# Need help hooking up Mercury NMEA2000 Gateway to Humminbird 998C



## biglake411 (Jan 5, 2010)

I have a 2014 Mercury 250 Proxs & I am running standard analog gauges. I recently purchased a NMEA 2k Gateway (part # 84-8M0065208) for my boat.










I also bought a NMEA 2k adapter for my Humminbird unit - http://store.humminbird.com/products/629938/NMEA2K_Adapter

What else do I need to hook this stuff up? Also, will my analog gauges still work when have this hooked up to my gps or do I have to choose one or the other? I thought I would just be able to add the NMEA data to my plotter & still be able to use my analog gauges as well, but now I am confused & really not sure if that is going to work.

Can someone help me out & point me in the right direction for what I need to buy to get this stuff hooked up & working?

Thanks in advance...


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## Spider-Jon (Apr 21, 2006)

*Merc Gateway wiring*

I just went through this with my lowrance & mercury optimax take a look at this thread my last post was a summary of what I had to do

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=723769

If you already have the 10 pin "can" plug at the helm it will save you a lot of grief.You may be able to ask whoever rigged your boat what wiring harness they used and whether or not it had the 10 pin plug. If it does not have the plug in the helm then you will need to come from the engine.

Send me message if you have any questions.


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## biglake411 (Jan 5, 2010)

I have the following harness installed in my boat:


84-879356T01 - Primary Instrument harness used to connect the ProView gauges to the engine (10 Pin from engine harness)



I also have Mercury 84-896537T20 Quicksilver Boat Instrument Harness Assembly installed.

I'm kinda lost... What other parts do I need?


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

I have the 898 and I think the 998 is the same...I hooked up a Suzuki to my HB so do a little more research on what I say.

As you discovered, the HB's can't hook directly up to the NMEA 2K network, you have to use the HB NMEA2K adapter. I had to use the NMEA2K Adapter and switch since I wanted multiple units networked. (http://store.humminbird.com/category/629916/Ethernet)

Here is the link to the thread when I did it. I even included a schematic. Don't buy the components from HB; you can get them off the web and a decent discount. This allowed me to use my analog gauges and the HB for digital readouts.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=505747


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## biglake411 (Jan 5, 2010)

I am guessing that the NMEA 2k backbone is something else i need to buy in addition to the Mercury NMEA 2k Gateway & Humminbird NMEA 2k adapter? Where do I get a backbone from? Looks like I also need a power source connector & a smartcraft j-box as well as a backbone I guess...

I'm still pretty lost to be perfectly honest. The only parts I have right now are the Mercury NMEA 2k Gateway & Humminbird NMEA 2k adapter. The Mercury gateway came with 1 "T" connector. What else do I need to buy?


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

Yes, you will need the NMEA network backbone. HB doesn't make them but you can buy the Lowrance NMEA Network starter kit for $60 - $70. After that, you should be set.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_11151_10001_24172_-1?ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=24172&cid=sc_googlepla&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CO6QqNnasrwCFRAS7AodghcA5A#.UvD8p7SjZU0

This is West Marine but I just ordered it off of Amazon.

PM me if you need a little more help and we can connect by phone. It took a lot of research and some calls to HB to finally understand everything you need to network the HB...from what I hear, Lowrance is cheaper and easier to do, but like me, you already have the HB units.


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## biglake411 (Jan 5, 2010)

Ok so I think I got it now...maybe...

It looks like in addition to what I already have, I need to buy the following:

NMEA 2k backbone (Lowrance NMEA 2k starter kit)
smartcraft 4 port juction box - 87-8492K14
Gender Bender MALE TO MALE HARNESS - 84-892452T01

Then I need to unplug my purple 10 pin harness from my proview gauges & connect the gender bender to the harness & plug the other end of the gender bender into the smartcraft junction box. Then I need to plug my 10 pin harness going to my gauges into the junction box as well.

This should allow my analog gauges to continue to work as normal, correct?

Then I need to plug in my Mercury NMEA 2k Gateway into the junction box & then put a cap over the remaining empty slot on the 4 port junction box. I then connect the other end of the Mercury gateway to the NMEA 2k backbone. Then I run the power cable for the backbone to a +12 volt switched power source. Then i connect the Humminbird to the backbone & my plotter. Did I get all that right? Geez this is confusing! LOL

I drew the following schematic to make sure I have all this correct:










Is this what I need to do or am I still completely lost?


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## ReelWork (May 21, 2004)

You need the backbone. NMEA 2000 will not work unless it has the backbone. The starter kit provides power and initial connectivity to the network. The hub allows more devices to connect. 

Think about it like a computer network where computers, printers, latptops connect to a hub. The devices need the hub to connect/talk to each other. 

You are correct!


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## paragod (Aug 25, 2006)

And be sure it has the terminator ends not just caps ! LOL I figured that out:hairout:


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

I can help you from the backbone to the 998 and you have it correct in your drawing....since I have a Suzuki, I am totally lost on the Merc stuff before the NMEA 2K backbone.


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## biglake411 (Jan 5, 2010)

Now that I think about it, I think I actually need a female to female gender bender 84-892453A01.

Can anyone confirm that all the connections on the 4 port junction box are male? I know the connector on my proview harness & the connector on the mercury gateway are both female & should plug directly into the 4 port junction box.


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## biglake411 (Jan 5, 2010)

I confirmed today that the newer harnesses that have the 10 pin harness under the center console do not need any additional resistors or data cable. The harness that I have in my boat (84-896537T20) has resistors built in. Note: they are no longer yellow like the older harnesses, they are now blue & much smaller than the older style yellow resistors.


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## biglake411 (Jan 5, 2010)

UPDATE

I got everything hooked up & it works.... Kinda sorta... The only NMEA 2k data that is being displayed on my humminbird is RPM (tach) & engine temp. I cannot change any of the default displays for some reason. I was really hoping to display engine hrs, fuel level, fuel usage & water pressure on my plotter? Is this a limitation of the mercury gateway not putting out this data or is it a limitation on my humminbird not being able to display it?

I have a humminbird 998c SI & I have updated it to the most recent software version on humminbirds website.

I really hope I am just missing a step or overlooking the function to change the displays. I would hate to think that I spent all this time & money only to have digital tach & engine temp.....


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

HB isn't up to date on the NMEA stuff....since my unit came with the boat, I stayed with them, otherwise I would have bought the Lowrance.

For the Zuke, I get RPM's, engine temp and fuel flow. I don't get hours (can read that from the analog tach), water pressure (Zuke doesn't have a water pressure sensor) or oil pressure (Zuke doesn't have an oil pressure sensor). You won't get fuel level since that doesn't run through the engine but you can buy the fuel level hookup for the NMEA network and you can get fuel level but you loose the analog fuel gauge if you do it that way. You may have to add sensors that tie into your NMEA backbone. You also can't calibrate with the HB.

You should be able to change the default displays because I could do it. 

I was able to see a thermostat start to stick with my water temp display so that prompted me to have them changed and could have stopped a disaster.


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## paragod (Aug 25, 2006)

I bought one and my transducer cable is to short!


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