GPS/DSC VHF not talking

[onenyala]

I have a GPS Garmin 65 version 2.14 (1993 vintage). I bought a Silva 10 VHF DSC at the boat show. I have wired them up in accordance with the instructions.
I checked the interface page on the GPS for 'output' & NMEA 0183.
I am getting a voltage pulse from the plug 'output' of the GPS.
Garmin have confirmed that the GPS 65 although old transmits the correct NMEA sentences and at the correct baud rate 4800bps.
Despite all of the above the VHF is still not displaying a position.
Anyone out there who can help

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[chriscallender]

Might be worth trying to hook up a laptop to it (or else take it off the boat & try to hook it up to your home PC) - just using some terminal program like the hyperterminal that comes with windows to look at the output. If all is OK you should see all the NMEA sentances being spewed out.

I also have a Garmin 65 as well, that is hooked up to a notebook for chart plotting and got it going recently with Silva S15, don't know the version number of the Garmin but that suggests that it should be possible.

I also can't remember off hand the colours of the wires and how it is hooked up but could take a look next time I'm on the boat.

Chris

PS Have you applied for an MMSI for the DSC set yet? I think I have downloaded the correct form but haven't sent it off yet as I need to find out what my radio licence customer number is and I hope that is on my licence on the boat.

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[onenyala]

Thanks Chris for your reply. I'll work on your suggestions.
re the MMSI number
I was in the same position as you ie the license was on the boat and I was 90 miles away. I sent a letter with my call sign and boat name to the authorities hoping they could trace my details. I am waiting for a reply.
Stuart Jones

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[Robin]

Chris

I phoned re the MMSI, they faxed a form and I faxed it back - MMSI issued over the phone without hassle, they found our records from the callsign only.

Robin

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[tome]

Until you put the MMSI number into the set the DSC functions won't be enabled, which may explain why you aren't seeing positions.

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[Joe_Cole]

Have you connected "output" to "output"? I think it should be "output" to "input".

Incidently, I have a Garmin 65. If you need details from the handbook then feel free to shout up.

Joe

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[chriscallender]

At least on the S15 if you do cancel (or some such button) at startup when it asks you to enter the MMSI then it goes into radio mode and still shows the lat and long on the display. I don't know if the S10 is the same or not. I guess the DSC functions are disabled. Anyway I plan to be down at the boat tomorrow so I'll check my wiring and let you know how I have it set up.

Chris

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[andy01842]

I brought a NASA radio at the LBS and hooked it up to my garmin 76map. But it would not work so hooked it up to my old (1995) Magellan meridian xl would not work. Connected red to red and brown to brown. In the end I connected red to brown and brown to red and it worked. Back to the garmin could not get it to work. As I was doing this at home I put the garmin in sim mode. No fix no NMEA output, but you do get a NMEA output in sim mode. To cut a vary long story short took the garmin out side got a fix and all worked ok. The radio will not display lat & lon if the GPS is in sim mode only if it got a real fix. Red is connected to the negative (- minus) on the NASA radio. Hope this helps
Andy


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[ex-Gladys]

Having been in a similar position (albeit with a Garmin 152) you NEED TO RTFM re the cable colours. The NASA nmea connection connects the read lead to the GPS NMEA ground (Black). Oh for standards....

<hr width=100% size=1>Larry Botheras

Anderson 26 "Amber"

 

[andy01842]

Sorry my last post may have been a bit confusing. The red wire from the NASA radio is the negative (- minus)

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[snowleopard]

i had a similar problem. when connecting an icom dsc to garmib gps, no position was reported on the dsc. it turned out that the gps was transmitting nmea 0183 version 1.5 but the dsc was looking for version 2.0.

the sentence needed under version 2.0 didn't exist in v1.5 so no communication. fortunately the gps could be programmed to send v1.5 or 2.0. unfortunately that meant the seatalk network wasn't picking up magnetic courses correctly as it only speaks v1.5

i took this up with all 3 manufacturers at the boat show and guess what? - they all blamed each other!

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[plombier]

What Icom DSC & what Garmin are you using? I have to do the same soon with Garmin 188C & Icom DS 100 controller.

