Hi Curado,
I'll try and get some pics up later on today.

You are going to need the power/NMEA cable from the HDS, a DB9 male plug and a USB/Serial adapter cable. You don't need the latter if you have a serial port on your PC/laptop, but that is not so common these days.

In the mean time, take a look at this thread which has some info on how to wire up the serial (DB9) plug. This is for a HB unit, but same applies - you need to connect the TX and the GRND from the NMEA bare wires that form part of the HDS cable.

I'll get back to you soon,

Matt

Just Ground wire to 5 and Yellow wire to 2

Don't forget in de HDS to set your NMEA 0183 output, and ofcourse your baudrate has to be the same on both sides.

Guido

It also depends on what Unit you use.
Some Units can be configured between RS232/RS422.

Depending on what you will configure (if cou can) will result in different Wire Connections.

On HDS 5 & 7, HDS 7 Touch Yellow is transmit
On HDS 8 & 10, HDS Touch 9 & 12 Com 1, Yellow is transmit. On Com 2, Blue is transmit

I tested with all of the units above.

Guido

I think this is false.
Maybe i am wrong, but i have a manual page that says for HDS Units the following.

RS422 Wiring sheme:

Receive:
Orange RX+
Green RX-

Transmit:
Yellow TX+
Blue TX-

If you can configure to RS232 instead of 422 you will have Yellow for Com1 and Blue for Com 2.
and shield as ground.

And if you cant switch to RS232, maybe you have to corrupt the RS422 Pinout by putting the Blue Cable from RS422 Transmit (TX-) to serial Ground !??

In Fact this works, also in my setup with the HDS7Touch.
But it is not guaranteed that i will work on every Boat as good.

I connect the Output of my GPS Puck to the Orange Wire as Receive wire of the Unit.

An i use the Yellow from the Unit as transmit wire to connect to my PC RS232.

Thanks for the replys everyone and the great support.

I have order the parts I need and will have a go when they arrive.

@Guido

Nice that you have edited your Post to correct the Color from orange to yellow. :-)
A little bit nicer would be to let us know that you have correct it. :-)
So that my Post wont stay alone with an Hint to an possible error in your scheme, which no longer exist in your Post, after you have edited it. :-)))
Maybe some users might be confused about my sentence, your scheme might be false, but now its shows the same wiring like mine. ;-)

So people who read this Post take notice that the error (wire color)i point to in an previous Post was corrected.

RS422 Wiring sheme:

Receive: Orange RX+ Green RX-

Transmit: Yellow TX+ Blue TX-

If you can configure to RS232 instead of 422
you will have Yellow for Com1 and Blue for Com 2.
and shield as ground.

was the same like:Guido wrote:

Sorry Luke, I should have mentioned that I had corrected what I typed.!

Guido

Even though it seems like people have covered it in depth (no pun intended) I still don't understand how to wire the connection from my HDS 5 to Serial.

I already have the serial to USB, just need to know which wires out of the lowrance (yellow that is bundled with power (red/black)?) or the other wires (data?) that come off the power connection..?

And which of the 9 wires + shield they connect to on the serial cable.

Thanks for your help.

~Joel

Hi Joel,
You need a female serial (DB9) connector.
You should have a yellow wire there, which is the NMEA 0183 Tx (transmit). This goes to pin 2 of your DB9 connector. The ground - which is the shield - goes to pin 5. You then plug your serial-USB into this connector, and that is all you need.
Post a pic of what you've got if it will help.

Matt

Here are the images.







Thanks,
~Joel

Joel,
You need to connect yellow from your Lowrance cable to pin 2, and the shield (the uncovered wires) to pin 9.
I don't think there is any standard to the wire colours in serial cables - or at least, if there are standards there are more than one - so you either need to use a multi-meter to determine which wires are running to which pin in your DB9 plug, or get hold of a DB9 male connector and use that (cheap, but you need a speciality store).

The pin layout:



Matt