Good day,
I am new to the forum, this is my first post.
Last year I bought a 1985 Catalina 36 Tall Rig. I am in the process of upgrading the electronic displays (NAVMAN) to a MFD. The challenge I am running into is finding the right adapter/gateway to convert engine data from my Universal M25 to the digital display. I did some research that points to analog to NMEA2000 converters, but before I drop two to three hundred dollar on a hope, I wanted to check this forum to see if anyone has experience executing this conversion.
I appreciate any wisdom, tips, gotchas, y'all are willing to share.
Many thanks,
Eric
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Eric
1985 Catalina 36 Tall Rig
Eric
I too was hoping someone might answer your question. I have been thinking about being able to see some engine parameters on my Raymarine MFD. I thought being able to set alarms would be a plus.
What type of parameters are you thinking about? What MFD are you using?
Chuck Lennox
97 MKii Ventura Ca
Island Girl Hull #1611
As almost no one seems to want to respond to this, let me ante up a thought.
Why? Why even attempt to put a Catalina 36's low tech analog data on a digital data bus and then display it on an MFD? It's not like operating this boat is rocket science. It's not a high tech carbon fiber racing machine, or a thousand horsepower cigarette boat. It's a 6 knot everyday sailboat. Isn't the information displayed on the engine pod ample?
Give me One Good Reason for doing what you propose.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Although it is always good to question, there are many reasons to make a low tech system behave in a high tech manor. Firstly, although these are low tech engines, problems can and do happen and options that allow better monitoring and alarming are good. A good example of this is when I deliver my boat from Annapolis to New England every year. I transit through the night and work on a watch system. Not all watch standers at 0300 are looking at the gauges (on older Catalinas the gauge cluster requires bending down under the wheel to read) as much as they should (especially in rough weather when you are hunkerd under the dodger with autopilot on) so why not provide better alarms and/or monitoring interfaces. I admit that I have more tech in my boat than the average Catalina 36 but since my Raymarine E6 is readable via bluetooth and wifi by my RayRemote and RayView app on my phone, I am able to check on navigation (gps/radar) from my bunk and could do the same with engine data.
I have too have spent some time researching the analog to NMEA converters and have found that the best and most complete option is the Alba Combi (http://www.albacombi.com/(link is external)). It is also one of the more expensive options but it allows many inputs including tank heights, battery info, and many others in addition to reading voltages directly from the gauges. Another option is the Actisense which is written about in Panbo (highly recommend this site for cruisers) at http://www.panbo.com/archives/2013/10/actisense_emu-1_analog_engine_gaug...(link is external). I have not purchased yet but plan too in the near future.
To wrap this up, yes, you can live without the somewhat repeaditive information it provides but for those who use the boat alot and depend on it to keep their family safe on voyages, you can never have too much of a good thing. I will be sure to write about my installation and success when I bite the bullit.
Matthew Schubert
S/V Mary Lynne
Annapolis, MD AYC
1985 Catalina 36
USA 436
Matthew Schubert
S/V Mary Lynne #436
Annapolis/Newport
1985 C-36 M25XPB
I would enjoy hearing a follow up Matthew on what you came up with. You outlined the exact reasons I'd like to do the same with my MFD
Regards, Greg
Greg
ROAM
C36 MkII 2001
SF Bay
I’ve installed a Noland Engineering RS11 on my 83 with a M25. I love it. I need to get on my knees to see the existing panel, which doesn’t have temp alarms and volume on oil alarm is marginal for my bad hearing. Alarms are set on MFD (Raymarine e7D) and I get visual and audio alarms if I exceed what I set in. Plus I can see all the vitals at a glance. Maretron also makes an analog interface, be sure you can updat the firmware and calibrate which ever device you get. The RS11 calibrates via a USB connected Windows computer. I don’t know how the Maretron unit is Calibrated/updated. Another feature of the RS11 is it can supply the current for the sensor that normally comes from the gauge unit. So you can run headless gauges (my oil pressure is this way)
Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor.
Commodore
It would be great maybe to organize through the associate and negociate with vendors like noland for example a discount if we buy X number of units for members.
Did the Catalina 36 association did it in the past?
I follow a french sailing association and twice a year they run that type of efforts, where they negociate prices with vendors for members to buy products together. Right now they run a big order for antifouling (http://www.hisse-et-oh.com/achats_groupes/246(link is external))
My suggestions :)
- Garhauer Catalina 36 adjustable genoa car system
- NoLand RS11
Ludovic François
Hotel Catalina - Catalina 36 Hull #883
Marina Del Rey, CA