NMEA Cable

[bedds]

I have recently acquired my first DSC radio and wish to connect to my GPS. It is an old Garmin 128, no longer in production. Anyone know where I can get hold of a NMEA cable (and if poss. the part number)? I know I could update my GPS but I am very happy with this basic piece of kit.

 

[nimbusgb]

page 59 of this manual has the pinout of the standard power connector for the 128. NMEA IO is available in it. Do you need to replace or source this cable? if So a few people stock them around £16. the same cable fits a few versions ( 182/152/128/6 180 )
one source

At the radio end you haven't specified which radio so cant help with that.

My Standard Horizon just has a wire harness that needs attaching to so I have put some of my own connectors on the end to facilitate radio removal.

 

[wooslehunter]

There's no such thing as a standard NMEA cable. If the VHF & GPS manufaturers had got together & defined one, one of the most common questions on the form wouldn't happen.

Get a cable for the GPS. Then you need to work out what to connect to what. The GPS manual & the VHF manual will give you the info.

If you're not familiar with this kind of thing, here's a tip. The 128 only has a single NMEA OUT wire. You don't say what VHF you got but it may have a single NMEA IN wire too. In which case connect GPS NMEA OUT to VHF NMEA IN. Connect the GPS & VHF grounds too.

If the VHF has a something like NMEA IN+ & NMEA IN-, connect GPS NMEA OUT to VHF NMEA IN+. Connect VHF NMEA IN- to the ground connection & connect the VHF & GPS grounds.

 

[Cloven]

I have a DSC radio connected to a Garmin 152 which uses the same power/data cable as the 128. It did not need any special cables, just a couple of the wires that are already in the standard Garmin cable - or am I missing the point somewhere!!

 

[nigelhudson]

This place specialises in Garmin cables Lynks

 

[bedds]

Many thanks for all replies. I have found a power cable.

 

[willie4646]

Before you go to all the trouble of installing cables etc, check that your existing GPS sends out the correct version of NMEA signal. I was caught out when I bought a new DSC radio which required a version two NMEA signal, unfortunately my old Lowrance GPS only transmitted version one. I ended up having to buy a hand held GPS (Gecko) to supply the radio.
Willie