The Panbo Forum

Return to Panbo Forum main page »

Thanos Tsakiris

NMEA 2K Network Problems (Garmin GMI 10/Airmar DST800/GPS 19X (NMEA0183))

Vote 0 Votes

Hi everyone,

In the past couple of days I have been trying to install a simple NMEA 2K network consisting of a Garmin GMI 10 MFD, an Airmar 800DST Triducer, a Garmin GWS 10 Wind sensor and a Garmin GPS 19X HVS (NMEA0183 version). So far I have only dealt with the triducer, gps and the display, since weather has not allowed to install the wind sensor.

I have followed the installation instructions to a tee, but I have run into two problems that have me at my wits' end. The cabling is correct to my knowledge and a diagram of the installation is available in the location below.

h t t p://i.imgur.com/1Djt3On.png

Here are the problems:

1. No GPS data at all!! I have moved the antenna to a clear view of the sky but not even satellite view comes up on GMI10.
2. On a dry fit, all triducer data showed up correctly, but after installation of the triducer in the thru-hull and running the cable through the bilge, speed & temperature shows up from the triducer but depth shows up some times and sometimes it doesn't!!! Funny thing is that when depth showed up at some point it was only when the GPS19X was disconnected from GMI10, which does not make any sense, since they are not on the same data bus! (the gps is directly connected to GMI as a NMEA0183 device.

I tried different connections of the drop cables (power drop cable in the middle, left or right) to the backbone which consists only of 3 T-connectors, 3 drop cables, terminating resistors and no backbone cable.

The two things I haven't tried so far is to ground the power cable (the bare wire it contains was not shown to be needed to connect to the ship's ground in the instructions so I left it unconnected) and to use the limiting resistor for 1Hz operation of the GPS (instead of 10Hz, which I was under the impression that GMI10 supports)

If someone can help me sort out this mess, I would be grateful, since I spent an entire weekend passing cables through very tight spots only to have only half of the functionality...

Thank you in advance

12 Replies

  • Could the depth issue have to do with where it's mounted in your hull?

    I haven't fooled with the GMI10 0183 but always a good idea to check all the wire colors.

    I'm curious about why you got an 0183 GPS instead of an N2K one?

  • Hi I have exactly the same setup, except for the Garmin GPS. I was feeding 0183 GPS data from a mutliplexer (single input / 5 outputs). With this, I was get random crashes. Garmin Tech suggested eliminating the Multiplexer. So now I feed GPS data from a stand alone Furuno GPS. Works great, no issues.

    Does the GPS show up, when the NMEA 2000 cable is disconnected.

    Do you have a way to verify the GPS Data output from the GPS. Serial cable and Window Hyperlink or GPS Utility? It may help in verifying the wiring.

    I really like my setup.. Good luck

    Tom

    S/Y Halfmoon, Lefkas Greece

  • Any update on this? I also have a GMI10 which is giving me 0183 grief.

    GMI 10 sw version 3.6. Connected to airmar dst800 nmea 2k and Northstar gps receiver 0183. Northstar is configured to transmit rmb and rmc sentences.

    My issues...

    1. Gmi 10 is successfully displaying rmb data but will not display rmc data (such as position sog cog). Manual lists gmi10 able to receive rmc. I also tried using gll for position, problem remains. Dst800 nmea 2k data (speed depth temp) displays fine.

    2. The unit periodically complains that gps position fix is lost (it is not) and replaces my desired display with a warning screen that must be manually cleared (repeatedly). This is not only annoying but dangerous. Coming down a busy narrow shallow channel and having my depth display replaced by a fulll screen warning?

  • I cannot see your diagram, but query whether you have connected the wind sensor? If you have, then you should use its cable as a backbone, with its inline termination resistor between cable and the actual sensor.. You don't need it up the mast to test it, and can blow it round to do so. If you have not connected it, do so, and test everything again. Also use Maretron N2K Builder software to check that your NMEA 2000 system is properly configured. Download it from here.
    http://www.maretron.com/products/N2KBuilder.php

  • Thanos, a couple of thoughts. It's hard to tell exactly how you wired it from the sketch, but you might try these options.

    Take the 19X's black and red power leads, and separately connect them to the battery/fuses block.

    If your sketch is correct the GMI 10 is getting power from two sources, the N2K network, and the battery/fuse block. Remove the GMI 10's red power lead from the battery/fuse block but leave its black ground in place (the orange/yellow "turn me on please" GPS connection needs the ground).

    If you're seeing speed, and temp from the xducer, you are connected. Not seeing the depth can be caused by turbidity (murky water), and or heavily silted bottoms. You could check this by moving the boat into relatively good water with a hard bottom. I see this all the time with boats in canals or up small rivers.

    Paul, I will email you back to get some more info, but if your GMI 10 red power lead is connected, remove it also.

  • Reference Bill's post above. The Garmin GMi 10 came in two versions. Early ones required the power connections to be made using the power/data cable, and later ones are NMEA2000 powered. If the unit in question is a later one, then Bill is right and the red power connection is not needed, and may be causing problems. If it is an early model it will just go blank if the red wire is disconnected because early ones do not draw power from NMEA2000 even it is connected. Unfortunately I still cannot get the circuit diagram, or even find it on imgur.

  • Norman, thank you., I assumed they were recent units. If you tried to cut and paste the image link, there are spaces between H T T P address portion. If you remove the spaces, the link should work, it did for me.

    If your GMI 10's serial number starts with 1Y3, it is a N2K powered unit. If you're not using the NMEA 0183 wiring at the end of the power cable, don't even use it. If you are using the NMEA 0183 wiring, the black ground wire must be connected. This also applies to the GHC 10 autopilot head.

  • Be advised that the Nmea0183 (-) and ground might not be the same connection point. If you study the Garmin 0183 connection schemes on the chart-plotter manuals they show this.

  • Not sure if this is your issue Thanos, but I finally diagnosed mine. FYI ...

    ---

    Starting at 0183 version 2.3, a Mode Indicator field was added near the end of several sentences including RMB and RMC.

    GMI-10 can not process a pre 2.3 RMC (w/o the Mode Indicator)...

    $GPRMC,201637,A,4140.14,N,07003.58,W,00.0,014,290613, 17,W*76

    GMI-10 does correctly process the 2.3+ RMC (w/ the Mode Indicator)...

    $GPRMC,201637,A,4140.14,N,07003.58,W,00.0,014,290613, 17,W,A*1B

    Inconsistently, unlike RMC, the GMI-10 does correctly process RMB w/o the Mode Indicator.

    ---

    Working with Garmin, lets see if they will offer a fix.

  • FYI Ben, your site truncated the ends of the 0183 sentences ... most important parts.

  • Sorry about that, Paul, and also the delayed response. These comments seem unable to wrap text that doesn't have spaces, which I didn't realize before. Inserting spaces (before the "17") in your sentences seemed to work.

  • Sorry about that, Paul, and also the delayed response. These comments seem unable to wrap text that doesn't have spaces, which I didn't realize before. Inserting spaces (before the "17") in your sentences seemed to work.