Systems monitoring-needed or overkill

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Corky Row

Veteran Member
Joined
May 12, 2018
Messages
27
Location
US
Vessel Name
King of Nothing
Vessel Make
Hampton Endurance 658
I am in the build process for an Endurance 658 which is scheduled to ship in June and now am trying to decide what type of boat monitoring systems I should select. I have Garmin 8600 for boat electronics and Cat monitors for engines and believe I have what those areas covered. Now I am looking at three areas for monitoring/instrumentation:

1. tankage monitoring for fuel, water and black water as I do not like the wema system provided by Hampton

2. the boat will spend long periods(winter) in PNW without anyone on board/using boat so I want to monitor incoming power, bilge pump operation, battery state-house/engine/gen,

3. security-primarily doors opening. I also have 5 Garmin cameras with 2 in engine room, 2 in cockpit area and 1 on fly bridge and wouldn't mind having input from them

Now the big question. Am I over paranoid because its a new boat? I have had 3 previous boats over the last 20 years without any of these type of systems and have only had one incident where someone unplugged my shore power cord which resulted in dead house batteries (as i had left the inverter on) and a smelly refrig. So do I really need the boat system monitoring and security?

I have looked at the Maretron system in some detail and its seems like they are the master of all systems but I heard there are a lot of maintenance/operational issues.

What have other owners done for these types of systems and are there other areas I should monitor
 
What are you using for the engine? Regular mpd? Cat has a upgrade to automasking that is expandable and is an open ip for programming and are pretty flexible on the I/o side. Downside is the cost if you buy through cat. I would but directly from automasking. Then you can get all the extras for a good bit cheaper. The thing I like is you can do custom gauges and have the ability to do high/low alarms and safeties.
 
If the boat will be cruised ,
The most common hassle is a watch stander that has no idea what the engine gauges mean , or when to call the captain.

Does the new electric controlled engines include an alarm system?

Is your new inverter too dumb to take itself off line when nearing killing the batteries?
 
I really like having accurate, calibrated tank levels, so would definitely do that. One of the Maretron devices can piggy back on the standard Wema gauge/sender, so that's an option if you want to retain the Wema senders. For black and gray water, the ONLY sensing system I would recommend is Maretron's submersible pressure sensor. It works really well, is accurate, and resistant to fouling.


For away monitoring, I agree that the most important thing is to monitor incoming power. Most Maretron people will want to put an ACM100 on the power line, and maybe multiple units in different places. That will give the most info, but for away alarming I think all you really need to know is whether it's present or not, and that can be done with a much less expensive RIM100. It's one of my favorite devices because it's inexpensive, and has 6 channels so you can monitor a bunch of things without getting fancy. One channel could sense shore power, one or more (depends on number of bilges) could sense bilge pump operation, and maybe one connected to a low temp sensor if you will leave heat on and want to know if freezing is a risk. Maybe an alarm on your inverter output just in case that craps out, assuming it would cause a stinky fridge & freezer as well.



With any sort of remote monitoring, internet connectivity is essential, so be sure you have a good solution for that, and devices that will run indefinitely without requiring restarts. With consumer networking gear it's a crap shoot how long they can run without human intervention.


Once you have internet for the boat, Maretron can do a ton of alarming just using the boat's internet. I would not get their SIM texting device. It's just another sim card and service plan to keep track of, sort out international operation, etc, etc,.


The Maretron stuff can be very fussy to get set up and configured. But once done, it's pretty stable.
 
Corky Row said:
I have looked at the Maretron system in some detail and its seems like they are the master of all systems but I heard there are a lot of maintenance/operational issues.


What have other owners done for these types of systems and are there other areas I should monitor
Click to expand...
I have a Maretron system on my boat and It's the best instrumentation on the boat. At present, I only have fuel management and electrical info but since I have the DSM150 (now upgraded to the DSM 410) there is no end as to other systems that I may desire in the future. Also, my Raymarine eS128 monitors a lot of the data. (All the Maretron data is shown on their DSM 410, a separate monitor.) My boat is only 42' (by choice) but it has the electronic abilities of a much larger vessel.

BTW, the Maretron was installed 2 years ago and has been trouble free!

https://www.maretron.com/products/dsm410.php
 

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Im a big fan of the Siren Marine system. It has a built in cellular modem so you can monitor and get alerted when away from the boat. Some will complain about the annual subscription, but in boat bucks $200 a year seems more than reasonable for the peace of mind for remote monitoring....

https://sirenmarine.com/
 
For simple remote monitoring of shore power, 2 Battery banks, bilge pump activity. intrusion including occupancy, the ability to remotely control 3 functions (this is simply closing relay contacts) , geo fencing, ease on installation and cost. Boat command works well. The basic annual subscription cost is $80 it uses the cellular network. Figure less then $400 for hardware.
 
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FF said:
If the boat will be cruised ,
The most common hassle is a watch stander that has no idea what the engine gauges mean , or when to call the captain.

Does the new electric controlled engines include an alarm system?

Is your new inverter too dumb to take itself off line when nearing killing the batteries?
Click to expand...
The engines are Cats and I have their instrumentation package which includes alarms. Inverter worked fine, but low shut off setting was lower (11amps) than I knew, so batteries took deep discharge but came back after power restored.
 
Codger2 said:
I have a Maretron system on my boat and It's the best instrumentation on the boat. At present, I only have fuel management and electrical info but since I have the DSM150 (now upgraded to the DSM 410) there is no end as to other systems that I may desire in the future. Also, my Raymarine eS128 monitors a lot of the data. (All the Maretron data is shown on their DSM 410, a separate monitor.) My boat is only 42' (by choice) but it has the electronic abilities of a much larger vessel.

BTW, the Maretron was installed 2 years ago and has been trouble free!

https://www.maretron.com/products/dsm410.php
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. Good to hear Maretron is working well. I will dig into this system further.
 
AdmiralS said:
Im a big fan of the Siren Marine system. It has a built in cellular modem so you can monitor and get alerted when away from the boat. Some will complain about the annual subscription, but in boat bucks $200 a year seems more than reasonable for the peace of mind for remote monitoring....

https://sirenmarine.com/
Click to expand...
Does this system require internet connection or something different. Any connectivity issues?
 
Corky Row said:
Does this system require internet connection or something different. Any connectivity issues?
Click to expand...
It maintains it's own cellular internet connection. You do not need to have another internet connection like wifi for it to connect to.

The cellular connection is covered as part of the $180 12 month subscription. $125 for a seasonal
 
A other vote for Maretron. Changed two sensors tothe new type and works great.
 
twistedtree said:
I really like having accurate, calibrated tank levels, so would definitely do that. One of the Maretron devices can piggy back on the standard Wema gauge/sender, so that's an option if you want to retain the Wema senders. For black and gray water, the ONLY sensing system I would recommend is Maretron's submersible pressure sensor. It works really well, is accurate, and resistant to fouling.

For away monitoring, I agree that the most important thing is to monitor incoming power. Most Maretron people will want to put an ACM100 on the power line, and maybe multiple units in different places. That will give the most info, but for away alarming I think all you really need to know is whether it's present or not, and that can be done with a much less expensive RIM100. It's one of my favorite devices because it's inexpensive, and has 6 channels so you can monitor a bunch of things without getting fancy. One channel could sense shore power, one or more (depends on number of bilges) could sense bilge pump operation, and maybe one connected to a low temp sensor if you will leave heat on and want to know if freezing is a risk. Maybe an alarm on your inverter output just in case that craps out, assuming it would cause a stinky fridge & freezer as well.

With any sort of remote monitoring, internet connectivity is essential, so be sure you have a good solution for that, and devices that will run indefinitely without requiring restarts. With consumer networking gear it's a crap shoot how long they can run without human intervention.

Once you have internet for the boat, Maretron can do a ton of alarming just using the boat's internet. I would not get their SIM texting device. It's just another sim card and service plan to keep track of, sort out international operation, etc, etc,.

The Maretron stuff can be very fussy to get set up and configured. But once done, it's pretty stable.
Click to expand...

What he said, again.

Once you have internet aboard, you can run N2K View anywhere.
If i had a new build, I'd certainly Maretron everything.

I've managed to get by without MFD , but setup using their virtual viewer, works for almost everything except i've never been able to calibrate my speed thru water.
 
All N2K. I've done quite a bit of Maretron. Installed according to spec, its trouble free, and very versatile. I'm gonna say in 99% of cases troubles are caused by installation defects or failure to follow the installation design rules. Not fully understanding the configuration details also can lead to some mystery problems. Maretron tech support is very good. Whatever the brand of sensors, displays, modules you end up selecting, have the N2K network backbone designed and installed - and documented, to cover the boat from end to end. A lot can be done with this in the future. One glitch, though, images cannot be sent over N2K, that still requires a wire to each device, video & power, or ethernet. I haven't done anything with viewing camera images remotely and don't know if that's in the Maretron product line or not.
 
