Smartcraft Clock Update from Lowrance HDS Carbon Not Working after Fish Reveal Update

[MichaelJ3]

Editied 5/18/18 to include Required info:
1. 2B181067
2. 2016 Ranger 1850 LS Reata w/ Merc 150 Four Stroke
3. Tempest Plus 19P
4. 5600
5. I can't remember Idle and WOT H2O pressure, but probably not relevant to this post
6. SC-1000 System Tach and Speedo, as well as SC-100 Oil Pressure and Engine Temp System Link Gauges.

I have my HDS Carbon 12 Connected to my Mercury SmartCraft SC-1000 Speedometer, Version 7.0, via NEMA 0183. I have Carbon 12 configured to output NEMA 0183 at 4800 Baud, and sending only RMB and RMC Sentences. This configuration successfully sends Navigation Info to my SC-1000, allowing me to tap into several interesting fuel management, fuel to waypoint, and other functions of the SC-1000 speedometer. Most importantly, it also lets me read GPS speed on the speedometer. All of this works perfectly. confirming I have the proper electrical connections (I wired this up last year with advice from an online source NEMA 0183 + out of Lowrance to NEMA 0183+ on speedo; Shield on Lowrance to NEMA 0813- on speedo and both shorted to vessel GND).


I am having one problem that is NEW since the Lowrance Fish Reveal upgrade. The SC-1000 speedometer clock had been configured to update the time from the NEMA 0183 GPS input (In the Calibration Menu, it is a choice for time). Before the Fish Reveal Update, the time on my speedometer was updated perfectly as soon as I turn the key on, if the HDS was on. After the fish reveal update, the SC-1000 Speedometer still reports "Time Updated by GPS" but the time is set to 16:60 on every power on.


My Father-In-Law has HDS Gen 3's on his boat, with Mercury Smart Craft SC-1000 speedometer running SmartCraft V3.5, with the two connected via NEMA 0183, and he is experiencing the exact same issue since updating his HDS Gen 3's to The Fish Reveal Update. His time function worked perfectly on the HDS firmware previous to this level as well.


It should be noted, that before I bought the HDS Carbon, I had Lowrance ELITE 7 CHIRP Connected to the same SC-10000 speedometer, outputting RMB/RMC NEMA0183 sentences and the time was properly updated.


It should also be noted that all other NEMA 0183 INPUT functions to the SC-1000 Speedometer work (ie, Speed, Distance to Waypoint, etc). So, I know the connections are good.


I believe Lowrance must have a bug in the NEMA0183 RMB or RMC sentences as it relates to time. The situation is NEW with the update to Fish Reveal.


I did also update to the latest Fish Reveal + Patch 18.1 / 59.1.86 and saw no difference.


Has anyone else seen this issue after the update? It was so convenient to set the time on my SmartCraft gauge automatically, because the gauge loses the time memory after a few days of the boat master power being off.

I have a note into Lowrance to see what they say.

[EuropeanAM]

Michael:

Welcome to BBC! If you would, take a moment to review the Announcements at the top of the forum, so you know what info is Required when posting. Thanks!

I have never seen (to date) a System Speedo that utilized GPS Clock Update. Cal-1 (even in the latest manual I could locate) shows it as a MANUAL set feature. If that feature is available, it is a VERY recent addition to the programming (and given the baud limitations of NMEA-0183, it's probable that they aren't adding features across that very limited communication bandwidth).

Other instruments that utilize NMEA-2000 are capable of GPS Clock Update, however. The System Tach/Speed does not have NMEA-2000 Capabilities.

What Owner's Manual Part Number are you getting your information from?

[MichaelJ3]

Don,

The "USE GPS Time" can be enabled in CAL-1 Menu on SmartCraft Gauges which utilize the CAL-1 and CAL-2 menus.
See SC Manual P/N 08M0070297, Pgs 70 and 131, which can be downloaded from Mercury's Gauges and Displays Site here: https://samerwebapp01apncus01.blob.c...ners_guide.pdf
This Manual Most Closely Represents the Screens and Calibration Menus of my Father In Law's V3.5 SC Gauges which were on his boat in 2006.

