Topic: Precision GPS and PRecision GPS w HS communication protocol

[diver651]

Hi All,
I was a frequent visitor, poster here a number of years ago, but drifted away as a result of an accident. I am now trying to get back to some of the things I was doing with my Humminbird and am running into some roadblocks.

Does anyone know what communication protocol the current precision GPS and precision GPS with heading sensor pucks use when talking to the Humminbird units?

I used to have a GRHA that I used with a mapping program on my lapto via NMEA-0183 Ver2.?. Unfortunately it (along with the whole set-up) was lost in an accident. Trying the same set-up with a precision GPS with heading sensor, the software will not recognize the GPS. It works with an older GR50 GPS puck and a GR16. Unfortunately the stability of the cordinates are not as good with htem as the GRHA was.

At the time I had the GRHA, I tried using the NMEA output from teh H-bird, but found the update speed very slow versus using the puck directly. Any chance someone knows if that output has been sped up with newer firmware versions? I am now using an 1198. I thought I might ask that as well before I solder up a connector on the GPS pigtail.

Thanks in advance for any insight you might be able to provide.

Mike

[ITGEEK]

Hi Mike,
Glad to see you're back.
I think the heading sensor is the newest model GPS, so
you might want to apply the newest software update
to do any testing.
For the 1198, the newest update is:
1198C  (Version 7.510)
Release Date: 02/24/2015

Unfortunately, the GRHA gps is accurate to 1 meter, while the
heading sensor gps is only accurate to 2.5 meters.
This bums me out, because eventually I want to get a 360, and
it has to use the heading sensor gps.

Greg would probably know about the update speed for the output.
Good Luck

[diver651]

I am afriad I must not have posed my question well enough. My 1198 is pretty up to date, and the GPS puck will work fine with it. What does not work is trying to receive data directly from the newer GPS puck directly.

If anyone has a GRHA that they want to upgrade, I might be willing to trade a precision GPS with heading sensor for it!

[bobcoy]

Hi Mike,
Glad to see you're back.
I think the heading sensor is the newest model GPS, so
you might want to apply the newest software update
to do any testing.
For the 1198, the newest update is:
1198C  (Version 7.510)
Release Date: 02/24/2015

Unfortunately, the GRHA gps is accurate to 1 meter, while the
heading sensor gps is only accurate to 2.5 meters.
This bums me out, because eventually I want to get a 360, and
it has to use the heading sensor gps.

Greg would probably know about the update speed for the output.
Good Luck

Mike it is not a big deal to switch GPS selections on the network. I do it based on what kind of fishing I am doing at the time. Bob

[bobcoy]

I meant itgeek. Mike good luck finding someone to trade with. Mike,If you go to the HB site look under products-accessories-gps. Look at the details and download the manual. It should have what you need. Bob

[ITGEEK]

Yea,
I don't think you can get GRHA pucks anymore.
No one would want to give up the most accurate GPS
puck ever developed (for fishing sonars).

[bobcoy]

I added to my post

[diver651]

Thanks for your responses.

Unless I am missing it, I do not see any indication in the manual of what communication protocol the current GPS pucks use. Only a statement indicating a certain firmware level required for them to work with the different Humminbird models.

I can understand someone not wanting to give up a GRHA if they use the accuracy, but I was hoping there might be someone out there where the extra few feet of accuracy was of less value than a GPS with heading sensor!

Anybody willing to loan one for a weekend?

I will keep looking for an alternate unit and trying to figure out what the protocol might be the new GPS pucks use to send the GPS and heading data to the units.

Hopefully one of the H-bird guys might let me know.

[bobcoy]

So NMEA 0183 does not help you out? And I take it you have an updated unit with at least the minimum release for the heading sensor puck(6.570 or higher).  . I am sure you read all the baud rate stipulations in the manual also. Then HB will probably be your next choice. Bob

[rnvinc]

Greg has been covered up in training lately ...(he does know a bunch about the GPS stuff) ...

You might call HB and ask your question ...

Rickie

[Bob B]

I have had good luck getting these kind of questions answered via an email to them also ..... just depends on how much of a hurry you are in.

[bobcoy]

Diver, NMEA 0183 specifies all the details you could possibly need. Try Googling it. Bob

[diver651]

Bobcoy,

Thank you for your continued suggestions. I am not using the GPS puck with a Humminbird unit, but as a stand-alone GPS receiver for my laptop. As a result I did not want to make the assumption that details related to NMEA output from the Humminbird unit when NMEA was turned on would also apply to the data from the GPS itself.

For anyone else that may be interested,

It took quite a bit of testing and even pulling a quite ancient laptop out of the archives (one that actually has a serial port). It turns out there were two things preventing the current GPS with heading sensor from working the same as the older 50 channel GPS puck.

The first is that the newer GPS puck does not seem to communicate at slower baud rates that the older 50 and 16 channel receivers do. If I was using this in conjunction with my 1198 the comments in the manual about baud rate may have provided some more insight, but the manual alone does not expand on the matter. Once I was able to get the newer puck to "talk" to the older computer over the actual serial port, I was able to focus on why it would not work with the setup I had started with.

Initially I had attempted to get the GPS to talk to the program on a computer that has no physical serial port using my trusty serial to USB converter trying each of the possible baud rates. That was unsuccessful with the newer puck but the older pucks worked fine at a number of baud rates, which is why my original post was made.

I cannot prove it, but it looks like there is either a flaw or issue with the serial to USB converter I was using to start with. The newer puck simply will not communicate through it properly even though then comm lights appear to indicate good communication and the unit works with the older pucks at lower baud rates. A different converter seems to work as it should at the baud rates the physical serial port was successful at. I have never had any issues with the first converter in many years of use, so am not sure if the issue is a recent development or specific to the information being transferred.

I guess I can keep on with using stuff in ways it was not meant to be used!

I am still on the hunt for a replacement GRHA if anyone just happens to know of anyone willing to part with one.

[bobcoy]

Glad you got it working. Hope you have luck finding the GRHA. Bob

[Bob B]

Glad you got it working .... I have had problems with those USB to serial converters also .... Seems like sometimes they work fine for some things and not for others..... I have even had them cause computer lock ups.

I used to have a list of ones to use and ones to not use ... but I have lost it.