Engine Interface Yamaha Command Link - Lowrance - The Hull Truth

jarb · 08-24-2010, 11:16 AM

I have a Yamaha F150 with Command Link instruments and a Lowrance LMS-522 plotter. I want to have the engine data to the plotter. According to my local dealer after contact with Lowrance in Sweden all I needed was the inteface cable with art no 120-37 and connect it between the command link hub and the plotter and the engine data would show up in the plotter. When I got the cable I noticed that it has a male connector in the plotter end and the connector in the plotter is also a male. This means the the plotter and cable cannot be connected and i suspect that the cable is intended to be connected to a NMEA2000 network. I dont have such a network and dont want to build one if dont have to. My dealer has been in contact with Lowrance Sweden again but they dont seem to know much about it. Is it possible to connect the plotter directly to the command link hub and what do I need to do this?

yachtjim · 08-24-2010, 08:29 PM

You will need a nmea2000 network to use the cable you have - http://www.boemarine.com/Products/124-69/Default.aspx

Alternatively you can get one of these and connect directly to your Command Link Hub - http://www.boemarine.com/Products/MARE-002/Default.aspx

jarb · 08-25-2010, 05:05 AM

Thank You very much for Your answer. I will go for the network and my local dealer here in Sweden is giving me a very good price on the parts i need to make it work.

jarb · 09-30-2010, 01:59 PM

I have now installed my NMEA-2000 network and engine interface and I get all the data I had expected. But there is a thing that is very strange. The plotter is powered via the house battery and the engine and instruments is powered by the starting battery. As soon as I switch on the house battery the Command Link instruments starts and there is no way to stop them but to disconnect the network, having the plotter or ignition on or off doesnt matter, as soon as the house battery-switch is on the instruments is on. Earlier the instruments started when I turned on the ignition and that is the way I want it. To me it looks like the network somehow back-powers the instruments. Can this be fixed?

yachtjim · 09-30-2010, 07:20 PM

Do you have Command Link Gauges. Sounds like you do. You are feeding power back into your instruments with the NMEA 2000 adapter cable. Did your dealer get you the MARE-002 or 003?

jarb · 10-01-2010, 01:45 AM

Yes, it is the Command Link gauges and I went with the Lowrance NMEA starter network kit and stayed with the Lowrance engine interface since my local dealer here in Sweden dont sell Maretrons products. The network looks like this: I have two T-connectors terminated with 120 ohm in each end, the plotter is connected to one of the T's and the engine interface to the other. Thank You very much for your interest in this yachtjim

divefreak · 10-01-2010, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarb

Yes, it is the Command Link gauges and I went with the Lowrance NMEA starter network kit and stayed with the Lowrance engine interface since my local dealer here in Sweden dont sell Maretrons products. The network looks like this: I have two T-connectors terminated with 120 ohm in each end, the plotter is connected to one of the T's and the engine interface to the other. Thank You very much for your interest in this yachtjim

Sorry for jumping in...

i would try to remove the NMEA2k powerkable from the bus and see what happens.

looks like the Yam gauges feed the bus with power too

or you need to connect the nmea2k power cabel to the 12+ switched by the ignition switch

jarb · 10-01-2010, 05:14 AM

Thank You jumping in divefreak, anything that makes me solve this is valuable information

I am not using the the NMEA power cable at all since my dealer said I dont need it, and apparently I dont since I am powered all the time through the plotter. I wonder what happens if I cut the red wire on the engine interface? My thought is that the network will be powered by the plotter but not the instruments until I turn on the ignition..

I am heading out to the boat right now and one thing that hit me this morning is that I used the T-connectors from the network kit but there was a another one together with the interface, maybe they are not similar? I will swith them and see what happens.

yachtjim · 10-01-2010, 04:54 PM

The T connectors are all standard so it should not be a problem. The new HDS units do not put power onto the network so I don't think cutting the red would help. However, if power is being backfed into the system that is literally the only source for that power, so maybe it will work to cut it. Good luck.

jarb · 10-02-2010, 11:12 AM

You were right there yachtjim, the T-connector that came with the engine interface was exactly the same as the ones with the network kit. However what cured the problem was cutting off the red wire in the engine interface. After I did that the gauges are turned on only by the ignition key but I still get all data transfered to the plotter.

Another thing I have started to think about is if it is such a good idea to have different powersources for the plotter/NMEA-network and the Command Link and engine. Somehow they are connected since they share data but could having different power sources for them harm the system in any way since the voltage could differ depending on the charge level for the different batteries?

Thank You very much for Your answers and support in this!

divefreak · 10-02-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarb

Thank You jumping in divefreak, anything that makes me solve this is valuable information

I am not using the the NMEA power cable at all since my dealer said I dont need it, and apparently I dont since I am powered all the time through the plotter. I wonder what happens if I cut the red wire on the engine interface? My thought is that the network will be powered by the plotter but not the instruments until I turn on the ignition..

I am heading out to the boat right now and one thing that hit me this morning is that I used the T-connectors from the network kit but there was a another one together with the interface, maybe they are not similar? I will swith them and see what happens.

the lms should have the old style powerconnection with 3 cables. 1. Power for the unit, NMEA 1083 and NMEA2k Power.... cause the old blue network had no powercableon the bus.

but since you´ve fixed your problem with cutting the power connection from the interface... leave it as it is.

Don´t know how many N2k componets you have in your network....