NMEA networking and ethernet for LOWRANCE now installed

Blueballl came over after Church and we installed NMEA2000 and Ethernet from front to back on my boat today. PIA to say the least. I now have 3 units networked with the 2 busses. Plus, we installed the HDS7 at the console. What's next?????? I got some reading to do on this stuff......... No smoke and I could see the buses were active.

I like this lectronic stuff.Thumbs Up

We removed the Huminbird wiring and discovered that the dealer had not fused the units.
The Vexilar flasher circuit board was not secured either. Poor craftsmanship from a dealer that charged for this when I bought my boat. The board was just dangling under the console. Blueball fixed all that stuff for me thank goodness. He does good work and knows how particular I am about neatness. He is a fine feller and has a sweet wife too.

I have 3 transducers: SI, US2, 2d. Now all I gotta do is figure out how to share them.
Hopefully by Wednesday, the rain will leave so I can "read and push buttons" in the driveway. Can't do much til Brenda recoups.

Hey Tom,
I am with you on the lectronics. I now have 2 HDS-10's , 2 LSS-1's and a X-135 all networked .5 transducers in all.I have to say Lowrance has done a good job with networking everything. I kind of hated it with the LSS-1 having to be added but I think it was a smart move for them.I am looking at adding another Main Cranking Battery to help power everything. Also giong to add a Sonic Hub soon. Where does it all stop. I am greatful to be able to have all these toys and have to remember to fish sometimes. Check out under this guys boat. He got some lectronics!
YouTube - navicoweb's Channel

More to it than meets the eye thats for sure. Took the platform off the back of the boat (again) to run the ethernet cord. Was nice to be able to just plug the cord into the lss1. Not for sure if I want to run nmea to my bow unit. Have nmea set up (connected to my etec) and it stops at the console. Very excited about the possibilites of finding structure and fish on the lss 1 and then locking the coordinates into the bow unit. Did it this winter with the console unit and slowly went back and the mark was spot on. Caught fish on structure that I never knew was there....

Your GPS performance can be improved greatly with the LCG4000, It has a 5 Hz refresh rate verse the internal antenna which has a 1 Hz rate. I like this networking stuff. I installed the HDS7 at the console for instrumentation and GPS only. I don't fish much behind the cockpit. I am a beginner with this networking stuff. It ain't too complicated.

had fun helping,maybe u will teach me something some day. Thumbs Up

What size fuses did you use, blade type? When I get my boat out of storage end of month got to hook up mine HDS-8, only one but I did buy the LGC4000 Gps was told it wasn't needed but I wanted it.

Hey Jax,
Lowrance units come with a 3 amp blade fuse with holder.

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Originally Posted by jaxsprat

What size fuses did you use, blade type? When I get my boat out of storage end of month got to hook up mine HDS-8, only one but I did buy the LGC4000 Gps was told it wasn't needed but I wanted it.

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Smart move.

Got the ethernet hooked up...dang units have one mind...all my waypoints and stuff came up on my 8 that was on the 5. This sure is gonna open up a lot of opportunities for fishing...heck, it should even make getting bait (shad) this summer for drifting a lot easier. Decided not to run the nmea cord...stopping it at the console will work just fine for now. Just gotta keep telling myself I don't need the lgc4000....:rolleyes::D

Gotta luv those 6 buttons at the bottom of the unit, as each page comes up you get relevant shortcuts that makes it really user friendly...I had heard that they cut through a lot of finger poking...sure make things handy.

By the way, anybody heard anything about just running one side of your scan...something about "enhancing PQ maybe???

Ok...what am I missing? I didn't think you had to install both NMEA & Ethernet to link everything together. Why both if you don't mind me asking?

5th post...

BBC Boards: HDS power cords

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Originally Posted by drifter106

5th post...

BBC Boards: HDS power cords

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Thanks.....mighty helpful.

Some things are shared on the Ethernet bus, such as waypoints. Some things are on the NMEA2000 bus, such as Engine monitoring, live well temp, etc. You can have up to 50 external devices on the NMEA2000. I bought some NMEA stuff in the bargain cave at Cabelas some time ago. Just decided to hook it up. Doubt if it will help my fishing, but I will know when my engine is running hot. I linked up 3 units. Gives me something to do when the fish won't eat my tidbits.

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Originally Posted by drifter106

5th post...

BBC Boards: HDS power cords

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Good. Jason is a lot of help. I am just a beginner.

I'm not jumping ship just yet, but I really liked the 522 GPSi I got rid of when I went to HB DI & SI. Ethernet came out today for the 788 and they (998) still don't see one another. My cable is buried in the boat in the mesh protective wrap & I don't want to dig it out. I hope it's software and not my cable. Of course if it is, then just another aggravation.

The LSS1 sorta turned me off initially, but the more I have thought about seeing SS while trolling at the front console now seems more appealing.

*slightly regretting not going with Lowrance*

I ain't got much saddle time in on this HDS stuff. But, I can really hang on a brushpile with the LCG4000 and North Up on map selected and WAAS disabled. Hope to get some jockey time this year. I had HB over 3 years. It easy to use, or maybe I got used to using it.

Below are the functions of each type of network. You don't really need both NEMA and Ethernet but as you can see from the charts (Sorry for the light print) , each one handles certain functions the other type of network can't. So bottom line is it's best to have both NEMA 2000 and Ethernet in your boat.

As for the question as to whether only using right or left side on Structure Scan will improve picture quality.....I can't answer that one but by minimizing the range or distance the beam will go out, The result will be better detail and imaging.

Brian



http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...kfunctions.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...unctions-1.jpg

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Originally Posted by Brian@BBGmarine

Below are the functions of each type of network. You don't really need both NEMA and Ethernet but as you can see from the charts (Sorry for the light print) , each one handles certain functions the other type of network can't. So bottom line is it's best to have both NEMA 2000 and Ethernet in your boat.

As for the question as to whether only using right or left side on Structure Scan will improve picture quality.....I can't answer that one but by minimizing the range or distance the beam will go out, The result will be better detail and imaging.

Brian



http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...kfunctions.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...unctions-1.jpg

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I will assume you fish, so what is your "game" of choice.

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Originally Posted by Cane Pole

I will assume you fish, so what is your "game" of choice.

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These days, my game of choice is whatever shows up on the sonar !!! I've been fishing mainly for bass and crappie over the last 36 years but now whatever is in the biting mood is my target.
One of my favorite ways to catch crappie is with a jig and cork and a long pole. Lake Weiss (Alabama) has some of the best shallow water crappie fishing in the country and that's where I learned to catch em'. 3lb slabs on Weiss are not uncommon.

Brian

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian@BBGmarine

These days, my game of choice is whatever shows up on the sonar !!! I've been fishing mainly for bass and crappie over the last 36 years but now whatever is in the biting mood is my target.
One of my favorite ways to catch crappie is with a jig and cork and a long pole. Lake Weiss (Alabama) has some of the best shallow water crappie fishing in the country and that's where I learned to catch em'. 3lb slabs on Weiss are not uncommon.

Brian

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I have been fishing for those blue fish and orange fish that keep showing up on my sonar for years and ain't caught one yet.