Re: GPS to Distress Switch
I'm not sure whether your chartplotter and radio support it or not, but if you can hook up the radio data out to the GPS/Chartplotter data in, your chartplotter may display locations of distress calls from other boaters.
The most important connection is, of course, the GPS/Chartplot data out to the radio data in connection. (so your radio has your location if you need to push the red button)
Does anyone know if a radio HAS to be on channel 70 to RECEIVE other boaters distress calls?
If so, how do you monitor 70 and 16 together without missing something on 70?
Mine is a Uniden Oceanus DSC radio.
On the Garmin 126, the Blue wire is NMEA out and the Brown Wire is NMEA in. The black wire is Ground. So the Blue wire sends data to the Marine radio, and the Brown wire listens for data from the marine radio.
I looked at the manual for that GPS (
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/82_OwnersManual.pdf) and it is getting pretty old (10 years). I don't think it will receive and plot DCS alerts. I believe it was built before DCS was conceived.
On the Icom radio, page 23 of the manual (
http://www.icomcanada.com/pdf_manual/marine/ic-m402.pdf) shows which connector is the NMEA IN connector. It has an RCA style connector (the same style that a stereo or video connection on your TV has). The tip of this connector goes to the Blue wire on the Garmin and the ring (outer conductor) goes to the black wire on the Garmin. You could probably use a stereo patch cable with one end cut off and stripped to make the connection.
, Radio Shack is really pricey on those things!!