Bennett Auto Trim Tab Install

[At Ease]

Just finished the installation of the Auto Trim Tab controls last weekend. The unit works great and was a fairly simple install once I found a place to install the control module. I ended up taking out the storage box underneath the throttle and mounting it below the box. I was able to cut the wires that come from the switches and pull them back to the Auto Trim Tab controls. I mounted the relay and ran a power wire over to one of the batteries. I used a Marinco adapter to connect it up to the battery. Took about 4 hours once I had all of the supplies assembled.

 

[Dave S]

Nice installation. Let us know how you like it after you have had some usage.

Dave

 

[At Ease]

Thanks Dave. I put a couple of hours on it last weekend in the river and I never touched the manual controls. The boat rode level at all times. I had the family move around on the boat from side to side and the correction was immediate. So far, it was a great do-it-yourself add on to the boat.

 

[Dave S]

Do you know if that system drops the tabs all the way down when you take off or only activates them once on plane?

Dave

 

[billnpat]

Do you know if that system drops the tabs all the way down when you take off or only activates them once on plane?

Dave

I have the same unit...........installed a few weeks ago..
we love it. and YES!! trim tab yellow arrows points down when taking off and adjusts once on plane.....:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Tabman]

At Ease

Great installation and photos. It looks like you found a good spot for the control module and I like the use of the Marinco adapter to get power to the relay.

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine

 

[jason78]

I am curious about the tie in with the existing manual Trim Tab controls. Do you have the Standard SR EIM Control pads or do you have a seperate switch?

I have been wanting this system but I have heard it is a nightmare to connect the EIM Controls Sea Ray used in many Sport Cruisers.

I would be interested to hear how you did this if you have the EIM.

Great Install! :thumbsup:

Jason

 

[billnpat]

I am curious about the tie in with the existing manual Trim Tab controls. Do you have the Standard SR EIM Control pads or do you have a seperate switch?

I have been wanting this system but I have heard it is a nightmare to connect the EIM Controls Sea Ray used in many Sport Cruisers.

I would be interested to hear how you did this if you have the EIM.

Great Install! :thumbsup:

Jason

Mines tied in with the standard SR EIM pads, we use the bennett control, and the manual if preferred, once underway if you want to switch from bennett auto to manual all you have to do is touch the manual trim switch and the bennett turns it self off... we can use either, how we did it??? i don't know:huh: my mechanic did it, and it was no big deal as i watched

 

[KnottEnuff]

Excellent job. I have been considering this upgrade but have been curious as to the difficulty of doing the upgrade myself, and whether the upgrade was worth the cost. In addition to increasing the size of my trim tabs. Thanks for the post.

 

[Dave S]

I have the same unit...........installed a few weeks ago..
we love it. and YES!! trim tab yellow arrows points down when taking off and adjusts once on plane.....:thumbsup::thumbsup:

AT EASE I have a question for you based on this reply

We are both well aware of the quirky issues coming on plane with our particular model 260DA. Dropping the tabs down is a no-no if you are using manual switches. Just yesterday I tried an experiment with my boat that was less than successful. I dropped the tabs all the way down while at idle and tried to come on plane. There was a slight lean to port as she came on plane but with the tabs down as soon as I tried to turn the boat it would not turn. :wow: It just leaned severely to the point I had to straighten it up. And of course trying to retract the tabs at speed can create some nice leaning and veering as well until you get them fully retracted.

Can the auto-tab system counteract all of this and respond fast enough to not create some "exciting"situations on a 260DA? :smt043

Dave

 

[Daniel P Thomas]

Dave

I don't know much about your issues regarding coming on plane except what I have read here on the site, but having put the ATC on 3 previous boats and now on my 350EB, I do know that as I increase throttle from idle, I can see the tabs adjusting.

I have an older version (see Picture) but I can easily see the up/down red arrows working as I accelerate.

So I do believe the ATC is trying to keep boat at the predetermined attitude I have programmed in.
And yes, it is fast to react.
Having a bridge boat, the movement of people, wind and waves are much more noticeable than an express boat also.

Belive me when I say they work!

Dan

 

[At Ease]

At Ease

Great installation and photos. It looks like you found a good spot for the control module and I like the use of the Marinco adapter to get power to the relay.

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine

Thanks Tom.

 

[At Ease]

I am curious about the tie in with the existing manual Trim Tab controls. Do you have the Standard SR EIM Control pads or do you have a seperate switch?

I have been wanting this system but I have heard it is a nightmare to connect the EIM Controls Sea Ray used in many Sport Cruisers.

