Too technical for me, but I've had several Garmins and the only time I use
the Garmin mode is to work with Garmin software on my PC; when connected to
my radios and radar, it's in NMEA in/NMEA out mode, and usually at a slow
BAUD rate.
I have only one VHF radio connected to my newest Garmin (198C), and it
receives data (date,time,course, speed, lat/long) from the Garmin and sends
received DSC data to the Garmin,where it is plotted.
I keep my GPS 12 in a mount by the helm, and it feeds both my Furuno radar
and another VHF radio (lat/long,course, speed,route/waypoint info). Since
the Garmin is only used to transmit to those two devices, I just spliced the
Garmin wires to feed them.

"Brent Geery" wrote in message
...
I'm totally confused about how I attach all these nav instruments
together for maximum flexibility. I'm planning on using a
MiniPlex-42BT to multiplex them all together, along with a Dell Axim
X51V PDA and a laptop, both via bluetooth, as a chart plotter using
the FUGAWI Marine ENC Windows and PDA software.


I've got:

- Garmin GPS (NMEA Talker (and Listener?) What about Garmin Mode?)
- JRC Radar 1500 Mk2 (NEMA Listener)
- VHF Transceiver (NMEA Listener and Talker)
- NASA AIS Engine [NMEA Listener and Talker)
- Backup VHF Transceiver (NMEA Listener)

- Tillerpilot ST1000 (SEATALK Listener (and Talker?))
- Raymarine ST40 Wind (SEATALK Talker only?)
- Raymarine ST40 Bidata (SEATALK Talker only?)
- Raymarine ST30 Fluxgate Compass (SEATALK Talker only) (haven't
purchased yet)

- Dell Axim X51V PDA (NMEA Listener (and talker?)) What about Garmin
Format?) -- via Bluetooth

- MiniPlex-42BT NMEA Multiplexor (not purchased yet)


So I think that breaks down to:

NMEA Talker = [GPS] [VHF] [AIS] [SEATALK IN]

NMEA Listener=[gps?] [RADAR] [VHF] [VHF2] [AIS] [TILLERPILOT] [WIND?]
[BIDATA?]

SEATALK=[TILLERPILOT(L/T?)] [WIND (L?/T)] [BIDATA (L?/T)] [COMPASS
(T)]

BLUETOOTH = [AXIM X51V] or [LAPTOP]

Do you see a problem with the config? How does the Tillerpilot ST1000
receive steering commands/waypoint data/other data from the PDA that
is transmitting NMEA? That's my main concern; how does the PDA, GPS
and Tillerpilot interact in the above config? I'm assuming I'll be
running the MiniPlex-42BT in hub mode?

Another big question is do I need the ST-30 Fluxgate Compass when I
have the Tillerpilot, as it also contains an internal fluxgate
compass? Does the Tillerpilot output compass data on SEATALK and/or
NMEA?

--
BRENT - The Usenet typo king.