255 FSH For the Spring

[FSH 210 Sport]

My family has commented on how much quieter the 255 Sport E is compared to the AR210 on plane.... but they mostly sit up front. Behind the helm glass, the Sport E is much louder than the AR210. The windshield does a great job of concentrating the sound from the engines.

On the other hand, at no-wake speed, the Sport E is definitely quieter, even when I'm at the helm.

I downloaded a DB app to my phone and ran a few tests on the sound of my 210 while testing different impellers and found the Skat Traks to be the quietest by 3 DB under the stock impellers.

It makes sense that the full windscreen on your boat would make the perceived sound higher. I get a lot of wind noise at speed on my boat as I stand a fair bit taller than the oem windscreen. When I’m going to be cruising for a while I use ear plugs.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

All of the points in your post are great, @FSH 210 Sport !

Regarding height, I would recommend replacing the 8'' tall 360° light with a folding one.

I have an Attwood LightArmor All-Around Fold-Down LED light on my 255 FSH Sport E. When folded, it's less than 2'' tall, so that should give you an additional 6'' of clearance.

(I have the 20'' one because it needs to clear the radar dome, but it's available in various heights.)

Attwood 2023 Catalog

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www.delzer.com

Thanks for the anchor light posting!

From the catalog it appears my boat has the incandescent model. I’ve bought a couple of led replacement bulbs, one was too tall and the screw on lens was hitting it, and the other one is a bit short, I’m not happy with how the light looks with the shorter led nor the oem incandescent. I might have to try the Atwood led since it appears the bulb appears to be mounted high / centered in the lens, should be better than the oem one my boat came with since the incandescent is mounted low in the fixture. I wish Attwood would have posted the current draw of both and the lumens.

Edit: I looked a bit closer and the literature states the incandescent model draws 9 W and the led draws 20% less power than “traditional“ all around lights, so 7.2 W for the led, or 0.6 A (6Ah) for the led and .75 A (7.5 Ah) for the incandescent.

 

[14SX190]

The hashtag doesn't do anything. To tag someone, you have to use the @ symbol, like this: @14SX190

@luxehomes

I got confused b/w two members it's actually @Brizingr
He was going to Boat show this weekend.

Thanks and carry on......

 

[MilesPrower]

Regarding the Halo 20+….
- Where did you place it on your t-top?
- Did you find a good channel to run the wiring?
- What mounting angle did you use?
- Are you getting good radar coverage?
- Can you (reliably) identify rain? Birds? Other boats? And at speed?

Your post didn’t say but given your installation of a radar, I’m assuming you installed a VHF?
- What mount and antenna and do you like their performance?
- Where on T-Top did you mount antenna? How much does it affect radar performance?

How was the drilling-into-TTop experience? Scary as hell? Have you seen any stress cracks around the holes or water intrusion?

I know that’s a lot of questions but I haven’t found much material specific to 255 FSH about these items.

I placed the Halo 20+ as far forward as possible on the T-Top, with a Scanstrut 6" Aluminum Powertower base, such that the M8 bolts for the Scanstrut were all "nutted" on the inside cavity of the T-Top. The cavity isn't very deep beyond the radio panel, so I had to move the 360° light to give room for the radar.

That part of the T-Top slopes downward going forward, so the radar ended up at the correct angle — it leans forward about 3° down at no-wake and about 3° up while on-plane — a perfect compromise. I originally mounted the radar with a Scanstrut 4° wedge to get me closer to 0° level on-plane, but that resulted in the radar picking up too many waves when idling slowly.

The fiberglass of the T-Top above the cavity is very thin, and very weak. It can't even hold my 360° light without significant wobble. Therefore, I built up an internal buttress (using HDPE and stainless steel fittings) that mates the bolts of the T-Top frame to the rear bolts of the Scanstrut. I also added a plate of HDPE to stabilize the mounting point of the 360° light. My buttress also serves as a bulkhead to mount the NMEA backbone extension and other wiring. (The main backbone is in the helm closet, and I also have a backbone extension at the bow for my Motorguide trolling motor.)

I'll eventually add a VHF radio with AIS up there, but I haven't gotten around to choosing a radio yet. Not only is the NMEA backbone up there now, but I also pulled duplex for the radio (and other T-top accessories) when I pulled the radar/Ethernet/power cables. Given how much of a pain it was to strengthen the T-Top for the radar and 360° light, my plan is to mount a fold-down VHF antenna to the rod-holder frame on the rear of the T-Top, and then just route the cable externally into the bottom of the T-Top. That'll also give me the required antenna-to-radar distance.

