BruceK
Well-Known Member
I have been suitably chastised 
Bennett trim tab position indicators or custom external cable + potentiometer?
- Thread starter vas
- Start date
MapisM
Well-Known Member
LOL, that wasn't the idea. They might actually be Bennett stuff eventually, for all I know... 
Though I'd be happier to have anything built by Aeromarine/Kiekhaefer instead, if given the choice! :encouragement:
Though I'd be happier to have anything built by Aeromarine/Kiekhaefer instead, if given the choice! :encouragement:
vas
Well-Known Member
closing thread...
got a v.cheap set of sensors plus the N2K box with them for 150usd delivered (with tax...) so ordered them. Will probably fit in parallel to the other rams so I have two on each side. Flaps are 600X200mm give or take.
Will be fun getting decent tees at that size and securing the lot in place with no oil leaks.
cheers
V.
got a v.cheap set of sensors plus the N2K box with them for 150usd delivered (with tax...) so ordered them. Will probably fit in parallel to the other rams so I have two on each side. Flaps are 600X200mm give or take.
Will be fun getting decent tees at that size and securing the lot in place with no oil leaks.
cheers
V.
vas
Well-Known Member
re-opening thread 
decided to test fit (boat still in the water) the bennett sensors/NMEA2000 thing on the boat N2K bus and see how it works.
well, that was fun, NOT!
bl00dy Bennett N2K kit (the N2K bit is Lowrance apparently!) doesn't work with Garmin, nor with Maretron :disgust:
It's amazing, before buying anything one should do a google search, OK I do that on many things, but not on a NMEA2000 certified device (coming to think, it may only write NMEA2000 on it and not have the N2K certified logo on it, will have to check again)
So now looks like I'm stuck with two senders (which are analogue devices) that I'll fit this month when I the boat is on the hard and a non-functioning N2K converter.
John, what controller do you have now on Match? From my reading, it seems that Garmin is not playing nice (2nd time I experience that) and is using custom sentences for something that normal PGN exists.
So maybe the Maretron is fine, but wont show on the Garmins but only on the DSM250? Do you remember something like that mentioned by the guy installing it?
and if so, you probably have the Garmin Bennett adapter (converting the analogue signal to N2K)
I'll try formulating according to the specs a PGN and see what works with it.
cheers
V.
decided to test fit (boat still in the water) the bennett sensors/NMEA2000 thing on the boat N2K bus and see how it works.
well, that was fun, NOT!
bl00dy Bennett N2K kit (the N2K bit is Lowrance apparently!) doesn't work with Garmin, nor with Maretron :disgust:
It's amazing, before buying anything one should do a google search, OK I do that on many things, but not on a NMEA2000 certified device (coming to think, it may only write NMEA2000 on it and not have the N2K certified logo on it, will have to check again)
So now looks like I'm stuck with two senders (which are analogue devices) that I'll fit this month when I the boat is on the hard and a non-functioning N2K converter.
John, what controller do you have now on Match? From my reading, it seems that Garmin is not playing nice (2nd time I experience that) and is using custom sentences for something that normal PGN exists.
So maybe the Maretron is fine, but wont show on the Garmins but only on the DSM250? Do you remember something like that mentioned by the guy installing it?
and if so, you probably have the Garmin Bennett adapter (converting the analogue signal to N2K)
I'll try formulating according to the specs a PGN and see what works with it.
cheers
V.
jfm
Well-Known Member
I don't fully remember Vas - all I really remember is that it didn't work!
Boat was built with bennett's best hydraulics, SST, 4 rams, with the middle LED controller on this page, 2 station https://bennetttrimtabs.com/product/premier-line-xpt-bxt-sst-trim-tab-systems/
All that has been perfect. Worked perfectly 6 years with zero maintinence. I love it. No hydraulic failures despite 6 years underwater.
Then I added (or rather a guy did it for me - I was too busy) the Garmin thing https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/35609
This didn't work so I gave up and removed it.
This page makes reference to similar problems with the bennett device so maybe I did the right thing giving up. https://www.panbo.com/bennett-nmea-2000-trim-tab-indicator-cheaper-better/ Or maybe my guy installed it wrong and I need to try again. Dunno, and not high on priorities list becuase I have LED indication anyway
Do you want me to mail you the Garmin GBT10 (if I can find it!) and you see if you can make it work?
