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NorthStar 961X Installation Manual
Summary of 961X
Page 1
961x/xd gps c hart n avigator i nstallation m anual revision a part number gm1708 northstar technologies 30 sudbury road acton, massachusetts 01720 www.Northstarcmc.Com service: 978/897-0770 sales: 978/897-6600
Page 3: Limited Warranty Policy
Limited warranty policy northstar technologies warrants the northstar 961 to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two (2) years. This warranty applies to the original purchaser and to any subsequent owner during the warranty period, which begins on the date of shipment o...
Page 5: Contents
961 installation manual revision a page i contents section one - introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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Page ii 961 installation manual revision a.
Page 7: Figures
961 installation manual revision a page iii figures figure 1: 961 control head yoke-mount dimensions (side) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 figure 2: 961 control head yoke-mount dimensions (front) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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Page iv 961 installation manual revision a figure 25: port 1 output setup (sentences) screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 figure 26: port 1 output setup screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
Page 9: Tables
961 installation manual revision a page v tables table 1: contacting northstar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 table 2: troubleshooting the installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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Page vi 961 installation manual revision a.
Page 11: Section One - Introduction
Section one - introduction 961 installation manual revision a page 1 section one - introduction welcome t he northstar 961 installation manual describes how to install the entire 961 system (control head, processor, and antenna). It describes the physi- cal, mechanical, and electrical characteristic...
Page 12: Getting Technical Support
Section one - introduction page 2 961 installation manual revision a • setting pulses per nautical mile (ppnm) • service functions • maintaining the unit • installing software updates and saving and restoring the database the unit’s technical specifications can be found in appendix a at the back of ...
Page 13: Servicing The Unit
Section one - introduction 961 installation manual revision a page 3 service@northstarcmc.Com servicing the unit repair of the unit is performed only at the northstar factory. Service includes a complete hardware and software check-out. For a system under warranty, shipping charges to the factory ar...
Page 14: Ordering Information
Section one - introduction page 4 961 installation manual revision a ordering information to order spare parts or replacement/missing parts, call the northstar sales department at 978-897-0770..
Page 15: Section Two - Installation
Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 5 section two - installation t his chapter includes all the information needed to install the 961. It begins with a review of the system components and then provides infor- mation on basic installation and powering on the unit. The r...
Page 16: System Overview
Section two - installation page 6 961 installation manual revision a system overview the unit is shipped ready to install and operate. It is recommended that you follow the steps below: 1. Check the shipping carton for any damage, and immediately report any damage to the carrier. Save all packing ma...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 7 ensuring a proper 961 installation to ensure a proper installation, it is highly recommended that you per- form all of the following activities before starting the installation: • preview/survey the vessel’s layout and existing equ...
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Section two - installation page 8 961 installation manual revision a using dgps with an an150 and 8410 acu if the unit is equipped with a differential receiver (and you’re using the an150 gps antenna, not the an205-p gps/dgps combo antenna), this receiver must be connected to a northstar 8410 differ...
Page 19: Choosing A System Location
Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 9 choosing a system location the 961 consists of two major parts—a processor and a control head. The 961 supports two fully functional control heads (the second head is optional). The 961 system comprises the processor and control he...
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Section two - installation page 10 961 installation manual revision a figure 1: 961 control head yoke-mount dimensions (side) figure 2: 961 control head yoke-mount dimensions (front) 6.1 12.4 1.9 8.2 2.5 13.5 12.4 11.6.
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 11 flush mounting for flush-mounting the unit, allow at least 2½-inch clearance at the rear for cables and connectors. For the recommended flush mounting drilling dimensions, see figure 3 below. For the full-size version of the flush...
Page 22: Wiring The 961
Section two - installation page 12 961 installation manual revision a installing the processor for the processor installation measurements and instructions, refer to the full-size flush-mount templates, “961 processor mounting template, top view” (p/n gm1700) and the “961 processor mounting template...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 13 ing and prevents electrical fires. The power wiring should be connected directly to the battery when possible for optimum noise immunity. Electrical power requirements the 961 is a negative-ground system. After the processor has b...
