GPS to VHF (NMEA0183)

[NewfieDan]

I have an ICOM 412 with NMEA0183 capability. I want to connect my Lowrance Elite 5 GPS(also with NMEA0183) capabilty. But I am confused by the wiring.

The radio has a white with an inner and outer conductor, and a white wire with an inner and outer conductor. The red is labelled as the NMEA in, while the white is labelled as the NMEA out. The inner of each wire has information that the inner conductor is the positive while the outer is the negative. No other information is given.

The NMEA cable from the GPS has a yellow, a black and an orange. The GPS recognizes that the cable is a NMEA cable.

Has anyone out there done this? The radio has a feature that recognizes when a GPS is connected.

 

[AviatorJim]

Re: GPS to VHF (NMEA0183)

Notes:
Totally disregard the white on the radio. The white is if you are going to have the radio send coordinates to the GPS. You need yellow and green wires coming out of the GPS if it is going to listen to the radio.
Running the one wire inside the other eliminates any effect on the compass. You get the same effect by twisting wires together.
http://www.nmea.org/Assets/20110224 dsc_gps nmea 0183 ver 4 xx.pdf discusses the interface between the two.

The ICOM radio wire ( Red ) has the high (+) and low (-) goes to the GPS as:
Red Inner (Listener High) to Yellow (Talker High)
Red outer (Listener Low) to Brown (Orange) (Talker Low)
And to keep one from burning up the other, you need to connect the grounds(black to black). I like to keep that as an isolated ground between the devices, and not count on the chassis ground (which is used to power the gear). It keeps noise down in the radio too.

Always a good idea to fuse the harness between the equipment, but I'll admit I don't always do it.

Good luck--Jim

 

[fairbank56]

Re: GPS to VHF (NMEA0183)

Connect yellow from GPS to VHF red, black from GPS to shield wire that is wrapped around VHF red. Enable NMEA port setting on GPS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt4ipHJFVF0

No need to fuse these wires, no need to connect other grounds between them together.

The Elite 5 does not have DSC receive capability so no need to connect VHF white wire NMEA output.

Eric

 

[NewfieDan]

Re: GPS to VHF (NMEA0183)

Thanks for help. It is very much appreciated. From your directions it's working now.