Chartplotter/ smart craft questions

[Big Perm]

Hello all, new to the forums but have a few questions as I am trying to upgrade / add some stuff to my new to me 2006 240SD.

So I am looking into a chartplotter for the bigger lakes we take our boat to due to the channels getting confusing and getting a little lost from time to time. Currently I have Argo and navionics on my phone, but on the boat my phone gets hot and shuts down so I lose that ability.

I'm looking at adding a smart craft to nmea 2000 gateway and building a backbone so I can have the chartplotter to get the engine info and share the display. Also later down the road, I'll be replacing the head unit with a fusion radio so I'm looking at Garmin chartplotter seeing as how it's basically the same parent company and they work together on the N2K network. The main question is will my transducer ( mercury 8m6004808) that is already in the boat display depth on the Garmin chartplotter I choose seeing as how it's tied into the smart craft gauges? If it won't work on the chartplotter, can you display the depth on the gauge screen for the vessel view gauges? I won't use the side scanning or fish finding as we don't fish on this boat it's more of a pleasure boat.

The models I have been looking at are the gpsmap 7x2 plus and the gpsmap 7x3. I have Google searched these questions for a few days and I can't find a definitive answer so hopefully one of you fine folks could help me out.

 

[ttmott]

If the Garmin is "xsv" then reterminate the xdcr with a Garmin plug and you should be good to go for at least depth. If the xdcr is for scanning then the xsv really comes to life. Garmin has some documentation to terminate the wiring.

 

[Big Perm]

If the Garmin is "xsv" then reterminate the xdcr with a Garmin plug and you should be good to go for at least depth. If the xdcr is for scanning then the xsv really comes to life. Garmin has some documentation to terminate the wiring.

Thank you for fast reply!

So I looked up the part number, and it's for depth and temp of water. Let's say the unit comes with a thru hull transducer, around how much would a shop charge to put it in if it requires drilling a bigger hole? I could do the work, but if boat sinks I would rather the shop be responsible not me.

 

[ttmott]

Thank you for fast reply!

So I looked up the part number, and it's for depth and temp of water. Let's say the unit comes with a thru hull transducer, around how much would a shop charge to put it in if it requires drilling a bigger hole? I could do the work, but if boat sinks I would rather the shop be responsible not me.

Access to do the work is the big question. Installation is a piece of cake - eh, making a big hole a small one can be challenging. There are tons of videos and discussion in this forum on techniques and do/don'ts.

 

[Big Perm]

Access to do the work is the big question. Installation is a piece of cake - eh, making a big hole a small one can be challenging. There are tons of videos and discussion in this forum on techniques and do/don'ts.

The thru hull is in a decent location I can get to right in front of the motor.

 

[Skybolt]

Thank you for fast reply!

So I looked up the part number, and it's for depth and temp of water. Let's say the unit comes with a thru hull transducer, around how much would a shop charge to put it in if it requires drilling a bigger hole? I could do the work, but if boat sinks I would rather the shop be responsible not me.

As @ttmott has mentioned, you can use your existing xdcr with a Garmin conversion cable/box. Very easily done. They sell x pins to 8/12 pin adapter cable and also bare wire conversion box to 8/12 pin cables. I have a 1243xsv and use that conversion box. Super easy to setup and it works really well.

 

[Big Perm]

As @ttmott has mentioned, you can use your existing xdcr with a Garmin conversion cable/box. Very easily done. They sell x pins to 8/12 pin adapter cable and also bare wire conversion box to 8/12 pin cables. I have a 1243xsv and use that conversion box. Super easy to setup and it works really well.

So I've been looking for the wiring diagram for it to the Garmin box, but I don't see the rs485+ and - on the Garmin side to wire it in. Do you remember where those go? The xdcr I have is 12v+ rs485+ rs485- and ground.

 

[Skybolt]

So I've been looking for the wiring diagram for it to the Garmin box, but I don't see the rs485+ and - on the Garmin side to wire it in. Do you remember where those go? The xdcr I have is 12v+ rs485+ rs485- and ground.

For an NMEA 0183 transducer you just connect it to the 0183 Rx line in the Garmin MFD. It will only read depth and is not sonar compatible. If your transducer is really RS485 then it won't work. 485 isn't compatible with 0183 even though the hw protocol is similar, the packet data is different.

The Garmin conversion box/cables are for sonar compatible transducers. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 12 wire cables. The break out box Garmin offers has instructions for the different transducers and how to wire them. They are all available on the Garmin site, just look up the model your looking at. The most common is this one: https://static.garmin.com/pumac/8-pin_Transducer_Adapter_Install_EN-US.pdf or this one: https://static.garmin.com/pumac/12-pin_Transducer_Adapter_Install_EN-US.pdf

Why do you think it is RS485?

