Topic: 798CI HD SI to connect on the water with AutoChart Pro

[Conrad_Turbo]

I am just getting ready for the fishing season this year and have manged to pick up a $10 laptop that I don't mind getting damaged if water gets splashed on it.   

So I'd like to do some real time mapping.  The 798CI HD SI manual recommends the AS PC2 cable.
http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-PC2/

However the Autochart manual recommends AS PC3 for units that have internal GPS.
http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-PC3/

Last year I accidentally bought an AS-HHGPS cable instead.
http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-HHGPS/

So can I use the existing cable I have and wire in a DB9 Connector to the end (which should make it the same as the AS-PC2)?  If so what would the wiring layout be?

WIRE COLOR - FUNCTION - DB9 PIN CONNECTION
Red - 12V Power - No connection
Black - Ground - Pin 5?
Green - NMEA Input - Pin 3?
White - NMEA Output - Pin 2?

[rnvinc]

HB may be able to help with this ...

Here is info for international ...

http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/Main.aspx?id=127

Rickie

[Conrad_Turbo]

HB may be able to help with this ...

Here is info for international ...

http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/Main.aspx?id=127

Rickie

Thanks Rickie, I actually sent Humminbird an email shortly after my first post.  I did have the wrong cable...I needed to go with the AS EC CHART and AS EC QDE.

http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-EC-CHART/
http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-EC-QDE/

QDE was easy to find locally, however nobody local stocks the CHART cable; Cabelas, Wholesale Sports, Fishing Hole...  I can order order it but jeez it'd be so easy to cut the end off the QDE cable and put an ethernet jack on it.  However I don't know the pin outs...  Anyone know?

[Beaulieu80]

Hey bud,

i have all the cables to connect my 798 hd si di.... to my laptop and auto chart pc std.

you cannot do auto chart live kind of thing..  it does not auto build the map as we see from the helix 9 or Onix unit does on videos.

maybe i was doing something wrong during the LIVE DATA but anyway.. Just a reminder that from the help document it say LIVE DATA and not LIVE AUTO CHART

have fun

[Beaulieu80]

you have listed the two cables I use and work great. you may need to go under the unit menu to activate the data transfert to the cable.  and couple of AutoChart PC setup also

look at the documentation from the AutoChart PC, it as basic details of how to make it "work" not to make to be like a pro user. documentation is not that great

Hey bud,

i have all the cables to connect my 798 hd si di.... to my laptop and auto chart pc std.

you cannot do auto chart live kind of thing..  it does not auto build the map as we see from the helix 9 or Onix unit does on videos.

maybe i was doing something wrong during the LIVE DATA but anyway.. Just a reminder that from the help document it say LIVE DATA and not LIVE AUTO CHART

have fun

[Conrad_Turbo]

Hey bud,

i have all the cables to connect my 798 hd si di.... to my laptop and auto chart pc std.

you cannot do auto chart live kind of thing..  it does not auto build the map as we see from the helix 9 or Onix unit does on videos.

maybe i was doing something wrong during the LIVE DATA but anyway.. Just a reminder that from the help document it say LIVE DATA and not LIVE AUTO CHART

have fun

Whaaaa?  What's the point of connecting a laptop then?  Just a bigger screen to view what's already on the fish finder screen?  I thought it was to build the maps in real time on a laptop that had the processing power that the 798 doesn't?  That'd be a bummer if it didn't.

I just chatted with a buddy of mine (electronics engineer) and I'm cutting the end of the cable and there are only two wiring options to adding a RJ45 plug if the fish finder doesn't have auto-negotiation.  So at worst case scenario is the first connector I crimp is wrong and I just have to recrimp it with the other configuration.  That'll save me from having to buy a $75 cable that I can't get locally!

Edit:  Just found this goldmine.

http://forums.sideimagingsoft.com/index.php?topic=2896.0

[Conrad_Turbo]

I found the Autochart manual:

http://www.humminbird.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=5727

On sheet 12 it states this:

4. Set up to use Live Data (Optional, ON-THE-WATER OPERATION ONLY)
If you connect your Humminbird unit to your PC (on the water), AutoChart will display maps in real time.  If you are not going to use AutoChart live on your boat, you can skip this section and proceed to Planning your Map.

