I recently bought and installed a Lowrance Elite 4-M GPS. It
works great and I'm pleased with it.

Just last week my old VHF sorta crapped out so I bought a new
Lowrance Link-5 VHF. Now, the Link-5 can display GPS location,
time, cog, sog and local time but it needs to be connected to
a GPS via its own NMEA cable that came with the VHF.

Well, I ordered the optional NMEA cable for my Elite 4-M GPS
so I could connect the two. First off, there were NO instructions
as to how to connect the colored wires of each cable. I had to
look up any and all information I could find on the Internet.

The NMEA cable from the VHF was labeled with little tags that
identified the data in (+) and the data in (-) wires. The data
in positive is yellow and the data in negative is green.

I found out on the Internet that the data out (+) wire on the
NMEA cable from the GPS is yellow while the data out (-) is
green. So I connected them properly and the VHF displayed
*no GPS information*. Huh? I couldn't figure out what was
going on as it should have worked.I even checked the data
out wires using a volt meter and noted a pulsed signal about
once every two seconds that was around 3.5 volts so I knew
the GPS NMEA was working. I noticed a bulge in the GPS NMEA
cable so I stripped off the insulation and, lo and behold,
there were a couple of diodes hidden in there, I suppose
to keep damage from being done should some dumbass hook
the wires up backwards. The diode on the yellow wire was
soldered in backwards so I bypassed it by soldering the
yellow wire from the VHF on the other side of the diode
and the two units linked right up and the VHF now displays
the Lat/Lon, etc. This is good for any potential distress
call as it will include my position whereas prior to the
connection I would have had to manually input the lat/lon
prior to making a distress call. I haven't activated the
DSC side of the VHF because I'd have to get some dumb
MMSI number from the government first and it looks like
a bunch of stupid forms to fill out and I'd have to
buy an operators license because I go out of the country
from time to time. **** that!

So, what should have been a twenty minute connection took
all afternoon. Now, I know why Capt. Skippy never goes
sailing anymore. With all the crap he has on his boat it
must be a full-time job keeping them operating.

--
Sir Gregory

On 8/22/2014 5:51 PM, Sir Gregory Hall, Esq. wrote:


I recently bought and installed a Lowrance Elite 4-M GPS. It
works great and I'm pleased with it.

Just last week my old VHF sorta crapped out so I bought a new
Lowrance Link-5 VHF. Now, the Link-5 can display GPS location,
time, cog, sog and local time but it needs to be connected to
a GPS via its own NMEA cable that came with the VHF.

Well, I ordered the optional NMEA cable for my Elite 4-M GPS
so I could connect the two. First off, there were NO instructions
as to how to connect the colored wires of each cable. I had to
look up any and all information I could find on the Internet.

The NMEA cable from the VHF was labeled with little tags that
identified the data in (+) and the data in (-) wires. The data
in positive is yellow and the data in negative is green.

I found out on the Internet that the data out (+) wire on the
NMEA cable from the GPS is yellow while the data out (-) is
green. So I connected them properly and the VHF displayed
*no GPS information*. Huh? I couldn't figure out what was
going on as it should have worked.I even checked the data
out wires using a volt meter and noted a pulsed signal about
once every two seconds that was around 3.5 volts so I knew
the GPS NMEA was working. I noticed a bulge in the GPS NMEA
cable so I stripped off the insulation and, lo and behold,
there were a couple of diodes hidden in there, I suppose
to keep damage from being done should some dumbass hook
the wires up backwards. The diode on the yellow wire was
soldered in backwards so I bypassed it by soldering the
yellow wire from the VHF on the other side of the diode
and the two units linked right up and the VHF now displays
the Lat/Lon, etc. This is good for any potential distress
call as it will include my position whereas prior to the
connection I would have had to manually input the lat/lon
prior to making a distress call. I haven't activated the
DSC side of the VHF because I'd have to get some dumb
MMSI number from the government first and it looks like
a bunch of stupid forms to fill out and I'd have to
buy an operators license because I go out of the country
from time to time. **** that!

So, what should have been a twenty minute connection took
all afternoon. Now, I know why Capt. Skippy never goes
sailing anymore. With all the crap he has on his boat it
must be a full-time job keeping them operating.


Assume data out is pin 2 and data in is pin 3. Data out on one end
should go to data in at the other end.

On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 20:10:10 -0600, Harrold wrote:

On 8/22/2014 5:51 PM, Sir Gregory Hall, Esq. wrote:


I recently bought and installed a Lowrance Elite 4-M GPS. It
works great and I'm pleased with it.

