VHF radios with DSC GSP

[njlarry]

VHF radios with DSC GPS

Season greetings to all!
I am interested in changing my old Raytheon VHF to a newer unit with DSC such as the Standard Horizon GX 1700 with built in GPS. My concern is that installed down in the nav station the internal GPS antena will not work without the trouble of wiring an external antena to it.
Has anyone found that this type of VHF radio with internal GPS works when installed in a sailboat cabin?
Cheers!

 

[Jackdaw]

Also look at current-gen models that use GPS data from the network. They also share AIS info back with the plotter, a huge plus.

 

[Terry in Naples]

I can use my old hand held garmon units below deck tied into my older radio for displaying gps coordinates. One is an old #48 the other a 76s. So i would think newer radios, self contained would work.

 

[njlarry]

Thank you Jack. The GX 1700 can do all that but network wiring is above my head. Also want to avoid cramming any more wires up the pedistal rails to chartplotter in the cockpit. There is a older Raytheon chartplotter down in the Nav station with an external antenna conected to it.
Could I put some kind of splitter on it?

 

[Jackdaw]

Thank you Jack. The GX 1700 can do all that but network wiring is above my head. Also want to avoid cramming any more wires up the pedistal rails to chartplotter in the cockpit. There is a older Raytheon chartplotter down in the Nav station with an external antenna conected to it.
Could I put some kind of splitter on it?

Ideally your plotter would have NMEA2000 networking; if that were/is the case you would only need to add the radio to the network. If they only support the older NMEA0183 networking, some wiring would probably need to be added, as 0183 is not really a network, it more point to point cabling.

They do make AIS/VHF antenna splitters, but you would are asking about a GPS antenna splitter, and sadly they do not do that for technical reasons.

 

[Brian D]

GPS will work below deck with minor degradation of signal. I use a Garmin 72 GPS below deck connected to my Standard Horizon radio and have no issues. If you 'need' an antenna outside you can add one later.

 

[JoeWhite]

I use Standard Horizon 2150 for about $ 340.00. It includes AIS receiving only and it needs external GPS data. It will not work with Garmin 76. It does need an interface between Garmin 76 and the radio. PM me if you need more info. This radio is DSC and uses the same VHF antenna to receive the AIS data. You can set alarms if any other boater that is transmitting AIS data is too close. It transmits fog tones through external horn. It is worth the money.

 

[CharlzO]

Just to echo the above posts, I have their GX2200 in the cabin of my boat, and have had no issues at all with picking up the GPS. Before mounting it in my own, I had actually taken it out to my yard where I had a Hurley 22 on a trailer, under some trees, and put it in the center as far from open space as I could, trying different locations to see the lock times. I think the longest I waited was about 30-45 seconds the very first time it powered up after being hooked to the battery. But it did find, and lock in reliably everywhere in that boat, and on my Ex26, it has had no issues at all.

 

[cptjak]

I have the 1700 below deck and have had no problems

 

[Harlan]

I have the Standard Horizon with GPS mounted in the nav station of my OD34. That actually puts most of the radio not only in the boat but inside the locker forward of the nav station. Works great - no problems with GPS signal. This means that you can use all the GPS features of the radio without having to have your plotter on. (I installed the remote mic at the wheel - I think that's a must with the radio itself down below.)

 

[njlarry]

Thank you all. Glad to hear others have found that
inside the GPS works. I also agree about the remote mike.
I decided it was a better investment than A IS for our use.

 

[ggrizzard]

Same with my Standard Horizon VHF/GPS...
It works at the nav station no worries.

 

[Capt jgw]

Fiberglass is pretty much invisible to radio energy so your GPS won't know it's below deck. Metal boat, different story.

 

[Tartan Mike]

GPS will work below deck with minor degradation of signal. I use a Garmin 72 GPS below deck connected to my Standard Horizon radio and have no issues. If you 'need' an antenna outside you can add one later.

Hi Brian, This is my first attempt at this , I'm having intermittent problems with the VHF, I've taken the connections apart an checked for grounds. Even then I would still recommend starting a new thread.

 

[Brian D]

Mike, welcome to SBO!

I would recommend starting a new thread. This way your issues will not get buried here in this GPS thread. Unless you have having GPS issues.