Engine hours problem resolved

[mariadz]

I noticed earlier in the season that our engine hours weren’t rising as they should on the meter but not wanting to delay any opportunity for sailing left it. I was able to diagnose it as an issue with the meter itself and have now addressed it. A simple job but really useful if you want an accurate view of engine hours without pawing over the logbook.

https://mariadz.com/2018/08/03/engine-hours-and-fuel-consumption/

 

[PaulRainbow]

Why not post the information here, rather than keep dragging people to your blog ?

 

[VicS]

Why not post the information here, rather than keep dragging people to your blog ?

Just what I was thinking having read the blog only to discover that all he did was replace it with a similar new one!

 

[mariadz]

Sorry guys. I find the formatting etc a lot easier and better with the blog as well as the ability to add pictures. So I summarise here and then add more detail in the blog for anyone interested.

As someone who was traditionally not very practicable, I still blog about the “easy” stuff because I suspect there are people out there like me that when something breaks have no idea how to fix it. In those situations I am trying to show how easy it is to do some initial investigation yourself and then fix the problem cheaply rather than getting someone in.

I recognise that for experts like yourselves this may be uninteresting or an extra keystroke/mouse click but suspect that the readers of this forum range from expert to beginner.

Hopefully that explains why I post these and also why they are done like this.

 

[langstonelayabout]

Sorry guys. I find the formatting etc a lot easier and better with the blog as well as the ability to add pictures. So I summarise here and then add more detail in the blog for anyone interested.

As someone who was traditionally not very practicable, I still blog about the “easy” stuff because I suspect there are people out there like me that when something breaks have no idea how to fix it. In those situations I am trying to show how easy it is to do some initial investigation yourself and then fix the problem cheaply rather than getting someone in.

I recognise that for experts like yourselves this may be uninteresting or an extra keystroke/mouse click but suspect that the readers of this forum range from expert to beginner.

Hopefully that explains why I post these and also why they are done like this.

I find blogs usually about as interesting as an American talking to a camera on YouTube. They get ignored after about the first 10 seconds.

I'm with the rest on this: Copy and paste it here please. Thank You.

 

[mariadz]

I also link go the blog if an older question is asked on wifi, solar etc. Copying these answers in each time would be repetitive and I think worse.

The constraints of the medium also causes issues when I am trying to share photos from the East Coast - we are out most weekends and I photograph nearly every boat that has a sail up. By linking to the blog people can find action pictures of their boat if they want. There are often 100+ photos over a weekend.

I would like to understand whether this is a majority view or a vocal minority. So if there are a total of ten replies on this thread telling me not to link, or a PM from an admin, then I will accept that and stop posting in this way.

Does that sound fair? Obviously if there is support for this I would hope these would reply too.

 

[sailorman]

Why not post the information here, rather than keep dragging people to your blog ?

Its a "Look @ me & what i have done" all very sad

 

[Richard10002]

I think you should post in a way that suits you, given that you have received the feedback. When you first started posting info I clicked on the link. Nowadays I generally don’t bother.

I’m the same where people post a link to a web page with little info on what it’s about. 9 times out of 10 I feel it was a waste of my time, so I Ann very selective when clicking on links these days. If I miss something interesting or useful, it won’t be much.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I too had an interesting problem.
Hair was growing uncontrolled on my face.
I solved that problem.,,

 

[PaulRainbow]

Sorry guys. I find the formatting etc a lot easier and better with the blog as well as the ability to add pictures. So I summarise here and then add more detail in the blog for anyone interested.

Personally, i don't click on your links. That's not me being rude, but i just don't have an interest in anyones blog. If you made a post here saying how you fixed something i'd most likely read it.

If we all posted links to websites and blogs, rather than typing here, the place would just be pages of links. In a few months when external websites and blogs have come and gone, or page addresses have been changed, the forum would make no sense. On the other hand, you will find threads on here a decade or more old, intact and readable, which is a valuable resource for those Googling an answer to a problem.

