Thanks for sharing, I bought NETGEAR GS 308 8 PORT Gigabit Ethernet Switch. 12vdc@ .5amps Output. Just cut off the AC transducer. Then Add an inline fuse to your battery connection. Again thanks for sharing and saving money also.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🎣🎣
Man you just saved my night, i already have a 93sv with just live scope and tonight bought a 93sv with the gt56uhd transducer just to realize i needed a hub. Me being a computer guy this is an easy fix what you have outlined. Thank you so much!!!
@@bayboatbassin2426 I’d like to add, I went with an industrial Ethernet switch, benefit is they are 12-48v supplied, so no need for a converter and was smaller than the netgear I originally purchased.
Not a bad video demo for the nerdy fisherman. Just update your Ethernet switch for a shielded model as it’s a requirement for Garmin to reduce noise and to turn Garmin devices on/off. The original Garmin equipment is also bonded to the negative to eliminate ground loops and doesn’t void your warranty. Nothing wrong with making cables but I’d shy away from home built switches if you have a lot invested. You can absolutely save money doing this but you need to use a shielded switch to gain full functionality out of Garmin. Cat5e shielded is all you need too if that’s cheaper. 👍👍
For anybody looking to do this, you can get VERY cheaply get USB powered network switches. Having just snagged two $299 Echomap 74xsv from West Marine (crazy sale), I just bought a 3 port on Amazon for seven bucks, and plugged it into an SAE 12v to USB phone charger I already had on hand. Plugged in my LiveScope black box (the OG, from my icefishing rig) and it works a treat. For what it is worth, cables don't seem to matter; I tried one crossover cable and one regular old cat6 cable, and both seem to work great.
I was thinking back about this build wanted to let everyone know about the ethernet cables. Making the cables "waterproof" is the most difficult part of the whole job because its difficult to physically fit the cat 7 cable through the waterproof connector and the plug end. But by going with those cat 7 cable I found it provided a lot of the things Garmin indicated their wires have including, the shielding, drain wire, and a UV/water resistant coating. If you've never made ethernet cables make sure to straighten out the twisted pairs to make fitting them into the plug easier and be sure none of the wires move on you before you crimp the plug onto the wire otherwise you'll have to cut it off and start again. Like I said it can be tough but it is still very doable. I had a wire slip on me when crimping them and I've made many ethernet cables before, so don't get discouraged.
I got the same cables as in the video and I had drill out the Garmin connectors so the cable would fit through the connector! Very tight, these cable are heavy duty larger diameter than standard network cable.
I'm trying to think back since its been a bit. I know I didn't drill them but I do remember them being a tight fit. I think I cut them it and angle to get it started and pulled them through each piece individually with a pair of pliers. Maybe I used dielectric grease to help it as well. You're right though they are a tight fit but I was worried about water intrusion so I figured the tighter the fit the better. Those screens are expensive.
Are you sure you need crossover cables? These are only required usually if there is no switch. Most switches detect if crossover is required and do the required business anyway... I note a comment further down stating crossovers were not required...
This is great! I just got two units which are the 93sv uhd and also a livescope setup. When I knew I had to buy another expensive item to have them network i was upset. I'm going to try this. Thanks for helping man.
I noticed that you said it’s cross connected which end is Side A configuration & which end does side B configuration go to (I.e, Side A- Garmin unit, Side B-Network Switch )
This is an amazing DIY project, thanks so much for sharing. I wonder if it’s possible to do the same for that $1k Garmin switch device that connects to you Garmin panel to control bilge pumps, lights, horns..etc?
I have the same setup, except with no buck converter. I used a 12v network switch (not 5 volt) and didn't use the AC adaptor, just wired it to the battery. I realize you used it to go from 24v system, but your screens are wired off a 12V battery anyway so why not use that & save on the converter? Plus a network switch uses very little power. Nice tutorial BTW it will help lots of people save some money.
You are correct that would make it cost even less. Ordering the switch I didn't know what voltage it was going to use so I bought it just in case. I was trying to pull as much draw off my main battery since I only have the one. My two trolling motor batteries never seem to dip down below 75% even after some long windy, fishing days. Honestly after running the setup a while I'm starting to think the waterproof enclosure isn't truly needed since it stays very dry in my front compartment. Maybe just have a few drip loops on the wires and call it good unless your front compartment isn't so waterproof.
Not sure I would run your 12v switch on battery voltage. The power supply that comes with the switch is a pretty constant output under the load from the switch and is probably within a 1/2 volt or less of the 12 volts. Boat battery voltage can probably vary 20 to 30% or more. Low voltage is not concerning, but the higher voltages, especially as batteries are getting close to fully charged, can reach 14.5 volts or possibly more. They make regulators that will work off a 12 volt charging system, like on a boat, that will cap off the voltage to prevent the higher voltage from reaching the equipment connected to it.
