GPS location feeding into vhf

[citygent111]

Me again, sorry for all the questions! Playing with a new boat you come across all kinds of wierd issues!!

So the GPS is old, as is the VHF set, but they both work and until I've saved up some pennies, they'll have to do.

I noticed the VHF displays "no GPS data", and it bugged me!

The VHF is a Garmin 100i, and the GPS a Garmin 451. I've read the manuals and installation instructions, so out came the screwdriver and I removed to console dial panel to get to the wires below.

Turns out the coloured wires coming from the GPS that are supposed to go into the VHF have been neatly snipped off.

I'm wondering if it was done when the previous owner replaced it with a fancy nav system?

Anyway - now ai know the problem, so here's my question...

Could I take some thin wire, and connect the severed ends of the missing wires?

Alternatively, any idea if it's possible to get a replacement cable, considering its age?!

Cheers

 

[Stingo]

Turns out the coloured wires coming from the GPS that are supposed to go into the VHF have been neatly snipped off.

......

Could I take some thin wire, and connect the severed ends of the missing wires?

I very much doubt that you'll do any harm if you try this because the voltages will be very low.

 

[citygent111]

I very much doubt that you'll do any harm if you try this because the voltages will be very low.

That's what I was thinking - the wire is SO thin, it's only data so if it doesn't work then it shouldn't affect the operation of either unit.

 

[Martin_J]

You probably already have the manual but if not there's owners and installation manuals here...

VHF 100i | Garmin Support

installation manual shows the wires that are needed...



One pair will send GPS position information to the VHF. The other pair will send DSC alert information to the chart plotter so it can display things like Man OverBoard or Mayday positions.

 

[Martin_J]

The Garmin 451 installation manual is also online.
GPSMAP® 451 | Garmin Support

And shows the colours of the NMEA0183 wires..


As you've said, the wires are very thin but there's not a lot of current going through them.

At least you've got the pairs, with their directions. If you get the in/out within a pair wrong then just try the other way around.

 

[Martin_J]

Garmin labeling looks rather inconsistent between those manual screenshots...

Different conventions for VHF vs Chartplotter...

 

[Martin_J]

This is hard writing on a phone.. Chartplotter manual further down shows a clearer picture..

Just the one data pair needed for bidirectional comms because the black makes up the NMEA ground connection..

 

[Boathook]

That's what I was thinking - the wire is SO thin, it's only data so if it doesn't work then it shouldn't affect the operation of either unit.

I've used telephone wire to link my dsc radio to the GPS. Seems to work OK. Wire does need to be well secured to make sure that vibrations can't sever the wires, but it never seems to bother BT !

 

[Jamie Dundee]

Chop up a LAN cable and use BT gel connectors to connect up. I did this with old NMEA 0183 sets, now on NMEA2k thank God!

 

[onesea]

The answer is yes, it should work I have just done this between an old Garmin and an Icom radio. I also did the same on my previous boat Garmin to something else.