Page 24: Installing The Antenna
Section two - installation page 14 961 installation manual revision a connectors • power connector (3-wire) • tnc connector (control head #1) • tnc connector (control head #2) • i/o #1 interface connector (18-wire) • i/o #2 interface connector (18-wire) • gps antenna connector (bnc) • dgps antenna c...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 15 to avoid mutual interferences among different antennas on the vessel, refer to the drawing of recommended separation distances in figure 5: ‘separation distances between antennas,’ below. Figure 5 shows the minimum recommended dis...
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Section two - installation page 16 961 installation manual revision a antenna is desired. The an205-p doesn’t require any ground and is porta- ble, an advantage when it must be moved from one vessel to another. The “combo” antenna should be located where it has a clear view of the hori- zon, but is ...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 17 figure 6: gps-only antenna (an150) wiring the an150 antenna supplied with the antenna is a 50-foot length of rg-59 coaxial cable for use with either the gps-only an150 “active” antenna (as well as the gps/ dgps an205-p “combo” ant...
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Section two - installation page 18 961 installation manual revision a 3. Feed the open end of the supplied coax cable down through the antenna base and through the hollow core of the antenna mount. 4. Affix the tnc connector-end of the coax to the mating connector inside the upper half of the gps an...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 19 assembly forward until contact seats in insulator. Slide outer ferrule over braid and up against connector body. Crimp outer ferrule using cavity a of tools spec- ified above. The connector ferrule-to-cable junction can be sealed ...
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Section two - installation page 20 961 installation manual revision a ever, that the splitter isn’t weatherproof and should be placed in a pro- tected area where it won’t be subjected to direct water splash or spray. Figure 11: correct an205-p (combo antenna) splitter wiring avoid tight bends when i...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 21 mounting the an205-p antenna 1. Strip cable jacket to the following dimensions (in inches), as illus- trated in figure 12: ‘stripping the coax cable jacket,’ below: a=0.57, b=0.34, c=0.14, d=0.43. Do not nick the center conductor....
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Section two - installation page 22 961 installation manual revision a installing an 8410 acu (for use with the an150 only) if you want to receive differential corrections with the 961 and you’re using the an150 antenna, you must use the northstar 8410 antenna coupling unit (acu). Although similar in...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 23 body into which the upper half is secured (see figure 15, “acu assem- bly”). A gasket and rubber o-ring on the upper half provide weathertight sealing when the two halves are secured. The bottom of the base is threaded (1"–14) to ...
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Section two - installation page 24 961 installation manual revision a figure 16: correct an150 and 8410 wiring rf grounding the grounding system is an equal partner with the antenna in producing quality differential beacon signals for the 961 differential receiver. Lack of proper grounding can adver...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 25 the 8410 acu has a separate black ground wire inside the coupler base, this wire should be connected to an electrically quiet ground location. This wire is the ac signal ground connection from the antenna input cir- cuit. The purp...
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Section two - installation page 26 961 installation manual revision a figure 17: pl-259 (uhf) connector turning the unit on and off turning the unit on to activate the unit, briefly press the pwr key. This activates the control head and the processor. After several minutes, the initial startup scree...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 27 figure 18: initial startup screen figure 19: system test screen after the system test screen, the 961 automatically displays the owner’s message screen, as shown in figure 20, for about 10 seconds. For information on creating a pe...
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Section two - installation page 28 961 installation manual revision a figure 20: owner’s message screen advisory message after the owner’s message screen, the special advisory message is dis- played as a precautionary reminder that the unit’s chart cartography must not be relied upon as the sole mea...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 29 figure 21: advisory message if chart cds for your geographical area have been installed onto the 961’s hard drive, and after the unit acquires gps signals, you’ll see your vessel symbol centered on the chart screen at your present...
