300AP - How to interface my Furuno Navnet VX1 for GPS

[dbpescador]

Hi. I'm installing a new 300AP. Does anyone know if the Furuno Navnet VX1 can be configured or adapted to send the NMEA 2000 signal? And which Suzuki connector I would use?

[Moonlighter]

Furuno can be problematic connecting to NMEA2000 networks ..... in theory, it SHOULD be as simple as adding an extra T piece to the network backbone and running a drop cable between the Furuno and the T piece. Which should then be easily configured to allow the Suzuki gauges to get the GPS signal from the Furuno via the NMEA2000 network.

I am of course assuming here, that you are having the new motor installed and connecting it to the network and are using the Suzuki C-10 colour gauges??

Anyway if that is the case, I am aware of several installs recently where no matter what was tried, the Furuno TZT GPS signal could not be seen by the network and shared by the digital gauges. It seems that Furuno’s implementation of NmEA2000 is a bit, shall we say, different.....

Of course, that is not to say it wont work for you. The whole theory of NMEA2000 is that it has compatibility across different brands. But Furuno has been very slow to adopt N2K and it seems there are sometimes issues getting them to play nicely with other network components, not just Suzuki, but with other b4ands as well.

Despite that, I would probably give it a go. Worse case is that you have to buy a separate GPS puck antenna to add to the network to give a GPS signal to the network to be used by the Suzuki gauges. Best case is that the Furuno plays and you dont need anything else.