Can GP1971 share transducer?

[Ccc]

OK, I’ve given up on Mirroring to an iPad as my flybridge solution and ordered a 2nd GP1971 to install up there. Is it possible to use a splitter and share the transducer between both units? I understand that I can’t get the sounder image over NMEA.

Apologies if this has been covered, I didn’t find it.
Thanks.

 

[Johnny Electron]

No it isn't possible to share one transducer but you can put them both on the same NMEA 2000 network and share the water depth and other NavData. You can't have sounder work on both with one transducer. I wouldn't give up on mirroring. It works well. It would be best to call into support on a Thursday afternoon (slowest time) and ask a tech to get you through the step you are getting hung up on. It sounds like you would like to have the sounder at both locations and this is the lowest cost method of doing that.

 

[Ccc]

Thanks, Johnny.
Got mirroring to work on my phone yesterday. It was a little laggy and I lost connection once or twice going from inside to outside, so I’m biting the bullet and ordering the other 1971 unit. It will be nicer to have real hardware on the bridge anyway.
I couldn’t get the iPad to hotspot without a data plan attached to it, and the home WiFi router I tried had the same issue, so real marine electronics it is. Oh well.

Yes, now my issue is I’d like to have sounder image at both stations. Ideally without resorting to another hole in the boat for a 2nd xducer. (Yes, I want networked capability without the price tag…). Not sure if I’ll try to find a switch for the xducer cable, or just live with a depth number via NMEA.

 

[Johnny Electron]

As long as you turn off the units when switching, I believe Gemeco makes transducer switch boxes (like an A/B switch) that can be used but you must very careful not to switch live.

 

[Ccc]

That’s a very timely comment, I was just talking to tech support at Gemeco. Are you saying that even with their switch to keep the two units from ever being connected simultaneously I still run the risk of damaging a 1971 unit?

 

[Johnny Electron]

You should never connect or disconnect a load while a unit is powered on. You risk damaging our output.

 

[Ccc]

Johnny, I think I’ve decided to just connect these two 1971’s via NMEA 0183, since there’s no other NMEA 2k network on board, and wiring 0183 together seems simpler & cheaper if all I need to do is get depth data from one to the other. Can you give me a heads up on what connections to make between the two for this option? I think I have a good guess as to how it would go, but real info is always nice to start with.
Thanks!

 

[Johnny Electron]

Wiring them by 0183 would work to pass depth. You would take the transmit wires from the one using the sounder (White (+) and Blue (-)) over to the input of the one needing depth (Yellow (+) and Green (-)). Like this:

Sounder unit ------- Secondary unit

White (+) ------------------- Yellow (+)
Blue (-) ------------------- Green (-)

You would ensure the DEPTH 0183 sentence (DPT) is turned on to go out of the sounder unit and the "Select input device" for depth is set to 0183 on the secondary device.

 

[Ccc]

Beautiful - that’s even what I though you would say. Thanks!