Replace my engine controls with...

[MikeP]

The good 'ol "Red Jackets" have been around a LOOOONG time! But if I was replacing mine now I'd use these; they are supposed to be really great:

http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=88803F


I think you should try 'em and let us know how they work!

 

[Boss Lady]

The red jacket cables are the standard. Teleflex makes single lever cable actuators. I am using new Kobelt controls, http://www.kobelt.com/ they are very high quality and I think they offer a better value. I am staying conventional with separate gear and throttle controls. I have my reasons, like no bow thruster. I also like the ability to bump the gear in and out quickly for precision handling. I can make the boat hover in one spot against current and wind.

Gary, I wish you continued good service on your electronic controls. Like I said when they prove themselves reliable, I am interested. I am going with a flat screen engine monitor at both helms and mechanical gauges in the ER. I like technology, but it has to make sense to put it on a boat. I like things simple and reliable.

 

[luckydave215]

I have Morse electronics, and love them. But....I have 4 stations.
With cables running all over the place (the tower station is a looong way up there) the friction would be less than desirable. Also, as a tournament angler, I'm used to standing backward looking down on the angler in the chair "one engine in each hand" and fishing the boat with single levers. For spinning the boat with a marlin on the line, they can't be beat.
Mine are powered by a dedicated battery, and the power can be quickly switched to the 12V generator battery bank if needed.
All that being said, I'm not giving up the original Panish cable setup in the cockpit, ready as mechanical backup to keep Murphy away.
If I had only one station, and I didn't have a sportfisher, I'd see no reason to deviate from reliable cables, there'd be no advantage in that case.

 

[REBrueckner]

Standard 33C morse cables are pretty darn reliable. Newer 33 extreme and 43 extreme are even smoother and can be retrofitted. They require different control connections are both ends.

For twin level engine controls, to avoid accidentally grabbing the wrong one....keep your left hand on the left transmission control and your right on the right...don't let go....then you can't grab the throttle by mistake...When facing aft during stern docking it's really tough to keep the control locations in mind and NEVER make a mistake. When going in bow first, you can usually see the controls in peripheral vision..
I still like single level control..with a pull out for adjusting throttle while in neutral....We added one on an old Matthews and it was SO EASY....why aren't they standard????

 

[captadamr]

When I learned to dock, I had to learn on the our Post, which has the one shifter on each side of the wheel , which was great. Then moving to the Tiara that had the gears on the left. Now that Im on the Hatt with gears on the right i find myself grabbing the throttle when im not paying attention.

When we repowered the Tiara, they tried to talk us into electronic controls, but since we put 1000+ hrs a year on the boat, there was way too much room for error. Having an electronic system fail in the heat of the busy season would be a big no-no.


I have to just add, that i never use the wheel when docking. When coming to line up I use it, but for coming to into the slip its all gears baby! If anyone has ever been to Nassau, they know how strong the current gets 2-3kts. If the winds flowing with the current it gets really fun, or wind across current. You get the picture. Maybe its just me, not to brag, but I can put the transom on the windward pole every time.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I replaced the cable controls on Blue Note a few years ago. I had first intended to get new Morse controls and cables, but the customer service from Morse ( now owned by Teleflex) was so unbelievably bad that I started looking around. And from that I found.....

PANISH controls. They make their own cables, their customer service can't be beat, and they are beautifully made in the USA. I love my Panish controls. Two things I have installed that have made my boating a great deal more enjoyable: Panish cable controls, and digital controls for the AC units.

PANISH also makes single lever controls, if you want them, but I used the two-lever kind. The quality of what they build is amazing. Much better than Morse, Teleflex, Kobelt, or any other that I have ever seen.

They also build Glendinning synchronizers, I think.

Another tip: use the thinnest cables you can; the internal friction is less. And tie them down every foot or so; cable lash makes them far less responsive and precise.