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Section two - installation page 30 961 installation manual revision a once the unit is turned on and has acquired satellite data, you can check the quality of the gps signals being received by viewing the various satel- lites’ snr (signal-to-noise ratio) readings. Gps receiver status summary to disp...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 31 and doesn’t consider atmospheric conditions, selective availability, and signal interference, all of which affect accuracy. Hdop can range from an ideal value of slightly less than one, up to a poor value of 10 or more; any value ...
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Section two - installation page 32 961 installation manual revision a 1. Press and hold the pwr key for three seconds, and the 961 will turn off. To turn off an entire system (the two heads and the processor) with two control heads that are on: 1. Press and hold the pwr key for approximately two sec...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 33 power (cont’d) the control head powers-up, but not the processor (the processor’s power indicator at the back of the unit is not lit). • check the fuse and the power to the processor. • check the coax cable between the head and th...
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Section two - installation page 34 961 installation manual revision a display (cont’d) the display screen dims, either slightly or more, after the unit has been on for a cer- tain time. If the display screen dims and also displays the error message “unit too hot, backlighting dimmed.” • the unit may...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 35 processor (cont’d) system lock-ups vibration-related: the system locks up while underway under certain conditions. Systems tend to lock up on those vessels that are 35-55 feet in length with varying beam widths, having twin large ...
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Section two - installation page 36 961 installation manual revision a processor (cont’d) configuration no gps or dgps • possible incorrect installation of the as110/as105 splitter cables; they may be reversed at the splitter for the gps and differential output ports going to the 961xd processor. • f...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 37 dgps (cont’d) there’s no dgps indicator on the chart screen, and: the beacon rx self-test and soft- ware message reads passed, and the dgps status message reads searching . • wait 30 minutes after start-up (only if a new unit) so ...
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Section two - installation page 38 961 installation manual revision a troubleshooting the gps/dgps antenna installation in the following table (troubleshooting the gps/dgps antenna installa- tion), the northstar an150 refers to the 12-db gps antenna, the north- star 8410 coupler with whip antenna re...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 39 table 3: troubleshooting the gps/dgps antenna installation antenna symptom possible solutions/reasons gps antenna poor or no gps signal while using the an150 antenna. If 5.5 vdc low or missing with load con- nected: if 5.5 vdc low...
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Section two - installation page 40 961 installation manual revision a dgps antenna (cont’d) no beacon signal (applies to all dgps antennas): if the bcn rcvr st reads “failed:” if the coax and antenna are okay and there is 7.75 vdc: • press the star key to display the setup menu screen, then press th...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 41 dgps antenna (cont’d) high beacon snr or low signal. When vessel interference is still present: when the source of the interference is found: • turn off all electrical devices and equipment on the vessel, then check for improvemen...
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Section two - installation page 42 961 installation manual revision a b. Testing the gps portion of the splitter and a combo antenna: when using a combo antenna and split- ter, the splitter gets 7.75 vdc from the beacon receiver, and then feeds the combo pre-amp with that same voltage level. The spl...
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Section two - installation 961 installation manual revision a page 43 radar device there’s bearing-pulse interference from the radar (this also applies to depth sounders). • the radar’s scanning cables may be too closely bundled with the 961’s control head-to-processor coax cable: run the cables of ...
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Section two - installation page 44 961 installation manual revision a.
Page 55: Section Three - Interfacing
Section three - interfacing 961 installation manual revision a page 45 section three - interfacing t his chapter includes the information needed to interface the 961 to other equipment on the vessel. Major topics include: • interfacing the unit • setting ppnm • configuring the nmea output ports • se...
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Section three - interfacing page 46 961 installation manual revision a configuring the nmea output ports each output port can be programmed to meet most any special require- ments of devices that conform to the nmea 0183—and other—data for- mat specifications. The service function described below al...
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Section three - interfacing 961 installation manual revision a page 47 figure 24: port 1 output setup screen check the installation instructions of the equipment to which you’re interfacing for any special requirements. The northstar factory settings will be adequate for most peripheral equipment, b...