Just last week my old VHF sorta crapped out so I bought a new
Lowrance Link-5 VHF. Now, the Link-5 can display GPS location,
time, cog, sog and local time but it needs to be connected to
a GPS via its own NMEA cable that came with the VHF.

Well, I ordered the optional NMEA cable for my Elite 4-M GPS
so I could connect the two. First off, there were NO instructions
as to how to connect the colored wires of each cable. I had to
look up any and all information I could find on the Internet.

The NMEA cable from the VHF was labeled with little tags that
identified the data in (+) and the data in (-) wires. The data
in positive is yellow and the data in negative is green.

I found out on the Internet that the data out (+) wire on the
NMEA cable from the GPS is yellow while the data out (-) is
green. So I connected them properly and the VHF displayed
*no GPS information*. Huh? I couldn't figure out what was
going on as it should have worked.I even checked the data
out wires using a volt meter and noted a pulsed signal about
once every two seconds that was around 3.5 volts so I knew
the GPS NMEA was working. I noticed a bulge in the GPS NMEA
cable so I stripped off the insulation and, lo and behold,
there were a couple of diodes hidden in there, I suppose
to keep damage from being done should some dumbass hook
the wires up backwards. The diode on the yellow wire was
soldered in backwards so I bypassed it by soldering the
yellow wire from the VHF on the other side of the diode
and the two units linked right up and the VHF now displays
the Lat/Lon, etc. This is good for any potential distress
call as it will include my position whereas prior to the
connection I would have had to manually input the lat/lon
prior to making a distress call. I haven't activated the
DSC side of the VHF because I'd have to get some dumb
MMSI number from the government first and it looks like
a bunch of stupid forms to fill out and I'd have to
buy an operators license because I go out of the country
from time to time. **** that!

So, what should have been a twenty minute connection took
all afternoon. Now, I know why Capt. Skippy never goes
sailing anymore. With all the crap he has on his boat it
must be a full-time job keeping them operating.


Assume data out is pin 2 and data in is pin 3. Data out on one end
should go to data in at the other end.

That's all well and good until one notes a diode installed
backwards (black line facing input of data) so no current
can pass that way. Made in Mexico - no wonder it was defective.

--
Sir Gregory

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 00:29:20 -0400, "Sir Gregory Hall, Esq."
wrote:

That's all well and good until one notes a diode installed
backwards (black line facing input of data) so no current
can pass that way. Made in Mexico - no wonder it was defective.

===

I suspect that if you had reversed the two wires that it would have
worked fine.

"Sir Gregory Hall, Esq." wrote:
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 20:10:10 -0600, Harrold wrote:

On 8/22/2014 5:51 PM, Sir Gregory Hall, Esq. wrote:


I recently bought and installed a Lowrance Elite 4-M GPS. It
works great and I'm pleased with it.

Just last week my old VHF sorta crapped out so I bought a new
Lowrance Link-5 VHF. Now, the Link-5 can display GPS location,
time, cog, sog and local time but it needs to be connected to
a GPS via its own NMEA cable that came with the VHF.

Well, I ordered the optional NMEA cable for my Elite 4-M GPS
so I could connect the two. First off, there were NO instructions
as to how to connect the colored wires of each cable. I had to
look up any and all information I could find on the Internet.

The NMEA cable from the VHF was labeled with little tags that
identified the data in (+) and the data in (-) wires. The data
in positive is yellow and the data in negative is green.

I found out on the Internet that the data out (+) wire on the
NMEA cable from the GPS is yellow while the data out (-) is
green. So I connected them properly and the VHF displayed
*no GPS information*. Huh? I couldn't figure out what was
going on as it should have worked.I even checked the data
out wires using a volt meter and noted a pulsed signal about
once every two seconds that was around 3.5 volts so I knew
the GPS NMEA was working. I noticed a bulge in the GPS NMEA
cable so I stripped off the insulation and, lo and behold,
there were a couple of diodes hidden in there, I suppose
to keep damage from being done should some dumbass hook
the wires up backwards. The diode on the yellow wire was
soldered in backwards so I bypassed it by soldering the
yellow wire from the VHF on the other side of the diode
and the two units linked right up and the VHF now displays
the Lat/Lon, etc. This is good for any potential distress
call as it will include my position whereas prior to the
connection I would have had to manually input the lat/lon
prior to making a distress call. I haven't activated the
DSC side of the VHF because I'd have to get some dumb
MMSI number from the government first and it looks like
a bunch of stupid forms to fill out and I'd have to
buy an operators license because I go out of the country
from time to time. **** that!

So, what should have been a twenty minute connection took
all afternoon. Now, I know why Capt. Skippy never goes
sailing anymore. With all the crap he has on his boat it
must be a full-time job keeping them operating.


