Upstaging Paul's oddball question. Q? for tach and alternator aficionados

[Stu Jackson]

1.   (sorry - that's not a C34 issue, but the overall topic is relevant). I may tear it apart to fix, but figured a Hobbs meter is a good solution.

2.    I'd like one that's surface mount in the engine compartment and am having trouble finding that mounting configuration. The same situation presumably applies to C34s.

1. I've read about a detailed repair on www.sailboatowners.com.  The writer was eloquent and did a well documented presentation.  Months later he came back and said "Don't bother."

2.  The engine compartment seems to be a counter-intuitive place for it.  Wouldn't an easy place to see it be more appropriate?

[KWKloeber]

2.  The engine compartment seems to be a counter-intuitive place for it.  Wouldn't an easy place to see it be more appropriate?

Not necessarily.  How often do we "need" to know the engine hours?  For me, the times were when the engine cover is off anyway -- to change oil, perform maintenance, replacing a gizmo.  If there was room on a panel, sure, otherwise the engine compartment is fine/dandy.  It's not like something like a waste tank level where one would want to have visible gauge to monitor the status.

k

[Stu Jackson]

2.  The engine compartment seems to be a counter-intuitive place for it.  Wouldn't an easy place to see it be more appropriate?

Not necessarily.  How often do we "need" to know the engine hours?

I do, regularly.  I decided a loong time ago, even before you showed up here, that I wouldn't bother with a fuel gauge and would keep track of my engine hours to use as a fuel gauge.  It has served me very well, far superior to those questionable and non-linear gauges.

On our trip north from SF last summer, one harbor reputed to have fuel simply didn't!  I was easily able to calculate how far we could go and compare it to the distance to the next harbor with fuel.

It is also a good yardstick to assure that engine operation is within historical norms.

Your boat, your choice.  :)

[KWKloeber]

2.  The engine compartment seems to be a counter-intuitive place for it.  Wouldn't an easy place to see it be more appropriate?

Not necessarily.  How often do we "need" to know the engine hours?

I do, regularly.  I decided a loong time ago, even before you showed up here, that I wouldn't bother with a fuel gauge and would keep track of my engine hours to use as a fuel gauge.  It has served me very well, far superior to those questionable and non-linear gauges.

On our trip north from SF last summer, one harbor reputed to have fuel simply didn't!  I was easily able to calculate how far we could go and compare it to the distance to the next harbor with fuel.

It is also a good yardstick to assure that engine operation is within historical norms.

Your boat, your choice.  :)

Sure that makes a lot of sense, but then keep the Hm at the cockpit, in favor putting the fuel gauge below!!!

A wristwatch also works while motoring.

k

[Stu Jackson]

A wristwatch also works while motoring.

Yeah, but the sundial is a bear to keep calibrated...

[KWKloeber]

Ok, so on the new LCD Hour Meter/Tach combos, the HM is advanced via the tach signal, not just by being powered by 12v (this results in true "engine run" hours, instead of "tach powered-up" hours.)

An UPDATE on advancing the LCD hour meter on the new tachs....

YES, a simple AC to AC wall transformer WILL advance the HM (I copied the info from Faria below.)

BUT....  has anyone replaced a Teleflex tach w/ a Faria 4000 rpm tach and knows the correct alt/tach ratio setting (on an M-25 or XP, with the old standby 51a/55a motorola alternator.)  Or at least a starting point?

thx Ken


From: Jason Clark
Sent: Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:28 AM
To: Faria Beede Instruments, Inc.

Hello,
Set the tach on setting one.
50 - 60 Hz will read about 1000 RPM's . That's enough to get the hour meter to start counting.
Supply 12 volts power to the tach. Then apply the AC signal between ground and signal terminal on the tach.
Once the needle reads over 400 rpm or so the meter will start to count.
Min signal voltage is 2.0 VAC to 35 VAC max. The current is typically milliamps so I don't think signal draw will be an issue.