Nav info on tv?

[ScottySailor]

Hello fellow sailors, while replacing the old tv in my boat(2009 Hunter 49) I came across this cable , I think originally it was connected to the original tv so you could see the nav info on a big screen?
Its a Vga cable I think.
So new tv doesn’t have a Vga input so I got a Vga -Hdmi adapter which is supposed to work, plugged into the tv but tv says no signal, is there a way I can test without tracing the cable to see where it comes from?
Thoughts, suggestions?
Would be nice to use it.
thanks
Scotty Sailor

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

You need a VGA monitor (think cheap computer monitor).

 

[ScottySailor]

You need a VGA monitor (think cheap computer monitor).

So the vga-hdmi adapter won’t work so the tv is the monitor?
Or does the vga monitor accept some special signal?

 

[JamesG161]

VGA does not equal HDMI.

Not sure how they can adapt one.

Newest HDMI's are now USB type C on some devices.
I have that VGA adapter by the previous owner, now I use Apple TV to do everything wireless.

Apple TV - Wikipedia

All music, video and other stuff, including my Raymarine MFD and be selected for our onboard LED TV.

Jim...

 

[Tally Ho]

What is the input to the TV? A laptop or some other nav instrument?

 

[Davidasailor26]

You’re correct that the cable is a VGA. An HDMI to VGA adapter should work, though in some strange cases it might not. What makes you think it was an input from nav instruments, have you seen that working with the old tv?

 

[ScottySailor]

What is the input to the TV? A laptop or some other nav instrument?

The input cord with the vga plug on the end is a thick black wire approximately 1/2” I think it’s from the nav instruments. I guess I need to trace it to find out.

 

[kappykaplan]

I guess I need to trace it to find out.

 

[ScottySailor]

You’re correct that the cable is a VGA. An HDMI to VGA adapter should work, though in some strange cases it might not. What makes you think it was an input from nav instruments, have you seen that working with the old tv?

The old tv was not the original one so it wasn’t connected but in the original boat brochure it gives an option for nav info displayed on tv with mariners pkg which my boat has.

 

[danooxnard]

You need to make sure you have a VGA to HDMI adapter. Most people buy an HDMI to vga and think it will work it will not. The converters only work in one direction, what they call in the technical world uni-directional. you should be able find the correct cable on Amazon for around $15. I have had the same problem with computers at work being hooked up to new bigscreens with no VGA connection.

Good luck, Dano

 

[ScottySailor]

You need to make sure you have a VGA to HDMI adapter. Most people buy an HDMI to vga and think it will work it will not. The converters only work in one direction, what they call in the technical world uni-directional. you should be able find the correct cable on Amazon for around $15. I have had the same problem with computers at work being hooked up to new bigscreens with no VGA connection.

Good luck, Dano

Thanks yeah I bought one it’s supposed to be unidirectional I’ll keep working on it. Gotta make sure it’s connected at the other end first, can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be but you know how that goes. Lol

 

[Davidasailor26]

If you have any old computer monitors with VGA input around you could try hooking one up to see if it gets a signal without the adapter.

You could also look up the pin out of the VGA connector and put a multimeter on some of the pins. That might at least help confirm the other end of the wire is connected to something.

 

[Joe]

It is unlikely that the vga cable was wired directly to instruments.... look on the back of whatever instruments you have for evidence. It's more likely that the p.o. had an old laptop or pc running nav software which would call for a vga cable hook up to a monitor. Actually, pretty hip setup for 90's era pre nmea networks. Some of the older chartplotter of that era may have had vga connections.

 

[tfox2069]

What chartplotter do you have? I ask, because my Garmin GPSMap 7215 has a VGA input capability which allows it to see other sources of video - cameras, computers, etc. From the manual:

I don't have a VGA cable routed into the cabin, but the chartplotter has the input and I could if I wanted display from another device.

I'd check your chartplotter manual and see if its capable - that may be your highest likelihood of the source. Then you'll have to dig into how to put it into receive mode (its clearly in my Garmin manual).

 

[ScottySailor]

Thanks to all who replied much appreciated to wrap this post up I spoke to the Hunter parts department on this site and they confirmed that on this boat originally the instruments were connected to a TV through the VGA cable so now I just have to figure out if it’s connected and if it’s working et cetera et cetera.