Connecting the Garmin GRF 10 Sensor to the Autopilot

[Kaptajnen]

I am looking for info on how to connect the Garmin GRF 10 Sensor to the ECU of the Garmin Autopilot system.

The only reference I can find is the following cryptic advice:

“Connecting the Device to the Autopilot System
1 Route the cable from the sensor to the orange 12-pin connector on the ECU of the autopilot system.”

Where is this ECU located on our new Ranger 31-S?
How do I route the cable to it?

It does not look there is any cable attached to the sensor, but it is available from Fisheries Supply here in Seattle.

Appreciate any info/advice.

 

[IvanGuzman]

Hi Claus,
“Connecting the Device to the Autopilot System
1 Route the cable from the sensor to the orange 12-pin connector on the ECU of the autopilot system.” the rudder indicator has the orange connector attached. which you will need the GRA 10 adapter cable to go to your NMEA backbone which your backbone is behind your refrigerator. this backbone is where all your Garmin devices hooked to for communication.

Where is this ECU located on our new Ranger 31-S? don't believe you need to connect anything here (it's located inside your STBD cockpit locker by your Auto pilot pump)
How do I route the cable to it? the GRA 10 adapter cable you will need to run to the backbone behind the refrigerator. access will be best to go through your STBD area under your liner part of the boat and up to the refer inside your cabin. for best results remove your refer and open all compartments doors to gain access and visibility while running your cable from the sensor to your NMEA backbone. I will also suggest to use some what of a hard thin pipe/plastic to run cables through your boat (maybe 6ft long)

hope this works and answers your question. Good luck on your installation Claus!

 

[Kaptajnen]

Thank you, Ivan!

 

[NautiTug]

Did this work for you?

 

[Gin]

I recently installed the Garmin rudder angle indicator on our 2019 R31. Because our set up doesn’t have the Smartpump, the installation was NOT plug and play. With the Smartpump, as I understand it, the plug on the end of the sensor simply plugs into the Smartpump and you’re good to go.

Instead, I had to also buy a cable (Garmin GRA 10) that converts the signal from the angle indicator into a digital format. That cable then gets plugged into the NMEA backbone. To make it work, you have to connect the rudder angle indicator cable, which has a plug on the end, to the GRA 10 cable, which has loose wire ends rather than a plug.

To make connect the two cables, I followed the advice from this thread: http://www.tugnuts.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=8656&p=60318&hilit=GRF+10#p60318. Basically, I cut off the unneeded plug from the cable coming from the rudder sensor and connected the wires from that cable to the extension cable. The key was to connect only four of the wires (red, yellow, black and a bare “drain” wire) and ignore the others. The Garmin instructions were less than helpful on that point. I had a lot more cable than I needed, so I cut off some of the excess, while leaving myself enough to have plenty to work with plus some slack.

Once I cut the plug off the rudder angle cable and figured out the right attachments to the GRA 10 cable, the rest was easy. Well, easy in terms of making the electronic connections. I made crimped connections between the four wires (red, yellow, black and bare), which is a bit challenging because the wires are so fine (24 gauge, I’d estimate). But it can be done. Once done, the other end of the GRA 10 cable then attached to the NMEA backbone, and the Garmin NMEA network recognized the rudder angle signal immediately. (Note: Figuring out how to attach the rudder sensor itself to the rudder arm and the back stern wall was more challenging. I got that worked out too, and anyone interested in how I did the sensor attachment can feel free to PM me). The downside to the Garmin setup is that the combination of the GRF 10 (sensor) and GRA 10 (adaptor cable) made for an expensive way to add rudder angle information to my helm data, since the second cable cost nearly as much as the sensor itself. But for me, it has proved worth the expense.

 

[Emerson]

Similar question for a 2022 RT-29CB.

I obtained the GRF10 sensor and it came with the 12-pin cable with orange connector. From below I understand that I have three possibilities:
1. Plug directly into SmartPump, if that device exists on the R-29, which I believe it does not.
2. Route to - and plug into - Autopilot CCU somewhere midships (under helmet seat, I believe)
3. Use a GRA 10 adapter to plug anywhere into the NEMA 2000 backbone.