Boat was built with bennett's best hydraulics, SST, 4 rams, with the middle LED controller on this page, 2 station https://bennetttrimtabs.com/product/premier-line-xpt-bxt-sst-trim-tab-systems/
All that has been perfect. Worked perfectly 6 years with zero maintinence. I love it. No hydraulic failures despite 6 years underwater.
Then I added (or rather a guy did it for me - I was too busy) the Garmin thing https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/35609
This didn't work so I gave up and removed it.
This page makes reference to similar problems with the bennett device so maybe I did the right thing giving up. https://www.panbo.com/bennett-nmea-2000-trim-tab-indicator-cheaper-better/ Or maybe my guy installed it wrong and I need to try again. Dunno, and not high on priorities list becuase I have LED indication anyway
Do you want me to mail you the Garmin GBT10 (if I can find it!) and you see if you can make it work?
vas
Well-Known Member
right, so you did use the garmin one, odd, it should work.
The Lowrance one is a joke, luckily wasn't v.expensive...
See if you find it first
but I'm planning to just wire the two sensors on one of my custom boxes and be done with...Still sorting incompatibilities between NoLand Engineering RS11, Maretron DSM250 and my custom boxes, so pretty busy atm
cheers
V.
jfm
Well-Known Member
Yep it should work because garmin-to-garmin. I'll try again. If I can find it! Also I think after installing it I need to do a garmin software update - that irons out lots of problems.
Incidentally I have a very senior Garmin Kansas gentlemen on boat for Monaco GP weekend, so feel free to give me a list of Q's to ask him
Incidentally I have a very senior Garmin Kansas gentlemen on boat for Monaco GP weekend, so feel free to give me a list of Q's to ask him
vas
Well-Known Member
another thread revival!
well, after a couple of days work (but MANY hours of work ) managed to get bennett's trim tab indicators to "talk" NMEA2K and communicate with my Garmin kit!
For some odd reason, Maretron is not impressed and doesn't work, but will sort that out, np.
Learnt a lot about coils/cores, charging them and them resonating and measuring the frequency of the resonation which is then converted in percentage of travel of the steel core inside it. Very convoluted and slightly perverse approach to measuring travel, but it's accurate and it works, not complaining.
Definitely the most difficult programming bit I've done (being a non-programmer that is!)
Problem is that I started wrong, measuring 4V DC on the cables going to the two sensor coils which made no sense as a measuring method. Eventually turned the meter to AC and spotted 8V AC also there and worked on that although I only sent 3.3V on my setup, hey it works!
Decided to have steps every 5% so that it wont annoy the hell out the person on the helm to have pop-ups showing minute variations of tab...
I'm waiting for the PCBs I designed and had them printed in China and a package of bits from farnell to finalise the code/hw for it and test it on the full network on the boat.
John, still better than your 10leds I recon, plan to sent you one such box together with the two DSM250 backs I owe you!
and a small vid of the thing working:
cheers
V.
well, after a couple of days work (but MANY hours of work
) managed to get bennett's trim tab indicators to "talk" NMEA2K and communicate with my Garmin kit!For some odd reason, Maretron is not impressed and doesn't work, but will sort that out, np.
Learnt a lot about coils/cores, charging them and them resonating and measuring the frequency of the resonation which is then converted in percentage of travel of the steel core inside it. Very convoluted and slightly perverse approach to measuring travel, but it's accurate and it works, not complaining.
Definitely the most difficult programming bit I've done (being a non-programmer that is!)
Problem is that I started wrong, measuring 4V DC on the cables going to the two sensor coils which made no sense as a measuring method. Eventually turned the meter to AC and spotted 8V AC also there and worked on that although I only sent 3.3V on my setup, hey it works!
Decided to have steps every 5% so that it wont annoy the hell out the person on the helm to have pop-ups showing minute variations of tab...
I'm waiting for the PCBs I designed and had them printed in China and a package of bits from farnell to finalise the code/hw for it and test it on the full network on the boat.
John, still better than your 10leds I recon, plan to sent you one such box together with the two DSM250 backs I owe you!
and a small vid of the thing working:
cheers
V.
Mr Googler
Well-Known Member
That is awesome vas! The forum guru does it again 