Digital vs Analog Instrumentation at the upper helm

[PNM]

I'm looking for a little wisdom - and experience - changing over my 43 year old analog gauges at my upper helm for digital and a PC display. I've got 2 old Perkins with no modern data harness to support such a plan.

I'm thinking I would move the analog gauges to the engine compartment, possibly with a camera to provide paranoia backup to the helms.

I'm looking at NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 via cable or wireless.

I'm also thinking I will leave the audible/light alarms at the helms for engine oil pressure and possible other critical data.

I'm also investigating a simple approach with an sender A-D interfaced with a wifi or bluetooth transmitter and a pc tablet at the helms receiving the wireless signal and displaying the sender data.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[CaptTom]

I kept my analog gauges, and added a Noland RS11 on each of my Perkins engines. Now I have engine data on the NMEA 2000 bus, as well as a traditional set of gauges.

My existing chartplotter can show the engine data, as can a Lowrance LMF-400 multi-display gauge I added to the middle of the instrument cluster. The Lowrance is no longer made, but I assume similar gauges exist.

With the right N2K-to-WiFi device, I could send the N2K data out over WiFi for any portable devices, too. Unfortunately I use a Vesper AIS XB-8000 for that. Vesper never completed the firmware updates they promised which would have added engine data to the list of N2K types they transmit over WiFi.