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Random Quote: Work hard, play hard, catch fish.....or tell lies
Ok, here's the deal. Just bought boat in Oct. I think GP-30 is model # of Furuno GPS mounted in console storage box. Connected to Furuno ext antenna on t-top. Think model of antenna is GP-017. This GPS is non-WAAS and I also want a chartplotter based on going to unfamiliar territory. Right now can't justify the Furuno 1650 or 1850, also like Standard 150c and 170c but again can't justify that cost right now with other work I have to do on the boat before spring. Soo......
I have been eyeing the Garmin 176c. Thought I could mount it on top of the console and with internal antenna it would prevent me from having to run more wires for ext antenna thru t-top. But just the other day I noticed that it appears the antenna on 176c is removable and the connector is BNC. Wondering if I can mount the 176 in place of the furuno and connect it to the furuno antenna??????
I seriously doubt that the Garmin 176 will operate with the Furuno antenna. However, the 176 has quite a few antenna options including a short stub that is about equivalent to an internal antenna. Why don't you try that first and just forget the old Furuno antenna. If it does not work, you will probably have to replace the Furuno with the equivalent Garmin external.
Yeah Gil, the short stub one is the one I'm talking about, it's just called internal. But I would'nt want to mount it in the storage hole like the current furuno, I would think on top of the console would be best for the "built in" antenna. But again I noticed in the manual that the "stub" as you called it looks removable and it is BNC connector that it uses.... i looked at the scematic for the antenna at furuno but that gave me no clue if it would work with garmin.... lol
Was just curious if others had tried to mix brand of antenna and gps. It's not that expensive to get the external garmin antenna to replace the furuno its just the running the wire from console to top to mount that would be a pain in the *ss. I wonder also though if I do need the garmin external could i still use the same cable?
I've had the same thought and asked the same question. I have a 182C with an internal, my arch has a GP31 external mounted on it with the cable already routed down. No one had a good answer so next trip down I will try it and see
HydroMan, your pictures certainly show your problem.
If it were me, I would try the following:
1) Plug the Furuno BNC cable into the 176 and see what happens. I seriously doubt that you will damage anything and it might just work. All of the Garmin front-end electronics are built into the 176 and not part of the GPS Antenna. That's why it can handle a range of different antennas, and the Furuno antenna might just work as an alternate.
2) If that doesn't work, then I would mechanically disconnect the Furuno antenna from your T-top and see how much RG-58 cable that you can pull from the pipes without too much stress on the cable. You only need about 6 inches. Cut off the Furuno antenna unit. Put a male BNC connector on the cut cable. Get a female to female BNC straight thru adaptor. Plug the Garmin external antenna into one side of the straight-thru and the cut-cable connector into the other and see if it works. You have way too much cable on the Garmin end, but you can always cut that back later and install a new BNC on the Garmin side. Yes, you can cut the Garmin cable, it is not length sensitive. Hopefully, that BNC assembly can be tucked back into the pipe. If it will, paint it up with liquid tape and do so. If it won't, then you will probably have to do a straight coax to coax splice and forget the BNC stuff.
Thanks Gil, I had all kinds of options running through my mind, turns out don't think I'll be needing them!
Picked up 176c from west marine by getting them to pricematch to $505. Just pulled old VHF and tape player this afternoon for upgrade. Remembered to check antenna right about sundown. Hooked up garmin to the furuno antenna and WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
It works!! Best signal I have gotten since I fired up the garmin... picked up WAAS for the first time!!!!!!!!!!
Great HydroMan, sure glad it worked. That was really an educated guess. When I saw all of the alternate antennas that Garmin provides for the 176, it certainly seemed worth the try.
Ok. Finshed Christmas, electronics upgrade! Rather than post pics again, here is link to another thread where I posted night pics of new stuff. After three days of wiring, best I could do was get shots after dark......
I was wondering about the compatability of GPS antenna. I was trying to buy a new maping unit that was advertsed and was hoping it would match up with my Garmin antenna assuming it just used a BNC connector. I did not want to rerun cable again.
Furuno GPS antenna Garmin GPS compatability
