2005 AR230 dash rebuild instead of new boat

[cybuch]

Please tell me what I need to do to get my motors synced I have a garmin with fuel flow meters.. how do I connect them to motor (the Albatross Alba-Combi analog to nmea)

Start with reading the instructions on albatross site. The alba-combi basically converts voltage and resistance to N2K PGNs, super simple but effective. Then you need to get a repair manual for your boat so you know which wire colors do what. Once you get there I am more than happy to help you along the way.

 

[tdonoughue]

Oh, and noticing your sig block now... Um, where is the write up on the 200A alt?!? I want that so I can power a city with my boat in case of a hurricane...

 

[cybuch]

Oh, and noticing your sig block now... Um, where is the write up on the 200A alt?!? I want that so I can power a city with my boat in case of a hurricane...

Haha!! It was on the old site, basically I did a PTO off one of my motor output shafts to run the alternator back in 2009, haven’t looked back since. Still works perfectly!!

 

[zipper]

Don't you dare apologize! We live for this sh!t.

This is an awesome and inspiring job. Very impressive. The attention to detail is evident and the finished product looks outstanding. Nicely done, sir!


I'm more impressed that @zipper still had a $50 bill to his name to which to compare that puppy after buying such a massive piece of bronze...

Not more impressed than @cybuch 's work. More impressed than @zipper 's piece of bronze. <clarifying>

It was ONLY a $700-800 dollar piece of bronze transducer. The picture was taken a few years ago during Blueberry season. It was too expensive a part for me to cut and splice that cable comfortably. The plug on the end was too big to feed up thru the 1 1/4" dia pedestal guard. I wanted the cable hidden. I bought a $75 extension cable and cut/spliced that back together in case I screwed up the solder and shielding. Luckily, I got it right the first time.

 

[biglar155]

I've always considered replacing the "instrumentation" section of the dashboard with something flat to make it easier to add more things. You've gone totally next level. This is awesome!

It's also a good reminder that these boats are simply big fiberglass tubs. You can do whatever you'd like to them to make them your own. There's no need to sit around waiting for a manufacturer to come out with the next big thing. Nor do you need to spend thousands of dollars to keep "buying up." With a little time and ingenuity (o.k. maybe a little hands-on skill too) you can make them anything you want.

Just be careful about showing off mods like this. You'll wind up with a bunch of us 230 owners chasing you down wanting to pay you to do the same to ours!

 

[buckbuck]

You really got me dreaming @cybuch .
Putting this on my make over list to consider doing during retirement.

 

[cybuch]

It was ONLY a $700-800 dollar piece of bronze transducer. The picture was taken a few years ago during Blueberry season. It was too expensive a part for me to cut and splice that cable comfortably. The plug on the end was too big to feed up thru the 1 1/4" dia pedestal guard. I wanted the cable hidden. I bought a $75 extension cable and cut/spliced that back together in case I screwed up the solder and shielding. Luckily, I got it right the first time.

Yea, ONLY!!! I bet it was worth it!

 

[cybuch]

I've always considered replacing the "instrumentation" section of the dashboard with something flat to make it easier to add more things. You've gone totally next level. This is awesome!

It's also a good reminder that these boats are simply big fiberglass tubs. You can do whatever you'd like to them to make them your own. There's no need to sit around waiting for a manufacturer to come out with the next big thing. Nor do you need to spend thousands of dollars to keep "buying up." With a little time and ingenuity (o.k. maybe a little hands-on skill too) you can make them anything you want.

Just be careful about showing off mods like this. You'll wind up with a bunch of us 230 owners chasing you down wanting to pay you to do the same to ours!

Right!! Us 230’s have to refresh a really great boat!

 

[cybuch]

Took the boat out today and all worked as expected. Gauges were on point!

 

[roguewave]

Sorry, I had to share with someone, I think it turned out awesome!

I was looking to upgrade to a new boat, until i saw the prices on the new boats! So, I decided to keep my old 2005 and do some electronics upgrades to the dash. I was jealous of you guys with newer boats that have that touch screen in the dash, so that had to go in! I pulled out the old dash on both sides and rebuilt them both. I upgraded the whole boat to NMEA 2000 network and control.

On the drivers side I installed a 12 inch Raymarine Axiom plus chart plotter MFD, this also doubles as my gauges, digital switcher control, and stereo control. I replaced all the rocker switches with backlit momentary stainless push buttons, including the no wake mode buttons. The buttons are connected to a Yacht Devices N2K digital switcher and flash when the check engine light flashed. I installed a JL Audio head unit and 3 N2K remotes to go with it (one on the passenger side, one in the bow, and one on the rear deck). Perfect pass on the right, with dual power flags (port and starboard) buttons and a GPRS radio below the keys.

