Need recommendations to add digital instruments to my Simrad NSS8

[pitlaw]

I have a Westerbeke with analog temp and oil pressure gauges. They are poorly located below the bridge deck and are hard to read. I have an NSS8 Simrad MFD. I thought there might be a reasonable way to get that data on my MFD but it seems way tooexpensive based on a recent quote. Any reasonable solutions appreciated.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[PeterSailor]

Those are the 2 less expensive solutions: Noland NS11 NoLand Engineering or Actisense EMU-1 EMU-1: Engine Monitoring Unit

[pitlaw]

Thanks. Those look like solutions. I assume they would not be too difficult to wire into an engine. Would the analog gauges still function?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[SailRedemption]

Check out maretrons website... They have NMEA2000 monitoring for all kinds of things. Also, for yanmar they have a inline plug that gets info from engine and puts it on the network. May need the maretron screen though, not sure.

[PeterSailor]

Yes, the analog gauges will still work.

[arisatx]

Originally Posted by pitlaw

I have a Westerbeke with analog temp and oil pressure gauges. They are poorly located below the bridge deck and are hard to read. I have an NSS8 Simrad MFD. I thought there might be a reasonable way to get that data on my MFD but it seems way tooexpensive based on a recent quote. Any reasonable solutions appreciated.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Pitlaw:

Did you ever undertake this project? How did it go?

Thanks

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by arisatx

Pitlaw:

Did you ever undertake this project? How did it go?

Thanks

I would be interested too. I just purchased the Noland RS11 but won't install it for a few months.

[pitlaw]

I had my go to electrical tech quote the project and I decided it was too much (($2000). I am not electrical competent. He recommended the Actisense engine monitoring unit. Good luck.

[smac999]

I have put an EMU-1 on a boat it was easy. few hours but I already had an n2k backbone behind were the gauges were.


I was hoping I could create alarms on the b&g zeus (same as NSS2) but I didn't see a way. I could enable engine alarms on the screen so if an alarm was put onto the n2k bus it would likely show up on the screen. but there was no way to ititiate it from the screen itself based on values it was seeing. IE if screen saw 210f it would start the alarm.


you'd have to put in a high temp switch on the engine and run another wire to the emu-1 and set up an alarm though that on one of it's inputs

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by travellerw

I would be interested too. I just purchased the Noland RS11 but won't install it for a few months.

I just installed a RS11 on my 34' Aloha. The installation went perfect (except for having to wait a week for cable delivery). It hooks up as easy as they say it does. If you have a Raymarine Seatalk backbone you will need the cables to convert from NEMA 2000 to Seatalk (one Nema-Seatalk FEMALE cable, one backbone "T" connector, one terminator (if you don't have it already)and one Backbone cable). If you have an open connection on the Seatalk Backbone that will save you cable costs. (Remember, if you have one engine it is the PORT side connections.)

I connected it up and turned it on. I ran the configuration software that came with the RS11 (I permanently installed a long USB cable so I wouldn't need to dig into the boat to connect up). After calibration (This is almost a trail and error thing) I had all the instruments up and running on both my Raymarine A75 MFD and my Lowrance HDS8m (at the nav desk).

[arisatx]

Originally Posted by smac999

I have put an EMU-1 on a boat it was easy. few hours but I already had an n2k backbone behind were the gauges were.


I was hoping I could create alarms on the b&g zeus (same as NSS2) but I didn't see a way. I could enable engine alarms on the screen so if an alarm was put onto the n2k bus it would likely show up on the screen. but there was no way to ititiate it from the screen itself based on values it was seeing. IE if screen saw 210f it would start the alarm.


you'd have to put in a high temp switch on the engine and run another wire to the emu-1 and set up an alarm though that on one of it's inputs

Thanks - could something like Maretron's ALM100 unit work? (if you have a Maretron DSM250 or DSM150 display).

[arisatx]

Originally Posted by Don1500

I just installed a RS11 on my 34' Aloha. The installation went perfect (except for having to wait a week for cable delivery). It hooks up as easy as they say it does. If you have a Raymarine Seatalk backbone you will need the cables to convert from NEMA 2000 to Seatalk (one Nema-Seatalk FEMALE cable, one backbone "T" connector, one terminator (if you don't have it already)and one Backbone cable). If you have an open connection on the Seatalk Backbone that will save you cable costs. (Remember, if you have one engine it is the PORT side connections.)

I connected it up and turned it on. I ran the configuration software that came with the RS11 (I permanently installed a long USB cable so I wouldn't need to dig into the boat to connect up). After calibration (This is almost a trail and error thing) I had all the instruments up and running on both my Raymarine A75 MFD and my Lowrance HDS8m (at the nav desk).

Thanks Don - good to know the RS11 worked for you.

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by Don1500

I just installed a RS11 on my 34' Aloha. The installation went perfect (except for having to wait a week for cable delivery). It hooks up as easy as they say it does. If you have a Raymarine Seatalk backbone you will need the cables to convert from NEMA 2000 to Seatalk (one Nema-Seatalk FEMALE cable, one backbone "T" connector, one terminator (if you don't have it already)and one Backbone cable). If you have an open connection on the Seatalk Backbone that will save you cable costs. (Remember, if you have one engine it is the PORT side connections.)

I connected it up and turned it on. I ran the configuration software that came with the RS11 (I permanently installed a long USB cable so I wouldn't need to dig into the boat to connect up). After calibration (This is almost a trail and error thing) I had all the instruments up and running on both my Raymarine A75 MFD and my Lowrance HDS8m (at the nav desk).

Great to hear.. I have a standard NMEA 2000 network with regular connectors so I just need to add the RS11 as a spur. I can hardly wait to set it up now.

One question, did you hook up the Tach? If so, was this difficult, and how did you calibrate it?

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by travellerw

Great to hear.. I have a standard NMEA 2000 network with regular connectors so I just need to add the RS11 as a spur. I can hardly wait to set it up now.

One question, did you hook up the Tach? If so, was this difficult, and how did you calibrate it?

Yes, I did hook up the tach, also, also fuel (A1), Engine temp (A2), Voltage (A3), and Oil pressure (A4). It was easy. One wire from the ground connection (to P1-) and one from the "S" connection (to P1+). On the RS11 P1 is for the port or a single engine, P2 is for the second engine. Calibration isn't hard. I had no idea how many PPS the engine gave out. I started with 60 and only showed about 100RPM (the engine was doing 1100 RPM) went to 3 and it was way too high. Tried 10 and it was a little low. Entered 9 and the tach followed perfectly thru the full range from 1100 to 2500 RPM. On the setup utility there are two pages, one to input the information and a second to show the indicators. I also had my Lowrance HDm8 to view exactly what the display read. BTW both the HDm8 and the Raymarine A75 MFDs showed the same readings, and they followed my Admiral Control Panel .