Connecting HDS7 to SPX-5 Autopilot

[BenLubbs]

Wondering what others have done for this. I am already using the NEMA0183 connection on the HDS to communicate with my VHF radio. From what I understand, you can only have one device connected via the 0183 port. I have nothing connected to the NEMA 2000 port on the HDS. Is there one cable I can get to connect the NEMA 2000 port on the HDS to the Seatalk NG network for the SPX autopilot?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[ekbelt]

This might help...

http://raymarine.ning.com/forum/topics/lowrance-hds-10-to-raymarine-autopilot?commentId=6492755%3AComment%3A18296&xg_source=activity

Since your're connecting two different brands you might not find an all in one cable to just plug in.

You will need to look up the pin out definitions and connect the positive to positive and the negative to negative. Some wires are 'in' some are 'out'. You need to connect the ins to the outs. It's not too bad once you figure out what is what.

[coralee]

Oh-Oh, sounds like one little brother may have lost his captains spot:grin:

I'm looking to connect an HDS8 to a simrad AP14 so if any comments are related to this also I'd be interested. I was told at the Ultimate show that there is a cable available for this by the guys at the Lowrance/Simrad booth but need to find it and figure it out yet. Let me know how it turns out for you Ben.

[SeaCatMich]

You can have multiple devices running off of a single NMEA 0183 output. Come off the GPS NMEA out and split the plus and minus wires so they "Y" with a branch running to the radio and the other branch going to the AP.

The NMEA output of the GPS may send information (called sentences) that may not be needed by the receiving unit, but it will just ignore any it doesn't need or understand. On many GPS systems you can customize what gets sent out.

[Reel Broke]

I just connected my hds 10 to my raymarine autopilot all you need is the raymarine cable with a micro c on one end and the sea talk on the other just plug one end into the network port on hds than connect the other end into the raymarine network I found my cable on eBay look for one that goes from seatalk to nema 2000 mine was like 30 dollars

[1mainiac]

I was told My Lowrance cannot talk to my SPX-5 because the network protocol is different like wiring a Mac to a Windows same connections different language. If the 2 units will talk you need the network adapter and terminators to wire them up. However like said above you can wire the NEMA output to as many devices as you want. One talks several listen.

[Reel Broke]

Like I said I have a hds 10 and the new evolution auto pilot my boat is in Muskegon pointing west I set a waypoint in spring lake the auto pilot said it was making a. 80 deg course change I hit ok and my steering started moving looking for that waypoint

[plumkrazy]

Bob your help h.d.s.8 and aim rad can be hook togather and wire on both are on the units if u need help get a hold of me I had my units connect togather and they were the same unit

[1mainiac]

When I bought my SPX-5 Mariners Center told me that it would not talk to anything other than RayMarine Sea Talk units on the NEMA 2000 network. It will talk to anything on the NEMA 183 wiring. I think that changed with the new Evolution series.

[rbradley]

I was told My Lowrance cannot talk to my SPX-5 because the network protocol is different like wiring a Mac to a Windows same connections different language. If the 2 units will talk you need the network adapter and terminators to wire them up. However like said above you can wire the NEMA output to as many devices as you want. One talks several listen.

according to raymarine this is not true, if you haven't I would give it a try and see if it works.

[BenLubbs]

Thanks for all the feedback, I ended up just wiring in the NEMA 0183 wires. Another question has come up however. In the Installation manual for the autopilot, that the computer does NOT supply power to the SeaTalkNG network. In the installation manual for the P70r control head it says that power IS supplied to the SeaTalkNG network by the computer. Does anyone know which is really true?

[BenLubbs]

So I powered up the unit for the first time last night and didn't get any communication between the two. Tonight I swapped the TX and RX wires around and it didn't change. Are there some settings or something I am missing?

[rbradley]

do you have the nmea 0187 turned on in your gps settings? I know I had to turn mine on, but haven't turned the controller on to see if its working.

[ekbelt]

http://www.glanglerforum.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-13569.html?

[BenLubbs]

Well still can't get it to work so hopefully I can get someone to take a look at it at some point and see what I'm doing wrong. Not too worried about it since I don't plan on using the autopilot for tracking, just keeping the boat on a heading.

[littleboat]

Nema2000 and nema0183 are not the same. You need a converter. There is quite a price range for it, up to $250. The new EVs are nema2000. The old spx5 are 183.

LB