Installing Garmin 276C

[Master_under_Dog]

I have a Garmin 276C to install in Jessie and have a power/data cable with lots of pretty coloured wires at one end. The manual tells me what they are all for (although there are two data in and two data out and I do not know if I have to use a particular one for the radio) and I have so far worked out that the electricity goes in the red one and comes out the black one. But I am unclear as to where I stick them. There is a small switch panel mounted in the cabin and I conjecture that I can access the back of that by unscrewing it and pulling it out of its hole. But I have no idea what I shall find behind or whether it will be clear where the red and black wires should go.

As you can tell I am completely ignorant about electrical systems and very nervous about connecting the wires wrongly with possible dire consequences. So the next step of connecting the GPS to the VHF radio is the stuff of nightmares for me. Particularly since the handbooks for both seem to totally disagree about which coloured wire should be used. The radio handbook suggests it should be the red one (already identified as the Garmin power supply).

Can anyone guide a complete novice or is this one for the professionals, in which case has anyone a recommendation for a local firm? I think this is one area where Burnham Yacht Harbour will permit an outside contractor.

Thanks

Michael /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[CliveG]

Michael

What VHF are you trying to connect to?

The Blue wire from the Garmin has the Data that the VHF wants (NEMA+) and the common (NEMA-) from the VHF should be connected to the black Garmin wire that should also be connected to the negative wiring on your boat.
The red wire on the Garmin should be connected to the 12v positive feed from the boat battery with a 1.5amp fuse in line somewhere.

All the other wires are to do other clever things and can be taped up and left.

 

[Master_under_Dog]

Clive

Thank you. The VHF is a Nasa SX 35 DSC. I have not looked behind it yet. Jessie's previous owner has highlighted the NMEA Rx (-) connection as being red in the handbook but has also pencilled in "Nasa says brown = data in and red = ground". The Garmin cable has an inline fuse fitted already.

Forgive another idiot boy question. How should these connections be made? I am assuming that twisting them together and taping will not be adequate?

Many thanks for your advice.

Michael

 

[FullCircle]

[ QUOTE ]
Clive

Thank you. The VHF is a Nasa SX 35 DSC. I have not looked behind it yet. Jessie's previous owner has highlighted the NMEA Rx (-) connection as being red in the handbook but has also pencilled in "Nasa says brown = data in and red = ground". The Garmin cable has an inline fuse fitted already.

Forgive another idiot boy question. How should these connections be made? I am assuming that twisting them together and taping will not be adequate?

Many thanks for your advice.

Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

Bit of chocolate block (easy) and then taped, or crimped (harder) but you would need the very small crimps which arent normally in the little 5 quid crimping kit you can buy

 

[Sixpence]

Used these for any low current connections on Sixpence, just stick the wires in and use pliers to crimp them and the jelly inside protects the joint from corrosion. PM your address and I'll stick some in an envelope if you like

 

[Master_under_Dog]

Dave

Many thanks. I have sent a PM.

Michael

 

[Master_under_Dog]

Jim

Many thanks for the advice. I have just discovered I have a crimping tool in my tool box which I had thought was just a wire stripper. And I also have some of those connectors but I am not sure mine are suitable for the marine environment.

Michael

 

[Sixpence]

Michael, you're more than welcome, it makes a change for me to be in a position to supply something so call it a bit of the East Coast Forum mentality, this is the way a forum should be which is what Niel and Jim were saying on the other thread. They'll be in the post tomorrow, ECF comes up with the goods once again /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[CliveG]

It looks like the connections should be:-

Garmin .........................................VHF

Blue (Data out)_______________ Brown (NMEA Rx +)

Black (Ground)________________Red (NMEA Rx -)
.............................. |
Battery negative

The red wire from the VHF is from the data lead not the power lead.
You could also connect the shield of the VHF Data cable to Ground.

As to the connections I would make the permanent connection be soldering the ends of the wires together and covering them with heat shrink.
But before you do that connect them up with Jim's choc block to make sure it all works.

Edited to try to make it clearer.
Ignore the ........... bit
HTML has stripped out some spaces I used to line things up /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Master_under_Dog]

Many thanks to everyone. What a splendid response. I am much more confident about tackling the job now. If you see a burnt out hulk at Burnham that will probably mean my confidence is misplaced.
Michael

 

[CliveG]

You are welcome

Please let us know how you get on with the link up.
Good or bad.

Clive

 

[Master_under_Dog]

Clive

Finally got access to Jessie yesterday. First I removed old Yeoman Plotter and ex-GPS connections from chocolate block connectors. Then, with some trepidation, made the connections you had advised. The good news was that nothing went up in a puff of smoke. The new GPS was being powered from the boat's battery and the VHF appeared to know that it was connected to the GPS. However the lat/long display had all the nines rather than the correct position as displayed on the GPS.

I looked through the relevant sections of both handbooks to see if I had to select the correct NMEA sentence to be output from the GPS but the implication was the the GPS and VHF would sort this out between them. The output sentence is compatible with the VHF requirement. So now I am going to contact Garmin and NASA to see if they have a solution. I am pretty confident the connections are right.

Michael

 

[Wunja]

Hi Michael,

I have a Garmin 152 and by default that uses a Garmin proprietary communication protocol.
You will need to fiddle in the configuration menu for something like 'Coms' and set it to NEMA out.

 

[FullCircle]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Michael,

I have a Garmin 152 and by default that uses a Garmin proprietary communication protocol.
You will need to fiddle in the configuration menu for something like 'Coms' and set it to NEMA out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Seconded. I have a GPS72 which needs to be changed to NMEA 4800 in the menus to get it to talk to other untis.
Same applies if you connect it to a PC to update the waypoints.

 

[Master_under_Dog]

Thanks to you and Full Circle. Now if you can explain it so clearly why the heck can't Garmin? With your translation the handbook now makes some sense. I have reset the GPS and am confident that when I am next on Jessie all will be well. Many thanks.
Michael

 

[Wunja]

[ QUOTE ]
Same applies if you connect it to a PC to update the waypoints.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily. I use something called G7ToWin which can use the Garmin protocol to exchange much more than NEMA would allow. Excellent software and its free!

 

[FullCircle]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Same applies if you connect it to a PC to update the waypoints.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily. I use something called G7ToWin which can use the Garmin protocol to exchange much more than NEMA would allow. Excellent software and its free!

[/ QUOTE ]
Hi Vince, I use EasyGPS, also freeware.