Connecting the GPS and VHF radio

[Mcdiver]

Just want to clarify my thought on this.  I replaced my VHF with a new model, the new one will connect with my GPS.  The GPS has 2 wires for connection, one input, one output for data.  The radio has 3 connections, one input, one output, and a communication ground.  I assume that I can connect the comm ground to the chassis ground?  

My first thought was to just connect the input and output wires and see if it worked, but the new plug for the GPS is not here yet so i thought I would ask.

[John Jones]

It would help if you gave make and model of both but...

Some radios and gps units use IN, OUT, and Signal Ground (yes, connect it to the power ground.  
Others use a DATA+ and DATA-.  Connect the (-) to power ground.
Others DATA IN+, DATA OUT+, DATA IN-, and DATA OUT-.

It is easy to confuse the plus and minus with in and out.

Post the models and I'll try to give you the exact connections.

[flounderpounder225]

I played heck on mine a few months back with the NEMA set up, if your VHF is an ICOM newer model, the wire strand shields around the NEMA + / - must be stripped back, twisted together and given the boat's electrical ground.  I took two radios back to West, and spoke with two CS agents at ICOM before the one guy told me this.  Guess what, the new 412 ICOM manual doesn't tell you to do this, nor on the website's FAQ section, but it does on the older model FAQs  I just thought the NEMA connections got their ground through the case like my Garmin GPS (a common ground for the unit) but not so with ICOM.  Good radio though.
Marc

[wingtime]

Marc,

I have been looking at a ICOM or a Standard Horizon VHF so I can have the added safety of DSC.  Which Icom model did you get?

[flounderpounder225]

the 412, it replaces the 420.  Great radio...

[Mcdiver]

Standard Horizon Eclipse DSC+ GX1150
Garmin GPSMAP 176C

I got the new plug in yesterday for the garmin, and the paperwork that came with it has yet another set of instructions that is different from both the radio manual and the gps manual.

[John Jones]

I'm kinda covered up right now but tonight I'll make you the interconnect diagram.

[John Jones]

Sorry but I did not have time tonight.  Thunderstorm = power failure and now the circuit to my freezer is dead but no breakers are tripped and all of the breakers have power leaving them.  I'm running the freezer on an extention cord from the kitchen.  I'll get on it tomorrow.

The good news is the outside temp dropped from 98 to 68 in 30 minutes but the heat will be back tomorrow.

[John Jones]

GARMIN 176C --------------------------------S.H. GX1150
BROWN (DATA OUT) <-------------------> PURPLE (NMEA IN+)
WHITE (DATA IN) <----------------------->BLUE (NMEA OUT +)
BLACK (GROUND) <----------------------->GREEN (NMEA COMMON)

You must go into the GPS setup and turn on the NMEA channel and set the protocol to NMEA output and if you can set the baud rate set it to 4800.

This is the original 176C wiring.  You said you had a new plug that was different?  I have no way of knowing how to wire it unless you tell me what the instructions say.

[Mcdiver]

john,

That is what i came up with as well.  The plug is a garmin plug, but its instructions showed the garmin (- out) going to ground, and the  ground going to the (- out) on the radio.  I have not hooked it up yet, but I have set up the comm already as the manual showed.  Just a little confused that Standard Horizons did not hook the green to ground internally.  After all the ground has already been hooked up with the power connection.  Thats where I got confused.  

Thanks for your help!

and it sounds like you lost 1 leg of your 220 single phase incoming to the house.

Mike

[John Jones]

It was a bad receptacle farther back up the circuit.  They used the push-in holes on the back of the receptacles to wire them instead of the screws.  That receptacle was fed from another one down the wall.  The hot feeding that one was not making good connection.  That's the second receptacle to give me that trouble.  I guess they got the receptacles from Wal-Mart.  I had a couple of bad breakers out in my detached garage too.

I like my fridge and freezer on dedicated breakers anyway so I spent yesterday afternoon in the attic pulling two new circuits.

[Mcdiver]

So, I finally had time today to hook up the gps and radio.  I tried the hook up as we discussed here and ran into problems, well it just didn't work.  So I hooked up both nema in wires, then both nema out together.  And it worked!  Yeah!  Now my darn radio knows where I'm at so the government can track me in my boat...........