[aprssig] Kenwood D7 not working with Garmin 76C

[Robert Kirk]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like it's not a hardware problem but, as 
several suggest, it may be that the Kenwood firmware doesn't support the 
latest NMEA protocol. Kenwood tech says my unit has the latest firmware 
(2.0) but anyway, it's not their problem, they can't test every GPS, no 
plans to do anything, etc... No help there. As Mike Edwards says, Garmin 
just put out a software update that will allow NMEA  tuning. Garmin folks 
say this might help me, though the upgrade is not for the 76C yet , but to 
expect it soon. I'll look forward to it. Jason KG4WSV said his 60C works 
with the D7, so I'm still worried. I'll let you all know if this turns out 
to be  a generic problem or not with the Kenwood. In the meantime my old 
Motorola Traxar, GPS II+ or GPS III+ will do APRS fine.

Bob Kirk
N3OZB

>Is anyone using a Kenwood D7 with a Garmin GPSMAP 76C? (or maybe its 
>sister 60CS)?
>
>My older GPS III+ drove the D7 fine, but my new 76C will not cause the D7 
>to send a signal. I checked the 76C output on a terminal program and it 
>looks fine. Garmin tech  says the signal level/voltages are the same in 
>both units, although the 76C users a newer NMEA spec.
>
>Is it possible that the Kenwood D7 will not work with the latest NMEA specs?
>
>(Also, When checking it with the older III+, I  notice the D7 will 
>continue to send out the last posit data it has received from the GPS, 
>without the warning that it's an old posit, even after the GPS is turned 
>off. That seems like a D7 programming glitch, if true.)