Has anyone put electronic senders on a Lehman for iPad display?

[f508]

I am thinking there is probably some kit that has a wifi transmitter box that will collect all your engine readings and tramsmit them to display them on an iPad.

I've found the Chetco unit online, but I think it uses its own display.

I'm new, so maybe this is a well worn topic, and I haven't seen it. Could someone point me to it if this is so?

I see there is something called "Dashcommand" for OBD II compliant engines, but my 1982 Lehmans don't speak OBD II.

Thanks,

Frank

 

[Peter B]

I am thinking there is probably some kit that has a wifi transmitter box that will collect all your engine readings and tramsmit them to display them on an iPad.

I've found the Chetco unit online, but I think it uses its own display.

I'm new, so maybe this is a well worn topic, and I haven't seen it. Could someone point me to it if this is so?

I see there is something called "Dashcommand" for OBD II compliant engines, but my 1982 Lehmans don't speak OBD II.

Thanks,

Frank

Sadly f508, I don't think the words 'Lehman' and 'glass bridges', (which is effectively what you are trying to create), belong in the same sentence. They are not even in the same century. But hey, what do I know..?

No doubt it you want to spend enough there would be a way to do it, but there will be plenty of others things crop up that need that money more, and there is nothing wrong in just glancing at analog instruments from time to time.

 

[BeeJay]

Yep, I know a way. Not too expensive depending on the gear you already have.
Did it as the cheapest way I could think of getting the engine information to the fly bridge along with relaying the information on my MFD to my phone and ipad. Interested ?.

 

[f508]

I would love to know how you did that.

It looks great!

 

[Moonfish]

Met this guy a few years ago at the Seattle Boat Show. He was just coming out with the wireless engine indicator product and was going to give it to me to install, review and make a video on. I'm not sure if he's in business anymore, though, because I saw he was working for another company. Looked promising, though!

News: DMK Yacht Instruments

 

[Gabe n Em]

We've got old perkins with two sets of suspect gauges (lower and upper helms ). We've been looking into doing something similar. Let's hear it Mr beejay.

 

[Xsbank]

With a Lehman, if its running, all you need is a temperature gauge, any more information is just unnecessary.

 

[BeeJay]

OK here goes.
This is what I did and it has achieved what I set out to do. But first I had better quantify that I have limited knowledge of various brands so am unable to offer any relevant advise on competing makes, so if I mention a brand or model number it is not an endorsement of one item over another but more likely that I already had it lying about, could get hold of it without too much trouble or that I didn't even know that something else existed. That said, it would be good to get feedback on where improvements could be made or anything that I have done that is just plain dumb.
The first hurdle is to convert the analogue outputs that you get from the sensors of your Lehman Engine into a message that can be displayed on a digital device. There are a number of ways to achieve this but I decided to use a device from a company called Noland.
Remember my opening warning about brands - well I chose this company as I thought that they are only across the pond from the Island I live on so it would be easier to get future support if needed. Very surprised to find out that there is a Melbourne in a place called Florida in the Americas and not just in Oz.
The module I got from this place in the Americas can be connected either directly to the sensors or piggybacked across the existing gauges. I used a combination of both methods and as well as the engine inputs, also connected the rudder position, battery voltages and fuel sender.
From here the module converts the analogue inputs into CANbus outputs that can be feed directly into the back of most multi-function devices. There is no need to have a full NEMA 2000 backbone system, the output can be thought of very much as a cable that sends the acquired engine data to the MFD. I think a lot of people get put off by the terminology or the belief that a full Mema system is required. It’s not that difficult the Noland web site can explain things wayyy better than I can.
Most new MFD have built in WiFi but my older unit doesn’t. Being on a budget I added a GoFree device to relay the now digital engine information to my Ipad and smart phone. As the newer MFD already have WiFi built in a lot of retailers are glad to discount GoFree units.
Calibrating the module is fairly straight forward via a lap top using a cable supplied with the unit. The gauge limits can be set along with colour segments and alarm set points for each gauge.
While the laptop is connected it is acting as a data acquisition system recording your engine (or other input) data.
The module and cables cost about $400 and the Gofree $200. So for $600 I can monitor my engine from anywhere on board, view via my phone and view make MFD adjustments via Ipad. Have an alarm inform me of an engine over temperature, low oil pressure, know which way the rudder is pointing, or any other input I care to configure like ensuring raw water is flowing or that the beer is at the correct temperature.
Let me know if you would like any additional info or pictures - hopefully the clever TF systems engineer types can tell us a better way but please keep it simple for us low tech types to follow.
At the end of the day it’s only an old tractor engine and Xsbank I hear you about only needing a temperature gauge – it’s possible to simplify things a little further by tying a bit of bacon to the manifold to get an idea of the engine temperature. But if you decide to do this you need to ensure that the bacon's dead first – bloody noisy otherwise.
BJ

