Help please re GPS interface between DSC radio and plotter

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Mike k

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Sorry for double post as I originally put this on Mobo forum



Hi

been out today and noticed that my Navman 7200 DSC radio displayed 'no GPS connection''. The radio is interfaced with the plotter also a Navman unit and the GPS data was displayed perfectly fine on that. The only thing I have done is add an external speaker to the radio which just needed a jack plug inserting so haven't disturbed anything, but to be honest I hadn't noticed this error before today but because the boat was being helmed by someone else today you notice things. Any ideas/advice gratefully received. thank you
 
Your plotter probably has an integral GPS, but might not have. Regardless, the plotter and radio will be connected via NMEA wiring, so you should see a cable running between them, and any connections need checking.
 
pvb said:
Your plotter probably has an integral GPS, but might not have. Regardless, the plotter and radio will be connected via NMEA wiring, so you should see a cable running between them, and any connections need checking.
Click to expand...

Thanks again PVB the GPS is separate but haven't moved or dislodged anything on either the plotter or the radio- could there be any correlation with the fact that I have attached an external speaker using a jack plug on the back of the radio ?
 
If this is an NMEA 0183 setup there are many traps for the unwary. Normally the plotter will either have an internal GPS or use an external antenna that is usually mushroom shaped. The only GPS signal connection to the radio should be directly from the plotter. One of the cable connections at the back of the plotter will be an NMEA cable and will output the sentences that the radio needs. The radio will also have a connection for NMEA data, and it is those that need connecting. NMEA 0183 is complex and the best explanations are to be found here. https://www.actisense.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NMEA-0183-Information-sheet-issue-4-1-1.pdf
You really need the manuals of both the radio and the plotter to see which wires to connect.

P.S. If it is a DSC radio, it will not only receive input of position data, but will also output DSC polling data to the plotter enabling the latter to display the position of any vessel issuing a DSC distress call. or any vessel making a DSC call to you. For that reason you may have three or four wires to connect.
As an aside I have a Standard Horizon radio and an Advansea plotter and have never managed to find the right connections.
 
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Re NMEA and connecting up the wires between plotter and VHF, yes it all sounds complicated and unfortunately there is no universal "colour - code" for the wiring so it may not be simple as connect yellow to yellow orange to orange etc BUT;
1) The chances are it is only one of the NMEA wires that has become dislodged, so will be fairly obvious.
2) None of the NMEA wires ( there are usually about 5 of them) carry power so you wont harm anything if you connect the wrong ones together, just read both manuals and try to understand which ones to connect together, then try combinations until you get it to work. In my experience a different combination than the one suggested in the manuals often works .

If it's any consolation I had the same VHF set and after about a year it "stopped receiving the GPS signal" I sent it back to the supplier who told me there was nothing wrong with it and to try and re-connect the NMEA wires. I did so and it worked !
 
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