How do I connect chart plotter to tiller pilot?

[mdonnelly]

Have a Lowrance 5150c plotter and a Simrad TP22 tiller pilot. Got the nmea cable for the plotter which has 3 wires: Orange (receive), yellow (transmit) and a black (shield) wire. The TP 22 has a red(data) wire and a blue (common) wire. Can anyone advise how I join them?
Thanks, Mark

 

[alan_d]

Do you mean which wires to join together? If so, yellow from plotter goes to red on TP and black from plotter goes to blue on TP.

 

[LadyInBed]

Do you mean which wires to join together? If so, yellow from plotter goes to red on TP and black from plotter goes to blue on TP.

Don't you mean Orange from plotter goes to Blue on TP?

 

[prv]

Don't you mean Orange from plotter goes to Blue on TP?

No. That makes no sense at all. Why would you connect a negative to the data line of an NMEA-in channel?

Alan had it right the first time.

Pete

 

[NickRobinson]

Tick, tick, tick.....

My God, Carruthers! Don't cut the blue wire!!

........................................!

 

[mdonnelly]

Thanks everyone, last question; what cable is required to join them?

 

[LadyInBed]

No. That makes no sense at all. Why would you connect a negative to the data line of an NMEA-in channel?

Alan had it right the first time.

Pete

Sorry, I should have engaged brain first, but it was late

 

[LadyInBed]

Thanks everyone, last question; what cable is required to join them?

Lets try again!
Use multi strand but it doesn't need to be heavy or special, wires from ethernet cable, phone extension cable or doorbell cable would do a job.

 

[mdonnelly]

Thanks LadyInBed, am sorted now and will do tomorrow. Will post the outcome.
Regards, Mark

 

[mdonnelly]

Made the connections, but nothing happening. Created a waypoint to go to, pressed NAV on TP22 but no light came on to say it was working. What are the possible problems and solutions?

 

[pvb]

Made the connections, but nothing happening. Created a waypoint to go to, pressed NAV on TP22 but no light came on to say it was working. What are the possible problems and solutions?

Have you configured the Com Port to output the relevant data?

 

[mdonnelly]

Have you configured the Com Port to output the relevant data?

Unfortunately not sure about this and manual not really helpful. There are 5 boxes to check under configure nmea:
GLL transmits Lat and Long
rMC and RMB transmits navigation info messages
APB transmits autopilot info
GGA transmits time position and fix data
GSA and GSV transmits fix mode DOP values and satellitesvin view info

Under communication port the baud rate is set at 4800 and there are 3 check boxes:
Nmea 0183 input
Nmea 0183 GPS output
Nmea 0183 output

Not entirely sure where to go!

 

[David2452]

Thanks everyone, last question; what cable is required to join them?

The appropriate cable to comply with NMEA standards is multi strand twisted single pair screened cable of around 22AWG, ground the screen at the talker (i.e. plotter) end only, you can of course use any twin cable but to be sure of continued and reliable operation the spec I mention is the correct one and will give consistent results, should you have difficulty sourcing small lengths of the proper cable I have hundreds of metres in my store.

 

[mdonnelly]

The appropriate cable to comply with NMEA standards is multi strand twisted single pair screened cable of around 22AWG, ground the screen at the talker (i.e. plotter) end only, you can of course use any twin cable but to be sure of continued and reliable operation the spec I mention is the correct one and will give consistent results, should you have difficulty sourcing small lengths of the proper cable I have hundreds of metres in my store.

Really going to show my lack of understanding now! Please explain 'ground the screen at the talker end only'

 

[David2452]

The plotter is the talker in this case and the screen is the braided cable similar to the outer of a coax cable, this should go to the vessel's Rf ground, as most people do not havel a separate RF ground the DC ground will suffice.

 

[pvb]

Unfortunately not sure about this and manual not really helpful. There are 5 boxes to check under configure nmea:
GLL transmits Lat and Long
rMC and RMB transmits navigation info messages
APB transmits autopilot info
GGA transmits time position and fix data
GSA and GSV transmits fix mode DOP values and satellitesvin view info

Under communication port the baud rate is set at 4800 and there are 3 check boxes:
Nmea 0183 input
Nmea 0183 GPS output
Nmea 0183 output

Not entirely sure where to go!

OK, you need to check the box to transmit the APB sentence, and the box for NMEA output.

 

[mdonnelly]

Thanks for advice pvd and David. Might make progress now. Will keep you all informed.