Lowrance 3500C NMEA

[al40]

Hi,

I've got a Lowrance 3500C plotter and was wondering if anyone has connected this up to a DSC radio such that the radio sends the position from DSC messages to the plotter.

I think the plotter can do this (but I may be wrong)... According to the manual it's got NMEA 2000 interface (used for GPS antenna) and NMEA 0183.

Quote from the User manual "To exchange NMEA 0183, the GlobalMap 3500C has one NMEA 0183 version 2.0 communication port. Com port one (Com-1) can be used to receive NMEA format GPS data. The com port can also transmit NMEA format GPS data to another device."

So - has anyone tried this with a DSC VHF and also which radios are capable of transmitting a DSC position to the likes of a plotter (presumably it would display the DSC ID with an icon on the screen).

ICOM M421 doesn't appear to do this (it just receives the position from GPS).

If I could get this to work it would be really neat to see on the plotter where other people (and any distress messages) are located...

Thanks.
Al

[al40]

Seems the ICOM M505 and Standard Horizon VM-3500E can output data. Will this work with the 3500C plotter and anyone know of any less expensive radios that will do this?

[Simon B]

We've connected up our Icom 421 to a Globalmap 3500C

(well I connected it to sonar to it first and it didnt work, my mate put both wires on an osciliscope and found the one with the right output)

The radio recieves position information for its DSC use or just to read out if you need to. Seeing a DSC ID on the plotter would be a good service.

[al40]

I finally spoke to a guy in Silva about this (UK agents for Lowrance) and the 3500C does not currently accept the DSC type messages issued by the ICOM 505. I assume this is fixable in a firmware upgrade but doesn't work at present.

Al.