Maretron NMEA 2000 Fuel Monitor

[Wxx3]

Thanks, looks like I should invest in the Maretron USB100 gateway.

Then again, the NoLand RS11 unit I bought comes with a USB connection, too. I wonder if that will allow me to see "through" it to the N2K bus and the Maretron unit.

From reading their book, I think you want the IPG100 vice the USB100.
The former will give you the same computer connectivity, plus ethernet connectivity,

"with the IPG100 you can use any device running N2K view software to monitor and control your vessel from onboard or ashore"

Also, I just bought 64' of micro bulk cable from Defender for $1.00/ft.

Please let me know if I misunderstood the above, as I will be setting up a system also in the next three months.

 

[twistedtree]

I'm pretty sure that N2KAnalyze, which is the software you need to do configuration of devices, workes with the IPG100, but it's probably worth a call or note to Maretron to confirm. I've always run N2KAnalyze with the USB100, so I can only confirm that combination first-hand.

 

[cardude01]

My trawler has two 25 gallon "day" tanks that are filled by walbro pumps from the main or bulk tanks. When the tank gets low the switch turns on the pump, at about 10 gallons. I have a cycle counter that counts every time the pump comes on. Gallons per hour are easy to figure, and right on the money. MPG is what I look at mostly. So if I go 100 miles and the pump cycles 10 times I got 1 MPG. Also easy to figure, and ultimately reliable. I usually get better milage than that but you get the idea. I can also turn the pump on and circulate fuel endlessly, the overflow goes back to the bulk tanks. Or I can turn on the gear rotor pump and circulate any tank thru the bulk filter system. Or feed the engines from any tank (of 6) onboard. Both engines have there own fuel supply. The old saw that "a fuel problem will get both engines" does not apply. But I'm kinda paranoid about this stuff. Then again, you dont even want to know what I run for fuel. Detroits will burn anything if its clean.

That's a nice, simple sounding fuel monitoring system IMO. How does the cycle counter work exactly?

And what are you running as fuel? I do want to know.

 

[AKFish]

I do know that the N2K View is not free. Also, the USB device is specific to Maretron PGN proprietary fields. I haven't heard of using the IPG with the Analyzer software. But if you could, it might be a better interface for ability to move to View later, since the USB device is somewhat limited to Maretron stuff and does not give full access to all N2K PGNs. Just a thought.

I also looked at the installation doc for the flow sender unit. Item 10 says to "use DSM display, N2KAnalyzer or other Maretron display product capable of configuring the FFM100 to configure the connected channel. Be sure to program the FFM100 with the K-factor printed on the fuel flow sensor."

I do not think that I can set any parameters on the FFM with my Furuno MFD. It only picks off pgns from the bus to display.

 

[twistedtree]

Analyze and View are two very different programs. I don't think you can do any configuration of devices with View.

 

[AKFish]

It looks like the installation was a success. I programmed the FFM100 using the free N2KAnalyzer and the USB100 interface. I put in the k values and watched the data start pouring in. Not a surprise, but it showed up on my PC and the MFD just fine. I also used the DSM250 software to display flow and some calculated economy values.

I used to have flowscan on boats in the past. There is no further calibration for this other than initial setup. It will be nice to have this data again.

 

[Aquabelle]

Your two engines are identical and you will be running them at the same RPM. Why not just put the Maretron monitors on one engine and accept it will be accurate for both engines? Cut the cost in half....

 

[FF]

There is no further calibration for this other than initial setup.

How dies it refine , make accurate, the unit from the initial guesstimates as it learns your actual fuel burn?

 

[AKFish]

It looks like its a positive displacement meter. Its like a gear pump. There is also internal temp, and that is the k factor. Somehow, with the temp known the proper volume can be measured for each revolution. That's how I understand it. Much better than the other methods I have used before.

 

[millennium]

That's right no calibration with the Maretron components, just entering each flow transducer's K adjustment factor. Much easier then Floscan.

I just finished the install on my twin engine boat. Works great. Two FFMs and four flow transducers. Two of the small Maretron displays. Also GPS to figure MPG.

 

[Spottsville]

We too have just installed a Maretron N2K system on four flat screens. We are monitoring weather, GPS, depth, AC/DC, tankage, raw water flow, EGT, engine data, AIS, fuel filter vacuum, bilge water level, engine room temperature, vessel attitude, etc. We chose not to monitor fuel flow because we have heard the fuel flow monitors have an accuracy issue with low GPH engines like our Yanmar 4JH3-TEs. We instead chose to monitor fuel filter vacuum to be forewarned of fuel filters becoming clogged.

