NMEA183 connection between Garmin GPS and Uniden VHF

[Island Time 1,225]

Murky, your one will work as well, just need to get the books for each, and go thru each device's ports and settings. I could look those up for you and give you step by step if you want??

Cheers

Matt

[eruptn 95]

Thanks Island Time and Island Moose. I'm attaching the two figures I'm using to sort this. One is from Garmin, the second is from Uniden. I've followed both, so have the following; The Uniden Green wire (GPS in +) is connected to the Blue (Out) on the Garmin 421. The bare wire on the Uniden (ground) goes to the Black (ground) on the Garmin.

 

The only part I'm now not sure on is in the Garmin diagram it shows the NMEA device ground connected to the ground (-ve) side of the power. The radio has two cables coming out of its butt, one is the power connection (ie gone to the battery), the other cable is the 'data network' wires. I do not have a link between the bare wire and the power -ve (ground) as shown by Garmin. Hope you follow this.

 

Garmin NMEA diagram:

Uniden NMEA diagram:

Uniden power diagram:

 

I have port 1 activated, set to standard and all sentences turned on.

 

Thanks

 

 

Thanks

[Island Time 1,225]

OK, pretty straight forward, Like the radio bit says. With NMEA 0183 the - for each signal can be connected to batt -. So effectively you have data in, data out, and grd (-).

Here are the connections you need;

 

Blue on Plotter to Green on radio

Brown on plotter to Yellow on Radio (or Orange does not matter)

Black on Plotter to Bare wire on Radio, AND to Bat -

 

That should be it. Report when you've done that. By the way, NMEA devices will not be damaged by wrong connection (except to power!!), they just wont work!

 

Let us know how you get on...

Matt

[eruptn 95]

Finally the radio is now displaying the GPS data as it should, along with time and date, speed and direction (nifty repeater).

 

The issue is/was the very fine nature of the wires. I discovered a break in the 'blue' wire nicely hidden under some tape that was securing all the wires in place. It wasn't until i decided to strip it all back to start again I found it. Had the break not been there it would have been very simple !

 

Island Time, I assume the the brown/yellow connection is the one that allows me to see others on my plotter screen?

 

Thanks guys for all the help.

[Island Time 1,225]

yes, thats right. Pleased to hear its all working OK!

Matt

[PaulR 3]

. . . The issue is/was the very fine nature of the wires. I discovered a break in the 'blue' wire nicely hidden under some tape that was securing all the wires in place. . .

 

There are BOOTLACE terminals that crimp onto fine wires e.g. GPS Plotters / VHFs / Nexus instruments etc.

 

They then give you something more solid to insert into a small electrical connection block.

 

 

Because all the manufacturers use exactly the same size very thin wires kNOT you will need a range of different size bootlate terminals.

 

Luckily all the different sizes use a different COLOURED plastic collar but would you believe it, the different bootlace terminal manufacturers all have their own colour scheme for different sizes.

 

However all is knot lost

 

With very little effort, and several purchases later, your bootlace terminal collection will easily expand to allow you to now put blue terminals on the blue wires, green on green, yellow on yellow etc.

 

So every thing remains nice and colour co-ordinated within the great scheme of life.

 

Just remember, someone somewhere will be pleased with your efforts.

 

 

Counselling is a growth industry

 

Warning: deep bilges can consume thousands of these terminals