Yamaha Digital Guages excepting GPS Speed?

[Salinity Now]

My last boat had the newer Command Link gauges and I changed the input to GPS speed vs motor pick up for better trip odometer calculations and accurate fuel economy readings.

Does anyone know if you can input GPS speed via NEMA to the older Yamaha Digital Guages? (2001 OX250's)? Mine typically show incorrect speed anyway from the motor pick up.

Im redoing the dash on my 265 with a Garmin 4210, would love any additional tips about NEMA compatiable info that I may be able to inteface, I know these older motors dont have as much fancy options as the newer ones, but the info the better!!

 

[seasick]

I don't think so. It's funny though, my yami speedo readings and my GPS are closer than I would have expected.

 

[georgemjr]

I'm not sure about the older ones but would recommend speaking with Andy Munuo from SIMS (Shipyard Island Marine). He is extremely knowledgeable about this. I made this exact connection to newer command link yesterday, but wasn't sure which wires to connect. I called Yamaha and was told unequivically, that it can not be done (with the newer command link). After insisting that I thought it could and asking to speak with a different technician, I was told no, it couldn't be done, and I would be called back - which I never was. Point is, Yamaha was not only unhelpful, but completely wrong. I did a quick internet search (which returned many responses by Andy), and downloaded the owners manual. Between the two, I made the connection and it works perfectly. Yamaha couldn't have been worse to deal with, Andy couldn't be better. In my searches, I did see a schematic for the older gauges showing the "dipswitches" in the back and the last one was for GPS, so my initial thought is it is possible...

 

[Parthery]

If you switch your speedo out for the fuel management / speedo combo gauge, then you can connect it to your GPS via NMEA and get your speedo info that way.

 

[seasick]

The more I think about this post, the maore I ask..Why?
Just display the speed on your GPS.

 

[Doc Stressor]

Because the gauge uses the input mph to calculate miles per gallon.

The water intake for the Yamaha guage often gets at least partially blocked by weeds and is not accurate.

 

[Salinity Now]

Exactly Doc, it's not just the number I care a about (speed at x time I look at it) it's the trip computer (easiest way to keep track, I'll read up more on new Garmin, but still very handy to javelin gauges) and also Fuel Economy, it's not gonna keep the boat from floating or not, just very handy to have working. I had it on my last rig, got very use to the convienance of it, so I'm sure there has got to be a way to get on these, the diagram lists it as an install option, but very vague.

 

[seasick]

Because the gauge uses the input mph to calculate miles per gallon.

The water intake for the Yamaha guage often gets at least partially blocked by weeds and is not accurate.

OK, I undestand now

 

[Doc Stressor]

If you Google "connecting gps to Yamaha speed gauge", you will find lots of posts on this topic.

I'm pretty sure that the older round gauges can be connected via NEMA 0183 just like the square ones. I don't know if the wire color code and the dip switch setting is the same, however.

I'll second the recommendation to contact Andy at Ship Island Marina. The guys knows everything about Yamahas and he is very helpful.

I just did a search on this site and came up with this info:

http://www.greatgrady.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9037&start=0

 

[Salinity Now]

Just to follow up on this, finally got it to work:



Peeled off the insulation (on that RCA connector/jumper that runs from Speedo Guage to Fuel Management Guage) about halfway inbetween, found the white wire, cut it and spliced it into my GPS NEMA output wire (FROM GPS going TO white wire plugging into Fuel Management side of RCA cable) I still had to have the RCA cable plugged in to the Speedo gauge, but I absolutely had to change the DIP switches to GPS on the fuel management guage, with out DIPs being switched correctly that white wire was actually outputting 12volts (coming FROM Fuel Management Guage, once I changed DIPs to GPS vs Speedo, voltage went away and it worked as it should, another note, I tried to get it to work with out plugging in the Speedo side of the existing RCA cable (where now the white wire is leading from/to no where) but it didnt work, whatever those red/black cables are doing on that RCA cable (red/black/white is all of it) they are supplying some sort of power to the Fuel Management gauge.



Long and short, its working like a charm, granted I noticed this weekend as I was running offshore plowing into bigger waves and having my speed (GPS) change frequently, the economy function was varying alot more than usual, but when she was cruising comfortably at steady speeds it was giving me a steady economy, so Im happy about that.



One last question, if my speedo is in knots, my GPS NEMA output speed is in knots, is it safe to assume my fuel economy is displaying nautical miles per gallon and not statute? (Only reason I say this, Im a pesimist lately and could see Yamaha reading fuel economy in statute mpg just to make the number look bigger)

 

[Doc Stressor]

I'm pretty sure that the gauge is just receiving a digital numeric output from the GPS. It wouldn't know if that was nautical miles or statute miles per hour.

 

[georgemjr]

I am able to choose knots or mph on the gauge itself, irrelevant of what I am displaying on the gps. I use knots on the gps and mph on the fuel gauge. This is with the newer square gauges, so I do not know if it is the same with yours...

 

[Salinity Now]

Yeah I liked that function on the command link gauges, you could chose either or very easily, heck it even defaulted to speed through water if the GPS is not on or not coming through (you'll notice the command link even say GPS when theyre receiving the signal)

Even still, Im just alittle on the negative side lately (too many bad variables.....with engine parts etc) so I could see Yamaha making all thier calcs in statute vs nautical, regardless of input.......but Im probably just over thinking it!!

Either way Im glad I got it to work.