On the passenger side, I added one of the stereo remotes on the left, with dual power flags (port and starboard) buttons, a (4) cell phone holder/charger, and enlarged the glove boxes.

Here is the hardware:

• Raymarine Axiom plus 12inch MFD
• Albatross Alba-Combi analog to N2K dual engine monitor
• 2 Yacht devices N2K digital switching (controls all the old rocker type switches)
• MM100sBE, MM40's
• 2 Navico N2K fuel flow sensors
• 2 5v oil pressure sending units
• 2 water temp sensors

Still need to get it out on the water and test it this weekend.

Thanks for looking.

So did you install additional sensors on the engine or? I have a 2007 SX210 (new to me) and looking to get engine data on my axiom 7 figured I might have to add extra non-hem sensors and then a nemaconverter - are you "tapping" the existing sensors on your boat?

 

[Wisefam22]

So did you install additional sensors on the engine or? I have a 2007 SX210 (new to me) and looking to get engine data on my axiom 7 figured I might have to add extra non-hem sensors and then a nemaconverter - are you "tapping" the existing sensors on your boat?

If I understand him correctly he found wire diagram and cut the wires going to tach, oil pressure ect and then inserted into the correct spot on the signal converter.

 

[cybuch]

If I understand him correctly he found wire diagram and cut the wires going to tach, oil pressure ect and then inserted into the correct spot on the signal converter.

Yes and no. I did cut the wires from the old techs and throw them out. I didn’t install an oil pressure sender tee’d in with the original low oil pressure switch. I also installed inline water temp sensors before the thermostat. For the check engine, over temp, and low oil pressure warning lights, I wired those into the converter and mapped them to the appropriate NMEA code.

 

[dgfreeze]

This is really quite amazing, I'm legitimately impressed. I tend to shy away from a lot of technology, and actually like the moderate simplicity of these older boats, but that looks pretty sweet. And I thought I was doing pretty good after redoing the upholstery in mine...

 

[cybuch]

This is really quite amazing, I'm legitimately impressed. I tend to shy away from a lot of technology, and actually like the moderate simplicity of these older boats, but that looks pretty sweet. And I thought I was doing pretty good after redoing the upholstery in mine...

Thank you! Your upholstery work is amazing!!! Imagine, your upholstery work and my dash!

 

[tdonoughue]

...and that is how the business was formed, all those years ago. Who would have thought that they would both be quadrillionaires today?

 

[cybuch]

...and that is how the business was formed, all those years ago. Who would have thought that they would both be quadrillionaires today?

HAHA!!!

 

[dgfreeze]

U had me at quadrillionaires!! Where do I sign?! ?

PS, @cybuch, did you toss your OEM tachs, etc? If not, I might be interested in them if they’re the same as mine...?

 

[OperationROL]

Sorry, I had to share with someone, I think it turned out awesome!

I was looking to upgrade to a new boat, until i saw the prices on the new boats! So, I decided to keep my old 2005 and do some electronics upgrades to the dash. I was jealous of you guys with newer boats that have that touch screen in the dash, so that had to go in! I pulled out the old dash on both sides and rebuilt them both. I upgraded the whole boat to NMEA 2000 network and control.

On the drivers side I installed a 12 inch Raymarine Axiom plus chart plotter MFD, this also doubles as my gauges, digital switcher control, and stereo control. I replaced all the rocker switches with backlit momentary stainless push buttons, including the no wake mode buttons. The buttons are connected to a Yacht Devices N2K digital switcher and flash when the check engine light flashed. I installed a JL Audio head unit and 3 N2K remotes to go with it (one on the passenger side, one in the bow, and one on the rear deck). Perfect pass on the right, with dual power flags (port and starboard) buttons and a GPRS radio below the keys.

On the passenger side, I added one of the stereo remotes on the left, with dual power flags (port and starboard) buttons, a (4) cell phone holder/charger, and enlarged the glove boxes.

Here is the hardware:

• Raymarine Axiom plus 12inch MFD
• Albatross Alba-Combi analog to N2K dual engine monitor
• 2 Yacht devices N2K digital switching (controls all the old rocker type switches)
• MM100sBE, MM40's
• 2 Navico N2K fuel flow sensors
• 2 5v oil pressure sending units
• 2 water temp sensors

Still need to get it out on the water and test it this weekend.

Thanks for looking.

Very nice!!!!

 

[cybuch]

HAHA!!!

I did toss them, you wouldn't have wanted them, they only worked half the time.

 

[captainhook]

Brilliant work. I’m considering doing something on a much smaller scale for exactly the same reason. I love tech and feel like if I upgrade my boat I would get a nicer looking boat and a tower, but I’d have exactly the same amount of fun. If I can class up my boat a bit with some tech, it will go a long ways for much less money.