Oh, one more question. Any reason I can't just pop out my speedo (2006 260DA) and put the Mercmonitor in it's place? I assume the speedo has all the correct wiring behind it to hook up a Smartcraft gauge? Is it really as simple as "plug and pray"?

 

The physical installation is very simple. As for the electrical connection, you have to make sure you buy the right harness. When I installed mine, the connector on the speedo was different than the one on the MercM. You remove the speedo and its harness back to the SmartCraft hub, then plug-in the new MercM harness. If you have an air temp sensor (or any other things that input specifically to the speedo), make sure to get the harness with the appropriate inputs.

 

How do I figure out what harness to buy? Seems that they are all just L1/L2/SmartTow, etc? Or do I just get the harness separate from everything else?

Here's a picture of the speedo that I want to replace:

http://www.searay-parts.com/Sea-Ray-Mercury-Smartcraft-gauge-p/smartcraft srlinkspeedo.htm

Any comments on the difference between the levels, is that only for the N2K information, or does a L2 gauge have more features than a L1 (internal to the gauge itself, not N2K).

 

I installed a L2 in my speedometer space. I had to attach it to the SmartCraft hub. The biggest issue I had was getting an extension to complete the daisy chain of gages since I removed one in the chain.
I bought the Gage from a member that works for a Sea Ray dealership on the board, and they were extremely helpful and worked with me through the whole thing.

 

...I had to attach it to the SmartCraft hub...The biggest issue I had was getting an extension to complete the daisy chain of gages since I removed one in the chain.

Did your boat already have a hub, or did you add one? The schematics for the single-engine boats with SmartCraft don't show a hub.

Regarding the daisy chain problem, did the harness that came with your MercM not have a system link port on it? It would have been possible to start a second chain at the MercM if it did. This is where getting the appropriate harness is important.

 

Oh yeah, and the "easy" question still out there.. Does the L1 vs L2 of the Mercmonitor change anything on the gauge, or ONLY on the NEMA output?

 

I wanted to keep all the gauges on one chain. Could have done two but wanted to leave on one chain for simplicity.
I did have a hub already mounted and it looks like the one you are referring to. There are no changes to the gauges just the NEMA input and output. Time and Location are shared with SmartCraft if you interface with your GPS. Makes the instruments complete. The best part is that I can have custom alarms for engine issues come across and display on my GPS monitor.
I have DTS. I do not know if that make s a difference

 

Here are some more pictures for you from Mercury parts express (worth 1000s of words, right?):

This should be similar to your current tach harness. It has 10-pin female ends and also a smaller system link connector (this is what your speedo plugs into now). This is either plugged directly into a 10-pin CAN plug on your DTS command harness, or to a junction box. As Henry pointed out, it will already be properly terminated either with a termination resistor in one of the ports of the junctrion box, or one that is integral to the CAN extension on the DTS harness.

This is a termination resistor that plugs into an empty port on the junction box if the CAN data harness does not have an integral one.

This is a weather cap that you would use to cap unused ports on a junction box. If you have a four-port junction box you will need one of these if you don't need a termination resistor, or none if you do need a termination resistor (Port 1: CAN harness, Port 2: system tach, Port 3: MercMonitor, Port 4: termination resistor or weather cap)

This is a female-to-female gender-bender adapter. You may need one of these if the end of the CAN data harness is male (seems unlikely) in order to plug it into the junction box, which is also male.

This is a male-to-male gender-bender adapter. If your system tach plugs directly into the CAN data harness (no junction box), there may alread be one of these being used to plug the female tach harness into a female CAN data harness. You would remove this and put the junction box in between instead.

You need to get under there and see what is already there. Again, watch out to get all the right part numbers. There are sometimes multiple versions of what appear to be the same thing.

Hopefully this is helpful,
Brian

 

Ok, here's the wiring diagram on my boat:

http://www.searay.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/Company1729/1C1_23_74DEJAKXM8I.pdf

Page 106 shows the SC layout. Looks like the wire comes in from the engine to the tach (system gauge) and then over to the 4 in 1 and then finally to the Speedo. Appears that the terminators are on the cable (part number 879982B25, 2 terminator resistors). So, it appears that I need to pull the the cable that's on the system gauge (the tach) and run it into the "splitter". Then, from the splitter to the system link gauge and then to the MercMonitor.

Here's a link to the cable that I have:

http://www.ishopmarine.com/ebook/025/005/79

So, it seems that I need the JBox without termination? This part number: 878492K14.

Any other problems anyone sees? This looks pretty straight forward.

 

So, it appears that I need to pull the the cable that's on the system gauge (the tach) and run it into the "splitter". Then, from the splitter to the system link gauge and then to the MercMonitor.