.

 

[Big Perm]

For an NMEA 0183 transducer you just connect it to the 0183 Rx line in the Garmin MFD. It will only read depth and is not sonar compatible. If your transducer is really RS485 then it won't work. 485 isn't compatible with 0183 even though the hw protocol is similar, the packet data is different.

The Garmin conversion box/cables are for sonar compatible transducers. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 12 wire cables. The break out box Garmin offers has instructions for the different transducers and how to wire them. They are all available on the Garmin site, just look up the model your looking at. The most common is this one: https://static.garmin.com/pumac/8-pin_Transducer_Adapter_Install_EN-US.pdf

So this is the transducer in the boat currently. I will post a picture of the tage that reads rs485+&-... It does depth and temp

 

[Big Perm]

Here is the pin out on the xdcr cable going to diagnostic port on wire harness

 

[Skybolt]

@Big Perm So that is the smart craft transducer and reports to the SC system. When you complete the SC to N2K addition then you should also get depth on the N2K back bone and ultimately on the Garmin MFD. Some of those SC transducers were standard transducers. The RS485 is how the SC can network operates for the most part.

 

[Big Perm]

@Big Perm So that is the smart craft transducer and reports to the SC system. When you complete the SC to N2K addition then you should also get depth on the N2K back bone and ultimately on the Garmin MFD. Some of those SC transducers were standard transducers. The RS485 is how the SC can network operates for the most part.

So I shouldn't need any adapters for depth and water temp? That's good to hear. I'm about to pull the trigger on the gateway by Friday, just trying to find everything I need and purchase all at once.

 

[Skybolt]

So I shouldn't need any adapters for depth and water temp? That's good to hear. I'm about to pull the trigger on the gateway by Friday, just trying to find everything I need and purchase all at once.

No adapters. When you bridge the SC bus to the N2K it should show up when you configure the appropriate screen/data bar etc. on the Garmin etc.

 

[Big Perm]

No adapters. When you bridge the SC bus to the N2K it should show up when you configure the appropriate screen/data bar etc. on the Garmin etc.

You're my hero right now. This was one of 3 things I've been working out on my boat that I need to do.

 

[Althepal78]

I think your best bet is to just get a new transducer, I don't know how to connect it to the actual engine however. It does have that sonar I think you might need for better sonar pics with clear view

 

[Skybolt]

I think your best bet is to just get a new transducer, I don't know how to connect it to the actual engine however. It does have that sonar I think you might need for better sonar pics with clear view

Smart Craft engines have a connector for a special transducer that reports to the SC display and only reports depth and temp. It has nothing to do with sonar capabilities.

 

[Althepal78]

Smart Craft engines have a connector for a special transducer that reports to the SC display and only reports depth and temp. It has nothing to do with sonar capabilities.

I was trying to say if you have a Garmin Chart Plotter then buying the new transducer is worth it. It will have the sonar capabilities with it that would allow it to use the CV and the other new features. I also did not know that my boats depth reader was very hard to see so I got the garmin udh2 echomaps cv53 not touchscreen and I am getting to know it lol

 

[techmitch]

I was trying to say if you have a Garmin Chart Plotter then buying the new transducer is worth it. It will have the sonar capabilities with it that would allow it to use the CV and the other new features. I also did not know that my boats depth reader was very hard to see so I got the garmin udh2 echomaps cv53 not touchscreen and I am getting to know it lol

Is this the one you have?
https://www.hodgesmarine.com/gar010...mL20ynoDSl4g4BfkpR43Maf63sKU5kZoaAj2DEALw_wcB

 

[Althepal78]

Is this the one you have?
https://www.hodgesmarine.com/gar010...mL20ynoDSl4g4BfkpR43Maf63sKU5kZoaAj2DEALw_wcB

yes it is so far so good, I am trying to find out how come I ask for support it goes straight to garmin from navionics site lol

 

[Skybolt]

I was trying to say if you have a Garmin Chart Plotter then buying the new transducer is worth it. It will have the sonar capabilities with it that would allow it to use the CV and the other new features. I also did not know that my boats depth reader was very hard to see so I got the garmin udh2 echomaps cv53 not touchscreen and I am getting to know it lol

Understood, but the OP doesn't want more holes in his hull. He is also getting a Smart Craft to NMEA 2000 converter (reason for this thread), in that case it will also publish the depth and temp from the SC network. But as mentioned, it will only show depth and temp, no sonar features are available.

I agree that the sonar is a nice feature and along with needing an xxxXSV model or a sonar module, a nice chirp side-view transducer would be a nice addition.