May I confirm:
A. Is there a Smartpump and if so where?
B. Where is the CCU and is there a jack available to plug into?
C. Is #3 a correct option?
D. Which is the preferred/best/only option?

Thank you very much!
Steve of the future MV Emerson

Hi Claus,
“Connecting the Device to the Autopilot System
1 Route the cable from the sensor to the orange 12-pin connector on the ECU of the autopilot system.” the rudder indicator has the orange connector attached. which you will need the GRA 10 adapter cable to go to your NMEA backbone which your backbone is behind your refrigerator. this backbone is where all your Garmin devices hooked to for communication.

Where is this ECU located on our new Ranger 31-S? don't believe you need to connect anything here (it's located inside your STBD cockpit locker by your Auto pilot pump)
How do I route the cable to it? the GRA 10 adapter cable you will need to run to the backbone behind the refrigerator. access will be best to go through your STBD area under your liner part of the boat and up to the refer inside your cabin. for best results remove your refer and open all compartments doors to gain access and visibility while running your cable from the sensor to your NMEA backbone. I will also suggest to use some what of a hard thin pipe/plastic to run cables through your boat (maybe 6ft long)

hope this works and answers your question. Good luck on your installation Claus!

 

[JDubya]

Anyone put a GRF-10 on a C-30S that could share where/how you mounted the feedback sensor itself?
-------------------------
I ordered the GRF 10 to install in my 2021 C-30S based on some advice from a friend that it was definitely going to work onboard with the Garmin AutoPilot system. While waiting for the unit to arrive, I've been trying to thoroughly research the install before it gets here. Digging through the various Garmin install manuals on their site, I've also reached the same conclusion that all I have to do is plug the orange connector on the GRF-10 into the AutoPump's orange receptacle.

My question now is where I'm going to mount the sensor in order to accomplish the arrangement described in the GRF-10 install manual. Browsing the forums, it seems like I will have to handyman a mounting platform of some sort that I can attach to the transom close enough to the tiller arm to be able to get a proper arrangement.

 

[dbsea]

Anyone put a GRF-10 on a C-30S that could share where/how you mounted the feedback sensor itself?
-------------------------
I ordered the GRF 10 to install in my 2021 C-30S based on some advice from a friend that it was definitely going to work onboard with the Garmin AutoPilot system. While waiting for the unit to arrive, I've been trying to thoroughly research the install before it gets here. Digging through the various Garmin install manuals on their site, I've also reached the same conclusion that all I have to do is plug the orange connector on the GRF-10 into the AutoPump's orange receptacle.

My question now is where I'm going to mount the sensor in order to accomplish the arrangement described in the GRF-10 install manual. Browsing the forums, it seems like I will have to handyman a mounting platform of some sort that I can attach to the transom close enough to the tiller arm to be able to get a proper arrangement.

Did you ever figure this out? looking at doing this myself.

 

[JDubya]

I did get the GRF installed.

The connection really was as easy as orange plug to orange receptacle. I just plugged it into the autopilot hydraulic pump in the aft starboard corner.

I also used the advice/discussion in the post Gin linked above: http://www.tugnuts.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=8656&p=60318&hilit=GRF+10#p60318

If you go into that user's profile,

(http://www.tugnuts.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3741&sid=f8672b074a7a744a238885c359730d3a)

you can see their pictures of how they used Weld Mount to mount a platform on the interior of the transom. That platform holds the feedback sensor. One difference in how I installed mine was that I did not use Weld Mount to put a stud on the tiller, but instead went through an existing hole in the tiller for the connection on that side. It's not quite as tight as I'd like but so far has worked well.

When I first turned on all my electronics after installing, the Garmin recognized the new equipment and took me through a calibration process.

Hope that helps.

 

[dbsea]

I did get the GRF installed.

The connection really was as easy as orange plug to orange receptacle. I just plugged it into the autopilot hydraulic pump in the aft starboard corner.

