VHF and GPS COMMUNICATION

Just when we thought all the dealer installments (read ‘screw-ups’)

had been fixed….

We found yet another one…

Our VHF radio has never communicated with our GPS,

meaning that before activating the DSC

we would have to enter our coordinates manually

and every 4 hours thereafter,

should there be an emergency.

Now whenever something doesn’t work we automatically think:

“OK what did they screw up this time?

Sure enough this is sadly becoming all too predictable

…a super hornet’s nest of wires and not just poor connections,

but wrong connections.

Helm access…

Below deck access…

…the only labelling was for a 7amp fuse (7A) on the original GPS wiring

and a piece of green masking tape with an ‘R’ which we had to assume

was for our future ‘radar’.

VHF access…

From the CPS Boat and Engine Maintenance course

we learned the troubleshooting methodology:

first check the obvious,

then check the easy,

check systemically,

make no erratic adjustments.

We hoped it was the wiring and the ‘obvious’ assumption was that this was another screw-up.

I remember insisting that whatever VHF radio the dealer installed,

that it would be able to communicate with our Raymarine GPS.

…so Francois hauled out both manuals,

then redrew the schematics.

This was the existing wiring….

This is what it should have looked like…

Temporary trial to make sure the thought process was correct…

Success!

Wiring all securely fused, wrapped and labelled.

All systems working as they should.