A206 with Lowrance Hook 4

[keefe.dan]

I am trying to use the A206 in Adhoc Wifi mode as a low cost way to stream NMEA 0183 data. In my case, I have a cheap Lowrance Hook 4 that does a fine job for my little sailboat. It has internal GPS, and I just want to stream the GPS and ECHO data from this device over to my iPhone and watch over Wifi. Sometime in the future, I might add AIS and/or an external GPS, but for now, I was hoping to use the A206 without attaching an AIS antenna or GPS sensor and to just for the feature of streaming the NMEA 0183 INPUT data over Wifi.

This first question is, should I expect this configuration to work? I assumed it would be fine, but now that I am having connection issues, I'm wondering if it might be that I'm trying to do something that was never intended with the A206 by not connecting any GPS or AIS receiver and just utilizing the NMEA IN and Wifi features.

If the answer to the first question is, "Yes, this should work", then, any advice on what I might be doing wrong?

I have this Lowrance Hook 4
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/11544 ... =45#manual

And, I'm trying to connect it to the A206 with this cable
https://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-000-012 ... 344&sr=8-1

From comments on Amazon and various searching, I think I should be connecting

Lowrance Yellow (+ TX_A) ----> A206 NMEA IN+
Lowrance Blue (- TX_B) ----> A206 NMEA IN-

I have also tried various other combos with no success.

I can connect to the A206 over Wifi just fine, and when I log the NMEA messages, I get the following:

Listening to:"http://192.168.1.100/"
Port no: "2000" (TCP)

$GPRMC,,V,,,,,,,,,,N*53
$GPVTG,,,,,,,,,N*30
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,99.99,,,,,,*48
$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,99.99,99.99,99.99*30
$GPGSV,1,1,00*79
$GPGLL,,,,,,V,N*64
$GPRMC,,V,,,,,,,,,,N*53
... repeat, repeat, repeat...


Thanks for any assistance, including, if appropriate, "you're a dummy, you can't use the A206 this way"
Dan

[admin]

Hi Thanks for your enquirers. As long as HOOK 4 output the standard NMEA 0183 format data, then it should work.
Based on very limited connection information from the manual,I believe you need swap to NMEA wires(due to different NMEA protocols). The other points is the baud rate should be the same at Hook 4 and A026. Keep us updated please. Thanks.

[keefe.dan]

Thanks very much for the speedy reply.

I did already try switching the Yellow (TX_A) and Blue (TX_B) wires, and it produces the same output. It looks like it's repeatedly sending some blank GPS sentences.

I did also find this "installation manual" for the Hook 4, and it does include a RS-422 wiring diagram on page 3, which confirms the Yellow = TX_A and Blue = TX_B color coding. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/11186 ... e=3#manual

Is there anything else we can think to try, like would the order the devices are started up matter? Something else?

[Albinatum]

Worthy to try ground(Shield) and one of the TX to A026?