NMEA 2000 Network Basics and Assembly

[@gliderflyer]

Great job. Can't believe how long it took me to find someone that could explain the very bare basics in an understandable way. After getting thoroughly confused by "basics" or "intro" videos that start with massive diagrams of devices, your approach made it simple. I have one Garmin Echomap and one fuel meter and just wanted to know how to hook it up. I'm now a NMEA 2000 genius and will proudly impress my fellow boaters with my expertise. 😃

[@MGMarineTech]

Haha I’m glad I could help!

[@jaredjones9113]

Hey man, I just wanted to say thank you. I cannot express how grateful I am that you take the time to make these videos for guys like me. I am brand new to the fishing electronics world, and I’ve probably spent countless hours watching other guys videos trying to grasp what is going on and where I can get a toe hold to understanding my basic stuff (like wiring, networking, etc) and you are a one stop shop. I would subscribe a thousand times if I could. 10/10 would recommend and will be telling anyone getting into the game about this channel. You’re a rockstar, please keep ‘em coming. You’re my hero

[@MGMarineTech]

Dang man! Thanks for the awesome comment! support like this is why I do it! I’ll keep them coming !

[@jones1394]

Hello just to give you an update. The parts I need came today and from your video I did just as you said and my steadycast sensor came to life. I was stumped for three on what do until I saw your video. Thanks a million 😊. I'm now ready for the offshore fishing now thanks to you.🙂

[@hankvana2149]

Thank you! My first look at NMEA and your explanation is just what I needed. Now to find what I need to get for my specific application :)

[@jwahrmund]

Appreciate this. It’s helps us old timers figure out new stuff pretty easy👍🏻

[@SavageVoyageur]

You said super basic explanation. In my opinion this was a great explanation of the NMEA backbone. I will be putting my steady cast unit in soon and this was a great help.

[@MGMarineTech]

Thank you! I have everything you need in stock! Let me know and I’d be happy to help

[@timexum743]

If you only have one graph, can you plug the steady cast directly into the graph? Bypass the backbone until I have more graphs?

[@SavageVoyageur]

@@timexum743. You can plug it in to the back of the graph but it will not work. You will need a NMEA 2000 starter kit, a steady cast unit, probably a dropper cable, and a power cable to power up your backbone. The backbone needs its own power. You will need 3 connectors Tee and 2 termination resistors for your setup. In the future when you want another device you just add another connector T to the backbone. You will also need 2 termination resistors on each end for the backbone. You will get 2 connectors T in the starter kit and 1 connector T in the steady cast kit. In your case you will have 3 connectors T. So one power cable to the middle connector T, steady cast to another connector T, and a cable from the last backbone connector T to your NMEA 2000 connection on the back of your power head unit.

[@tdog9150]

I just purchased a 40 hp Yamaha , tiller for my duck boat , I want to install this …. How does the box hook to the motor ? Your assistance would be very appreciated.. Tdog.

[@audiesimpson4965]

Great video!! Best I've seen the nmea 2000 explained. Thanks for sharing

[@Glory-Days-Fishing]

Question? I am going to add the Garmin Steadycast Heading sensor on my 2022 26' center console. Where would the best place to mount it? I'd like to put it in my electronics box but there is a lot of wiring and a VHF radio in there. Would it work mounted in there? Can it be mounted on the hard top next to the radar? Let me know what you think

[@MGMarineTech]

You must make sure that it’s not close to anything magnetic or that has a magnetic field like speaker etc. Also you must use good stainless screws to mount it. Regular steel is obviously magnetic and can throw it off

[@Glory-Days-Fishing]

@@MGMarineTech Thanks for such a quick reply. just 2 more questions. can this heading sensor be mounted upside down as long as the arrow is facing to the bow? And is there a Garmin external GPS antenna without a heading sensor I can use for my GPSMAP 1223XSV? Thanks for your help

[@MGMarineTech]

@@Glory-Days-Fishing the heading sensor instructions aren’t very clear on that, and honestly my heading sensor doesn’t work well where I have it mounted now. But it’s probably 100% my installation. As far as just a gps sensor, you could do the 19x Or i would just recommend doing the 24xd it will do your gps sensor and heading sensor in 1. Less things to mount and wire into the NMEA network. Shoot me a message and I can get you setup with whatever you need

[@Glory-Days-Fishing]

@@MGMarineTech thanks again!! I’ll let you know how it turns out. It’s a brand new boat and I am trying to set it up better than my last boat. With your help I’m sure it will be perfect Thanks again!

