Garmin pingy thingys

[BruceB]

Yep, but you disable it on the network and use the external aerial.
I have the same setup (except all Lowrance) and use the LGC-3000 over the network for both plotters with the internal aerial disabled for the second plotter. At least if the main GPS packs in I have a secondary aerial (albeit non networked) to navigate home by.
This was deliberate as almost every system on the back is duplicated due to my sometimes remote operating area at times during the year where help could be a while away.

[BogMonster]

Aargh! I had no idea the E-Tec used NMEA as well ... now I am slightly confused.

I don't really want to bother running an aerial up to the A frame if there is a perfectly good one in the plotter - presumably you don't have to use it? The internal aerial in my GPS72 always worked fine so it seems like less to wire up, corrode and go wrong.

Why on earth does an engine come with a GPS aerial anyway?

There's a lot to be said for just having a six foot stick to poke over the side, if you can't touch the bottom then you are fine, and any fool can use it

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Why on earth does an engine come with a GPS aerial anyway?

I believe it's to calculate the distance travelled, so the I-Command gauges can tell you speed, fuel consumption, etc.

I'm not sure whether the I-Command stuff can take this data from your Garmin via the NMEA2000 network It would seem pointless running the cable to an antenna when you have the data available on your chartplotter, right next to the I-Command gauges.

The Lowrance GPS antenna is quite a neat, compact unit, which I've seen installed on the top of the console on a few boats. It's quite unobtrusive and easily accessible on the console if you find the e-tec has to have this hardware fitted.

Originally Posted by BogMonster

There's a lot to be said for just having a six foot stick to poke over the side, if you can't touch the bottom then you are fine, and any fool can use it

Yes, but it's not too easy at 40+ kts

[Chris]

Stephen you don't have to have the e-tec GPS antenna connected up if you don't want to. If your Garmin has it's own internal antenna then the only real use it has is to enable you to display speed on one of your guages. I don't think the Garmin will enable you to do this off it's internal aerial.

On the subject of NMEA 2000 you will probably want to ask Osprey to get you a memory module kit which will enable you to display all the fuel usuage data, it is a very useful addition and gives you a very accurate view of how much fuel you have used both trip and long term. It's about £70.

So your network would basically have 5 or 6 devices on....

Engine
guage 1
guage 2
Fuel tank sender
Memory module
GPS antenna (optional)

[Erin]

I would expect the Garmin to be able to output the GPS data from its internal aerial to the network so that other devices attached can use it to calculate speed, mpg etc etc. NMEA is really very simple and very clever and well worth having IMHO

[BruceB]

The garmin may be able to but I would check this as my Lowrance can't. The internal aerials are non network.