I also used the advice/discussion in the post Gin linked above: http://www.tugnuts.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=8656&p=60318&hilit=GRF+10#p60318

If you go into that user's profile,

(http://www.tugnuts.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3741&sid=99afb68b78e98df54a2edd243ecf8b00)

you can see their pictures of how they used Weld Mount to mount a platform on the interior of the transom. That platform holds the feedback sensor. One difference in how I installed mine was that I did not use Weld Mount to put a stud on the tiller, but instead went through an existing hole in the tiller for the connection on that side. It's not quite as tight as I'd like but so far has worked well.

When I first turned on all my electronics after installing, the Garmin recognized the new equipment and took me through a calibration process.

Hope that helps.

Very helpful, thanks. I have a C-30CB with what I’m imagining is a similar hole in my tiller arm that already exists. I’ll scope out the size when I’m back from vacation and see what I can come up with. Did you use the weld mounts to create the shelf for the GRF10 unit itself? Do you have the measurements handy for that? I assume the install directions give specifications for where the GRF10 should be mounted relative to the tiller arm?

 

[JDubya]

(I never got approved for the album user group or I’d upload some pictures to the forum.)

https://imgur.com/a/cvNR3XQ

The instructions that came with the GRF are good re: alignment geometry. The trick was building a little wooden platform to mount the GRF to, and then using the weld mount and associated studs to mount the platform to the transom … and getting that platform at the right height to be close to the same height as the tiller. You can see in my pics that I actually wound up a little high, such that the connecting rod has to run up to the GRF from the tiller. You can account for the horizontal offset distance by cutting the connecting rod to size.

It’s also kind of a pain to mount the GRF on the platform because the repeater tiller is spring-loaded to one side and you have to match the zero points while installing.

I painted the platform white to blend with the transom.

I’m not sure I got it all 100% precisely aligned, but it seems to be close enough to get a pretty accurate reading. It’s nice to have a much better sense of where the rudder is on the autopilot display (GHC 20) when getting underway or mooring, even if it’s off by a tad.

I also haven’t sorted out how to get it to talk to the Volvo Penta EVC over the NMEA network. I can see rudder deflection (in real-time, even) through the Volvo Connect app on my phone, but the engine display at the helm station doesn’t show the rudder input.

 

[dbsea]

Thanks. It seems like my autopilot is “legacy” and doesn’t have the orange plug in on the ECU. Will need to get the GRA 10 cable along side the rudder indicator and splice them together and put the sensor on NMEA2000.

 

[JDubya]

Dave,

Tried replying to your PM but it seems to be stuck in my forum outbox. Sorry it took me so long to see/reply.

I cut a standard 2x4 that we had left over from some work we were doing on our back deck. The horizontal piece is 3.75” and the vertical piece (attached to transom via WeldMount) is 9.75”. Total protrusion from the transom inside the hydraulic arm attached to the tiller is just under 5”.

My device list in my ActiveCaptain app calls my GHP a "Reactor 40” and my head unit is a GHC-20. I don’t see any other physical labels on the CCU to indicate anything else. Are those the pieces you’re looking for?

 

[JDubya]

…I am interested in what you did to get the sensor onto your NMEA 2000 network.

Oddly enough, I can see rudder deflection on my Volvo Easy Connect app on my phone, but the engine head unit still doesn’t show rudder indication through the EVC.

I’ve poked through the settings both on the engine and the Garmin side, but can’t find anything there. I’m considering an autopilot recalibration, if I can get my nerve up for that.

 

[dbsea]

Hi Jdubya, I used the analog adapter with the rudder angle sensor (GRA10 + GRF10) to get the rudder angle going. I had to cut the orange end off the rudder angle indicator and splice it together with the adapter and then T it into my NMEA2K network. It showed up immediately on the screen when I powered up my garmin stuff and prompted me to do a calibration of the rudder immediately. I can now see it on my auto pilot screens, or any of my chartplotters. The EVC will broadcast data to NMEA2k, but won't receive it, so I can't see this on my EVC but I don't need to since I've got it everywhere else. Hope that helps.

Dave

 

[JDubya]

Ok, I think that makes sense. I also got a similar response from the chart plotter on first power-on. If the EVC can’t receive then I think there’s nothing else I can do. Perhaps this is just another element (like batteries) that the Volvo just doesn’t get any info from.