Great information, thanks for sharing, you encouraged me to give it a try. I just received my order from amazon and are ready to get started. You shared that you cut the block from the power cord of the network switch and plug the ends into the out put side of the converter but ware did the wires come from that you pluged into the input side of the converter?
Glad to hear it's helping! It was definitely intimidating at first but once your done you will wonder how Garmin charges so much for the same thing. The wires from the power cord will go into the output side of the converter like you said. The input power will come from which ever power source you wanted. I personnaly used my trolling motor wiring and tapped in a fuse block to provide power.
So I'm going to spend 2-3k on 2 graphs, 1500 on live scope, 3500 on a trolling motor but when I see 249.00 for the switch and a 100.00 for some cables, that's going to be the deal breaker? Don't get me wrong this is a great tutorial and looks like a fun little DIY project but I feel like if you're going to make this kind of investment, just bite the bullet and do it right. The last thing you want is to blow up an expensive piece of equipment and have the manufacturer deny you warranty because you wanted to save 200.00 on a 8k spend, lol.
Been using it a little over a year now. It goes to the same batteries the trolling motor and Panoptix use. It is powered by a pair of size 27 deep cycles. It's been great they never drop below a 50% even with fishing all day.
So that voltage step down box also converts dc to ac? I thought the network box was looking for AC? Yes, I know nothing about electricity. I thought it was needing 110v of AC?
It's okay it seems like it does and you would think so but the network box uses the block on the end of the cord to transition from AC to DC. If you check somewhere on the transformer it will tell you what voltage the device wants. It usually lists input and output voltage. In this case it wanted only 5 volts. Lots of device in you home use these transformers to step down to 12 or less volts. I hope this helps!
Yes I cut one end off of each ethernet cable. And then replaced it with the Garmin Connector. This end will go out to the fishfinders since it's a waterproof connector.
Do you have a connection diagram you can share? I see 3 purple cat7 cables connected to the switch. I know the Livescope has 1 coming in (black), 1 for each of 2 screens but not sure what the 3rd is for.
I'd have to make one and cant right now but each purple cat7 cable goes to a screen. There are 2 screens up on the front deck of the boat and a 3rd one at the console.
Are you sure that the cables need to be crossover? I don't understand why they couldn't be a standard A or B straight through if you're using a normal switch. I wonder if they are really supposed to be straight through cables and that little switch supported MDI/MIDX detection. I need to test this...
It might not require the crossover pinout. I did it since Garmin instructions indicated it should be wired as such. I don't have a long enough cable lying around or I would test it out and let you know.
Actually I found one swapped the cable and the standard cable pinout works as well. At least it does with this switch. I don't know how much it matters though since you have to re-terminate the end put the waterproof connector on cable either way.
@@bayboatbassin2426 This is important because the difference in a standard patch cable and a crossover is that the transmit and receive pins are reversed on one end. Some switches have the capability to detect tx and rx collissions and adjust accordingly. I'd like to have a look at those instructions. I'd be very surprised if it really is using crossover cables. Host and router interfaces are typically MDI where hub/switch interfaces are MDIX. This is why you need a crossover cable to directly connect two computers with just a single network cable, but non-crossover cables are used when connecting via hubs/switches.
@@bayboatbassin2426 ok, I found the Garmin document you referenced. You're right. It's a crossover cable. I think I see what's going on here. The instructions have you wire the cable ends in a crossover pinout so that it can be used to direct connect two chartplotters without a switch. The GMS10 switch likely has the intelligence to negotiate tx/rx pins making it work regardless. Sorry... it was bugging me. I needed to understand.
I didnt know such a thing existed, with the exception of the fish finder companies version, but I don't see why not. The Garmin one just seemed overpriced to me.
Thanks for sharing, I bought NETGEAR GS 308 8 PORT Gigabit Ethernet Switch. 12vdc@ .5amps Output. Just cut off the AC transducer. Then Add an inline fuse to your battery connection. Again thanks for sharing and saving money also.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🎣🎣
Man you just saved my night, i already have a 93sv with just live scope and tonight bought a 93sv with the gt56uhd transducer just to realize i needed a hub. Me being a computer guy this is an easy fix what you have outlined. Thank you so much!!!
Glad I could help.
@@bayboatbassin2426 I’d like to add, I went with an industrial Ethernet switch, benefit is they are 12-48v supplied, so no need for a converter and was smaller than the netgear I originally purchased.
Not a bad video demo for the nerdy fisherman. Just update your Ethernet switch for a shielded model as it’s a requirement for Garmin to reduce noise and to turn Garmin devices on/off. The original Garmin equipment is also bonded to the negative to eliminate ground loops and doesn’t void your warranty. Nothing wrong with making cables but I’d shy away from home built switches if you have a lot invested. You can absolutely save money doing this but you need to use a shielded switch to gain full functionality out of Garmin. Cat5e shielded is all you need too if that’s cheaper. 👍👍
For anybody looking to do this, you can get VERY cheaply get USB powered network switches. Having just snagged two $299 Echomap 74xsv from West Marine (crazy sale), I just bought a 3 port on Amazon for seven bucks, and plugged it into an SAE 12v to USB phone charger I already had on hand. Plugged in my LiveScope black box (the OG, from my icefishing rig) and it works a treat.
For what it is worth, cables don't seem to matter; I tried one crossover cable and one regular old cat6 cable, and both seem to work great.
I was thinking back about this build wanted to let everyone know about the ethernet cables. Making the cables "waterproof" is the most difficult part of the whole job because its difficult to physically fit the cat 7 cable through the waterproof connector and the plug end. But by going with those cat 7 cable I found it provided a lot of the things Garmin indicated their wires have including, the shielding, drain wire, and a UV/water resistant coating. If you've never made ethernet cables make sure to straighten out the twisted pairs to make fitting them into the plug easier and be sure none of the wires move on you before you crimp the plug onto the wire otherwise you'll have to cut it off and start again. Like I said it can be tough but it is still very doable. I had a wire slip on me when crimping them and I've made many ethernet cables before, so don't get discouraged.
I got the same cables as in the video and I had drill out the Garmin connectors so the cable would fit through the connector! Very tight, these cable are heavy duty larger diameter than standard network cable.
I'm trying to think back since its been a bit. I know I didn't drill them but I do remember them being a tight fit. I think I cut them it and angle to get it started and pulled them through each piece individually with a pair of pliers. Maybe I used dielectric grease to help it as well. You're right though they are a tight fit but I was worried about water intrusion so I figured the tighter the fit the better. Those screens are expensive.
Just did this with the 12v/8 port and no crossover cables and works just fine.
Are you sure you need crossover cables? These are only required usually if there is no switch. Most switches detect if crossover is required and do the required business anyway... I note a comment further down stating crossovers were not required...
This is great! I just got two units which are the 93sv uhd and also a livescope setup. When I knew I had to buy another expensive item to have them network i was upset. I'm going to try this. Thanks for helping man.
Enjoy!
Netgear gigabit switches use 12v. Probably need to stabilise the voltage though so you probably need a voltage stabiliser anyway
I noticed that you said it’s cross connected which end is Side A configuration & which end does side B configuration go to (I.e, Side A- Garmin unit, Side B-Network Switch )
This is a pretty cool idea and came out nice - thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I hope it helps.
This is an amazing DIY project, thanks so much for sharing. I wonder if it’s possible to do the same for that $1k Garmin switch device that connects to you Garmin panel to control bilge pumps, lights, horns..etc?
Thanks for this video!
I have the same setup, except with no buck converter. I used a 12v network switch (not 5 volt) and didn't use the AC adaptor, just wired it to the battery. I realize you used it to go from 24v system, but your screens are wired off a 12V battery anyway so why not use that & save on the converter? Plus a network switch uses very little power. Nice tutorial BTW it will help lots of people save some money.
You are correct that would make it cost even less. Ordering the switch I didn't know what voltage it was going to use so I bought it just in case. I was trying to pull as much draw off my main battery since I only have the one. My two trolling motor batteries never seem to dip down below 75% even after some long windy, fishing days. Honestly after running the setup a while I'm starting to think the waterproof enclosure isn't truly needed since it stays very dry in my front compartment. Maybe just have a few drip loops on the wires and call it good unless your front compartment isn't so waterproof.
Not sure I would run your 12v switch on battery voltage. The power supply that comes with the switch is a pretty constant output under the load from the switch and is probably within a 1/2 volt or less of the 12 volts. Boat battery voltage can probably vary 20 to 30% or more. Low voltage is not concerning, but the higher voltages, especially as batteries are getting close to fully charged, can reach 14.5 volts or possibly more. They make regulators that will work off a 12 volt charging system, like on a boat, that will cap off the voltage to prevent the higher voltage from reaching the equipment connected to it.
Thanks! I'm not getting scammed on these already overpriced fishing electronics
I hear ya. We got to save where we can!