"low shut off setting was lower (11amps) than I knew, so batteries took deep discharge"


Most inverters will cut them selves off on voltage , not amps .
 
your right. should have said 11 volts. thanks for correction
 
EngNat-thanks for the input. Factory is willing to put backbone and drops in place and committed to document. I will start working on video but early indication is that Maretron is capable of doing this, I just need to find the right equipment. I have about 2 more weeks to make final decision and then floors/walls/ceilings start to get closed up.
 
As an IT guy and ex-engineer, Maretron does it for me. I'm only drooling at the moment, but its in the budget. Got to fix some more basic stuff first but oops might have to drag a backbone the same time as another cable.
 
I'm just finishing up a Chetco SeaGauge install for Pau Hana- the OEM gauges are of 1989 vintage and not very accurate.

The toss up was whether to replace all the gauges (volt, temp, oil and trans temps for 2 stations) or to take advantage of the capabilities of the onboard electronics and NMEA 2k connectivity.

I looked at all the systems, and chose Chetco after talking to Joe (owner and designer of the SeaGauge). Most important, the customer service is beyond first rate and easy to comprehend.

More after I get done.....
 
I have the Maretron system but have not added the remote sensing yet. That will be phase 3 at the end of this years cruising season. I had sensors added to all of the tanks, fuel, water, black water. Maretron has sensors for everything but it gets expensive!
 

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dirtdoc1 said:
I have the Maretron system but have not added the remote sensing yet. That will be phase 3 at the end of this years cruising season. I had sensors added to all of the tanks, fuel, water, black water. Maretron has sensors for everything but it gets expensive!
Click to expand...

dirtdoc1, your helm speaks to me. Love it! ;)
 
Airstream345 said:
dirtdoc1, your helm speaks to me. Love it! ;)
Click to expand...
Me too, but then you don't have to install everything at once. It's pretty easy to ad other components as the years (& the wallet) go by.
 

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Wow dirtdoc1, gauges certainly have come a long way since I had a copper pipe running engine oil up to a pressure gauge on the bridge, and a 15 ft long steel cable spinning to turn my tachometer.

Very nice job!
 
"I'm spending too much money on my boat but I'm enjoying every penny of it!"

With the complexity of the systems being installed , you may get even more enjoyment in future years as electronic repairs are seldom pennies.

With this level of electronic goodies I would at least have a backup mechanical set of gauges on the engine , so a blown fuse wont stop a cruise.
 
dirtdoc1 said:
I have the Maretron system but have not added the remote sensing yet. That will be phase 3 at the end of this years cruising season. I had sensors added to all of the tanks, fuel, water, black water. Maretron has sensors for everything but it gets expensive!
Click to expand...


Nice setup.


What are the two large displays? Are those Maretron displays, or monitors driven from a computer?
 
FF said:
With this level of electronic goodies I would at least have a backup mechanical set of gauges on the engine , so a blown fuse wont stop a cruise.
Click to expand...

+1,000,000 For my project I am planning on gauges on engine for critical get home, and the rest glass...

Bulletproof redundancy AND technowizardry with just a couple of cables. I find wiring and plumbing to be the most troublesome items on any mode of transport, and the less the better.
 
Corky Row said:
1. tankage monitoring for fuel, water and black water as I do not like the wema system provided by Hampton
Click to expand...

FWIW...

I've found the WEMA sensors are adequate, as are their gauges. About as good as any internal float system that uses resistance to estimate fluid levels, coupled with a fractional (sweep needle) display.

OTOH, it would be easy enough to change or augment the WEMA displays with something like the digital tank level gauges CruzPro offers. Those have the advantage of being "calibrate-able" so you can see gallons or liters or whatever instead of fractions. Many of the CP gauges (maybe all) also incorporate alarms you can set.

I've mated CruzPro fuel gauges to WEMA senders, not difficult. Even better if you can actually work out a way to follow their set-up directions.

The straight-line WEMA fuel sensors seem to be much less complicated -- and possibly more robust -- than articulated/floating arm sensors.

One thing about internal holding tank sensors is that many (most? all?) can eventually clog with uric acid crystals, and at the point the float... won't. Cleaning a WEMA holding tank sensor in this condition can be fairly easy; flush/rinse the tank to prep, remove the sender, rest it in diluted muriatic acid for a while, replace, done. We actually keep a spare, so I can do a quick change (every couple years or so), and clean up the just-replaced one at my leisure.

-Chris
 
FF said:
"I'm spending too much money on my boat but I'm enjoying every penny of it!"

With this level of electronic goodies I would at least have a backup mechanical set of gauges on the engine , so a blown fuse wont stop a cruise.
Click to expand...
:thumb:
 

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