Assume data out is pin 2 and data in is pin 3. Data out on one end
should go to data in at the other end.

That's all well and good until one notes a diode installed
backwards (black line facing input of data) so no current
can pass that way. Made in Mexico - no wonder it was defective.


Racist. I notice the Mexicans working at the fast food dispensaries can
make change and count better than the products of our union school
teachers.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 12:46:56 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 00:29:20 -0400, "Sir Gregory Hall, Esq."
wrote:

That's all well and good until one notes a diode installed
backwards (black line facing input of data) so no current
can pass that way. Made in Mexico - no wonder it was defective.

===

I suspect that if you had reversed the two wires that it would have
worked fine.


I tried that and it didn't work at all.

Diodes only pass electricity in one direction. If they
are installed in the circuit backwards they stop the
current from flowing.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 12:03:21 -0500, Califbill
wrote:
"Sir Gregory Hall, Esq." wrote:

...

That's all well and good until one notes a diode installed
backwards (black line facing input of data) so no current
can pass that way. Made in Mexico - no wonder it was defective.

Racist. I notice the Mexicans working at the fast food dispensaries
can make change and count better than the products of our union school
teachers.

Products of union school teachers, hell! Try union school teachers
themselves!

--
Sir Gregory

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 13:28:37 -0400, "Sir Gregory Hall, Esq."
wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 12:46:56 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 00:29:20 -0400, "Sir Gregory Hall, Esq."
wrote:

That's all well and good until one notes a diode installed
backwards (black line facing input of data) so no current
can pass that way. Made in Mexico - no wonder it was defective.

===

I suspect that if you had reversed the two wires that it would have
worked fine.


I tried that and it didn't work at all.

Diodes only pass electricity in one direction. If they
are installed in the circuit backwards they stop the
current from flowing.

But, as Wayne suggested, if you reverse the diode's connection they
should, if originally installed backward, allow current flow. If not
than (1) there is something else wrong, or (2) the diode is faulty.
--
Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok

On Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:59:53 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:


But, as Wayne suggested, if you reverse the diode's connection they
should, if originally installed backward, allow current flow. If not
than (1) there is something else wrong, or (2) the diode is faulty.


I wish you'd shut up as you're obviously stupid.

On a two-wire DC circuit there is a positive
wire and a negative wire. If there is a diode
on the positive wire and it's installed backwards
then any positive current *sees* no circuit.

If one were to hook the negative wire to the
positive wire, current might flow but the
radio wouldn't know what to do with it. It
might even damage the radio. You and Wayne
are so stupid you seem to think an NMEA
circuit is like a light bulb in that it
works either way. Duh!

They probably put the diode in the circuit
in the first place to keep stupid people
from hooking the wires up wrong and you
and Wayne say go ahead and hook up the
wires wrong and it'll probably work.

ROFLMAO!!! Now I see why you had to abort
your circumnavigation less than halfway
around.

--
Sir Gregory

On Sun, 24 Aug 2014 15:47:41 -0400, "Sir Gregory Hall, Esq."
wrote:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:59:53 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:


But, as Wayne suggested, if you reverse the diode's connection they
should, if originally installed backward, allow current flow. If not
than (1) there is something else wrong, or (2) the diode is faulty.


I wish you'd shut up as you're obviously stupid.

On a two-wire DC circuit there is a positive
wire and a negative wire. If there is a diode
on the positive wire and it's installed backwards
then any positive current *sees* no circuit.

If one were to hook the negative wire to the
positive wire, current might flow but the
radio wouldn't know what to do with it. It
might even damage the radio. You and Wayne
are so stupid you seem to think an NMEA
circuit is like a light bulb in that it
works either way. Duh!


Are you being deliberately obtuse? Or are you just stupid?

If you connect a diode in series with a DC circuit, in either the
positive or the negative leg, current will flow through the diode if
it is connected correctly. If current does not flow then reverse the
connections to the diode. No one was talking about connecting the
positive leg to the negative leg of the circuit.

Actually, a very slightly competent electrician would simply take his
handy dandy multi meter and check the resistance of the diode and
reverse the meter leads and check the resistance again which would
tell him whether the diode was connected properly, or not. It would
also tell him whether the diode was serviceable, or not.

Since you can't seem to handle this technical task all by your self
certainly does tell us something about your electrical knowledge.

They probably put the diode in the circuit
in the first place to keep stupid people
from hooking the wires up wrong and you
and Wayne say go ahead and hook up the
wires wrong and it'll probably work.

ROFLMAO!!! Now I see why you had to abort
your circumnavigation less than halfway
around.
--
Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok