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Posts: 90
| I have an LCX-26HD and an LCX-110C and only 1 GPS puck. Do I need more than just a cable to link these units together? What is the number / LEI # for the cable I need? Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks |
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Posts: 2097
| 2roofmusky - 4/27/2013 11:33 PM
I have an LCX-26HD and an LCX-110C and only 1 GPS puck. Do I need more than just a cable to link these units together? What is the number / LEI # for the cable I need? Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks
Call lowrance. |
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Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952 | I agree. Call Lowrance. It is more than just the interconnecting cable. You will also need at least one tee and one stop.
MR |
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | Here is some info on networking units.
http://70.184.206.230/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1...
Listing of accessories.
http://store.navico.com/Search/lcx |
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Posts: 151
Location: West of the metro, MN | You're going to need 2 120ohm resistors. A T for each unit and and puck. It also depends how you're going to power the cable. If you choose to power thE cable directly to a switch, you'll need another T and the wire harness. You can also power the cable using one of the three sets of wires on the back of you're unit. Either way, you're going to want a 3 amp fuse and a switch between the battery and your cable, because otherwise it will constantly power your puck and network cable. |
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Posts: 280
| You can buy a networking kit that will have the cable, T connectors, power cabling, terminators etc...No idea if this is cheaper than buying each piece though.
http://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-3005-683-Network-Starter-Kit/dp/B002... |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Some one told me you can use two units with one transducer with a splitter cable ( not a network )I had never heard this before nor have I ever seem this cable. has anyone heard of this and can you direct me to the cable? |
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Posts: 116
| I have always run 2 Lowrance units off of 1 transducer. All it takes is an Ethernet cable. Ducer plugs into helm unit as normal. Ethernet goes from helm to second unit. It uses the yellow plug on the head unit on LCX/LMS. No splitters.
Edited by jabird 4/30/2013 8:08 AM
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | Something like this:
http://www.tigergps.com/lowrance4627.html |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Thanks MM that uses one transducer and switches between head units. I was thinking more one transducer displaying on 2 head units at the same time but avoiding the cross talk of running two transducers mounted side by side. |
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | That would be a ethernet network connection on the units. Just like jabird posted. |
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Posts: 5
Location: Algonquin, IL, Lake Geneva, WI | The kit Mad Musky listed will work for hooking up the puck, but my guess is that your connectors are the older blue ones, so an adaptor cable (from Lowrance, it adapts the blue connector to the newer black ones) will be required to hook up the puck to this network. |
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Location: 31 | Mark ONeill - 5/1/2013 10:12 AM
The kit Mad Musky listed will work for hooking up the puck, but my guess is that your connectors are the older blue ones, so an adaptor cable (from Lowrance, it adapts the blue connector to the newer black ones) will be required to hook up the puck to this network.
Mark is exactly right; it's not a simple hook up with the newer Lowrance starter kit if you have a GPS antenna with a blue collared connector. You're going to have to do some research if you want to use one GPS antenna for both units. It might be a good idea to just get a newer black collared antenna and the starter kit if you plan on updating/networking with newer electronics in the future (they also have red collar that's the same as black, and then there's the old-old gray collars).
His original question wasn't linking the sonar, but certainly the Ethernet cable would be the best way to accomplish that, provided there are yellow Ethernet connections on the back of each unit.
The simple answer regarding using one GPS antenna is to use a properly configured GPS connection for the two units, which can be done without having the units networked. The only way to share waypoints/Icons/trails between two or more older units is by installing a properly configured backbone network with compatible units.
Here some pretty good information I found in March.
Lowrance Networking 101
If you are new to the concept of networking your Lowrance units, this thread may be of some value to you - especially if you are looking to network older Lowrance units.
I am attempting to share what I have recently learned regarding Lowrance networking; I think of there being two generations ("my words, not theirs") of Lowrance networks:
1) The first generation (roughly 2003-2007) was proprietary to Lowrance and used "blue" (actually, two-tone blue/gray) network cabling accessories/components. During this period Lowrance manufactured and sold units that used the "blue" network components. Most of the "blue" networking components have part nos that end with a "BL" suffix ("BL"=blue). Examples of some of the more common/affordable units sold during this timeframe are the LMS-330c/332c/334c/X102c/Globalmap 3500c/3600c, etc. (none of these products have the additional "yellow" ethernet jack)
2) The second generation (roughly 2008-present) is based on the NMEA 2000 standard where the networking components are more interchangeable between brands (Lowrance and Hummingbird). Lowrance's initial NMEA 2000 cable accessories/components were two-tone red/gray in color. The newest Lowrance NMEA 2000 cable accessories/components are all black. These NMEA 2000 compliant products are functionally interchangeable even though they are different colors. i.e. red/gray and black components work perfectly together. Most of the "red" networking components have part nos that end with a "RD" suffix ("RD"=red = black). Examples of some of the more common/affordable units sold between 2008-2010 are the LMS-520c/522c/525c/527c/X510c/Globalmap 5200c/5300c, etc. (ALL of these products have the "fourth" yellow ethernet jack). Note: most simple networks need to be terminated on each end by 120 ohm resistors.