[@travislalonde8310]

At about 7:00 you talk about a backbone extender cable, to help your backbone reach a device that's far away. My question is, say you have your backbone at your console, but you want to connect a graph, Trolling motor, and GPS heading sensor at the bow. Can you essentially run a secondary backbone at the bow (without it's own power) and use the backbone extender cable to connect it to your actual backbone? That way you don't have to run 3 or 4 seperate long drop cables from the bow to the backbone?

[@MGMarineTech]

Yes your backbone tees don’t all have to be in the same spot. You could put a dropper cable in between two sections of tees(must go on the inline side). So you could have 3-4 tees at the bow and 3-4 tees at the console. It must be terminated at the ends like normal. Does that make sense ?

[@travislalonde8310]

@@MGMarineTech Yes, thank you! That will save me quite a bit instead of buying (4) 5 meter cables!

[@fuzzyfultz]

Thanks Max. I had not saw this video. Really helped me to understand little more.

[@michaelfalcon7874]

Thanks for breaking this down!!! I kinda understand the basics now.

[@travismccormack5381]

This definitely helped and explained what I needed. Just one more question... I have 2 93SV UHD units one at console and one at the bow. Can I just hook the dropper cable to my console unit and see on my bow unit networked as well or will I need another 2nd dropper and there for another nema port to run the longer cable to the bow unit?

[@MGMarineTech]

Any screen you want to be on the nmea network has to go to the nmea backbone with a tee They will not network in any way just connected together with a dropper cable just plugged into each screen

[@brianallen9868]

I just got a brand new Suzuki 4 stroke 30 hp motor and the dealership got the Suzuki interface and a garmin NMEA starter kit and backbone. When they installed the motor they hooked it up to a garmin 93SV and they said everything worked fine. When I got the boat back I had bought a new garmin ultra 106 and installed it to replace the 93sv. We hooked everything up properly just like it was hooked up to the 93 and now none of the engine gauges will show up on the 106. Is there something you have to do to make to work? When we go to the gauge menu to select a motor it says there is no motor found. If there’s anything you know I’d appreciate it.

[@freeagentangler5159]

So, by powering up the NMEA 2000, does that supply power to the graph or does the graph need separate power?

[@MGMarineTech]

Graph and NMEA 2000 networks will be powered separately

[@shanegreen518]

Great video as usual sir. Thank you.

[@MGMarineTech]

Thank you for the support!

[@markfrye4723]

Garmin highly recommends and strongly encourage you to sit the power towards the middle of your backbone!

[@MGMarineTech]

Yes this is important in large backbones that go all the way across large boats from front to back. When they are small like this in the video it’s not as important. What you are trying to do is to minimize voltage drop on the system

[@markfrye4723]

@@MGMarineTech I just installed a chart platter and fishfinder with a transducer and a VHF radio with GPS antenna and VHF antenna on my Yamaha 275sdx!

[@thegreatproductspage1860]

do you know how to connect VHF to Garmin to be able to transmit DSC? all my Garmin cables go into my backbone. videos on youtube show what wires to connect but I do not have any loose wires... it all goes into the back bone. please help

[@cowlumbus]

Does the network power just power the network or does it power the devices on the drop? Is this similar to PoE on modern home networks? Or would a device such an analog converter or chart plotter near their own power source?

[@MGMarineTech]

It will power some of the smaller devices, It does NOT power the units themselves

[@nickb8618]

I added a steady cast to my proline offshore salmon boat in nmea 2k network to my uhd units and my furuno gp1871f I run for radar. The steady cast sensor works with the furuno and gives u radar overlay with a furuno without spending 800 bucks on a furuno heading sensor 😮

[@MGMarineTech]

Yes sir! That’s the beauty of NMEA devices

[@sheaffergrubbs6056]

Can I mount a 24xd next to a Garmin 106sv without any interference issues

[@MrQuispamgolfer]

Hi I have a 95SV echomap chirp bought in 2016 with GT-52HW transducer. I plan to use this for map and traditional sonar. I plan to buy 95SV UHD and use it for downscan at 800 khz and sidescan at 1100 kHZ. Both transducers will be mounted on transom. Do you see any problems with this like interferences etc.?