Speaking of pulling cable, the only channel available for the wiring is the starboard aft tube for the T-Top. The port tube is full stuffed with wiring for the 360° light and speaker cables. It was a b!tch to wire, because the thru-holes in the deck are about 1'' in diameter — much smaller than the tubes! Moreover, to access that starboard aft tube, I had to move the reverse-bucket servos; but that turned out to be a good thing, because the screws holding down the bucket servos were 100% stripped by the dumbsh!t Yamaha factory workers, so I was able to literally lift up the servo unit and move it aside by hand! Also, I discovered that half of the T-Top bolts were not actually screwed into their fittings!!! Not to mention, most of the screws along the bottom of the deck "lip" have fallen out.

Oh, I should I also mention that I added vents to the T-Top. Where I live in FL, the humidity is nearly 100% most of the time, and when the temperature drops 20° at night, condensation builds up on any surfaces that have a temperature gradient. Every time I opened up the T-Top, the rear T-Top cavity had about 1/2'' of water pooled up inside of it — from condensation, not rain!!!

Radar coverage is fantastic at all speeds. I can see rain, other boats, and flocks of birds from many miles away, kayaks from a mile, and even bare pilings from a half mile! The majority of the time I go boating, I come back to my home port in the dark, which often means navigating around kayakers and other small craft fishing at night with only a flashlight or headlamp to identify themselves. Also, there are countless unmarked pilings on my way home due to bridge construction. So the radar is crucial for me.

Also crucial — a Simrad NSS 12 evo3s MFD to run the radar, along with the HS60 GPS compass so I've got real-time heading for the radar. The Go12 is totally inadequate for displaying Navionics SonarChart with radar overlay. (Heck, I used to run a Go7 XSR on my kayak, and the Go was barely adequate for running SonarChart and Structure Scan side-by-side! I now have a Lowrance Elite FS 7 on my kayak because the Go was so laggy.) I have the HS60 mounted on the T-Top just inside of the starboard outrigger mount, in the shadow of the radar. I opted for roof-mounting because I wanted to reduce the chances of losing heading-lock when I'm fishing under bridges. If bridge fishing isn't your thing, then I'd recommend mounting an NMEA compass or heading indicator like the HS60 closer to the waterline, so you don't get as much "smudge" when you're bobbing around in big waves.

I have the NSS 12 on an Ethernet network with the radar and the Go12, using a Lowrance NEP-2 Ethernet switch. (You'll need to update the Go's firmware to enable Ethernet via its radar port.) Most of the time, I have the NSS displaying Navionics SonarChart map with a radar overlay, using heading-up mode, while the Go12 is split-screened to show the HDI Echo image below the boat, and the Active 3-in-1 Structure Scan to the sides. The NSS is generating the 800 kHz A3-in-1 image for the Go12. (The transom-mounted A3-in-1 transducer is connected to the NSS, and the boat's Airmar HDI thru-hull transducer is connected directly to the Go12.) I can set up the Go12 to display the radar, but it's far too laggy to be useful for night-time navigation.

I really should make a full post about all this.

Sorry to hijack your thread, @HangOutdoors !

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I placed the Halo 20+ as far forward as possible on the T-Top, with a Scanstrut 6" Aluminum Powertower base, such that the M8 bolts for the Scanstrut were all "nutted" on the inside cavity of the T-Top. The cavity isn't very deep beyond the radio panel, so I had to move the 360° light to give room for the radar.

That part of the T-Top slopes downward going forward, so the radar ended up at the correct angle — it leans forward about 3° down at no-wake and about 3° up while on-plane — a perfect compromise. I originally mounted the radar with a Scanstrut 4° wedge to get me closer to 0° level on-plane, but that resulted in the radar picking up too many waves when idling slowly.

The fiberglass of the T-Top above the cavity is very thin, and very weak. It can't even hold my 360° light without significant wobble. Therefore, I built up an internal buttress (using HDPE and stainless steel fittings) that mates the bolts of the T-Top frame to the rear bolts of the Scanstrut. I also added a plate of HDPE to stabilize the mounting point of the 360° light. My buttress also serves as a bulkhead to mount the NMEA backbone extension and other wiring. (The main backbone is in the helm closet, and I also have a backbone extension at the bow for my Motorguide trolling motor.)

I'll eventually add a VHF radio with AIS up there, but I haven't gotten around to choosing a radio yet. Not only is the NMEA backbone up there now, but I also pulled duplex for the radio (and other T-top accessories) when I pulled the radar/Ethernet/power cables. Given how much of a pain it was to strengthen the T-Top for the radar and 360° light, my plan is to mount a fold-down VHF antenna to the rod-holder frame on the rear of the T-Top, and then just route the cable externally into the bottom of the T-Top. That'll also give me the required antenna-to-radar distance.

