Just bought new GPS. SCORE!

[phishy]

$450??? yeesh..I wish i could sleep at night after ripping off someone like that. I couldnt even begin to justify that price...

[jephs422]

Oh, got one for you Joey. How do I use, or integrate, or whatever, the GPS into my VHF?

[Joey805]

Originally Posted by jephs422

Oh, got one for you Joey. How do I use, or integrate, or whatever, the GPS into my VHF?

Does your VHF have the capability for this? Is there a distress button on the front of it?

[jephs422]

Yes and Yes...

[Joey805]

Then you probably run a cable from the GPS - NMEA I think from there to the VHF.

I did this to interface my laptop and my GPS. Pretty cool stuff.

[jephs422]

Okay so I probably need to buy the cable. I think there's an NMEA port on the back of my GPS, and I know there are 1 or 2 extra wires on the radio. I'll see if I can't find the cable online. Thnks man.

Oh, so what exactly do you do with the Laptop hooked up? I could do the same I guess, but what's the advantage? What kind of cool stuff could I do?...

[reclusedon]

Jeph, you need to see which wire is the NMEA 0183 output from the GPS unit, then find the input wire on the radio - both manuals should have the necessary information. When it's working right you'll see your lat/lon displayed on the radio, and when you hit the DSC distress button it'll broadcast your exact location in the call. You also need to get an MMSI number assigned so your distress call (let's never plan on having to use it) has all the information about your boat.

If you an get your lap top working with your GPS you can preload routes and waypoints, then download trip data.

In one of the earlier posts somebody said something about not needing a top-quality handheld radio, it's only a backup. I have to disagree with that - that's where you might need even better quality than your fixed mount, like in a situation where you lose power or you're in the water. Quality can kind of take on a new meaning then.