[@ryanferguson3769]

I can overlay engine data on my map but the gauges (screen) don’t work ?? Any help

[@pmaertens]

Hello and thank you for the video I would have one question since we are pluging power to the T do we still need to plug the power cable of the sonar so there will be 3 cable going to the sonar power , probe and cable from the T ?

[@MGMarineTech]

Yes the sonar will still need its dedicated power cable. This power I talk about in this video is just for the NMEA network only.

[@SCBullterriers]

does the engine interface cable plug into the top of a T and where's the best place to get power from straight to the battery or from somewhere in the dash

[@MGMarineTech]

Yes, all NMEA devices plug into the top of the t as shown in the video. As for power. The battery is good clean power but power from the switches would work too. Just make sure it’s 12v and not 16 or 24v etc. and the network can only have 1 power supply.

[@johnmeyers3954]

Questions - is it okay if a dropper cable that doesn't have anything attached to it? Suppose I need to temporarily remove a device, will I need to put a terminal in its place, or is it okay to leave the dropper cable unattached to a device while using the system? What if I need to temporarily detach the dropper cable while using the network? If a terminal needs to be used is it the same as the terminal on the backbone? Thank you.

[@MGMarineTech]

Never terminate a dropper cable with the resistor terminator. I would suggest either leaving it open ended or removing the cable and tee

[@charlesgriffith9856]

Great video although I am still a bit lost. I just purchased 2 Garmin 93SV's and Livescope. I was watching your older video on using the GMS10 for networking this setup however after watching this one, can I skip the GMS10 and just use the NMEA 2000 and then will the Livescope also go into the T as well as the units or does the NMEA read the Livescope from one plugged in unit through the T connector?

[@MGMarineTech]

No!!!!! Lol The NMEA network will not share any of that type of data. To share waypoints, maps, transducers, livescope etc you will need to follow my other video. This is just for adding external sensors and devices that run on the NMEA 2000 network. The gls10 black box doesn’t even have NMEA 2000 capabilities

[@charlesgriffith9856]

@@MGMarineTech Thank you, I got it down now.

[@timexum743]

Can you plug the steady cast directly into your graph ?

[@MGMarineTech]

no you can not. You MUST have a NMEA 2000 "backbone" I sell kits at MGmarinetech.com and even have steady cast bundles with everything that you would need. Thanks

[@timexum743]

@@MGMarineTech thanks for the fast reply. Is the steady cast bundle new or used? How much?

[@timexum743]

I see the bundle. So I can plug the steady cast to the drop in on the T then the nmea cord to the end of the T then to my graph? Or do you still have to run a power cord to the T? The power from the graph is not sufficient to power the steady cast? Hope this question makes sense .

[@MGMarineTech]

@@timexum743this video shows you all the connections that are mandatory. There is a t for each device and power. So 1 for the screen 1 for the sensor 1 for power

[@cowboysnation1594]

I’m not getting oil psi and water psi gauges on my garmin.

[@ClearviewOutdoors]

Finely!!! Now I think I get it,Just have a question, I’m running two 93sv’s at the console joined by a cable that allows the use of one transducer, will I still have to have a dropper cable from both units for the heading sensor to work on both?

[@MGMarineTech]

Unfortunately yes. Each screen that you want to see a device has to have a dropper cable. That was covered in the video as well, it was just towards the end.

[@ClearviewOutdoors]

Yeah at 1:38 you mentioned about if we had three screens then would need separate cables, just wanted to be sure, was just thinking sense they shared a cable already that it might work or hoping I guess lol, thanks for all the info and your videos, they have helped me tremendously!!!

[@MGMarineTech]

@@ClearviewOutdoors yeah I originally thought the same thing. But that’s not the case with the two networks. Each screen that you want to read the data from a device needs a dropper.

[@edyork502]

If you have the t connector with power going to it at the console say to a accessory switch can you extend it to the two t connectors at bow with the 15ft cord? Will I lose voltage that way?