Speaking of pulling cable, the only channel available for the wiring is the starboard aft tube for the T-Top. The port tube is full stuffed with wiring for the 360° light and speaker cables. It was a b!tch to wire, because the thru-holes in the deck are about 1'' in diameter — much smaller than the tubes! Moreover, to access that starboard aft tube, I had to move the reverse-bucket servos; but that turned out to be a good thing, because the screws holding down the bucket servos were 100% stripped by the dumbsh!t Yamaha factory workers, so I was able to literally lift up the servo unit and move it aside by hand! Also, I discovered that half of the T-Top bolts were not actually screwed into their fittings!!! Not to mention, most of the screws along the bottom of the deck "lip" have fallen out.

Oh, I should I also mention that I added vents to the T-Top. Where I live in FL, the humidity is nearly 100% most of the time, and when the temperature drops 20° at night, condensation builds up on any surfaces that have a temperature gradient. Every time I opened up the T-Top, the rear T-Top cavity had about 1/2'' of water pooled up inside of it — from condensation, not rain!!!

Radar coverage is fantastic at all speeds. I can see rain, other boats, and flocks of birds from many miles away, kayaks from half a mile, and even bare pilings from a quarter mile! The majority of the time I go boating, I come back to my home port in the dark, which often means navigating around kayakers and other small craft fishing at night with only a flashlight or headlamp to identify themselves. Also, there are countless unmarked pilings on my way home due to bridge construction. So the radar is crucial for me.

Also crucial — a Simrad NSS 12 evo3s MFD to run the radar, along with the HS60 GPS compass so I've got real-time heading for the radar. The Go12 is totally inadequate for displaying Navionics SonarChart with radar overlay. (Heck, I used to run a Go7 XSR on my kayak, and the Go was barely adequate for running SonarChart and Structure Scan side-by-side! I now have a Lowrance Elite FS 7 on my kayak because the Go was so laggy.) I have the HS60 mounted on the T-Top just inside of the starboard outrigger mount, in the shadow of the radar. I opted for roof-mounting because I wanted to reduce the chances of losing heading-lock when I'm fishing under bridges. If bridge fishing isn't your thing, then I'd recommend mounting an NMEA compass or heading indicator like the HS60 closer to the waterline, so you don't get as much "smudge" when you're bobbing around in big waves.

I have the NSS 12 on an Ethernet network with the Go12 (you'll need to update the Go's firmware to do this) and radar, via a Lowrance NEP-2. Most of the time, I have the NSS displaying Navionics SonarChart with a radar overlay, using heading-up mode, while the Go12 is split-screened to show the HDI Echo image below the boat, and the Active 3-in-1 Structure Scan to the sides. The NSS is generating the 800 kHz A3-in-1 image for the Go12. (The transom-mounted A3-in-1 transducer is connected to the NSS, and the boat's Airmar HDI thru-hull transducer is connected directly to the Go12.) I can set up the Go12 to display the radar, but it's far too laggy to be useful for night-time navigation.

I really should make a full post about all this.

Sorry to hijack your thread, @HangOutdoors !

Very impressive!

Agreed, you should do a full separate post on these systems. It appears your set up / system has all the components integrated nicely!

 

[SCP1]

I expect to see this thing, in Shelbyville this year!

 

[HoneyBadgerVA]

I placed the Halo 20+ as far forward as possible on the T-Top, with a Scanstrut 6" Aluminum Powertower base, such that the M8 bolts for the Scanstrut were all "nutted" on the inside cavity of the T-Top. The cavity isn't very deep beyond the radio panel, so I had to move the 360° light to give room for the radar.

That part of the T-Top slopes downward going forward, so the radar ended up at the correct angle — it leans forward about 3° down at no-wake and about 3° up while on-plane — a perfect compromise. I originally mounted the radar with a Scanstrut 4° wedge to get me closer to 0° level on-plane, but that resulted in the radar picking up too many waves when idling slowly.

The fiberglass of the T-Top above the cavity is very thin, and very weak. It can't even hold my 360° light without significant wobble. Therefore, I built up an internal buttress (using HDPE and stainless steel fittings) that mates the bolts of the T-Top frame to the rear bolts of the Scanstrut. I also added a plate of HDPE to stabilize the mounting point of the 360° light. My buttress also serves as a bulkhead to mount the NMEA backbone extension and other wiring. (The main backbone is in the helm closet, and I also have a backbone extension at the bow for my Motorguide trolling motor.)