The only real hangup we have had is getting the engine oil pressure monitor to read accurately (it is showing 80 lbs at 2800 RPM 40lbs at idle). And finding the appropriate sender for exhaust gas temperature (we want to measure exhaust hose temperature on the outside of the hose rubber hose so the sender is not exposed to the exhaust gas stream).

Has anyone experienced this and found a fix for the oil pressure gauge or EGT temp sender?


Norm Miller
Quiet Company
Great Harbour GH47

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

 

[millennium]

Spottsville:

There was no issue with measuring fuel flow on my Yanmar 4LHAs.

At idle the in fuel is about 8 gph, out about 7.5. Net fuel burn .5 gph.

 

[Spottsville]

Thanks, may add fuel flow too!

 

[AKFish]

My Yanmar 3GM30 was showing a low of 0.1- 0.2 gph fuel burn before the raw water impeller let go during a test run. I don't think it reads much lower than that. The senders were rated at 0.5 -26 gph. Should handle a 4 cyl engine just fine.

 

[SteveD]

Two engines one unit?

I have two Flowscans on a twin engine boat now, and they drive me crazy because they never agree with each other. I would prefer, on another boat, just to install a Maretron unit on one engine and multiply the net flow by two. Does anyone know whether the Maretron software and/or calibration procedure will allow me to do this?

 

[FF]

and they drive me crazy because they never agree with each other.

WHY would you think they should?

 

[mbevins]

I have two Flowscans on a twin engine boat now, and they drive me crazy because they never agree with each other. I would prefer, on another boat, just to install a Maretron unit on one engine and multiply the net flow by two. Does anyone know whether the Maretron software and/or calibration procedure will allow me to do this?

Seems to me that they are doing their job and providing you information about the condition of the engines.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Trawler

 

[SteveD]

One of them has to be wrong!

Since I installed the Floscan's several years ago, they have never read consistently. I am not talking about 5-10%, which I could live with. I am talking 50-100%. Sometimes the port engine is higher, sometimes the starboard. Small amounts of air, not enough to cause grief to the engines, will make them go haywire.

The major purpose of these things is to keep the throttle back where it belongs. For that, one is sufficient. Two is merely a distraction. In fact, if I had it to do all over again, I would probably post the engine fuel consumption chart right next to the throttles and be done with it.

So, they really don't tell you the "condition of the engines." They tell you the condition of the Floscans and the position of the throttle.

It is a nice luxury to have a realtime picture of gallons per mile, but for that one measurement instrument times two seems sufficient for me.

 

[FF]

Small amounts of air, not enough to cause grief to the engines, will make them go haywire.

Fix the boat.

 

[BeagleBoy]

Recently, my Maretron system indicated I was burning 50% more fuel on the starboard engine. Really odd when both engines were doing the same RPM's. Immediately thought fuel was spewing into the bilge. Couldn't find a leak anywhere and no smoke.
Short story - Turns out that my starboard tacho was failing/losing calibration and it was 200RPM's out from the port engine.
Having 1 is cheaper up front, but having 2 means knowing exactly what is going on with both engines and keeping fuel burn under control.

 

[BDofMSP]

verification

"Sometimes the port engine is higher, sometimes the starboard"

So how do you decide which one to keep? They both are telling you the same inconsistent story. Which I think tells you something else.

 

[Spottsville]

Recently, my Maretron system indicated I was burning 50% more fuel on the starboard engine. Really odd when both engines were doing the same RPM's. Immediately thought fuel was spewing into the bilge. Couldn't find a leak anywhere and no smoke.
Short story - Turns out that my starboard tacho was failing/losing calibration and it was 200RPM's out from the port engine.
Having 1 is cheaper up front, but having 2 means knowing exactly what is going on with both engines and keeping fuel burn under control.

So what was the fix to bring the tach back to normal?




Norm Miller
Quiet Company
Great Harbour GH47

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

 

[BeagleBoy]

So what was the fix to bring the tach back to normal?




Norm Miller
Quiet Company
Great Harbour GH47

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

We confirmed the problem by using a laser tach. Then by setting both engines at the same RPM's with the laser tach whilst underway, we saw that the fuel burn was very similar for both engines across the rev range.
200rpm's does not seem much to a noob like me but on our CAT3208AT's it makes a huge difference to the fuel burn in certain conditions. 1 motor at hull speed - the other trying to push it over the hump.
My point in this waffle is that the fuel flow monitoring does tell you the fuel burn on both motors - but this information also lets you know of any other issues that may be present - ie inaccurate tach in my case.
If people only install 1 monitoring unit they may still unknowingly burn many $$$$ of excess diesel on the unmonitored engine if they had a similar fault to mine. Assuming they manually check their tank levels at the end of each day they will not know they have a problem until they reach their anchorage.