Yamaha 6Y8 Gauge Speedo Connection

You may have seen our installation video for the Yamaha 6Y8 Gauge Speedo and Tach, and if you have, you know that this gauge set does not need to be installed with Command Link; we can provide cable sets to just use NMEA 2000 instead. But did you know you also need a separate NMEA 0183 signal for speed?

If you are considering the Yamaha 6Y8 Gauge for your boat, regardless of whether you are using Command Link or NMEA 2000 for communicating with them, you should be aware of some of the unique aspects of how the speedometer is connected and the signals it uses.

Understanding the Yamaha 6Y8 Gauge Speedometer Setup

While the Yamaha 6Y8 tachometer gets all it’s necessary data from one connection and signals, the Yamaha 6Y8 speedometer requires not only a Command Link or NMEA 2000 connection (your choice). It also has a second connector which is used with a speed input signal that requires NMEA 0183 connections, as well as two black and pink wires for analog fuel tank levels from up to two fuel tank sending units.

Many fish finders / MFDs /Charts have NMEA 0183 connections. Some include them in the power cable. You might have noticed these if you did your own fish finder installation as smaller wires that were next to the large black and red wires to power the fish finder. Other fish finders have separate connectors for NMEA 0183 outputs requiring an additional cable.

However, there are fish finders without any NMEA 0183 signal outputs. Two that come to mind are the Lowrance Elite series (in most cases) and most of the Raymarine fish finders. There are other examples as well, such as the new Humminbird Xplore.

We often help customers to determine which wires to connect from their fish finders to their Yamaha 6Y8 speedometers. But there were a number whose fish finders would not provide the speed signal for their Yamaha 6Y8 Speedos. For these customers we are pleased to now offer a very simple to install product called the Capn NMEA Yamaha 6Y8 Speed Adapter, which can solve this problem in minutes. Installation is very straightforward, and it has advanced diagnostic features found in the Capn NMEA Keep It Simple Scanner. So everyone can use it or get our help very quickly if needed.

So, if you do not have any fish finder or GPS puck in your boat that provides the NMEA 0183 signal, you can easily install our new Capn NMEA Yamaha 6Y8 Speed Adapter, and have a working speed display on your Yamaha 6Y* speedometer in minutes.

Golden Channels sells a number of different cables for the Yamaha 6Y8 gauge set. These can add functionality to your boat. So, regardless of if you have an existing Command Link installation and you need to add a fish finder, or if you want to add these gauges to your boat using NMEA 2000 instead of Command Link, we have multiple options to help you out.

Most importantly, we have the technical know how to guide you. Please check out our Yamaha page for more information on how we can help you with your Yamaha 6Y8 Command Link gauge installation.