$GPGGA,123519,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,1,08,0.9,545.4,M,46.9,M,,*47
: Transmits current depth in feet, meters, and fathoms. ZDA (Time & Date) : UTC time, day, month, and year. 4. Technical Specs for Setup nmea 0183 codes
The following three characters are the (e.g., GGA , RMC ) which defines the type of data contained. Data Fields: Variable-length fields separated by commas. $GPGGA,123519,4807
To the uninitiated, this is gibberish. To the mariner, it is a precise snapshot of reality. It translates to: A GPS receiver ( GP ) is sending "Global Positioning System Fix Data" ( GGA ). The time is 12:35:19 UTC. The location is 48 degrees North, 11 degrees East. There are 8 satellites in view, and the antenna is 545.4 meters above sea level. Technical Specs for Setup The following three characters
The result was NMEA 0183. While later succeeded by the high-bandwidth, Ethernet-like NMEA 2000, the 0183 standard remains ubiquitous. It is the Betamax of the sea—technically outdated, yet so deeply entrenched in legacy hardware and simple operations that it refuses to die. Its persistence is not merely a matter of inertia; it is a testament to the robustness of its design.