Converting analog gauges to NEMA 2000

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healhustler

healhustler

Guru
Joined
Oct 2, 2009
Messages
5,198
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Bucky
Vessel Make
Krogen Manatee 36 North Sea
I doubt I'm ready to give up my analog gauges yet, but I do have some frustrations with a sticky tach and bouncing oil pressure gauge. I'm glad to see this device come along to double the monitoring of critical systems. Finally, I'll be able to read engine and tranny data on my new electronics suite. The system also includes hook-ups to "know" that analog gauges are working in tandem. Here's the link:

Panbo: The Marine Electronics Hub: Actisense EMU-1, analog engine gauges to NMEA 2000 happiness
 
Man that is good stuff!!!!! I would have to read that over and over before it fully sunk in. But it sunk in enough to get me thinking!!!! One of the neat things about Cummins engines is that it comes already "tapped" for secondary monitoring like boost and exhaust gas temps....Man this would be cool!!!
 
Baker said:
One of the neat things about Cummins engines is that it comes already "tapped" for secondary monitoring like boost and exhaust gas temps....Man this would be cool!!!
Click to expand...

I installed boost on both of my engines. Gauges were relatively cheap and the install was easy. Haven't really determined if I really need them, but more gauges looks cool.:cool:
 
healhustler said:
I doubt I'm ready to give up my analog gauges yet, but I do have some frustrations with a sticky tach ...
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FWIW, Aetna Engineering sells a digital tach, aid to be accurate to within 1 RPM. Connects to existing sensor, same basic facia/bezel size as normal tachs.

No affiliation.

-Chris
 
ranger42c said:
FWIW, Aetna Engineering sells a digital tach, aid to be accurate to within 1 RPM. Connects to existing sensor, same basic facia/bezel size as normal tachs.

No affiliation.

-Chris
Click to expand...

Hey, that's a nice tip. Looking into that. Thanks.
 
+1 for the Aetna yachts! I changed our upper station tachs to the Aenta units for exactly the same reason. No more bouncing tachs.....

Found them on eBay: $140 for the pair.
 
Pau Hana said:
Found them on eBay: $140 for the pair.
Click to expand...

Very good price! That's about half of what I've seen them selling for - for just one. I'd jump if I saw them for that, too.

Good discussion, my tachs are way off, and I want to re-vamp my upper helm display anyway. I've pretty much settled on going with a NMEA interface, but if they were cheap enough I'd leave dedicated tachs. Unfortunately I'd need four of them, and if my chartplotter will show the data, I can't really justify the cost.
 
timjet said:
I installed boost on both of my engines. Gauges were relatively cheap and the install was easy. Haven't really determined if I really need them, but more gauges looks cool.:cool:
Click to expand...

It's the pilot in you!!! Heck, I was just looking at all of the stuff in the Garmin 740 and all of the "gauges" are there.....
 
Baker said:
It's the pilot in you!!! Heck, I was just looking at all of the stuff in the Garmin 740 and all of the "gauges" are there.....
Click to expand...

You instrument Flyboys don't forget to look out the window occasionally!:eek:
 
CaptTom said:
Very good price! That's about half of what I've seen them selling for - for just one. I'd jump if I saw them for that, too.

Good discussion, my tachs are way off, and I want to re-vamp my upper helm display anyway. I've pretty much settled on going with a NMEA interface, but if they were cheap enough I'd leave dedicated tachs. Unfortunately I'd need four of them, and if my chartplotter will show the data, I can't really justify the cost.
Click to expand...

I find them from time to time- I'll let you know if I run across another deal.
 
Look at the Noland Engineering RS-11. I installed one on a Perkins and now have oil pressure, temperature, and voltage at the upper helm on a LMF 400 gauge as well as monitoring by my two Lowrance MFDs. It taps into gauges at the helm making the install relatively simple with the total under $300.

Tom
 
tpbrady said:
Look at the Noland Engineering RS-11. I installed one on a Perkins and now have oil pressure, temperature, and voltage at the upper helm on a LMF 400 gauge as well as monitoring by my two Lowrance MFDs. It taps into gauges at the helm making the install relatively simple with the total under $300.

Tom
Click to expand...

The RS-11 had a bunch of glitches in previous versions- do you know if they been corrected, and does the unit now play nice in the NMEA 2K environment?
 
Pau Hana said:
The RS-11 had a bunch of glitches in previous versions- do you know if they been corrected, and does the unit now play nice in the NMEA 2K environment?
Click to expand...

If read the comments in the link that the HH posted you will get an idea of the glitches....
 
My .02 as a non large boat owner, 28 years in temperature control.

Most industrial sensors are current sensing devices because in a series circuit, ie 2 wires the current is always the same no matter how long the wire is.

A voltage sensor is very, very dependent on a stable and precise voltage.
This means voltage regulation, wire size and length are critical for ANY form of accuracy.

Better yet are sensors that encode their measured value into some form of word, that is transmitted on a bus and decoded at the head end.
 
