GPS Network advice

F

folieadeux

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exMember
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RO Number
27326
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760
I am currently using a 6100i Northstar MFD device for my GPS, chartplotter and radar display. While cleaning out the boat closet I found an old Lowrance LCX-16ci unit that has a great 7" full color display that functions well.

I would like to network the Lowrance unit to the Northstar and use the Lowrance for displaying the GPS and the Northstar for my radar display. Both units are NMEA 0183 data based.

Before I jump into this project looking for advice from fellow RO's that are familiar with the networking.

Any advice or pitfalls to avoid would be appreciated.
 
Neal I am not a fan of NMEA0183. It's fairly good at transfering GPS information other than that NMEA2000 blows it away in simplicity, troubleshooting and installation.
I like being able to go to communications on my garmin NMEA2000 network and look at the list of devices that are communicating. This something that is more trial and error when using NMEA0183 where all you will get is sentences and code.
Bill
 
The connections are fairly straight forward. Just follow the hookup charts in each manual. Then go into each ones setup menu to make sure they are talking the same language
 
Originally posted by Billylll

Neal I am not a fan of NMEA0183. It's fairly good at transfering GPS information other than that NMEA2000 blows it away in simplicity, troubleshooting and installation.
I like being able to go to communications on my garmin NMEA2000 network and look at the list of devices that are communicating. This something that is more trial and error when using NMEA0183 where all you will get is sentences and code.
Bill
Bill- I totally agree that the NMEA2000 is the way to go but I already have both of these gadgets and I really don't want to spend any more at this time. When I bought my 391 the PO had taken the MFD off when he lost the boat to the bank, he left the radar dome, GPS antenna,SmartCraft connections so I chose to buy a used Northstar 6100i MFD unit so that I could utilize all the left over compatible items on the 391. I would love to rip it all off and start over with a nice touch screen Garmin but the $10K is not in the budget at this time.
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Then I would follow Paul's (shadowcruisers) instructions it is fairly straight forward. There are inputs and outputs in NMEA0183. The problems I have helped others with is crossing grounds on the input and output data. Using NMEA2K it is almost impossible to mess up but your right expensive.
I meant to say I go to my plotter's communications tab and then the NMEA2000 tab and I get a device list and I can then connect to each device and see if it is properly communicating. If it's on the list it's generally working. I also have a SmartCraft network with the Merc SystemView 5000 displays and a Fruno NAVTEX reciever that require NMEA0183 so I feed them off the closest Garmin plotter but they only need a NMEA0183 GPS position output fairly simple to see when you have the pair hooked up correctly. Because they display the GPS and clock information. My GPS antennas are NMEA2000 type so the conversion is done by the plotter.
Bill
 
Neal if it has chartography that is competitive with the other unit then sure connect them up as Paul suggested. I like having a separate display for position and radar as well. For example, last year we were dodging spouts in the Gulf Stream. I cranked up the gain on the radar to locate the spouts while using the laptop to display position etc..
Sometimes you don't want to be tweeking a display while you are driving.
 
That is why we have more than one display plotter at the helm Boatbum and Neal. I agree putting all your electronics into a single plotter can be difficult and even impossible to optimize your electronic situational awareness. I can also sperate my NMEA2000 network in half by using my NM2K gateway. My Garmin 740s can act as a stand alone if the larger 6212 or 4210 displays go down and the NMEA2000 GPS X 2 were to go out. The 740s has it's own internal as well as a coaxial based external GPS antenna and the ability with the switch of a single network cable take over the radar functions from the other plotters in an emergency. I have seperate high current power feeds I can switch at the helm if needed. I would like to install 2 or 1 group 31 AGM under the helm in case we had a problem with the redundant power feeds to the helm electronics. Perhaps next year?
Bill
 
I think the only other difference is we have more than one GPS receiver. You might look around to see if there is a GPS puck that will be plug compatible with the Lowrance unless you have the GPS receiver for it in which case you might want to install it as well.
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatbum

I think the only other difference is we have more than one GPS receiver. You might look around to see if there is a GPS puck that will be plug compatible with the Lowrance unless you have the GPS receiver for it in which case you might want to install it as well.

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+1
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatbum

I think the only other difference is we have more than one GPS receiver. You might look around to see if there is a GPS puck that will be plug compatible with the Lowrance unless you have the GPS receiver for it in which case you might want to install it as well.

Click to expand...


I do not have a puck, map chip or antenna for the Lowrance. I was hoping that the signal from the Northstar would display properly on the Lowrance unit so I would not have to have complete Lowrance kit. I have a 5" Lowrance with internal attenna that I use for backup.
 
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