Sort of. Yes, you unplug the system tach and plug it into a junction box. No to the rest.

Here's maybe how it goes (I say maybe, because you may find what is actually in your boat does not match what is in your documentation):
- Unplug and remove the speedo system link gauge. If installed per the schematic, it is at the end of the the system link chain. If not, swap its position in the chain with the 4-in-1. Cap the remaining system link plug; there should be a cap on the speedo you removed that can be used.
- Mount the MercMonitor where the speedo was.
- Mount the junction box (what you call the "splitter", I think) in a relatively convenient location. Make sure it's not in a location where wires will interfere with the sliding cabin door.
- Unplug the harness from the back of the system tach and plug it into the junction box. Do not unplug the 4-in-1 gauge. The system link lead may not be long enough to reach once you move the connector from the tach to the j-box. Not a big deal if not, just unplug the 4-in-1 and move to the next step.
- Using a new system tach harness that you will have bought, plug one end into the tach and the other into the j-box. This harness will also have a system link lead. If you had to unplug the 4-in-1 in the previous step, use this system link lead to plug it back in. The system link lead on this new harness should have shipped with a weather cap on it. If you use this lead, reuse the cap on the original system link plug that you unplugged.
- Using a new MercMonitor harness that you will have bought, plug the appropriate ends into the MercM and the j-box (if I remember well the ends are different, and you can't get it wrong). This harness may also have a system link plug. It may also have an air temperature probe connection. It may also have the air temperature probe that you can install if you don't already have one. The part numbers of these harnesses are a bit of a mystery.
- Put a weather cap that either came with your j-box, or that you bought separately, on the last open port on the j-box.
- Read the manual that came with the MercMonitor. You will likely reread it a couple more times.

In theory, this is it...unless I missed something.

So, it seems that I need the JBox without termination? This part number: 878492K14.

Any other problems anyone sees? This looks pretty straight forward.

It looks like that is the right j-box, but I don't know what the difference is between the 878492B14, 878492T14, and 878492K14, other than the K has the weather caps. What is the difference between the B and the T? Is the K a B + weather caps or a T + weather caps. All the harnesses seem to have a B and T version. I would love to be educated as to the difference. The T versions are always a little more expensive. I see your existing harness is a B. Here is a possible bill of materials:

- 1 x MercMonitor L1: Call Mercury for the latest part number...these have been superceded frequently.
- 1 x MercMonitor harness: Mystery -> get this from Mercury too, including the different variations.
- 1 x System tach harness: 879979T11
- 1 x 4-port junction box: 878492B14
- 1 x SmartCraft weather cap: 859318B2

You are correct this is pretty straight forward if (IFF) you get all the right parts. The only other curve ball would be not finding what you expect when you take a look at the actual wiring.

 

Just wanted to update, got the following communication from Merc this morning:

"[FONT=&quot]79-8M0055120 comes with the MercMonitor Harness. This harness would attach to the back of the MercMonitor on one end and then to a junction box at the other end. Please see attached document for more detail."

Sounds like the above part number includes the harness. I'd still need the Jbox to tach connector, but, sounds like the kit has everything I need to come from the junction box out to the MM.
[/FONT]

 

I'd still need the Jbox to tach connector, but, sounds like the kit has everything I need to come from the junction box out to the MM.

Great, so it looks like this is what you would need then:

- 1 x MercMonitor L1 w/ harness: 79-8M0055120
- 1 x System tach harness: 879979T11
- 1 x 4-port junction box: 878492T14
- 1 x SmartCraft weather cap: 859318T2

Buying the j-box with no caps (T version) and one cap seems to be less expensive than buying the K version which is the j-box with two caps (makes sense, I guess!).

Note if you don't have an air temp sensor and want to add one, you may be able to get a harness for the MM that includes it. If you already have one, it should plug in as before.

Double-check that you don't have a j-box already before ordering. It sounds like 66pony's boat has one even though I don't think the schematics show it.

 

After all these hard technical questions, this should be an easy one..

Where should I go to order all these parts? VeradoClub has the monitor, but not some of the cables. I'd like to get it all at once at a good price from a reputable dealer, any suggestions are welcome!

 

LOL, looks like the hard questions are the easy ones.

I've tried VeradoParts, but can't get them to respond to my e-mails. Any good suggestions where to buy all this stuff?

 

Waiting on the "new" L1 MM to come back in stock. It was supposed to be in this week, but now it's pushed out until almost the end of the month. I suppose they are updating the firmware again, hopefully adding some new features in that will add some additional value.

Looking forward to getting the device, I'll report back on my results (and some pics of the install) as soon as I get it completed.