GPS antenna connection to Raymarine C80 chart plotter

[Jim Lieder]

Writing to ask if anyone has some tips on getting my GPS antenna working with my Raymarine C80 chart plotter.  It was recently working, but some wires got disconnected and now I can’t get the chart plotter to receive a GPS fix.  

The antenna is RayStar 125 model 32042.  I’m wiring the antenna to a Seatalk network using the C series connection diagram, but so far no luck.  I have other instruments connected to the Seatalk network such as a Raymarine Autohelm and Raymarine ST60+ depth, speed, windspeed.

The GPS antenna to Seatalk connection picture shows the connection that I *think* was in place before the GPS & chart plotter stopped communication.  

Do only the red and yellow wires need to be reconnected (see GPS antenna to Seatalk connection picture)?

If anyone has ideas on the right wiring, please let me know.

Thanks, 

Jim 

1986 NS 30 - Sixpence #350
Lake St. Clair, MI   

[John Alexander Stewart]

Jim;

Not having this equipment, but being "ok" with electrical stuff, I think you missed the ground connection. Connect the third set of connections in your diagram, the answer will most likely be "yes" to your connection. You will need +12v, ground, and signal; three connections.

Try it and tell us how it goes - 

John A. Stewart

NS26C 046

Cat's Whiskers

Kingston ON

[Jim Lieder]

John, 

Thanks for the quick reply.  Can the ground wire be connected to the negative bus bar on the breaker panel?

Jim

[John Alexander Stewart]

Jim - what happened to the black (or grey) wire from the Seatalk cable? If you cut it (it happens to the best of us) can you "cut back" the seatalk cable so you get the 3 connections from it?

Ok. Most likely, it'll not create any issues to run the GPS ground (and, shield) back to the negative bus bar as you suggested.

What I would do, and I'm no seatalk expert, would be to try an alligator clip from the black(or grey) wire from the GPS to the ground bus bar. If you can, use a small wire diameter alligator clip, no need of a large wire diameter for testing as the GPS will not consume a lot of power.

If that worked, I'd (from what I read on the diagram you sent) I'd connect the GPS shield to the ground bus bar with the same alligator clip, and see if it still worked. Your diagram mentions a brown wire for the shield.

The electrical wiring should be like branches on a tree; where you have a fork starting 2 branches, fork both the positive and ground wires. You'll most likely be fine, but ideally, ground the gps to the seatalk network, which should have 1 and only 1 connection back down the branch for ground (and the same for the positive). If you do find the ground from the seatalk cable, do not connect it back to ground, thinking that grounding both ends is better than only 1 ground.

The shield wire is there to reduce radio frequency interference; the shield should surround the wires in an electrically protective envelope to reduce any interference. You'll see this in lots of wiring, for instance NMEA 2000 drop cables have power (+12v and ground) in a shield, and the signal wires in another shield, both tied together at the NMEA 2000 bus.

Please take a bit of time to ponder the above; if it was my setup, I'd find out what happened to the seatalk ground wire, and use it connected to the GPS as per your diagram.

One last thing - if you have a Volt Ohm Meter, it's great at finding shorts and for finding power. Learn to use it; I use the one on-board all the time; the last was for testing mast lights before our spring masting.

The above is written fairly quickly without a review, please ask more if it does not make sense.

John A. Stewart

NS26C 046

Kingston, ON.

[Jim Lieder]

John, 

Followed your advice and I now have 12 volts going to the GPS antenna receiver which I verified using a volt meter.  The missing ground connection was the problem. 

The status light on the GPS antenna receiver still isn’t  flashing, which makes me think the antenna may be defective.  It took a pretty big hit from the main sheet when a ‘out of control’ jibe took place in 20 knots of wind.  I’ll never do that again(!).  

My next step is to look for Raystar GPS model 125 in the Items Wanted in the INA Marketplace ads.  It’s an old model, some some working old units may be available from members. 

Jim

On Jun 26, 2021, at 10:24 PM, John Alexander Stewart <ivat...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[John Alexander Stewart]

Jim, at least you exercised the old grey matter! 10 points for doing so. ;-)

Google and maybe other forums may come up with parts, or fixes. Maybe, here's a start:

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/threads/attn-raymarine-raystar-125-gps-owners.180888/

I'm currently going through the old instrument update/upgrade on our boat; the old LORAN system was removed last year, the original VHF radio replaced, and this year it is a new chart plotter, depth instruments, AIS Transponder, etc. Hopefully, you find what you are looking for and get it all going.

John A. Stewart

NS26C 046

Kingston ON.

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