Connecting GPS to VHF radio

woodsyfeller

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
182
I have a Garmin GPSmap76 and I purchased a power data cable to hook up to my Cobra VHF radio

The issue Im currently having is the the garmin power/data cable has 4 wires

Red w/inline fuse = power to gps

black=ground to gps

brown=data out

white=data in


The Cobra vhf radio/gps adapter only has 2 wires a red and black the manual for the radio doesnt specify which is data in and data out it just says connect black to black wire,red to red wire

That doesnt seem correct to me since those are power and ground on the gps cable

I would like to know which wire connects to which I assume the red on radio connects to the brown(data out on gps) and the black on radio connects to white (data in on gps)

I guess i have a 50/50 chance of getting it right

Thank You in advance for anyone that can clear this up
 

fairbank56

Cadet
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
23
Re: Connecting GPS to VHF radio

Need to know what specific model radio. In all likelyhood, the radio only has a data input in which case the Garmin brown goes to VHF gps adapter red and Garmin black to adapter black.

Eric
 

fairbank56

Cadet
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
23
Re: Connecting GPS to VHF radio

That model is only capable of data input. It will display your position received from GPS and include your position in a distress alert or other position related DSC messages. It will not provide output to your GPS to show positions received from other vessels via DSC.

Eric
 

woodsyfeller

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
182
Re: Connecting GPS to VHF radio

So what you are saying I ground the black wire coming off the cobra adapter and not use the white wire going back to the gps?
 

fairbank56

Cadet
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
23
Re: Connecting GPS to VHF radio

Correct, assuming you are powering the GPS and VHF from the same power source, i.e. the grounds are common. If you are only using the internal batteries of the GPS to power it (just using the GPS cable for the data connection), you must connect the black wire from the GPS to the VHF adapter cable black wire as there must be a complete circuit.

Eric
 
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