Cannot Upload Waypoints to Furuno GPS

[WalterH]

Cannot upload WP's to new Furuno GP-33 via NEMA 0183.

I can read GPS nav data on OpenCPN.

Can upload WP's to Garmin 76cs using same configuration. I have a toggle switch between Garmin and Furuno NMEA the wiring configuration is the same for both units after the switch.

I have also tried uploading wp's using MaxSea, no go.

OCPN indicates upload successful, but no response from GPS.
Does Furuno use some special translater?
Any tips on how to trouble shoot the problem?

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by WalterH

Cannot upload WP's to new Furuno GP-33 via NEMA 0183.

I can read GPS nav data on OpenCPN.

Can upload WP's to Garmin 76cs using same configuration. I have a toggle switch between Garmin and Furuno NMEA the wiring configuration is the same for both units after the switch.

I have also tried uploading wp's using MaxSea, no go.

OCPN indicates upload successful, but no response from GPS.
Does Furuno use some special translater?
Any tips on how to trouble shoot the problem?

I suggest you use GPSUtility program. It has Furuno GP-33 as an option.

GPS Utility - Download

Terry

[WalterH]

Terry,
I downloaded the GPS utility, it is a cool program, but still cannot get WPs into the GP-33, I wonder if anyone else has a Furuno GP-33 and has uploaded waypoints via NEMA 0183?

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by WalterH

Terry,
I downloaded the GPS utility, it is a cool program, but still cannot get WPs into the GP-33, I wonder if anyone else has a Furuno GP-33 and has uploaded waypoints via NEMA 0183?

Walter ... this is the procedure I use for the Furuno GP-32. I suspect it will work for you:

Sending waypoints and routes from GPSUtility program to Furuno GPS.

Prepare GPSU program

1. Launch GPSUtility.
2. Go to GPS/Setup. Select 'Furuno', 'other' (or '80' or '33' if you have one of those models.)
Select the com port connected to the GPS. (You can check the available ports by clicking on the box 'Check')
Select the 'Baud rate' of '4800'
Click on 'OK'.
3. Select File/Open. Navigage to the route you want to use.
Open it. If you get a warning notice about symbols just click 'ok'.
The waypoints for that route will be displayed.
4. Minimize the GPSU program.


Prepare Furuno GPS

1. Select MENU/I/O SETUP and press ENTER
2. Select LOAD WPT/RTE <- PC? and press ENTER
3. On the LOAD WPT/ROUTE screen the selection CONTINUE? is highlighted. Press ENTER
4. On the LOADING START? screen, move the selection to YES but don't do anything just yet.

Uploading

1. Display GPSU.
2. Select GPS/Upload all ...
3. The GPS Transfer screen appears with 'OK' checked.
4. Quickly do the following:

a. On the Furuno GPS press ENT for the highlighted 'YES'. Then ...
b. On the GPSU program click on the 'OK' (alternatively just hit ENTER key)

5. On the GPSU program the bottom left corner will show the status of the upload and when it is completed.
6. The Furuno GPS should beep and display 'LOADING COMPLETED. Press any key'. Do so

a. Go to MAIN MENU/WAYPOINTS. Press ENTER twice. The waypoints for this route should be shown.
b. Go to MAIN MENU/ROUTES. Press ENTER. A route '01' should be displayed without a name. Hightlight it and press ENTER.
c. The waypoints for that route should be shown. To add a name to this route select CMT: and press ENTER. You can now use the GPS selector to enter a name for the route.

Remember that each time you upload data to the GPS it overwrites the old information.

It is possible to upload waypoints for multiple routes at one time.

If you do a combined file of waypoints and routes from other saved routes and send them at one time to the Furuno GPS, the result will be that only the first set of waypoints defining a route will be accepted by the Furuno GPS as a route, labeled '01'. It may often have a blank name or, perhaps a garbled one. This is normally the first set of waypoints associated with the first route you have put into the combined file. The other waypoints comprising the other routes will be under the GPS 'Waypoints' folder. You must now go to 'Routes' and create the successive routes using the waypointS for that route displayed under the 'Waypoints' folder in the GPS.

For that first route, '01' (and for any route for that matter), you can open the route and enter the name of the route under the 'CMT:' line.