I would be interested to hear how you did this if you have the EIM.

Great Install! :thumbsup:

Jason

Jason,

I have the standard controls. I identified the wires going to the pump and cut them right at the switch. Just 4 wires. I then pulled them back to the Bennett control module and spliced in the supplied cable. I then put new connectors onto the other supplied cable and connected them back to the existing switches. There are two red wires that go to the switches so you need to identify which one has constant 12VDC on it with a multimeter..
Do not cut that wire. You will cut the other red one.

 

[At Ease]

Dave,

I actually cannot answer your question yet. I did not engage the ATT until after I was on plane. I never have the tabs down when coming up on plane. I will try it this weekend to see what the results might be with the ATT engaged.

 

[Tabman]

In most applications it's best to engage the ATC after the boat is on plane. I like to think of it as cruise control, you don't use it when you are pulling away from the toll booth, but rather when you are up to speed.

Now having said that, all boats react differently to Trim Tab input, as Dave S well points out. Some boats will respond well to the ATC being engaged at "take off". Just like using Trim Tabs manually, a little experimentation will tell you how your boat will best respond to the ATC.

As far as the EIM Controls are concerned, the best way to install the ATC is to find the 4 color wire harness that leads back to the Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit. The wires are Blue, Yellow, Red and Green. The ATC will tie in to these wires color for color. The trick is to find these wires near where you are going to mount the Control Module.

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine

 

[billnpat]

In most applications it's best to engage the ATC after the boat is on plane. I like to think of it as cruise control, you don't use it when you are pulling away from the toll booth, but rather when you are up to speed.

Now having said that, all boats react differently to Trim Tab input, as Dave S well points out. Some boats will respond well to the ATC being engaged at "take off". Just like using Trim Tabs manually, a little experimentation will tell you how your boat will best respond to the ATC.

As far as the EIM Controls are concerned, the best way to install the ATC is to find the 4 color wire harness that leads back to the Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit. The wires are Blue, Yellow, Red and Green. The ATC will tie in to these wires color for color. The trick is to find these wires near where you are going to mount the Control Module.

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine

My boat responds very well with the unit....

quote:
In most applications it's best to engage the ATC after the boat is on plane.

YES! and then you push the moon face, and sun face together on the dash control face plate and your ZERO set point is set..

leave it be till you want or need to change the way the boat acts
i never changed my ZERO point since day one....:thumbsup:

 

[Tabman]

Billnpat,

You are correct!

Most times once a good zero point is set there is no reason to change it. The zero point is the boat's best cruising attitude, and as conditions change such as passenger movement, wind or boat speed the ATC is going to adjust the Trim Tabs to best return to that attitude.

It's a lot of fun to take the boat out after installing an ATC and have people move around the boat and watch the Trim Tabs correct the changes or once on plane pull the throttle back enoch so the bow starts to rise and watch the ATC lower the Tabs to keep the boat running on plane.

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine

 

[billnpat]

Billnpat,

You are correct!

Most times once a good zero point is set there is no reason to change it. The zero point is the boat's best cruising attitude, and as conditions change such as passenger movement, wind or boat speed the ATC is going to adjust the Trim Tabs to best return to that attitude.

It's a lot of fun to take the boat out after installing an ATC and have people move around the boat and watch the Trim Tabs correct the changes or once on plane pull the throttle back enoch so the bow starts to rise and watch the ATC lower the Tabs to keep the boat running on plane.

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine

AND IT SEEMS TO BE DONE IN SMALL INCREMENTS:smt001

 

[Dave S]

Tom

Thanks for all your input. It really is appreciated.

I will be anxious to hear from At Ease to see how the 260DA responds to the system being active before taking off. One of the problems I have right now is when I am pulling a tube, I have to get up on plane before I can start "maneuvering" and that is typically at 25 mph which is a bit faster than I like to pull most tubers. Plus, it takes a lot longer to get up on plane without being able to use tabs to do it. If the auto tabs work well from idle to plane, I will definitely consider buying them myself.

Dave

 

[billnpat]

Tom

Thanks for all your input. It really is appreciated.

I will be anxious to hear from At Ease to see how the 260DA responds to the system being active before taking off. One of the problems I have right now is when I am pulling a tube, I have to get up on plane before I can start "maneuvering" and that is typically at 25 mph which is a bit faster than I like to pull most tubers. Plus, it takes a lot longer to get up on plane without being able to use tabs to do it. If the auto tabs work well from idle to plane, I will definitely consider buying them myself.

Dave

Does for me.....Hope for you also :thumbsup: