Getting engine data on MFD?

[bobmcd625]

I have a Volvo Penta 3 cyl, 40 hp engine in my DownEaster 38 with which I got an old fashioned instrument panel which shows rpm, water temp, oil pressure and run hours. I'd like to get all this on my B&G MFDs: one at the helm, one at the nav station. I have an N2K network with instruments for wind/water speed, navigation, AIS, etc.
Volvo seas an interface box which supposedly will do that, but it costs $500. Maybe I'm just a cheap-skate, but is there a cheaper way to get the data on the N2K network? I would keep the existing instruments, of course, to have the info available if/when the N2K network does down. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[blubaju]

Hooks up in the engine panel, Here with 2 yanmar engines on my cat, b&g triton + zeus² have dedicated pages for engine data once nmea2000 comes in

[bobmcd625]

Looks good. Thanks. It seems to be only available in the UK but I'll search around.

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by bobmcd625

Looks good. Thanks. It seems to be only available in the UK but I'll search around.

https://www.imarineusa.com/ActisenseEMU-1-BAS.aspx
Bought it bcs the original yanmar panels made by siemens are a desaster, the yanmar beeper is thumbnailsize and facing backwards, you never hear any alarm, the LEDs are clearly visible - at night only. The front plastic lining desintegrates lacking any UV stability, now, I am in the tropics!

Alarms pop up in their own windows on B&G. I think the EMU is expensive, but it protects 2 engins, any repair there would be more expensive

Good luck! I am EU, no connection to above company

Henry

[ronstory]

One more option:

https://www.nolandeng.com/rs11.php

[bobmcd625]

Either the Noland or the Actisense device should do the trick.
Thanks for posting those options.

[wkearney99]

Yacht Devices makes some engine interfaces:

Engine Gateway for Volvo Penta and J1939 engines

What do your Volvo's use now for interface?

I've got a pair of their J1938 interfaces for my C-12 Caterpillars.

One word of caution, most MFDs really don't have enough screen real estate to handle showing you useful engine data on a regular basis. It's my perspective that it's best to let a plotter be a plotter and use something else to display important stuff like engine data. That and I find it's much easier to scan analog needles looking for 'the usual position' rather than having to read digits and 'do the math. To that end I use a Maretron display for mine (in addition to the ancient Caterpillar black-and-white displays).

[guyfromiowa]

I have installed both the Actisense and the Noland kits. Be aware that each will provide up to six inputs/displays. Also you need to remember that engine inputs for, say, oil pressure or temperature will require that you replace the 'idiot light switch' with a variable resistor sender if you want to see actual information. Easy to do. On one installation we also added 'fuel tank level' by connecting one of the inputs to the fuel gauge sender and selecting the correct ohms range then adding a label. If you have a wifi link on your NMEA 2K installation you can read engine info from any phone or tablet that has a wifi function.
The J1939 interfaces require that the engine already has the correct senders and connectors for the interface for best results. The Actisense and Noland adaptors can use a variable resistance sender, which is an analog device, and convert it to the digital language for the network.

[bobmcd625]

Thanks for the info on the Yacht Devices devices. They seem very easy to install since they plug into the Volvo harness.
As to space on a MFD I really don't need a lot. At present the dial gauges are on the side of the cockpit well, in a place that is very hard to see. I could put a Volvo engine data display on the bulkhead. At least I could see it then.
(by the way, the engine is a Volvo 4 cylinder D2-40F) (don't know why I said it's 3 cyl.)