How to get Garmin to talk to simrad

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nickfabbri

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So, ive now installed the garmin 5008 to the binnacle. I want it to talk to my Simrad wind, log and autopilot. I know that they are both NMEA 2000 and NMEA 1083 compatible, but I have no real idea how to go about this. Someone said that I need an interface to get them to talk, and the relevant leads but again this is black magic as far as im concerned. Can I get an idiots guide please?
 
read your 5008 manual, and it will tell you which wires are which, then google the installation manuals for your other ancilliaries you wish to connect, and it should be all made clear to you. draw a rough line plan so you know what wire goes where, then connect up, power up and see what happens, take each ancillairy at a time, get it talking, then add another, by the end you should then have a working system. if not then you can start asking specific questions for each set up, and some one should be able to help you solve the specific question.

The hardest part is routing all the cables to the places they need to be connected at.

good luck
 
Thanks for that. Is it simpler to use the 0183 system. That seems to be a simple set of wires? And is there a problem connecting a Garmin plotter to a Simrad network where the instruments already communicate? or do I need to connect each instrument separately to the plotter
 
I currently have a Garmin 2010 fitted on the boat which will shortly be replaced by a 5012 which I bought at the Soton Boat Show. The 2010 uses NMEA 1083 and I have succesfully got this talking to a Raymarine Radar, Raymarine ST50 instruments, Raymarine 4000 autopilot and an Icom DSC radio. It is basically, as has already been stated, a question of identifying the NMEA in/out wires and connecting these appropriately, although I seem to recall that I needed to use either the radar or the autopilot, my memory fails me as to which, that had both NMEA and Seatalk input/output, to get the instruments to talk to everything else. On the 2010 there are two NMEA outputs, the second one needs switching on from the plotter menu.
 
page 15 to 18 in your manual, should help you along with it all, if your other ancilliaries are primarily nmea 0183 then thats the only protocol you can use, a quick scan thru your manual might mention nmea 2000, and also your chartplotter supports a garmin marine network, but this is for the plug and play systems ie radar, sonar, another chartplotter.

with reference to your existing simrad instruments, do they have a nmea port, what does the manual say. give us more info about the simrad instruments, which model number and a forumite will most probably have the same set up as you, and help you along,

I have recently matched up a dsc radio, basic garmin gps and raymarine autopilot, its all quite straight forward.
 
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i can get an at10 connector that supports 0183 out of the simrad system. That should simply connect to the garmin. Its just a question of whether i need to plug the at10 connector into any point on the simnet network, or whether as previously stated, i need to plug it into a the autopilot to get it to talk to the autopilot specifically.
 
nickfabbri said:
i can get an at10 connector that supports 0183 out of the simrad system. That should simply connect to the garmin. Its just a question of whether i need to plug the at10 connector into any point on the simnet network, or whether as previously stated, i need to plug it into a the autopilot to get it to talk to the autopilot specifically.
Click to expand...

http://www.maretron.com/products/pdf/20221982C.pdf

if the autopilot is also simrad, then does it support the simnet, if so then i would say that the at10 just needs to wired into the garmin nmea wiring and plugged into the simnet plug, wether thats at the instruments or autopilot you will need to find that out, as i am not familiar with simrad systems.

more info on your instrument and autopilot would help
 
You could convert it to NMEA0183 using the big horses tail of wires using the transmitting ports Grey and Pink OR Blue and Blue white wires, and then any of the receiving ports.

OR

If the Simrad is N2K, and has the White, Blue, Red, Black and bare wires to it which is the NMEA protocol:
White NET-H Signal
Blue NET-L Signal
Bare SHIELD Drain
Black NET-C Ground
Red NET-S Power

You could get a Garmin field connector female or male and wire it in
 
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nickfabbri said:
Thanks for that. Is it simpler to use the 0183 system. That seems to be a simple set of wires? And is there a problem connecting a Garmin plotter to a Simrad network where the instruments already communicate? or do I need to connect each instrument separately to the plotter
Click to expand...

If you already have a NMEA 2000 backbone on your boat it is simpler, and better to use it than 0183.

If you do not, before you make the decision I recommend you read up on 2000 and understand the differences. For a one-to-one install, such as your instruments to a plotter, it makes very little difference. However, if you intend to add other sensors, instruments or a plotter sometime, it is much easier, quicker and better to use 2000.
 
so which is easier nmea 2000 or nmea 1083? Both the Garmin and the Simrad say that they are 2000 compatible, but ive heard that it can be a sod to set up.
 
nickfabbri said:
so which is easier nmea 2000 or nmea 1083? Both the Garmin and the Simrad say that they are 2000 compatible, but ive heard that it can be a sod to set up.
Click to expand...

Absolutely not. Simple backbone cable with t pieces. Plug any compatible instrument into it and the data is available to all devices on the backbone. We have 2 plotters, 3 instrument displays, several sensors, tank level indicators etc. from several manufacturers. All work together really well.
 
I have a simrad is20 wind instrument, an is20 log and a simrad ap24 autopilot. I also now have a garmin 5008 plotter.
Many thanks.
 
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