GPS with engine monitoring for Rotax

[Shane Scarab]

does anyone have any idea if you can install the NMEA 2000 devices on our scarab boats? The SIMRAD go7 xse is an awesome unit with touchscreen, GPS, sonar down scanning, stereo control, and it also claims to have engine monitoring through NMEA 2000 interfacing which many new boats/engine setups come with. There are many awesome devices that have this feature and I am wondering if anyone has tried it or knows anything about it? I am thinking our boats already have the connector for it and we may be able to just plug and play?

 

[Shane Scarab]

I've seen where folks use these systems on PWCs. Do you think the feature could be used on our scarab boats?

 

[Shane Scarab]

Thanks, Let me know if you come across an answer on the boats.

 

[Rick215HO]

does anyone have any idea if you can install the NMEA 2000 devices on our scarab boats? The SIMRAD go7 xse is an awesome unit with touchscreen, GPS, sonar down scanning, stereo control, and it also claims to have engine monitoring through NMEA 2000 interfacing which many new boats/engine setups come with. There are many awesome devices that have this feature and I am wondering if anyone has tried it or knows anything about it? I am thinking our boats already have the connector for it and we may be able to just plug and play?

The BRP Rotax jet boats do not have NMEA 2000 or N2K ports for the engine data built in as far as I can tell, but you can create one with an engine gateway. I use the Yacht Devices Engine Gateway http://www.yachtd.com/products/engine_gateway.html which reads data from your engine CAN and translates to NMEA 2000. I think it should work for all 4-tec engines (Seadoo PWCs, Seadoo jet boats, Scarab jet Boats, Vortex from Chaparral) . It plugs into the diagnostic tool port (CAN access port).

Some pictures of my setup attached. There is not much room on the helm so adding a fish finder or GPS takes away all the space and covers the gauges, hence the need to pull the engine data into the GPS to be able to see the engine data. In the future I'm hoping to "flush mount" the GPS into the helm, but that would require relocating the original gauges...

With the gateway I can pull into the Garmin: fuel level, fuel consumption (helpful to let the Garmin calculate ranges, MPG, etc), supercharger boost pressure, engine hours, voltages, RPMs, Engine Temps.

 

[Shane Scarab]

Wow! this is exactly the information I've been looking for. thank you very much for sharing. Here is how I mounted mine and I used a RAM mount but this will be an awesome addition to get the engine data to show up.

 

[Shane Scarab]

Can you share with me the model number of the parts you bought? I have a 2016 Scarab 255 with twin 200's.

 

[Rick215HO]

Can you share with me the model number of the parts you bought? I have a 2016 Scarab 255 with twin 200's.

No problem!

Ingredients:
1 Garmin NMEA 2000 Starter Kit (if you don't have already a n2k network in your boat.) https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-NMEA-...&sr=8-1&keywords=garmin+nmea+2000+starter+kit
It does not have to be Garmin brand, but this one is pretty complete/cheap.

You will need to find a power source for the NMEA 2000 network (for yellow cable in n2k starter kit), I'm sure you had to create a power supply for your GPS so you can use that, or... in my boat (215HO) there is an un-used / readily available switched 12V plug behind the helm which I used (it was just hanging there). To plug into it you need cut the plug / weld and seal wires, or create a connector for it. The male housing part of that connector can be found here. http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Keyword=649-54200204 - the male pins here https://www.delcity.net/store/GT-150-Terminals/p_810491.h_810495.t_1 (see sealers notes in web page), maybe you can buy both from the same website but I could not find it....

The magic part here is the Yacht Devices YDEG-04 Engine Gateway which will read data from the engines and generate the NMEA 2000 messages for the new network. I'm not aware of any other engine gateway out there that would work with Rotax plus their tech support was excellent. http://www.yachtd.com/products/engine_gateway.html

That is all you need, as long as your GPS has a NMEA 2000 port of course.

A little video of the installation...

 

[Shane Scarab]

Wow, awesome info, I will let you know how it goes!

