VHF radio connections to the GPS

Blueback · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 4:15 pm Post subject: VHF radio connections to the GPS

Dear all;
Who can wade in here and advise me on programming my VHF radio to record my GPS coordinates. I have programmed my MMSI number into the radio after wiring in the NMEA-0183 cable from the GPS to the radio.
I have a bug (dot) in the upper right hand corner of the VHF radio which shows it's connecting to the Lowrance GPS Elite Five unit. However, the radio coordinates "L & L" are not tracking the moving L & L of the GPS unit-??

Geoff -- puzzled with tech advances that don't work for me.

Dreamer · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 4:37 pm Post subject:

When I did this a few years back, I had to adjust the baud rate on the GPS to a low setting in order to make it work. It was 4800 I believe. YMMV

thataway · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 4:48 pm Post subject:

Brand and model of radio? Do you show any Lat/long on the Radio?

SGIDave · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 5:16 pm Post subject:

Hello Geoff

On the last 3 vhf radios I've had they alarm (or at least have an alarm function) when the vhf is not receiving gps information properly. It MAY be that your vhf 'updates ' every so often which COULD explain the difference in lat/lon. I would compare the numbers on the vhf to see if they are in the 'zip code ' or not.

But I guess it's also possible the connection to the gps is hinky.

And you want that connection working right.

dave

Blueback · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:51 pm Post subject:

journey on · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 1:01 pm Post subject:

Journey On's VHF radio is a Standard Horizon. I like them because they have good performance, are reliable and cheap. I've hooked up the GPS connection and it's worked for awhile. Nothing magical, so the problem is in interfacing 2 unit from different manufactures.

That said, looking at the GX1150 owners manual, there's a couple of items with which I've had trouble. First, remember that the GPS/MFD OUTPUT is the VHF INPUT. So when I read the 2 different manuals, I have to draw a wire diagram to make sure what GPS colour I have to connect to what VHF colour. If I try to remember them, I'm hosed. Next, the NMEA183 GPS OUTPUT has to be set correctly. 4800 baud (and don't ask me what a baud is) FROM the GPS OUTPUT. Make sure it's transmitting the right 183 sentence (manual says RMC is preferred.) Note that has to be set in the GPS. Did it come with a prewired accessory cable? If you had to make your own, check the connections. Remember if they show the pinout from the radio, the cable pinout is a mirror image.

If you still have trouble, read the NOTES. Is the satellite display blinking? GPS input problem. Is the radio beeping? No GPS/NMEA0193 connection.

This is all hard-earned advice. I've made all those misteaks. and you've probably checked all of them already.

Boris

thataway · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 6:58 pm Post subject:

I don't see a simple installation for NMEA and the Elite 5 on their manual. But Lowrance has been constant in the past with their color coding, (and not consistent with NMEA protocol).

Elite-5------------>GX1150
GPS ------------->RADIO
Yellow (TX +) --->Blue (+ input)
Blue (TX -) ----->no connection; insulate and store
Shield ---------->Green (NMEA GND)

From the RADIO output to the CHARTPLOTTER input, use:

GX1150------------>Elite 5
RADIO------------->CHARTPLOTTER
Gray (Tx +) ----->Orange (RX +)
Green (NMEA GND -->Green (RX -)

I am not 100% sure about the Blue TX- vs ground--but my best recollection is that this is correct.

You do have to reset (in the GPS menu, the 4800 BAUD.

Baud is a unit of speed of transmission: 1 baud equals one bit per second. (Although there is some technical difference between the two, that should suffice).

So is this the way you have it set up? When fooling around with SH and NMEA 0183, I use small terminal blocks to be sure I get it right, before doing the solder job! (Along with adhesive shrink wrap to give stability).