Thus you will hear people referring to their Lowrance's network as either being "blue" (first generation) or "red/black" (second generation). Most of the units referenced above, shipped with either the Lowrance PC-26BL or PC-27BL power cords - which has the integrated network power supply cable. Up until this point the network was designed to be powered by one of the networked units. When Lowrance introduced the HDS units, this changed - Lowrance now designed the network to be powered using a separate power node (N2K-PWR-RD) which supplies DC power directly to the network backbone.
Lowrance has manufacturered a network adapter cable (NAC-MRD2MBL) that enables blue units to be added to a red/black network, OR conversely, a network adapter cable (NAC-FRD2FBL) that enables red units to be added to the older blue network.
Network versus Ethernet:
The NMEA network allows all networked mapping units to share one GPS antenna, share new waypoints (as new waypoints are saved, they are transmitted and shared with other mapping units), and allows sharing of some basic digital data. The network does NOT allow the sharing of any SD card (Navionics, Lakemaster, Fishing Hot Spots) map information between units.
An ethernet connection allows the sharing of the actual sonar information. The simplest setup involves plugging one transducer into one unit. Run one ethernet extension cable (yellow ends) between the two units with ethernet capability. The second unit sees the exact same sonar read-out as the source unit. In other words, when you have two ethernet units, you no longer need the Lowrance transducer switch box (SB10-BL). The broadband sonar unit, expansion ports, etc. have numerous ethernet output jacks. With this additional investment one transducer can be shared with three+ units.
One networking caveat that I am aware of; NMEA and ethernet networked units need to be updated to the same (preferably, most current) software version. AND updating the software on the sonar units without the SD card slot (example: X510c) can be done via the network, but is a bit tricky.
Edited by Jerry Newman 5/6/2013 9:54 PM
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Location: Green Bay, WI | That's GREAT information Mr. Newman...thanks for sharing it. Very informative indeed!
TB |
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Location: 31 | tcbetka - 5/6/2013 11:38 AM
That's GREAT information Mr. Newman...thanks for sharing it. Very informative indeed!
TB
Thanks Tom, when you set up your new boat you can just skip the NMEA backbone network and connect them with the Ethernet via the Structure Scan (unless you decide to add the optional 4000 GPS antenna).
The Ethernet cable is the best way to network and share everything HDS, including waypoints/icons between 2 units. It's cool that Lowrance has this worked out with HDS, but very confusing when you are trying to network older units. |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | I will be using an engine monitor system too though, I think. So I *think* this will indeed require the NMEA backbone, as most of these are NMEA 2000 compliant. I understand what you are saying though, about the Lowrance ethernet feature. Their stuff is amazing...
TB |
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Location: 31 | tcbetka - 5/6/2013 7:58 PM
I will be using an engine monitor system too though, I think. So I *think* this will indeed require the NMEA backbone, as most of these are NMEA 2000 compliant. I understand what you are saying though, about the Lowrance ethernet feature. Their stuff is amazing...
TB
I thought of the engine monitor deal but already have full gauges, and you have to stop somewhere with this stuff before you start flopping around on the ground from research/equipment overload.
The fuel monitor would be nice to have, and I've been kicking it around a little more lately. I REALLY hated researching this GPS stuff but had to just to get things hooked up correctly in my boat.
You would need to link a compatible engine via a backbone for sure, if you think about it, the NMEA 2000 was designed not to be proprietary just so you could do something like that... Heck, you can even network a Humminbird to a Lowrance now in case you can't decide. 
Edited by Jerry Newman 5/6/2013 10:22 PM
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Location: Green Bay, WI | Heh...you could replace one or two of your current gauges with some nice Yamaha monitors! Pound a few more roofing nails, and you'll be golden!
I can see the benefit of going NMEA 2000, by the way:
1) Lowrance system for GPS unit, side-imaging, regular 2D sonar, regular real-time weather and XM-radio
2) Humminbird for their "360-degree" sonar, and for a redundant GPS source
3) Yamaha Command-Link gauges
Oh, and I guess we shouldn't forget the radar in the Lowrance system either. And a guy could throw in an auto-pilot, just in case you had an extra 60 seconds to add something ELSE to divert your attention from actually fishing!
Of course you are going to need an on-board Honda generator just to run all of that junk, but that's a whole other topic...lol.
TB |
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Location: 31 | ... and you could name the boat "Techno junkie" because it would almost be running itself. |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | Almost run itself?
LOL...silly wabbit.
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