USE GPS Time can be enabled in the "CALIBRATION" Menu of SC Gauges which have "MENU," "SCREENS," AND "CALIBRATION" modes.
See SC Manual P/N 8M0081594, Pg 32.
This Manual is the one which most closely represents the screens and functions in my V7.0 SC Tach (P/N 8M6002293) and Speedo (8M6002294).

I do not believe this a recent addition to the programming

[EuropeanAM]

That's a SMART-TOW System Tach and Speed (different system). Do your carry the words "Smart Tow" printed across the face?

The GPS features are different... see Page# 14 for Cal-1 settings for a Standard System Tach & Speed (which does not have that option).

[MichaelJ3]

Don,

My speedo looks exactly like what is pictured in the Manual P/N 8M0081594, which I found the download link to...here:
http://download.brunswick-marine.com...8m0081594r.pdf

It is my understanding that Merc incorporated SmartTow as a function of the System Tach and Speedo in the later versions and discontinued the Separate SmartTow Tach and Speedo In these Later Versions...

But, again, I don't think it is specific to any one Speedo, as like I said, my father-in-law's 2006 Vintage SC V3.5 has the same menu present in CAL-1 and his is definitely NOT a SmartTow...

[EuropeanAM]

I would suggest you contact Mercury Product Support directly, at the number provided in the back of your Engine Owner's Manual.

Smart-tow is a feature of the SPEEDO, and did not come into play until Version 4.0. Not even compatible with Version 3.5 (at all) according to the Product Guide.

The folks there in Fond du Lac should be able to assist you, or confirm what I suspect to be the case (feature simply not available).

I would be interested in hearing the "short version" of the end result.

[MichaelJ3]

My gut says it is not a SC-1000 problem, per se, but an incompatibility between the Version of NEMA 0183 now supported on Lowrance's HDS units vs. what is implemented in SC-1000 speedo.

Somewhere I think I read SC-1000 was compatible w/ NEMA 0183 V1.5. I believe the latest rev of NEMA 0183 is V4.1, and I think is only "backward compatible" to NEMA 0183 V2.0. So, could be I am out of luck trying to get SC1000 to update time for NEMA 0183 talkers on versions newer than some level...OR, Lowrance does have a bug, and they need to fix it...which is entirely possible too...it is the thing that changed, not the SC-1000.

Stay tuned...may be a few days before I hear back from Lowrance.

[MichaelJ3]

Heard back from Lowrance Tech Support. Here is what they said:

"Thank you for letting us know. We did have a reported time problem, that was patched. I would expect this to be a part of that same issiue. We will have it reported to our product management group, so they can fix it. You could roll back to prior software if you wanted."

They also attached a copy of the 3.0.58.1.94 software. I will try back-leveling and see if my time update works again.

[MichaelJ3]

Got a chance to snap some pics and videos of this problem this afternoon.

First, turning key on w/ HDS Carbon running V3.0.58.1.94 of the Software


Now, turning key on w/ HDS Carbon running V4.0.59.1.86 of the Software


For reference, here are a couple pics which show how the SC-1000 Speedo is configured to update time via GPS:


As I said in PreviousPost, Lawrence has the ball.

[EuropeanAM]

Thanks for sharing!

[MichaelJ3]

Update, I heard again from Lowrance, their CSR who is managing my incident has not yet heard back from Product Management. All the above vids have been shared w/ Lowrance. Hoping on a fix sometime soon.

[MichaelJ3]

Update 2: Lowrance says its "on their list to fix, but they have no idea when it will come out in a code release."

[EuropeanAM]

Thanks for keeping us up to date on this one!

[MichaelJ3]

FYI, got my hands on a Beta of the latest/upcoming Lowrance Update...It resolved this issue...so the problem was with Lowrance. All fixed now, time updating by GPS again!

[EuropeanAM]

Thanks for following through on this- I'm sure that there will be more folks that run into it in the future.