I'll eventually add a VHF radio with AIS up there, but I haven't gotten around to choosing a radio yet. Not only is the NMEA backbone up there now, but I also pulled duplex for the radio (and other T-top accessories) when I pulled the radar/Ethernet/power cables. Given how much of a pain it was to strengthen the T-Top for the radar and 360° light, my plan is to mount a fold-down VHF antenna to the rod-holder frame on the rear of the T-Top, and then just route the cable externally into the bottom of the T-Top. That'll also give me the required antenna-to-radar distance.

Speaking of pulling cable, the only channel available for the wiring is the starboard aft tube for the T-Top. The port tube is full stuffed with wiring for the 360° light and speaker cables. It was a b!tch to wire, because the thru-holes in the deck are about 1'' in diameter — much smaller than the tubes! Moreover, to access that starboard aft tube, I had to move the reverse-bucket servos; but that turned out to be a good thing, because the screws holding down the bucket servos were 100% stripped by the dumbsh!t Yamaha factory workers, so I was able to literally lift up the servo unit and move it aside by hand! Also, I discovered that half of the T-Top bolts were not actually screwed into their fittings!!! Not to mention, most of the screws along the bottom of the deck "lip" have fallen out.

Oh, I should I also mention that I added vents to the T-Top. Where I live in FL, the humidity is nearly 100% most of the time, and when the temperature drops 20° at night, condensation builds up on any surfaces that have a temperature gradient. Every time I opened up the T-Top, the rear T-Top cavity had about 1/2'' of water pooled up inside of it — from condensation, not rain!!!

Radar coverage is fantastic at all speeds. I can see rain, other boats, and flocks of birds from many miles away, kayaks from a mile, and even bare pilings from a half mile! The majority of the time I go boating, I come back to my home port in the dark, which often means navigating around kayakers and other small craft fishing at night with only a flashlight or headlamp to identify themselves. Also, there are countless unmarked pilings on my way home due to bridge construction. So the radar is crucial for me.

Also crucial — a Simrad NSS 12 evo3s MFD to run the radar, along with the HS60 GPS compass so I've got real-time heading for the radar. The Go12 is totally inadequate for displaying Navionics SonarChart with radar overlay. (Heck, I used to run a Go7 XSR on my kayak, and the Go was barely adequate for running SonarChart and Structure Scan side-by-side! I now have a Lowrance Elite FS 7 on my kayak because the Go was so laggy.) I have the HS60 mounted on the T-Top just inside of the starboard outrigger mount, in the shadow of the radar. I opted for roof-mounting because I wanted to reduce the chances of losing heading-lock when I'm fishing under bridges. If bridge fishing isn't your thing, then I'd recommend mounting an NMEA compass or heading indicator like the HS60 closer to the waterline, so you don't get as much "smudge" when you're bobbing around in big waves.

I have the NSS 12 on an Ethernet network with the radar and the Go12, using a Lowrance NEP-2 Ethernet switch. (You'll need to update the Go's firmware to enable Ethernet via its radar port.) Most of the time, I have the NSS displaying Navionics SonarChart map with a radar overlay, using heading-up mode, while the Go12 is split-screened to show the HDI Echo image below the boat, and the Active 3-in-1 Structure Scan to the sides. The NSS is generating the 800 kHz A3-in-1 image for the Go12. (The transom-mounted A3-in-1 transducer is connected to the NSS, and the boat's Airmar HDI thru-hull transducer is connected directly to the Go12.) I can set up the Go12 to display the radar, but it's far too laggy to be useful for night-time navigation.

I really should make a full post about all this.

Sorry to hijack your thread, @HangOutdoors !

Dude that is an amazingly good post. Thank you for sharing your experience with this setup… it’s worth its own thread for sure. Thanks and much respect to you.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Well, with everything that we had to work through with the families this fall and the unfortunate passing of immediate family members, the Admiral and I agreed that we are going to hold off on upgrading the boat for now. The added expense, cost and all the money I would need for Mod's, it isn't the right time since we are helping out family members. I am a bit sad, but hopefully the following year things will be smoother emotionally for everyone around the house. I have spoken with the seller and he actually wouldn't mind keeping the boat around now and ship it down to Florida where he vacations and will be returning the deposit when I see him this weekend, pretty cool guy.

On a lucky note, had a lot of interested people in my trolling motor but never got around to selling it. So I am ready to go in April for Walleye in Lake St. Clair and the rivers.

 

[Babin Farms]

Sorry for your loss.

Timing is everything and it sounds like you talked to the seller at the right time initially because you still have a chance in the future to make the purchase. Hopefully everything works out for you either way.