As for pics, it's great that you take loads of pictures, but you post them in isolation. IMO, better to post them to somewhere like https://yourboatpix.co.uk/ When they are on your blog people would have to trawl through random blog pages in the hope that they might see a pic of their boat (not likely to happen often), the dedicated site at yourtboatpix makes that much simpler. You can put a link to your blog with any pics you post, so i think you'd get more people seeing your pics of their boats, leading to more visits to your blog.

 

[West Coast]

Sorry guys, find all this negativity a bit harsh! If it’s not for you, and you don’t want to go the blog- fair enough but the criticism is a bit OTT.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Sorry guys, find all this negativity a bit harsh! If it’s not for you, and you don’t want to go the blog- fair enough but the criticism is a bit OTT.

Well, now you are (or should be) aware of our opinions.

It's your call.

 

[mariadz]

Hello puff,

I think you meant that at me rather than West Coast.

Anyway, the interesting thing about your joke about facial hair is that we were all that young once and maybe having someone explain how to shave would have helped. Similarly, I’m sure there are people with a broken meter, who would get an electrician in to fix it, at a cost of £100+ when they could do it themselves for £7.63 (ish). Actually the point of the simple blogs is to explain that sometimes the problems aren’t difficult and to give it a go.

I thought I was trying to hit the middle ground by summarising the blog in my post and then link for more information. I don’t think it is rude at all not to go to the blog.

Finally, someone earlier today bemoaned the quality of the searching for finding stuff. With the range of things we have had to do to Mariadz, I am hoping it may be a good source of information for people, admittedly not some of the incredibly knowledgeable people on this forum.

 

[Cantata]

I'm afraid I'm with the dissenters. Why anyone would want to spend the time you must spend writing that stuff (yes I have looked at it, once) is totally beyond me because I simply don't want to read it - I don't know about anyone else.
If you have some useful fixes to explain, I'd like to read it on the forum.

 

[LadyInBed]

I used a Lascar EMC 1500 5 Digit Elapsed Time Meter
It gives total hours run and a re-settable timer that I zero when I fill up with fuel.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I thought I was trying to hit the middle ground by summarising the blog in my post and then link for more information.

You said you had an issue with the meter and that you had fixed it. Anyone wanting to know how then had to go to your blog and read the 594 word explanation. Seems a bit like an arm twist and like i said before, if you move your blog or delete it or change the page address in any way, it will come up as a 404 error on the forum and the thread will be pointless. Post #15 covers it in 15 words !

Some people do like to read blogs, the link in your sig will tell them where yours is.

 

[Sandy]

Why not post the information here, rather than keep dragging people to your blog ?

To encourage people to visit the blog? Suggests cynical engineer.

 

[Sandy]

To the OP

Please post stuff on here, cut and paste will be fine, ref the blog if your reader wants pictures.

I've never used an engine hour counter, but record hours in the log. In a year I do less than 100 hours. Which is tiny compared to the car I drive. All the log does is indicate time for oil changes (I'm pretty pedantic about that). We best not start the WOBBLE thread again.

A general question and not directed at the OP. Just wondering what additional information keeping a log of the exact number of minutes would give?

 

[LadyInBed]

A general question and not directed at the OP. Just wondering what additional information keeping a log of the exact number of minutes would give?

Forget the mins bit, like you, I use the hours reading to record hours between oil / fuel filter changes and as said in #15 zero the other timer when I fill up with fuel, to give me a fairly meaningless indication of ltrs per hour!
But it does, over time give me an indication of the boats range on engine.

 

[Cantata]

I do record the engine hours each trip plus a running total since the last fill-up.
I'm pedantic about filter changes too although I've rarely exceeded 100 hours in a season.
Running total prompts me to fill up and gives me a good idea of how many litres needed, because the other output from the numbers is a good idea of average consumption - I'm always worried about the tank reaching 'full' but the pump not cutting off in time to prevent fuel spillage (which would be on the cockpit sole). Knowing the hours means I know pretty much is needed to fill up.
Might all be a bit anorakish but I reckon it is all part of keeping an eye on things, e.g. if the consumption suddenly shoots up then I will wonder why.