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Section three - interfacing page 48 961 installation manual revision a setting the output format the unit will output navigation data in any of several standard formats as required by the receiving, or “listener,” device. Upon pressing the edit menu key at this option, you’ll find the following choi...
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Section three - interfacing 961 installation manual revision a page 49 light the format field (for either 0183 or 0183 ray), then press the 0183 data key to display the sentences. Figure 25: port 1 output setup (sentences) screen about the nmea tll sentence the 961 also supports the nmea tll sentenc...
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Section three - interfacing page 50 961 installation manual revision a modifying nmea output sentences on the screen, the highlighted sentences will be output, as shown earlier in figure 25. Some devices can’t handle all of these sentences correctly, so you can use this screen to customize the outpu...
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Section three - interfacing 961 installation manual revision a page 51 figure 26: port 1 output setup screen to set the output sentences to the factory default settings, press the defaults on key. To turn on only a select few sentences, press the clear all key, then turn the desired sentences back o...
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Section three - interfacing page 52 961 installation manual revision a 2. At the port output setup screen, select the desired port, then highlight the talker id field. 3. Press the edit key, and highlight the desired id. 4. Press accept key (or cancel to leave the option unchanged). The interfaced e...
Page 63: Setting The Auxiliary Port
Section three - interfacing 961 installation manual revision a page 53 changing the output rate the 961 normally uses a two-second update interval for data transmis- sion. Some applications require a longer update period, so the 961 lets you increase that span to 199 seconds. You can choose a one-se...
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Section three - interfacing page 54 961 installation manual revision a differential corrections). If the 961 already has an internal differential receiver, you can use the aux port to transmit its differential corrections to another device that accepts them. To access the aux port options: 1. Press ...
Page 65: Setting Ppnm
Section three - interfacing 961 installation manual revision a page 55 aux port format outputting dgps corrections to another source sc-104 out outputs differential corrections from your 961xd’s internal differential receiver to an external device that accepts the standard sc-104 data stream. When u...
Page 66: Using Vga Output
Section three - interfacing page 56 961 installation manual revision a the following configuration parameters are available as outlined in table 9 below. Table 9: ppnm output setup parameters the 961’s ppnm default settings are 200 ppnm, 100 milliseconds, and 200 milliseconds. To change the ppnm set...
Page 67: Service Functions
Section four - service/maintenance 961 installation manual revision a page 57 section four - service/maintenance service functions this section explains the options at the service menu screen for view- ing product information, configuring the receivers, viewing gps status, and saving and restoring d...
Page 68
Section four - service/maintenance page 58 961 installation manual revision a processor serial number and software revision the serial number of the processor is affixed to the back of the unit, and also has been permanently programmed into the unit’s database. You can view this serial number at the...
Page 69
Section four - service/maintenance 961 installation manual revision a page 59 figure 30: receiver information screen changing gps speed averaging value when you aren’t using dgps or you’re out of range, you may notice that the sog readings obtained from the gps satellite system are slightly erratic,...
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Section four - service/maintenance page 60 961 installation manual revision a you can change the speed averaging value at any time without affecting other navigation functions. To change the speed averaging value: 1. At the receiver information screen, press the cursor pad to highlight the gps speed...
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Section four - service/maintenance 961 installation manual revision a page 61 setting beacon frequency and baud rate you can set the receiver to operate automatically or be controlled manu- ally. Automatic tuning northstar’s two-channel differential receiver enters automatic differential mode as soo...
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Section four - service/maintenance page 62 961 installation manual revision a can set the differential frequency to any value between 283.5khz and 325khz. You can set the baud rate to any of the four standard rates: 25 bps, 50 bps, 100 bps, or 200 bps. To choose manual mode: 1. At the receiver infor...
