Installing weather on 330 express (furuno vx2)

[grady33]

Purchased a used BBWX1 unit and plan to install on my 2006 Grady 330 express. I also purchased a splitter since the boat already has Sirius radio. Was going to use the same antenna. However, I was told that it might be a pain to run the wire to the BBWX1 and I may be better off adding a 2nd antenna on hardtop. Anyone have the same boat or have Installed on this type boat before? I also have no idea where the Network hub is located. I'm thinking behind the fuse panel or under electronics station? Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[wspitler]

If you are refering to an NMEA 2000 network hub that is installed aftermarket and not by Grady so it may not be standard. I put my network hub behind my gauges and another branch of NMEA T-connectors in the electronics box overhead. Plenty of room in the 330, but the area behind the circuit breaker panel gets a bit crowded.

 

[grady33]

Thanks. Did you have to remove the electronics box to do the install? Does it just lift off? Have looked behind the panel yet so could be there.

 

[wspitler]

I have the primary network behind the Command Link gauges, next to the secondary command link hub, primary command link is starboard aft near the generator. All you have to do is pull the gauge panel and look behind the gauges. As for the electronics box, I was refering to the overhead box that opens with hinges where most people put their VHF-FM above the helm. I put a secondary branch of the NMEA 2000 network there for the VHF-FM DSC link. That's for the NMEA 2000 network only. I'm not sure if there is a coax network hub. The only system component I can find is the A-B switch near the DVD/TV.

 

[grady33]

Well it would have been a royal pain to try and splice to the Sirius aentenna at the front of the boat so we opted to install another Sirius aentenna on hardtop above the upper right box. Far easier to feed the wire down. We put the BBWX1 unit behind the main panel and connected power to main fuse box under the electronics box.

Since our hub only seems to have 4 connections and they are all being used, were going to connect to the second vx2 unit directly which is the unit we have the cmap software on.

Question - the bbwx1 power cable had a ground but it didn't look like the other units were connecting ground. We conclude the boat or the panel was grounded and therefore we didn't need to connect it. Does this sound right?