 

[Rick215HO]

Wow, awesome info, I will let you know how it goes!

Great! pay attention to the pins/wiring orientation in the Deutsch connector to plug into the boat, my video should be helpful for that (look how my wires go into the connector). Just take the connector apart and rearrange wires if necessary, it is very simple. Rearrange the gateway connectors if you have to, not the boat connectors (could be needed for diagnostic in future). Good luck and post some pictures of the setup!

here is a guide on how to open Deutsch connectors just in case, it is the 2 pin version, but 6 pins is the same...

 

[Shane Scarab]

I will get some pictures of the process. I bought my Garmin at the beginning of the season and had given up on this. I will place some orders next week to get some parts coming. Thank you again.

 

[Rick215HO]

Added the Simrad IS35 as an engine monitor and course indicator and replaced the original gauges with the sonar/charplotter.
Still some cosmetic work needs to be done on the trim for next season but the hardware is done... Starting to look better...

Scarab 215HO

 

[ScarabMike]

That looks great! The only question I have is about the intelligent throttle options. Can you find the menus like Docking mode?

 

[Rick215HO]

That looks great! The only question I have is about the intelligent throttle options. Can you find the menus like Docking mode?

Thanks! - No, you can't display docking/cruise/etc options over NMEA 2000 - I don't find it necessary though. Hit Mode+Set = docking mode and 2x Mode+set equal cruise control, don't really need to see the display to use them.

 

[Jordan Woosley]

No problem!

Ingredients:
1 Garmin NMEA 2000 Starter Kit (if you don't have already a n2k network in your boat.) https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-NMEA-...&sr=8-1&keywords=garmin+nmea+2000+starter+kit
It does not have to be Garmin brand, but this one is pretty complete/cheap.

You will need to find a power source for the NMEA 2000 network (for yellow cable in n2k starter kit), I'm sure you had to create a power supply for your GPS so you can use that, or... in my boat (215HO) there is an un-used / readily available switched 12V plug behind the helm which I used (it was just hanging there). To plug into it you need cut the plug / weld and seal wires, or create a connector for it. The male housing part of that connector can be found here. http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Keyword=649-54200204 - the male pins here GT 150 Series Terminals - Male (see sealers notes in web page), maybe you can buy both from the same website but I could not find it....

The magic part here is the Yacht Devices YDEG-04 Engine Gateway which will read data from the engines and generate the NMEA 2000 messages for the new network. I'm not aware of any other engine gateway out there that would work with Rotax plus their tech support was excellent. Yacht Devices

That is all you need, as long as your GPS has a NMEA 2000 port of course.

A little video of the installation...

-I just bought a 255ID HO and came across this post. This is exactly what im wanting to do with my boat. If you were to do it again would you make any changes? Would you still buy the Garmin 7607 and IS35? @Rick215HO

 

[Rick215HO]

-I just bought a 255ID HO and came across this post. This is exactly what im wanting to do with my boat. If you were to do it again would you make any changes? Would you still buy the Garmin 7607 and IS35? @Rick215HO

I would still do it the same... I like the setup pretty good.
Send pictures when you are done!

 

[Jordan Woosley]

What did you do with your original gauges? Unplug them? Do you have any new pics? @Rick215HO

 

[Rick215HO]

you can remove the speedometer, but the main gauges should remain attached to their harness. I'll try to send a picture next time I go see the boat.

 

[Jordan Woosley]

you can remove the speedometer, but the main gauges should remain attached to their harness. I'll try to send a picture next time I go see the boat.

@Rick215HO where and how did you mount your transducer on your 255? Scarabs transom is oddly shaped.

 

[Rick215HO]

@Rick215HO where and how did you mount your transducer on your 255? Scarabs transom is oddly shaped.

 

[Jordan Woosley]

I would still do it the same... I like the setup pretty good.
Send pictures when you are done!

Coming along nicely! Might be a dumb question but does the 7607 have a built in gps antenna or do you have to get something extra?