- Joined
- Dec 16, 2003
- RO Number
- 12563
- Messages
- 529
I read an article in the most recent Soundings magazine about how few boaters have applied for and implemented an MMSI number. I have an MMSI number and I hadn't put it into my VHF radio. Time to do that.
My Icom radio has about 65 pages of instructions. One is devoted to inputting the MSI number and that page is missing one sentence. I figured that out after about 12 attempts. (Hint to Icom users. Turn the power off after adding the MMSI number).
Now it's time to get my Standard Horizon chart plotter to send my position info to the VHF in case I ever have to trip that red emergency switch. This wasn't easy. Icom provides little weenie wires that don't match the color codes on little weenie wires that Standard Horizon has. OK, I study both manuals and make the connection. But the wires provided by both manufacturers are really small, so small a gauge that it is almost impossible to strip them. But, on my back with a flashlight in my teeth, I manage to cut loose a few strands and connected everything up. Phew!
Not quite. I fired up the VHF and push "Pos" and I get a message that says, "no position." I check everything again and then dive into the Standard Horizon manual, deep into "advanced settings" area, which could use some work, in my opinion. Nothing there really instructive but I did check on the configuration for Port 2, the port I was using. Turns out that SI had pre-configured that port to handle data from a fishfinder. I adjusted that to NMEA 0183 specs and my position appeared on the Icon VHF.
Done. One hour and 15 minutes spent screwing around with little wires and poorly written instructions.
Seems to me it's time to get NMEA to standardize color codes and maybe even add a new connector at each device that would connect these various units with a minimum of owner interface. And beef up those tiny wires while you're at it.
What you have when you are finished is something that we all hope you'll never have to use. It is nice to know that it works, however.
Bill
My Icom radio has about 65 pages of instructions. One is devoted to inputting the MSI number and that page is missing one sentence. I figured that out after about 12 attempts. (Hint to Icom users. Turn the power off after adding the MMSI number).
Now it's time to get my Standard Horizon chart plotter to send my position info to the VHF in case I ever have to trip that red emergency switch. This wasn't easy. Icom provides little weenie wires that don't match the color codes on little weenie wires that Standard Horizon has. OK, I study both manuals and make the connection. But the wires provided by both manufacturers are really small, so small a gauge that it is almost impossible to strip them. But, on my back with a flashlight in my teeth, I manage to cut loose a few strands and connected everything up. Phew!
Not quite. I fired up the VHF and push "Pos" and I get a message that says, "no position." I check everything again and then dive into the Standard Horizon manual, deep into "advanced settings" area, which could use some work, in my opinion. Nothing there really instructive but I did check on the configuration for Port 2, the port I was using. Turns out that SI had pre-configured that port to handle data from a fishfinder. I adjusted that to NMEA 0183 specs and my position appeared on the Icon VHF.
Done. One hour and 15 minutes spent screwing around with little wires and poorly written instructions.
Seems to me it's time to get NMEA to standardize color codes and maybe even add a new connector at each device that would connect these various units with a minimum of owner interface. And beef up those tiny wires while you're at it.
What you have when you are finished is something that we all hope you'll never have to use. It is nice to know that it works, however.
Bill