Page 73
Section four - service/maintenance 961 installation manual revision a page 63 for an overview of gps and dgps, see “introducing gps and dgps” in chapter 2 of the northstar 961 operations and reference manual (gm1700). For details about the gps satellite status screen, see “under- standing position c...
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Section four - service/maintenance page 64 961 installation manual revision a a blank, properly formatted floppy disk always has enough space to store your backed-up databases (a zip disk also has enough space). If you receive the message “unable to copy data to the removable disk,” check if the dis...
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Section four - service/maintenance 961 installation manual revision a page 65 figure 33: select database to save dialog box > to save only your setup and service options (user preferences), press the user preference key. > to save only your waypoints and routes, press the waypoints and routes key (t...
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Section four - service/maintenance page 66 961 installation manual revision a figure 34: select database to restore dialog box > to restore only your setup and service options (user preferences), press the user preference key. > to restore only your waypoints and routes, press the waypoints and rout...
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Section four - service/maintenance 961 installation manual revision a page 67 which database you’ve just restored, press either the user prefer- ence key, the waypoints and routes key, or the all key. In the sample screen below, only the user preference key appears. Figure 35: select a restored data...
Page 78: Maintenance Functions
Section four - service/maintenance page 68 961 installation manual revision a figure 36: save log data dialog box 3. Insert the disk into the drive (either a floppy disk or a zip disk), then press the confirm key. The saving log data dialog box appears, asking you to wait while the 961 saves the log...
Page 79: Northstar 961
Appendix a - technical specifications 961 installation manual revision a page 69 appendix a - technical specifications northstar 961 power power source: 10-36 vdc power consumption: 80-110w @ 24v fuse: standard supplied fuse: 3 amps operating power: 100 watts nominal (single head) gps receiver type:...
Page 80: Physical Features
Appendix a - technical specifications page 70 961 installation manual revision a • external save input • waypoint download capability • operating software upload (updates) • nmea output sentences: apb, bod, bwc, gga, glc, gll, gsa, gsv, hsc, mss, rma, rmb, rmc, wcv, wpl, xte, vtg, zda, ztg. (conform...
Page 81: An150 Active Gps Antenna
Appendix a - technical specifications 961 installation manual revision a page 71 internal beacon receiver specifications (961xd) signal processing noise blanker: predictive variable length signal detection: acquisition via fll, tracking via pll turning resolution: type: 2-channel, fully automatic fr...
Page 82: An205-P Gps/dgps Antenna
Appendix a - technical specifications page 72 961 installation manual revision a 8410 antenna coupling unit height: 11 inches diameter: 2.6 inches weight: 1.5 pounds dgps whip antenna: 48-inch fiberglass whip (not supplied) (shakespeare 4' #173 loaded, or radio shack #21-934) an205-p gps/dgps antenn...
Page 83
961 installation manual revision a page 73 numerics 8410 acu assembly diagram 23 cables 23 components 22 evaluating temporary locations before mounting 22 mounting 22 technical specifications 72 using the an205-p antenna with 22 using with the an150 antenna 22 wiring with an150 antenna 24 961 activa...
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Page 74 961 installation manual revision a d data transmission, changing update intervals 53 database, saving and restoring 63 datamarine cdx output format 48 dgps antenna connector (uhf) 14 antenna. See an205-p antenna checking for the presence of signals 32 outputting aux port corrections 55 recei...
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961 installation manual revision a page 75 yoke vs. Flush 9 mounting bracket 12 mss 0183 identifier 50 n nmea 0180 output format 48 nmea 0183 baud rate 47 checksums 47, 53 lat/lon precision 47 output format 48 sentence identifiers 49 talker id 47 talker id 51 waypoint id 47, 53 nmea output configuri...
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Page 76 961 installation manual revision a service 3 setup parameters aux port 54 ppnm output 56 shading avoiding electromagnetic 16 shipping carton, checking for damage 6 shipping charges 3 shortcuts, avoiding 7 signal-to-noise ratio 22 grounding and showing for each satellite 30 troubleshooting po...