System Monitor replacement for mechanical engines

I'm doing something similar - Guess I'm just too old school.

Gotta re-do the faded dash panels with cutouts for old electronics anyway.

In addition to your plan I'll be adding:

• trans oil temp gauges
• generator oil pressure
• generator water temperature

and also engine pyrometer & boost gauges.

emergency bilge pumps will be tied to an alarm and an indicator light

regular bilge pumps will be tied to a digital bilge pump counter

Maybe I missed something but that s failry accurate

RWS

 

I like the idea of having both analog gauges and idiot lights/audible alarms. Those panels you wired in look like the hot ticket.

 

@ZZ13 your idea of using relays is sound, I went that route as well to trigger my RIM100 (Digital System monitor) and also my EMU-1 alarms (Digital Engine converter).

Although relays work, they can be another failure point and if you reference the correct pos or neg the relays are not really needed. Not sure how the boards are wired. But if your going the replay route take a look at this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LW2GA5Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use these for my systems. I have them mounted in project boxes and made harnesses for the connections. They come in 2/4/8 relay packages. The best part about them are the are jumper configurable for a high or low trigger so they are perfect for this application.

Also make sure when you tie 327 & 32 together they are the same ground. Every ground on your boat should be all tied together at the source (batteries) and if they are not you can get different potentials for ground. Just a best practices point. I can not tell you how many times I have seen this be the source of electrical issues.

Good luck with the rest of your project, there is value in not having things all digital. But when done right digital has so much more potential and is expandable in many ways.

 

$10.59 for an 8 channel relay bank? Twenty years ago, that would have easily cost ten times that.

Bill, by merely moving the little black jumpers, you invert the input/output signals.

 

Yes, or what ever you wire in to the relay. The relay will still be a relay with a common that needs to be fed with +v or -v and then the NO side will go to the alarm panel PCB. The difference is that relay PCB has circuitry that allows for input level selection via jumpers. Works great and I have had it in operation for ~5 years so far. I also bought extra boards as backup's in case they don't sell them any longer. So I have an additional set all wired up ready to go if one dies. I use to check the SM regularly for proper operation, but it has never had an issue so far. Just jinxed myself, but it has been great.

 

Yep, exactly. A really awesome board and very well built. They have been selling them for a few years now as well. Great find and perfect for this application.

 

Yes the sender on the engine wires directly into the IN on the board.

To stay ABYC compliant you need to use at least 16ga wire, I wired mine with 14ga. All of the engine senders from the SM terminals I used yellow 14ga wire wrapped in a net style harness and used blue 14ga from the board to the RIM/EMU(s), in your case it would be the alarm panel(s). I also mounted the relay board in a "project" box with cable glands and deutsch connector's for easy removal. Amazon carries deutsch pigtails for easy assembly.

To daisy chain the common's you can use smaller gauge jumper wire. There is no current involved here and if the board is in a project box with the 16ga wire used for in/out then you are still ABYC compliant.

 

Yeah, there made for the Arduino and PI applications, but I had no issues getting a single 14ga wire in the terminal. I did use solid jumper wire for the commons off of the power wire.

 

For old school has anyone used or looked into alarms be Borel engeneering?

 

For the cost and difficulty, I think it is gorgeous!!!!

Bennett

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Had BOREL EXHAUST ALARMS on my 10 meter for engines AND genny.

Purchased same for the 450 DA -

They're on the installation list along with

bilge alarms and

bilge counters

RWS

 

is the relay necessary?

In theory, why can't one simply run the wire direct ?

I did this as a test with the high water bilge - wired to a simple buzzer/alarm and it seems to work fine

Curious.....

RWS

 

He is using the relay board for the engine alarms which are a 12v negative (Ground) signal when active and float when not active. The relays are needed to give a 12v signal to the alarm panel.