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Thread: Digital Gauges

  1. #11

    Re: Digital Gauges

    Thanks bud now I gotta add this to my list of updates.
    ENUFF. 1983 53MY.Hull #617 Barnegat Light Nj.

  2. #12

    Re: Digital Gauges

    Quote Originally Posted by Photolomy View Post
    Yeah, it is working. The box and the firmware seem very solid. It has been on continuously for a couple of days, even while I have been connecting and reconnecting gauges. The app crashed a few times though, but I figured out what it doesn't like, such as cancelling a config window or trying to connect without the USB plug in. What has taken some time though is realizing that while you can configure the app gauges to be what you want them to be, you are limited on the NMEA messages that can be associated with the inputs. For example, you can use engine temp, but it has to be with A2, while oil pressure can be used with any input. Thus, the app was setup and working but the Garmin gauges were either doing nothing, or showing gibberish compared to the app gauges. I finally figured that out and now the app and the Garmin are saying the same thing. Now I am looking at the condition of a couple of my senders, which is one of the purposes for getting this. Once you do set it up the voltages it reads are pretty accurate, within 1% at least, and I can watch a remote screen in the ER while I fiddle with a sender.

    I hope maybe what I post here might help you along. How far did you get when you tried to hook it up? There are some pitfalls like what I mentioned above. If you start off just wiring gauges in any order (like I did) you might not get the expected results on your multifunction displays. I had to change how I wired them a couple times before I straightened it out. Fortunately, I did this on the port side first, so I knew what I was doing when I did the starboard side.
    I hooked up the starboard side. As I recall the tach worked but I never was able to calibrate the gauges. I bought all new senders and ran new wires directly to the senders. I spent over a week in total frustration and gave up. I’d love to get it working but it’s over my head.
    1977 Hatteras 58' MY, Hull No. 304, 4-stateroom galley up model with 8V71TIs in Knoxville, Tennessee

  3. #13

    Question Re: Digital Gauges

    Hey Photolomy, could you let me know what operating system you're running in the PC you are using to program your MD33? I've had trouble with my Windows 10 laptop quickly loosing connection with the Noland, making it extremely difficult to program. A friend got my rpm, oil and drive pressures pretty spot on, but my temp gages are not even close. I tried to get them better, but got frustrated with the connection loss. Any advice?

    Thanks!
    Julian

  4. #14

    Re: Digital Gauges

    I used a cheap HP netbook running Windows 10 and a MacBook running a Windows 10 VM and neither had connectivity issues. I believe one was Win 10 Pro and the other Win 10 Home, so that wasn't an issue. In fact, I am remoted into the netbook (on the boat) from my MacBook (at home) and the netbook is connecting fine.

    There are two ways to calibrate. One way is from the CPort screen by opening the config window for the gauge you are calibrating (temp for example). I have noticed that if you cancel out of that config window it will crash. I always hit "Ok" instead, even if I didn't change anything.

    However, configuring in the CPort screen only calibrates the CPort software. To calibrate the MD33 itself, so that it sends actual temp to the NMEA-2000 network you must use the calibration software. That hasn't crashed on me. Well, unless I attempt to connect without first setting the COM port.

    But, before you can use the calibration utility, you need to know what pairs of values to use, and to do that you use the CPort software, and don't cancel out of the config windows.

    What I do is first set the calibration to 0 / 0 and 20 / 20. This basically means that the actual voltage will be shown on the gauge. For a temp gauge cold you might see something like 12.3 volts. And for a temp gauge hot, say 160 degrees, you might see something like 8.2 volts. So, your calbration points are 12.3 / 80 and 8.2 / 160 (I am assuming that the water when cool is 80 degrees). That should then get you close.

    You can set those in the CPort software, and also set them in the calibration utility to calibrate the NMEA messages as well.

