Electronics Questions: hooking up new Airmar 175 to old Lowrance LC-X110 and Do you use your auto-pilot with chart plotter or just use it for headings

[Fasty]

Hi
I pulled the Rainmaker out for prop tune, zincs... and so grabbed a new Airmar 175 from Chuck which will be installed today/tomorrow. I have not yet upgraded the MFD from the old Lowrance as Im waiting for the chance to pick up a used or refurbished Simrad EVO2. I don't want to spend the money on the newest unit. I was going to get a newer Lowrance but Chuck offered that if i went Simrad that it could be integrated with my autopilot. I use autopilot to hold a heading. If the autopilot could follow a contour, that would be amazing. For general cursing, a heading seems enough. as i wouldn't feel comfortable setting a heading and not keeping an eye out for logs.

So my two questions are:
1. Do you use the autopilot for anything other than a heading? Is there any value to that for fishing?
2. The connectors on the new Airmar and old Lowrance don't line up; two diff animals.
Will they work together if there is a special connector that will fit between them?

as usual, all the advice/opinions greatly appreciated.

 

[searun]

Hi
I pulled the Rainmaker out for prop tune, zincs... and so grabbed a new Airmar 175 from Chuck which will be installed today/tomorrow. I have not yet upgraded the MFD from the old Lowrance as Im waiting for the chance to pick up a used or refurbished Simrad EVO2. I don't want to spend the money on the newest unit. I was going to get a newer Lowrance but Chuck offered that if i went Simrad that it could be integrated with my autopilot. I use autopilot to hold a heading. If the autopilot could follow a contour, that would be amazing. For general cursing, a heading seems enough. as i wouldn't feel comfortable setting a heading and not keeping an eye out for logs.

So my two questions are:
1. Do you use the autopilot for anything other than a heading? Is there any value to that for fishing?
2. The connectors on the new Airmar and old Lowrance don't line up; two diff animals.
Will they work together if there is a special connector that will fit between them?

as usual, all the advice/opinions greatly appreciated.

I'm sure the contour feature would be helpful at times, however in practical terms there are usually too many vessels following the "tack" making using that feature a bit more challenging. I just use my AP to hold heading, but have a WR10 wireless remote to make quick adjustments to stay in the tack. I found this to be very practical, and spent a fair bit of time asking others who were running AP questions around day to day use of AP. Most pointed me towards the WR 10 option.

Wondering if your connector mis-match is the Airmar is designed to fit a Garmin Unit - different pins. Lowrance/Simrad also has different pins depending on the model/age. Chuck would be a go to expert. I know my limitations when it comes to marine electronics, so always hire an expert installer. Saves a lot of $ and my time in the end.

Good luck.

 

[wildthing]

all depends on the Airmar does it have a mix and match cable or is it a bare wire ? or garmin /simrad/ blue end or the newer X-sonic end ?

also with the old mfd it wont support the chirp side of the 175 it will only drive it at its std default setting 50/200 so most prob at 200 Htz until you get the evo-2/3

 

[wildthing]

also be aware that simrad are not updating the evo-2 anymore ... so its older tech and the evo-3 is prob a better option but it's $$$$
i have a running Evo-2 and lots of other simrad /175's high /low/high wide s5100 box and nema network AP so pm me on anything simrad

 

[Tugcapitan]

I wouldn’t try and have an autopilot make course changes myself, and don’t know any pros who would, especially while fishing. It just can’t take into account wind, current, debris, traffic etc and would probably put a downrigger cable into the prop on the first day.

 

[CBsqrd]

Are you sure that transducer is compatible with your old Lowrance head unit? The B175 is a 1Kw CHIRP transducer. IIRC, that generation of Lowrance only outputs at 50 and 200 kHz. You might be able to get an image on the high frequency band, but to take full advantage of that transducer you'll want to upgrade your MFD and depending on what you go with will dictate the necessary pigtail adaptor.

Don't expect your autopilot to follow contours and other complex routes. Any course you will want it to follow you will have to program yourself and at trolling speed you'll spend as much time putting it in standby and manually correcting as in auto. They work best the faster you go where small inputs make bigger changes. Only time I've used mine trolling (other than holding a steady course) was in open water with no other boats around.

 

[ship happens]

Yeah you can cut the cable and hard wire it yourself, however that unit might not like more than a 600 watt transducer. Kinda wasting your time with those 2 parts imo. Those LCX units are wicked for sounding with a 600 watt transducer though.

 

[Fasty]

Here’s a pic of the transducer end…
And a pic of the only available port of the back bone (I think that 6 port connecter is a back bone…. Maybe that’s the new x sonic?

Here’s a pic of a connector that came up when I googled it. Neither end of what I have has 7 or 9 pins though.

I understand it’s not a great equipment match to the ancient x110 but I’d love to use the Airmar until I source an EVO 3 or perhaps a Lowrance HS Gen 3.

I realize the Simrad AP24 autopilot may not integrate well with a Lowrance but I really only use AP to hold course when I’m fishing alone. I fish running one engine with trolling valve so I don’t have a lot of maneuverability.

Lowrance costs less which is nice…thanks for all the comments

 

[wildthing]

so my suggestion is really a two part yes get the adpator cable in pic 3 and that should get your X-sonic 9 pin transducer connector pic 1 to mate up with the transducer to enable it to hook up to the older connector ( blue 7 pin lowrance)on the back of MFD...
pic two is your N2k nema .....


but really so your not to disappointed i would just get a P66 and wait until you get your evo-2/3 for the best use of the 175

 

[Fasty]

Update -
I ebay'd a Lowrance HDS 12 gen 3. The Airmar SS175 isn't listed on that unit. Does anyone know if there is a compatible transducer selection on the Lowrance or did i F*#@ - up and buy incompatible equip.

 

[CBsqrd]

Any 1 kw high CHIRP Airmar transducer should work as the input. i.e. B175, TM185 use the same element. You could probably even input a dual band transducer as long as you leave it set on high CHIRP.

 

[Fasty]

Update
The HDS is not recognizing the Airmar SS175. The HDS software has been updated so that noted issue is not the problem here. There was an extension cable that came with the Airmar. Perhaps that’s the issue? I’ve noticed that it only has 4 receptacle pins in its receiving end.

First pic is end of line at HDS with end of extension and adapter cable

Second is extension label

Last pic is transducer to extension.. again noting that there only seem to be 4 receptacle pins in extension cable.

Any ideas appreciated.

 

[wildthing]

if you dig around you will find the spec sheet for the airmar SS-175 and the input specs for the HDS

there is two lowrance adapter cables make sure you got the right one .....

once its seen it should be automatically seen under XID have a dig around on the hull truth or send a post off to Abbor on there ....