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[mhouse]

I had the same problem with the S15 but a different GPS.
I found that the GPS Negative and the ground all have to be connected to the radio negative.

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[onenyala]

Thanks for your post.
I want to be clear about the connection.
Do you mean the 12v negative supply to the GPS ( There is no ground or shield on the GPS) connected to the 12v negative supply to the VHF.
If this is the case then I have that made that connection as the two negatives come off the same terminal of the battery.
I am wondering whether I should reverse the input & out put from the GPS to the VHF.
Another post mentioned that the VHF would not receive a signal if an MMSI number had not been input.... ? Maybe but I am dubious. I will have to wait ubtil the RCA respond.

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[onenyala]

Thanks for your offer.
I have the handbook but I would be interested to know which version of the 65 you have. I bought mine in 1992 it is version 2.14
Have you got yours hooked up to a DSC VHF?
Stuart

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[tome]

If you need the Garmin 65 handbook its available for download <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.garmin.com/manuals/GPS65_OwnersManual.PDF>here</A>. This shows that the output is on the blue wire with ground on the black wire. You need to make sure that the output is set to NMEA0183 (NOT NMEA0180 and NOT NMEA0182 - neither of these formats will work as the speed is incorrect).

The Silva site doesn't list a S10, but the S15 shows two wires marked GPS+ and GPS- . GPS+ goes to the Garmin blue wire, GPS- to Garmin black.

If this doesn't work then you may have to enter the MMSI number before DSC is enabled.

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[Robin]

Our DSC is a NASA so different but we had the same difficulty chosing the connection route, despite the instructions.

First make sure the GPS transmits the correct sentences (I think you did already)

You need the NMEA +ve 'OUT' from the GPS to go to the NMEA 'IN' at the DSC set.

The NMEA -ve can go to the NMEA -ve at the set OR maybe to the set ground OR set -ve or maybe all three. I was told one of these combinations would work.

In actual fact on our NASA, with Shipmate GPS, only the NMEA +ve DSC to GPS is connected and yet everything now works!

Finally on the NASA set at least, the MMSI number is NOT needed for the Lat/Long to be displayed on the NASA screen.




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[chriscallender]

I'm on the boat now and the setup I have between the GPS65 and the Silva S15 which is working is

Red "GPS+" cable from S15 connected to blue wire from GPS65
Black "GPS GND" cable from S15 connected to GPS65 power supply ground (also black)

I guess (hope!) the colour scheme on the cables is the same on an S10 and an S15!!!!

To enable the NMEA O/p of the GPS 65 I have gone into the AUX menu, selected interface, then set

Input None / Output NMEA
NMEA 0183 2.0
4800 baud

(all that lot will make more sense if you have the interface menu up in front of you!).

At least on my GPS65 it is also possible to select NMEA0180, NMEA0182 and NMEA0183 1.5 but none of those work with the S15 (I checked).

Also, when I first connected it up, I didn't even need to connect the GPS GND from the S15 to anything at all, since the S15 and the GPS65 grounds are connected together via the power supplies, so you could also try disconnecting the GPS GND wire of the S10 if all else fails, perhaps there is some grounding problem.

New (20 day old) baby boy is also on the boat for the first time today, he seems to like it well enough as he has spent the whole afternoon sleeping so far apart from a milk wakeup for 10 minutes! So I got some time to look at this.

Chris

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[onenyala]

Thanks for your help.
It is becoming apparent that my GPS 65 is an older model than yours and that I probably have NMEA 0183 1.5. Unfortunately I dont think I can change the interface to NMEA 0183 version 2.0.
I am speaking to Garmin but it looks like a new GPS if I want to get the full benefit of the Silva DSC function.
Dont know where your boat is but hope it isnt on the east coast for the baby's sake !

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[Joe_Cole]

Stuart,

I'm not sure what version mine is, but it was bought in 1995. To be honest, I don't use it that much as my handheld is easier, and quicker, to operate. It's generally switched on "just in case". It's not linked to a DSC (I haven't been bothered to get one yet!)


Joe

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