Control head installation options

[johnhcarter]

I preparing to install a 711C and need to know is I can connect the flybridge control head to and existing NMEA 2000 backbone. I can connect the salon control head directly to the main box but the route to the flybridge is somewhat challenging. Can I use the existing network cable on the flybridge to wire in the flybridge autopilot control head?

 

[Kraken]

The control heads need to be connected directly to the processor. They are not NMEA2000. You can either daisy chain the control heads or you can connect up to 2 directly to the processor.

 

[Sparky Wire]

Each control line must be terminated with the provided terminator. Never leave the second connector of the control head open. It should have two cables (going to the next in the chain) or a cable and a terminator.

 

[Quitsa]

By way of clarification, note that the NMNEA 2000 connection for the autopilot is made from the processor. The control heads each connect to the processor and have access to NMEA 2000 data. But the 711C is not like some other autopilot systems that use NMEA to connect the control heads.

However, note that once you have made the NMEA 2000 connection to the processor a Furuno MFD will be able to control the autopilot too. It would have been a big undertaking to run a new cable from a control head at my tower helm. Instead I use the TZT 10X MFD up there to control the autopilot.

We looked into using an existing NMEA 2000 cable for a control head. There are six wires in the Furuno cable for the control head and only five ina NMEA 2000 cable. It might have been possible to reuse the cable with a little creativity by suppling a separate ground but we decided it wasn't worth the risk.