    Let me know if this helps. If it isn't the config / cancel glitch, then maybe reinstalling the USB driver from the Noland flash drive might help. Early USB/Serial drivers were notorious for crashing but nowadays they are pretty stable, and this has been pretty stable.
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

  5. #15

    Re: Digital Gauges

    Here is a connection diagram that may help someone in the future...

    MD33.jpg
    As you can see, you can hook up quite a bit of stuff. The nice thing is that all of those connections, except the rudder and AC pump, can be made all within the helm console. No need to run any long wires. For the bilge pumps, I connected to the bilge pump lights using resistors (voltage divider) to bring the voltage down from 32 volts. Likewise, the same concept for the alarms, using the alarm lights. I already have a connection to the 12 volt (generator) battery, as that powers my radios. And the AC shore power can be connected using a cheap 12 volt power supply or even a spare USB charger. The MD33 includes two op-amps that could be used to sense the current in the AC lines. I will use one of those to do the AC pump.
    Last edited by Photolomy; 12-03-2019 at 12:42 AM.
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

  6. #16

    Re: Digital Gauges

    Here is more detail on how to sense 32 volts when you are limited to 20 volts...

    VoltageDivider.jpg

    In this example, I want to sense when 32v is going to the bilge light on my helm console (even if the light is burnt out, this still works). I add the two resistors shown from the input to the light to a ground and connect the sensor between them. The sensor will get 100 / (100 + 200) = 1/3 the input voltage. You want the resistors to be large so that no real current flows through them (otherwise you would be shorting out the light). In this case there would only be 32 / 300k = 0.1 milliamps. Also note that there is no current at all, unless the bilge pump is on.
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

  7. #17

    Re: Digital Gauges

    Could the Noland be connected to Floscan senders? Two pulse and one ground wires for each engine.

    (I bought the Floscan NMEA2000 system. Floscan went out of business the next day and there seems to be a wiring diagram error.)
    +++
    1984 61MY #353 with 9' cockpit extension.
    Sydney, Australia.

  8. #18

    Re: Digital Gauges

    Quote Originally Posted by scottinsydney View Post
    Could the Noland be connected to Floscan senders? Two pulse and one ground wires for each engine.

    (I bought the Floscan NMEA2000 system. Floscan went out of business the next day and there seems to be a wiring diagram error.)
    I think they would certainly connect and report pulses per minute, but they wouldn't do the math. You would actually need two of the RS11's (cheaper than one MD33) because they each have two RPM inputs. One RS11 for each engine. But, as I said, the software will not subtract the return rate from the feed rate and convert that all to GPH. You could write an app that does that calculation on a PC though.

    You can call Noland and ask. They are pretty good about responding.

    https://www.nolandeng.com

    What would be cool if Noland allowed you to add your own code to the box itself. The calculations for GPH are pretty simple and then you could output the NMEA messages for fuel flow.
    Last edited by Photolomy; 12-03-2019 at 06:51 AM.
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

  9. #19

    Re: Digital Gauges

    Also, what isn't wiring correctly with the FloScan stuff?
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

  10. #20

    Re: Digital Gauges

    I sent the old Floscan gauges for repair and also purchased a new sender and Flonet NMEA2000 box. The startboard NMEA gauge was modified to output to the Flonet box. Both gauges talk to each other and also to the Flonet.

    The gauges work fine and are pretty accurate. Assuming I have wired the Flonet as per Floscan instructions, then the Flownet top line reads 80 litres per hour when the actual fuel consumption on the gauges is about 32 litres per hour for both engines.

    So today I have bought an NMEA2000 wifi transmitter from www.yachtd.com and will see if the fuel flow readings on my iphone work properly. Wifi will arrive Friday or Monday and will post results in new topic. Yachtd have a really interesting range of NMEA products

    The Noland review is excellent, thank you Prometheus.
    Last edited by scottinsydney; 12-04-2019 at 04:43 AM.
    +++
    1984 61MY #353 with 9' cockpit extension.
    Sydney, Australia.

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