ETR-6/10N Sounder not reading GPS or Radar

[Anonymous]

I have a ETR-6/10N Network Sounder hooked up to my Navnet VX2. I just did a major overhaul on my boat, removing all the electronics, wiring, motors, fuel tanks, ect.
Its all back together and everything is working except for the Sounder.
I was having intermittent problems before the overhaul while fishing, where it wouldn't work most of the time but would randomly start working, then stop working. I thought it was a low voltage problem because I had an alternator going out on the battery that ran the electronics.
The module led indicator light will blink for 3 minutes and then stopping with a solid green light as indicated in the manual as its not reading the gps or radar, while the gps and radar are both on.
What do I need to look for to troubleshoot this problem. The only thing I can think of is maybe a bad network cable or bad connections in the network cable ends?
Thank you for any help.
CaptJeff

 

[Johnny Electron]

I agree, it sounds like a bad network cable connection, the combination of cables used, or the hub. When networking you always need a odd number of cross over connections to allow the units to speak. Normally if doing a direct connection between to devices this is a simple cross over cable that crosses the send and receive lines so the send on one unit goes into the receive on the other. When using a hub, the hub does a cross over so the cables used are normally straight cables. This way the units go straight into the hub and the hub makes the necessary cross over so they can talk. If you had say a cross over cable on the sounder and a straight cable on the MFD, it would look like this.

MFD----- MFD cable(straight)----HUB(cross) ----sounder cable(Cross) ----Sounder

When you cross then then "Uncross" you now have an entire straight connection.
That would result in the units transmit going into the other units transmit lines. (not going to talk that way)

If you get a hub that has auto sensing ports then the hub will always ensure the units talk regardless of what cable combinations used.

With all that said, your sounder is indicating that it doesn't see any NavNet at all. So this isn't a setting issue at this point, it is a cabling issue or the network card in one of the two units. The cabling is the most likely cause.