Outboard hour meter

[Hondaboi]

Hello guys,

Just bought my first boat. It's a 1987 sunray cavalier 15.5' with a 1984 Evinrude 70hp triple cylinder.

I am looking to install a hour meter to keep track of my hours on the boat. I would like to do a digital dash mount so I can monitor my RPMs while running. Looking for input on meters that have a long induction wire to run from the engine to the dash. And ones that have worked well for you guys.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[tpenfield]

You will probably have to add some wire to the RPM sensor, but here is a Searon SRT-18R (IP 68 'water resistant') tach/hour meter. I installed a similar unit on my snowblower, and the same sort of thing should work on an outboard engine. You will have to adjust the settings for 2-cycle engine, etc.

http://www.searon-tech.com/product_view.asp?id=80

 

[Hondaboi]

Where would I be able to buy induction wire for this? I have been scowering the internet with no luck.

 

[tpenfield]

Wire is wire . . . any small gauge wire should do.

 

[GA_Boater]

Tiny Tach and other brands let you choose a length other than their standard which is 10' I think.

The wire is shielded, think coax, except for the part wrapped around the plug wire. Using the wrong type of wire to extend the lead will give flaky readings.

 

[tpenfield]

The Searon unit that I have on my snow blower just has a simple wire (24 GA) for the ignition sensing 9not shielded). Granted it is only about 3 feet of distance from the engine to the handle bars. A boat installation may benefit from a shielded length of cable to avoid interference with other electronics, but any thin wire should work.

 

[Silvertip]

There are a bunch of after market hour meters that do not need a connection to the engine. They are very simple electric clock mechanisms calibrated for continuous hour readings. They require only +12 volts, ground, and a connection for the internal light if it has one. Power is obtained from the "A" terminal of the ignition switch on outboards and the RUN position for I/O and inboards.. As long as the key is on the hour meter runs and they can be used on either outboards or I/O's and inboards. You eliminate long runs of wire back to the engine.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Most boat hour meters run on the 12 volt ignition. Hence the reason they add hours if you leave the key on

 

[Hondaboi]

Most boat hour meters run on the 12 volt ignition. Hence the reason they add hours if you leave the key on

are these the aftermarket ones? The ones I am interested in use a induction wire that goes around the plug boot a couple times. I have seen ones that use a 12V connection but those have only been to run the back light.

I may just get a cheap tiny tach and place it inside the motor cowling. I haven't found a good option to run the tech to the dash to read while 'm driving.

I was mostly interested in the RPM portion of it since I do not have a tach on my boat dash. thought the hour meter would give me the best of both worlds

 

[Scott Danforth]

the units like tiny tach, etc. are self-energizing and work ok until they dont. I am refering to the standard hour meter found in many boats or the totalizing hour meter/tach found in many boats