-adaptor-specific-nmea-ftdi-p-12868.html
Click to expand...

I think that looks great. I don't have a plotter and don't really need one, but in quiet moments I wonder if there might be something in hooking up the ship's PC (an old net book used for surfing on marina wifi) to the feed from my Garmin 128. I don't want a secondary GPS receiver and have no interest in mucking about with ugly boxes off eBay with Byzantine specs, to be honest; I want something with NMEA wires on one end and a USB plug on the other. Then with an inexpensive plotting package say with raster charts I would have another Nav option for not a lot of notes really. Might give it a go!

Cheers
 
bitbaltic said:
I think that looks great. I don't have a plotter and don't really need one, but in quiet moments I wonder if there might be something in hooking up the ship's PC (an old net book used for surfing on marina wifi) to the feed from my Garmin 128. I don't want a secondary GPS receiver and have no interest in mucking about with ugly boxes off eBay with Byzantine specs, to be honest; I want something with NMEA wires on one end and a USB plug on the other. Then with an inexpensive plotting package say with raster charts I would have another Nav option for not a lot of notes really. Might give it a go!

Cheers
Click to expand...

If you don't want anything from Ebay, get it from Maplin then...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/usb-gps-dongle-476503

No cables, no soldering, nothing ugly, just plug it in, for less than the price of that rip-off cable!
 
I see what you're saying and that is the point, I don't want to spend money to do something it would be cheaper to just buy another GPS receiver.

But the Garmin is mounted in the cockpit, it's not going anywhere. Its data needs to be transferred to a chart somehow whether with a pencil or a wire. So if it could be doubled with a laptop running charts then it would make passage planning and navigating easier.

The other appealing option is that it could interface with a tablet in a waterproof bag and have another life as a 2nd screen to chart display for not too much money (another excuse to buy a tablet ;)
 
bitbaltic said:
I don't want a secondary GPS receiver and have no interest in mucking about with ugly boxes off eBay with Byzantine specs, to be honest; I want something with NMEA wires on one end and a USB plug on the other. Then with an inexpensive plotting package say with raster charts I would have another Nav option for not a lot of notes really. Might give it a go!

Cheers
Click to expand...


Exactly this. What had you mind by 'inexpensive plotting package' ?
 
I have one of those mounted in the cockpit and feeding the DSC VHF and Yeoman. A great bit of kit.
It tells me all I need to know and has performed flawlessly for 12 years. The one I had before got fried by lightning, they don't like it up 'em!
Also have a backup Garmin 72 handheld.
If I get bored with actually sailing and want to play chartplotter games I have MX Mariner on an Android tablet.
 
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