Garmin GPS 296 to Intercom Possible?

[lrfrey]

I have a GPS 296 that I would like to connect to my intercom to allow alerts to be heard. Is this possible? I can't seem to find any information to that effect.

Thanks, Larry

[Brantel]

Yes,

Garmin sells a cable that will plug into the 296 and it has the power connections and sound connections in it. The loose end is just wire leads no connectors. You can take this into your audio panel.

[mburch]

You don't want to use the "audio" wires in the power cable, as those are designed to drive a speaker in an automotive application and may not play too nice with your intercom or audio panel. Instead, use the 1/8" stereo plug on the back of the unit, just as you'd hook up a portable CD or MP3 player.

mcb

[Baja_Traveler]

Originally Posted by mburch

You don't want to use the "audio" wires in the power cable, as those are designed to drive a speaker in an automotive application and may not play too nice with your intercom or audio panel. Instead, use the 1/8" stereo plug on the back of the unit, just as you'd hook up a portable CD or MP3 player.

mcb

Unless they've changed the design since I bought mine, the 296 does not have a stereo plug on it. There are only two possible connection points - the Garmin power/speaker connection, and the USB programming port.

[mburch]

Originally Posted by Baja_Traveler

Unless they've changed the design since I bought mine, the 296 does not have a stereo plug on it. There are only two possible connection points - the Garmin power/speaker connection, and the USB programming port.

Of course you're right! I read it as "396" which sent me down the wrong path. Need to clean my monitor, I guess.

Okay, so based on that information: There are no audio terrain warnings from the 296, so you won't get anything even if you do finagle a way to hook the speaker output to the audio panel input.

cheers,
mcb

[vlittle]

I've connected to my 296 using one of the speaker wire outputs through a 512 ohm resistor into my audio bus.

The only audio warning that you will get is the power fail voice alarm. There are no other warnings, but I'm hoping that will be corrected with some future software release.

Vern

[Brantel]

Originally Posted by mburch

You don't want to use the "audio" wires in the power cable, as those are designed to drive a speaker in an automotive application and may not play too nice with your intercom or audio panel. Instead, use the 1/8" stereo plug on the back of the unit, just as you'd hook up a portable CD or MP3 player.

mcb

Lots of easy ways to connect speaker level outputs to line level inputs. No 1/8" plug on the 296.

[Brantel]

Originally Posted by mburch

Okay, so based on that information: There are no audio terrain warnings from the 296, so you won't get anything even if you do finagle a way to hook the speaker output to the audio panel input.

cheers,
mcb

Originally Posted by vlittle

The only audio warning that you will get is the power fail voice alarm. There are no other warnings, but I'm hoping that will be corrected with some future software release.

Vern
mcb

Although the 296 beeps like crazy when an alert pops up, this does not get output to the speaker even if you set the sound settings to beeper and speaker output, the only thing that beeps is like you guys said the power disconnect warning. There is an option on the sound menu to output alerts to the speaker but it only works for the beeps before the power disconnnect warning. Turn it on and you get beeps through the speaker for the power disconnect, turn it off and you don't.

One can only guess that since they put an option in there for it, they must plan on it being a feature. If they can do the power warning, they should be able to do the other alerts as well.