You can use Ethernet or NMEA 0183 to create live data connection between your control head and your PC.  The majority of Humminbird control heads will use Ethernet.  If you have a Humminbird control head that does not include Ethernet (such as the 600ci Series), use NMEA 0183.

Ethernet Connection: AutoChart will receive GPS and sonar data to make a depth map in real time.  If you have the AutoChart PRO version, it will also provide bottom hardness, Side Imaging Mosaic, and 360 Imaging Mosaic.

Not that it should matter in this case, but I am running AutoChart Pro v1.0.

[D S]

Conrad what is your goal?
if you  want to see live data on the boat u can hook up with nema or Ethernet ...but it will display on laptop pc only(on boat)
you will s till need to process file  on  pc autocharts program and then export to zerolines card to see it on 798.
from experience I would record data to a  blank sd card ......
fish/map whatever then process the data later at home  and write to zerolines card for use on 798
reason is most laptops are almost useless on the boat due to the surrounding glare.
send me a message if you need additional help
DS

[Conrad_Turbo]

Conrad what is your goal?
if you  want to see live data on the boat u can hook up with nema or Ethernet ...but it will display on laptop pc only(on boat)
you will s till need to process file  on  pc autocharts program and then export to zerolines card to see it on 798.
from experience I would record data to a  blank sd card ......
fish/map whatever then process the data later at home  and write to zerolines card for use on 798
reason is most laptops are almost useless on the boat due to the surrounding glare.
send me a message if you need additional help
DS

End goal would be to take the boat to a new area and quickly map it out and end up using the laptop for mapping on that trip.  Then after heading back to the home/cabin we could take all that data and load it into the zerolines card to have it on the 798 for the next trip out.  This would save me a trip of just driving around mapping...and not really knowing the area until I get back to the home/cabin and process it.

Most of the fishing I do is in the evening, so early evening I could see glare being an issue...but later in the evening it shouldn't be too bad I'd think.

I've cut the cable, did a beep test on the wiring and it doesn't jive with that link I posted...  So I am not 100% sure about the wiring just yet before I crimp it.  Worst case is I'd have to do it again.

[Beaulieu80]

your old laptop should have a ethernet hole on the back or side.

the two cables you have should work as it is for me.

before cutting any wire. give a try at home with demo mode or so.

but you will end to same sadness as me. Worst, the LIVE DATA is not stored as a HT file on the laptop. Ill give another try this summer

[Conrad_Turbo]

your old laptop should have a ethernet hole on the back or side.

the two cables you have should work as it is for me.

before cutting any wire. give a try at home with demo mode or so.

but you will end to same sadness as me. Worst, the LIVE DATA is not stored as a HT file on the laptop. Ill give another try this summer

Yep it has an ethernet jack on the back of the laptop.

I did a continuity test to determine the pin connections between the Humminbird connector and the M12 male connector on the AS-EC-QDE cable.  Then I found a wiring diagram for a commercially available ethernet cable, M12 female connector to RG45.

https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=1407444&library=usen&pdfmode=direct&pdflanguage=en

Long story short it seems the goldmine link I posted has the wiring actually reversed with the T568A wiring scheme.  After working my way through the cable all that needs to be done is the cable has to be cut, and the cable to be terminated with the RG45 connector with a T568B wiring scheme.



I'm going to see about getting this done in the next day or two and see if I can get it connected to my laptop.  Also have to redo the transducer mount as the Humminbird suction cup that I bought didn't last one season.    I have my fishfinder setup super easy to swap between my boat and my brother-in-law's boat, otherwise I'd hard mount it.  Time to attach a hard mount to each boat now, but I digress...

I'd assume if the live data isn't stored on the laptop, you could set the fish finder to store the data to an SD card as you'd normally do without the laptop?

[Beaulieu80]

there is a kit on home depot with the tool included to make the connector fit the wires easily, 6$ i think

[Conrad_Turbo]

there is a kit on home depot with the tool included to make the connector fit the wires easily, 6$ i think

I've run thousands of feet of CAT6 cable throughout my house and shop over the last year alone, I've got the tool and a pile of connectors in a drawer.  However I definitely paid more than $6 IIRC.  The regular CAT cable is easy to terminate, it's the "direct burial" cables that are a PITA. 

[Conrad_Turbo]

Well that was easy and saved me $75...  Snip, strip and crimp to T568B RJ45 pinout wiring and it connects to the software.  Now to do some reading before I'm on the water this weekend!