Terry

[WalterH]

Thanks Terry, but still no good. When I get to the last step the Furuno displays "WPT/RTE loading..." with a cancel button highlighted. The GPS utility goes through the up load routine and says upload complete, but no beep from the Furuno and the same "WPT/RTE loading..." message is displayed. It will stay like that forever until I hit the Cancel button. No waypoints are listed in the Waypoint menu.
I had a GP-32 and could upload to it fine, but it died. I went to Singapore to get another, but only the GP-33 was available so that is what I got. I hate upgrades.
Regards Walter

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by WalterH

I hate upgrades.
Regards Walter

Hmmmm ... interesting since the program includes the Furuno GP-33.

Did you try 'other' instead of '33' in the GPSU setup?

About all I can suggest now is to communicate with the author of GPSU murphy<at>gpsu.co.uk and/or search through the forum: gpsu : GPSU User's Group

Good luck Terry

[WalterH]

FurunoUSA engineers have now confirmed that waypoints can not be up loaded to the GP-33 using the NEMA 0183 channel. They are working on the problem.

[btrayfors]

Walter,

I suspect your Furuno-to-laptop wiring isn't correct.

Here's why.

I have four...yes 4....GP31 units. They are all programmed identically with routes/waypoints uploaded from a laptop.

I just acquired the fourth recently, and set about programming it exactly like the other three. I removed the one at the nav station, substituted the "new" one, and tried to upload the data. Got EXACTLY the same response as you. It wouldn't take them. Interestingly, though, it erased the few waypoints which were already in the GP-31; I have come to believe that that occurred when you press the buttons on the unit itself, not because of the laptop trying to write to the GP-31.

I suspected that maybe the battery was bad. Opened it up, and found the battery was fine. Puzzlement. ??????

Then, I broke out the backup GP-31 power/data cable which I had at home and which I'd actually used to program the other three. Hooked it up and...BINGO....the "new" GP-31 took the data first time. No problem.

BTW, I also used this cable to program a brand new GP32 last month for a client. Worked flawlessly.

What was wrong?

I'm sure the problem was that the wiring to the GP-31 data cable on the boat was wrong. The receive function was OK for the laptop and the VHF because I was getting position data from the GPS. However, the transmit function obviously wasn't working right. And, guess what? Just a couple of weeks ago I'd installed a new VHF and, in the process, had "cleaned up" all the wiring connections for the VHF (power, PA/fog, external speaker, GPS) and for the GPS and laptop....all wires lead to a terminal strip. Obviously, I screwed up one of the connections, so the data could not be transferred from the laptop to the GPS. My bad.

Check your connections carefully.

Good luck,

Bill

[WalterH]

Thanks for the input Bill, but I am replacing a GP-32 with a GP-33. I have checked my wiring and I have discussed it with Furuno technical support. Furuno engineers are investigating the problem and they are also unable to load WPs from a computer to a GP-33 in their shop so it seems that there is something is wrong with the GP-33.

[Splash2791]

Originally Posted by WalterH

Thanks for the input Bill, but I am replacing a GP-32 with a GP-33. I have checked my wiring and I have discussed it with Furuno technical support. Furuno engineers are investigating the problem and they are also unable to load WPs from a computer to a GP-33 in their shop so it seems that there is something is wrong with the GP-33.

I have the same problem - according to FURUNO USA (more capable than uk) there is a USB /10 PCBL 10 pin to USB cable assembly available from FURUNO that will do the trick with easy gps utility
A NMEA interface will not allow you to upload waypoints - I have just wasted countless hours trying to make a NMEA interface to work on the incorrect advice of a dealer that will remain nameless - if you cannot get help locally try calling furuno USA # (360) 834 9300 & speak to John in tech support - I was just about to loose the will to live at the apparent total technical ignorance of local uk support!
Good luck,

Pat

[Mylady]

Good Day ,

I read all what is mentioned here regarding " Cannot Upload Waypoints to Furuno GPS "but does anybody knows if Furuno solved the problem by changing the software in this GP 33 so you do not need the special program anymore ?

[Rakoa]

Similar problem on my gp30 and 31 though works fine with maxsea. What about ticking the box in opencpn connections window for allowing output data on the port....did you do this? I will try this when next at boat and post.

[rgleason]

Read and follow yachtvallaha's explicit step by step?
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post816359
- Perhaps this documentation should be in some section of the User Documentation?
- Can it be improved with a list of actions & proven compatible Furuno devices?
- Please add your experiences if you have furuno.
- Also suggest looking into GPS babel, there is an OpenCPN plugin oBabel that works with it.

Will Furuno owners maintain & update a page in the User Manual for waypoint upload?