[@MGMarineTech]

The NMEA network only needs to be powered in 1 spot. Why do you want to power it towards the front of the boat?

[@edyork502]

@@MGMarineTech I figured it out I have it powered at the console so then I can turn it on and off don’t want to drain batteries with constant power going to it.All I have hooked to nmea is elitefs 9 and ghost trolling motor so I can have 360 ghost.

[@boonvang708]

So I can't just hookup a steady cast into the garmin nema port???

[@MGMarineTech]

No, a NMEA 2000 “backbone” is required.

[@MihovTV]

How to connect a fuel gauge to show fuel level ? Thanks

[@MGMarineTech]

You will either have to have a fuel level sensor that is NMEA compatible and then hook it up to the backbone, Or already have a NMEA compatible smart gauges

[@MihovTV]

@@MGMarineTech just bought a convertor NMEA 2000 from analog to digital signal. I hope it will works.

[@0013619511]

The backbone carries the 12 volts to all devices connected

[@MGMarineTech]

For devices that are designed to be powered from the backbone. Screens are not powered from the nmea backbone

[@mikejmardis]

You can’t use hdmi to impose info to a separate screen?

[@MGMarineTech]

Some units have HDMI out and in. So you can share your screen to a TV or bring in a media player. But to to share things like transducers and livescope to other units you can simply network them. My network video will show you all you need to know about it.

[@mikejmardis]

@@MGMarineTech so, with hdmi, you can display all info on a monitor/tv from your mfd/msd; just not have control over it? Correct?

[@mikeshotwell795]

Shouldn't the NMEA 2k power be on a switch?

[@MGMarineTech]

You could do that yes

[@navispeed1398]

Excellent explanation! Thanks! New subscriber here!

[@livingthedream29]

Great explanation! Can the power cable be spliced into 10ga marine power wire ran back to the starting battery?

[@MGMarineTech]

As long as it’s “12v” you should be good

[@livingthedream29]

Yes. Any idea if I can run that to a circuit breaker? If so what amperage?

[@andychavez5737]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

[@JohnBraman413]

watched garmin youtube video on installation and the dude said you can't have cables longer than 6m long. what if you need a longer cable lenght?

[@MGMarineTech]

Which cables are you referring to?

[@JohnBraman413]

@@MGMarineTech would be a backbone cable running to equipment farther away.

[@MGMarineTech]

@@JohnBraman413 here is all the info you should need. I learned something new as well! support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=YAVjvOOkeh5TQIzXrUw0Y7

[@paulleadingham]

Great information. Thanks a bunch!

[@DoubleTFishing]

Very informative, thanks for sharing!!!

[@thesuckyfisherman4563]

Thanks for making the video. It helped.👍🏻

[@casey2562]

We cant just plug it into the GMS 10 hub???

[@MGMarineTech]

Plug the steady cast into the gms10?? No, there’s no place to plug a nmea device into the gms10 hub.

[@casey2562]

@@MGMarineTech Bummer! Thanks

[@theadventuresofj9791]

Can you share waypoints and other data through nmea?

[@MGMarineTech]

No waypoints are shared via the garmin marine network (Ethernet cable)

[@Wishard_Wire_Co]

Great explanation

[@markbutcher2734]

Can you please take this one step further and show how to connect to the Pro XS for engine information in the Garmin. That would be awesome. Great content I subbed!

[@MGMarineTech]

Hey mark! Thanks for watching. I plan to do that in the future, so stay tuned

[@markbutcher2734]

@@MGMarineTech Awesome thanks!!

[@ronniependley1016]

Great video and that is a bummer that we will have to run one to each graph for the steady cast

[@avan2620]

Thank you!

[@theluckystrike6371]

😅 👍🏻👍🏻

[@petedude2lu3]

all you did is talk and show connectors. where is the interface? overview of assembly? you dodnt assemblr anything

[@MGMarineTech]

You must not be watching the same video I’m watching right now… I show exactly how to build a nmea 2000 network… it’s a very basic example but it give plenty of information for how to do this for your particular instal..

[@MarenArnell]

54597 McDermott Estates

[@sysublime5091]

Raymarine devices dont talk to Garmin devices.