Garmin GPS178 - not powering up?

[symondo]

This may very well be a user related issue as i have no documentation with the unit to know about setting it up...

I wired up this Garmin unit mentioned onto our flybridge yesterday - very pleased with myself!

However i have wired it for easy removal by using a deck plug for the power and wiring the loom upto the plug and the socket to the relevant power supply on the boat.

I have checked with a meter - and it is defiantely being fed power, I have also made sure the GPS antenna/mushroom is also connected.

Yet i cant get it to power up?

There is a slot i nthe front of it which looks like some form of memory card, or garmin specific chip socket but it is empty. could this be a reason of not booting up?

Ive held down various buttons on it i the hope it'd spring into life but with no joy. I have only wired the red and black wires of the loom as the other garmin 750s we have fitted in the lower helm is going to be wired into the radio system in due course - so really just need this for location reasons.

 

[oceanfroggie]

1. Did it power up before you fitted it? (ie using power lead to 12v supply)
2. Did you check the in-line fuse in the power cable?
3. The data card slot has nothing to do with it
4. Did you check what the voltage is at the end of the power cable (in case of a voltage drop). You will need 12 or 24v.

If it don't power up before fitting its probably a faulty unit. Garmin have excellent repair service.

Ps the power on button needs to be held down for 1sec.

 

[symondo]

ocean froggie - i dont know is the short answer.

point 1 - it came with the boat and i did ask if it was in working condition and was advised it ewas however it looked to have been fitted with a plug to use on the flybridge - i didnt pay close attention at this point (lesson learnt maybe)

Upon fittin gthe unit yesterday - i noticed on the plug used - it had the earth wire and the blue wire (pin 1 out i think it was) wired to the plug - not the live which i thought was a little odd.

In line fuse - yes checked this - all is well there. I even checked it for continuity incase i couldn't see a small break in it.
Voltage was a solid 12.5v

as for the power button - i couldnt see a button on it marked power so i assumed it'd be the red 1 with the lightbulb symbol on it.

 

[oceanfroggie]

ocean froggie - i dont know is the short answer.

point 1 - it came with the boat and i did ask if it was in working condition and was advised it ewas however it looked to have been fitted with a plug to use on the flybridge - i didnt pay close attention at this point (lesson learnt maybe)

Upon fittin gthe unit yesterday - i noticed on the plug used - it had the earth wire and the blue wire (pin 1 out i think it was) wired to the plug - not the live which i thought was a little odd.

In line fuse - yes checked this - all is well there. I even checked it for continuity incase i couldn't see a small break in it.
Voltage was a solid 12.5v

as for the power button - i couldnt see a button on it marked power so i assumed it'd be the red 1 with the lightbulb symbol on it.

Have a look at the wiring on page 96 of the manual. (Pg 106 of the PDF below)

http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/GPSMAP178CSounder_OwnersManual.pdf

Red cable to battery positive and black/ground to negative.

 

[symondo]

Have a look at the wiring on page 96 of the manual. (Pg 106 of the PDF below)

http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/GPSMAP178CSounder_OwnersManual.pdf

Red cable to battery positive and black/ground to negative.

Many thanks for this.

i may try putting the meter over the pins as i didnt have a diagram showing which pins were power.

 

[vas]

the red with the in line fuse is the +
the black is the earth -

the red light button IS the on button by keeping it depressed for a while

the slot is for the datacard (the old Garmin proprietary ones) find them on ebay.

cheers

V.

 

[PaulGlatzel]

Hi Symondo

I have two 178s that occasionally seem not to power up and the issue with them is invariably the brightness setting as if it is set to the night setting you just cant see the screen in daylight. It reads as if you are installing a second hand set so I wonder if this is the answer. Off the top of my head i think you let it switch on, press 'Enter' after a while to acknowledge the disclaimer, finish letting it boot then press the power button briefly twice which returns it to daylight setting. I may be wrong on this but notice someone has posted a link to the manual anyway.

Hope it is this as a very cheap fix - catches me out loads of times!!

Regards, Paul

 

[symondo]

This sounds feasible...

However going by my other posts of 'how does this work' to find there's something a bit more askew than a simple fix, I'm not gona hold my breath lo,

Is there a button combo for an' factory reset'?