 

[Blissboat]

BeeJay: Brilliant! Thank you.

 

[what_barnacles]

Awesome Beejay.

I have got to look into this some more. Part numbers and sources and the case of beer is on me!

 

[Xsbank]

I like the bacon idea! Just like road kill cooking. Yum!

 

[f508]

OK here goes.
This is what I did...
BJ

Thanks, that will keep me busy for a while!

 

[kchace]

If I put bacon on mine I'll never get anywhere I'll have to keep stopping to eat it.

 

[kchace]

With a Lehman, if its running, all you need is a temperature gauge, any more information is just unnecessary.

So true.

 

[Bob Cofer]

I installed the Noland RS-11 on Ebbtide and tied everything into our N2K network. Not difficult or time consuming. I can display on chart plotter as a ribbon on the side.

 

[f508]

Very nice.

It seems to me the whole instrument panel/chart plotter system is obsolete and redundant. I think I'd like some analogue instruments down in the engine room. It seems like the main display should just be 2 or 3 tablets that you can take with you around the boat.

But I am brand new, so we'll see what I think in a year or two.

 

[what_barnacles]

Im with you. I want all glass on the flybridge and the lower helm. Oldazz motor or not.

 

[Bob Cofer]

Almost all glass.

 

[Codger2]

View attachment 67523
Almost all glass.

Glass is good! My system is "GLASS". The MFDs are Raymarine and the fuel monitoring and battery monitoring are Maretron.
I have both an old style depth finder and a Down Vision (CHIRP) as well as a Raymarine Evolution 200 auto pilot & a Raymarine AIS 650 Tranceiver. All fuel and battery data are viewed on the Raymarine eS128 MFD or the Maretron DSM 150 in greater detail. I could not be happier!

 

[Lou_tribal]

Electronic display yes for sure, modern and elegant and practical. But I would always have a good old analogic backup on the dashboard, the ones with a needle as an indicator that will work even when my tablet battery blows up or my lcd display crashes. I may be a bit paranoid but...

L.

 

[f508]

Electronic display yes for sure, modern and elegant and practical. But I would always have a good old analogic backup on the dashboard, the ones with a needle as an indicator that will work even when my tablet battery blows up or my lcd display crashes. I may be a bit paranoid but...

L.

Good point, actually I am thinking I'll move my old analog panel down into the engine room. It strikes me as kind of odd that there isn't one down there as a matter of convention.

One would need at least one tablet for the engines and related systems, and one for nav, so there would be that redundancy, and for the price of some of these new integrated displays you could buy another couple of tablets as back up. All one would need on the flybridge is a shelf to snap the tablets into. They would need to be inside some of those waterproof cases to be used up there. But it seems like it would be far cheaper than the proprietary units... assuming it can be made to work.

I think the most fail critical part of the a system like this would be a single point of failure at your wifi router. If that goes down, I think you would lose everything - not good.

It's going to take some careful critical analysis to side step the pitfalls. It's fun to think about it though.

 

[Bob Cofer]

I actually have mechanical gauges under the ER hatch as backup.

 

[f508]

I actually have mechanical gauges under the ER hatch as backup.

That is a good idea, I hadn't thought of orienting them so that by opening the hatch you could see them from the helm. Twice the bang for the buck!