Great information, thanks for sharing, you encouraged me to give it a try. I just received my order from amazon and are ready to get started. You shared that you cut the block from the power cord of the network switch and plug the ends into the out put side of the converter but ware did the wires come from that you pluged into the input side of the converter?
Glad to hear it's helping! It was definitely intimidating at first but once your done you will wonder how Garmin charges so much for the same thing. The wires from the power cord will go into the output side of the converter like you said. The input power will come from which ever power source you wanted. I personnaly used my trolling motor wiring and tapped in a fuse block to provide power.
So I'm going to spend 2-3k on 2 graphs, 1500 on live scope, 3500 on a trolling motor but when I see 249.00 for the switch and a 100.00 for some cables, that's going to be the deal breaker? Don't get me wrong this is a great tutorial and looks like a fun little DIY project but I feel like if you're going to make this kind of investment, just bite the bullet and do it right. The last thing you want is to blow up an expensive piece of equipment and have the manufacturer deny you warranty because you wanted to save 200.00 on a 8k spend, lol.
You are smart I was thinking about this and you showed me it is possible thank you
Great video, thank you for sharing. How long have you been using it? What type of battery did you connect?
Been using it a little over a year now. It goes to the same batteries the trolling motor and Panoptix use. It is powered by a pair of size 27 deep cycles. It's been great they never drop below a 50% even with fishing all day.
Is all functions working with a standard switch?
Such as power on the radar from the mfd?
Do you know if a sonar-less fishfinder requires the sonar-ed fishfinder to be powered on to access that sonar when networked together?
I got this tp link and it doesn’t work , I do have the gls10 on own power and that’s it , any ideas I can try?
So that voltage step down box also converts dc to ac? I thought the network box was looking for AC? Yes, I know nothing about electricity. I thought it was needing 110v of AC?
It's okay it seems like it does and you would think so but the network box uses the block on the end of the cord to transition from AC to DC. If you check somewhere on the transformer it will tell you what voltage the device wants. It usually lists input and output voltage. In this case it wanted only 5 volts. Lots of device in you home use these transformers to step down to 12 or less volts. I hope this helps!
How many of the garmin network cable connectors would I need for 2 echo map 93sv UHD and livescope to be networked?
2 package of connectors. It will contain 4 connectors so you'll have a connector left over.
So did you cut the ends off each bought cable and re tip with shown diagram ..?
Yes I cut one end off of each ethernet cable. And then replaced it with the Garmin Connector. This end will go out to the fishfinders since it's a waterproof connector.
Do you have a connection diagram you can share? I see 3 purple cat7 cables connected to the switch. I know the Livescope has 1 coming in (black), 1 for each of 2 screens but not sure what the 3rd is for.
I'd have to make one and cant right now but each purple cat7 cable goes to a screen. There are 2 screens up on the front deck of the boat and a 3rd one at the console.
Are you sure that the cables need to be crossover? I don't understand why they couldn't be a standard A or B straight through if you're using a normal switch. I wonder if they are really supposed to be straight through cables and that little switch supported MDI/MIDX detection. I need to test this...
It might not require the crossover pinout. I did it since Garmin instructions indicated it should be wired as such. I don't have a long enough cable lying around or I would test it out and let you know.
Actually I found one swapped the cable and the standard cable pinout works as well. At least it does with this switch. I don't know how much it matters though since you have to re-terminate the end put the waterproof connector on cable either way.
@@bayboatbassin2426 This is important because the difference in a standard patch cable and a crossover is that the transmit and receive pins are reversed on one end. Some switches have the capability to detect tx and rx collissions and adjust accordingly. I'd like to have a look at those instructions. I'd be very surprised if it really is using crossover cables. Host and router interfaces are typically MDI where hub/switch interfaces are MDIX. This is why you need a crossover cable to directly connect two computers with just a single network cable, but non-crossover cables are used when connecting via hubs/switches.
@@bayboatbassin2426 ok, I found the Garmin document you referenced. You're right. It's a crossover cable. I think I see what's going on here. The instructions have you wire the cable ends in a crossover pinout so that it can be used to direct connect two chartplotters without a switch. The GMS10 switch likely has the intelligence to negotiate tx/rx pins making it work regardless. Sorry... it was bugging me. I needed to understand.
Can you just use a waterproof outdoor ethernet switch?
I didnt know such a thing existed, with the exception of the fish finder companies version, but I don't see why not. The Garmin one just seemed overpriced to me.
Does this unit also work for ps22 transducer
Since it looks like the PS22 uses the same network plug I would think so. But I have experimented with that set up to know for sure. Sorry.