Does anyone know of non-standard size tachometers? I put in Maretron NMEA2000 backbone, with the EM100 adapters to send my engine instrumentation to the my nav laptop. The NMEA2000 tachometer readings are very accurate. I would now like to remove the analog tachs and perhaps install smaller units for a backup.
 
Peter,

Operationally I haven't encountered any problems other than occasionally to restart it to get data flowing first thing in the morning. I think that problem is USB related since I keep it connected to the computer all the time through a USB hub. When the computer goes to sleep, the USB port stops responding and the RS11 stops sending data. I restart it from the computer with a couple of mouse clicks. I did not interface the tachometer since I didn't need it.

Tom
 
HenryD said:
Does anyone know of non-standard size tachometers? I put in Maretron NMEA2000 backbone, with the EM100 adapters to send my engine instrumentation to the my nav laptop. The NMEA2000 tachometer readings are very accurate. I would now like to remove the analog tachs and perhaps install smaller units for a backup.
Click to expand...

Henry: Do you mean smaller analog back up or additional NMEA powered units?
 
What I am looking for is smaller analog or perhaps digital tachometers...ideally 2" diameter.
 
Anybody install analog converters

I'm just wondering if anyone has installed these analog to digital converters. There are two that have been discussed and I think they convert the analog engine and rpm readings to a format that can be relayed through a NMEA 2000 network and read on many of the newer Chart-plotters.

Below are two that were discussed.

Actisense EMU-1 Engine Monitoring Unit - NMEA 2000 for only $455.00 !

NoLand Engineering - RS11 V4 NMEA 2000 CANbus Engine Data Converter - Version 4 for only $270.00 !

I think this is really cool stuff but I'm honestly trying to justify the $500 to do this. Yes it's cool but necessary?

Anyway, anybody do this?
 
Tim

Since I didn't have any gauges at the upper helm I considered the RS11 necessary not to mention easier to do than finding and installing old gauges. With it connected to my Lowrance MFD I can't set different alarm thresholds than the standard warning buzzer.

Tom
 
Tim,
I installed the Maretron EMS100 on both of my Yanmars. I did it as part of a NMEA2000 backbone install, along with the PB200 weather sensor, temp sensors in various places, tank sensors, etc.
I run Maretron's N2KView on a separate PC. The tachometer and temp numbers are worth the install alone.
It does interface with my Coastal Explorer plotter so I see the info there also.
 
Tom, your installation makes sense and as you say, cheaper than installing analog gauges at the upper helm.

HenryD, looks like you have plenty of room for computers and such on your helm. My only helm is the fly bridge and no room for a computer.

I'm trying to justify the $500 or so to present 4 engine parameters on my ray or garmin chart plotter. This info would be nothing that is not already displayed on analog gauges. So I'll probably pass on this. However I do like the ability to monitor all 4 engine parameter on a computer and perhaps develop a program that would alert me to any parameter that is gradually moving out of it's norm. That would require a computer hookup all the time the engines are running, not practical for me. I take engine readings once a day so I would find a problem developing.
 
timjet said:
Tom, your installation makes sense and as you say, cheaper than installing analog gauges at the upper helm.

HenryD, looks like you have plenty of room for computers and such on your helm. My only helm is the fly bridge and no room for a computer.

I'm trying to justify the $500 or so to present 4 engine parameters on my ray or garmin chart plotter. This info would be nothing that is not already displayed on analog gauges. So I'll probably pass on this. However I do like the ability to monitor all 4 engine parameter on a computer and perhaps develop a program that would alert me to any parameter that is gradually moving out of it's norm. That would require a computer hookup all the time the engines are running, not practical for me. I take engine readings once a day so I would find a problem developing.
Click to expand...

Tim, if I am not mistaken, you can set alarm values on the Garmin 740 so no need for an extra piece of hardware to do that. That alone would make this deal worthwhile...assuming it works as advertised. Also, all of your wiring is right there....I don't think it would too terribly difficult to port over all of your analog signals to the convertor and then to the chart plotter. That is a very ignorant observation on my part.....

PS...got your email...will respond shortly.
 
Maretron N2KView

HenryD said:
Tim,
I installed the Maretron EMS100 on both of my Yanmars. I did it as part of a NMEA2000 backbone install, along with the PB200 weather sensor, temp sensors in various places, tank sensors, etc.
I run Maretron's N2KView on a separate PC. The tachometer and temp numbers are worth the install alone.
It does interface with my Coastal Explorer plotter so I see the info there also.
Click to expand...

Henry, I'm installing a similar system except older Detroit require an Actisense EMU-1 to get engine data close enough to N2K for a Marathon connection and true conversion. I'm considering the Marathon MBB100 Black Box in the backbone so the gauge software doesn't have to compete for resources from a single PC running Navigation. When you said; " I'm running Maretron's N2KView on a separate PC" are you saying separate from your PC that's running your nav software?

Tim, not sure about the Noland but do know the Actisense (one per engine) we bought are only N2K "compatible". May not be an issue depending on your use, but to gain N2K "compliance" necessary to work on a Furuno network we are using Marathon to convert.
 
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