Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Specifications translated
Design Requirement Specifications for
Marine Electronics Installations
1.0 Scope: This specification applies to all recreational and commercial vessels 20' or longer capable of navigating offshore. If the vessel does not meet these requirements it shall be clearly labeled on a visible plate that it is "not capable of being fully equipped for safe use offshore." Offshore means any body of water where a vessel can be out of view of land.
This means that if you can't easily put a full suite of gear needed to safely navigate offshore on a boat quit deluding buyers that your product is suitable for big water, even if it looks like it can float on it, for a while at any rate.
1.1 These specifications cover the minimum infrastructure and design requirements for installation of standard aftermarket customer purchased equipment and access for maintenance of builder installed vessel systems.
Ahem, the key word above is minimum. I know it's asking a lot. This isn't almost, we forgot, gosh we don't actually use our boats, who'da thunk, it's the dealer's and owner's problem, or you just need some duct tape and some tie wraps.
2.0 Aftermarket customer supplied equipment definition: Designed in capability to support installation of aftermarket equipment shall consist as a minimum the following systems. One Multi-Function Display (hereafter referred to as a MFD), two 8' marine radio antennas, one GPS antenna, one marine weather/audio antenna, one radar unit, one spotlight, one autopilot system including a specified location for its electronic compass, and hydraulic pumps system, one sonar black box, and associated transducers, satellite TV antenna, hailer, electric/air horn, night vision system one electric anchor winch.
Okay, I can live without the anchor winch, but if it takes a battle royale to get the rest of these basics installed on your boat you need to rethink your product designs. These are commonly installed marine electronics. Where is the autopilot compass going to go? Is there room for a hydraulic AP pump? Sure you installed a plate to mount a radar on, but left no way to get the cabling to the MFD.
2.1 Builder supplied equipment definition: This is all steering systems, breaker panels and switches, relay switching systems, fuse panels, power and ground blocks.
What, you mean you don't install aftermarket equipment auxiliary equipment power, ground, and fuse blocks? You should! BTW if you can't figure out the amp loading for the potential gear, give a call and I'll help you. I'm pretty sure that 16 gauge wire you would use to feed the fuse block won't do the trick, for long at any rate. What's that burning smell Bubba? You know now that I've thought about it I have never seen a builder include a label on a fuse block stating the maximum amperage load it's capable of.
3.0 Vessel wiring: All wiring installed shall be in full compliance with ABYC standards and wiring diagrams are to be included with the owners vessel documentation. Documentation shall include diagrams showing where primary wiring related components are located.
You're telling me you don't have a wiring diagram or schematic for your boat? Someone must have made one even if it was hand drawn on a napkin in the bar. Or do you just wing it as you put the boat together? It's proprietary you say? What's that all about? You better be using coldfusion to power the boat to get away with that excuse. Just email the damn electrical drawings to me soonest.
3.1 Electrical components: All electrical components shall be detailed in a bill of materiels including the vendor's original part number, contact information, and quantities used. All materiels used shall be in current production at the time of purchase.
I know, you got "such a deal" on those discontinued relay modules and stereos. It seemed to be a good idea until one broke and I can't buy another one now. It's not that I don't enjoy the intellectual masterbation involved in kludging together an expensive Macgyvered solution, because I do. Unfortunately you're screwing your customer when you do this.
While I'm on the subject I recently spent a day Googling the picture of a part the builder could no longer identify, and had placed a sticker with their own special part number on top of the vendor's original part number thus rendering it unreadable. It was a battery solenoid switch made in France. Nice part, but it shouldn't have been a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes.
3.2 Wiring conduit: All wiring runs longer than 4' shall be in conduit. All conduit shall have a cross section diameter of at least 50% larger than needed for the designed wiring. In addition conduit shall be supplied for aftermarket equipment installation as specified. Conduits runs shall have no hard 90 degree turns and pulls wires shall be preinstalled.
I have never understood the inability of many boat builders to make provisions for the inevitable. I think they Photoshop in pictures of top mounted marine electronics that I've seen of some boats. Wait, I know how it's done. The gear is just screwed on to take the helicopter aerial pics and the wires are never attached because marketing didn't have the budget to actually pull the wiring to make it work.
3.3 Hardtop/Tee-Top: The minimum sized conduit is 2.5" in diameter with no hard turns, going directly to the lower helm console from both the starboard. and port sides. The builder shall make provision to access the primary wiring conduits from the center of the Hardtop/Tee-Top for centrally mounted equipment such as satellite domes, radar, and other related equipment.
This isn't hard to do, if you design it in. The picture above is a classic example. It was almost like the builder was trying to make it especially difficult to do a simple task. After the fact, three holes had to be drilled, and the cables painfully creeped inch by inch through them. After about three hours of tedious work you still end up with less than a professional appearing installation.
3.4 Lazarett to helm conduit: The minimum sized conduit is 3" in diameter with no hard turns, going directly to the lower helm console. This conduit is for the exclusive use of aftermarket equipment such as rudder references, transducer cabling, underwater lighting, and other aft mounted systems.
This just drives me nuts period. I'm snaking wires under a berth, drilling a hole in the base of a head sink cabinet, and then another one through a bulkhead into the engine room, or I'm staring at a conduit that is so full of stuff that even after I cut the connector off, bend it over, lube it with grease and use a come-along to pull the wire it just barely squeezes through. Fifteen feet of 1.5" ID flexible conduit costs about $8.00 full retail. You couldn't spend more that a couple of hundred dollars total on most boats saving the owner huge sums of money in installation labor downstream.
4.0 Transducer installation: The builder shall provide acceptable through hull locations for at least three transducers. Through hull fittings for other systems shall not be placed in upstream locations that will cause downstream transducer turbulence at the vessels maximum speed. Hull interiors shall provide sufficient room to allow installation.
This is one of the most overlooked, or outright ignored things boat builders do. They all too typically don't design in good and accessible locations for transducers, and the step hull builders are among the worst offenders of the lot. Since I'm harping on the subject, what marketing genius came up with the idea that the fastest fish machine always wins the tournament? When did the concept that finding fish with all the fantastic technology that is now available became secondary to speed in a fishing tournament? This is an anathema. Its possible to go fast, hold bottom and find fish is, just not for many because the lowly transducer was an afterthought. Some get it, most don't
5.0 Accessibility and mounting space: All vessels shall provide adequate space and accessibility for aftermarket equipment installation. This location must be inside the helm area or immediately adjacent to it. It shall have at the minimum 4 sq feet of unobstructed mounting area capable of accepting up to 3/4" long number twelve fasteners.
Most boat builders are unfamiliar with the word "accessibility." Let me help them out. It doesn't mean you use the smallest possible Beckson plates, preferably the ones you can barely get you hand through, or place things where humans can't get to them without a chain saw, and hide things in crevices that require disassembling half the boat only to find it wasn't there in the first place.
6.0 Documentation:........................................................
Who am I kidding here? Most days I stare at the boat I have to contend with and think, "This is just another piece of poorly thought out boat building work with a pleatheresque Ferrari looking outer skin. Outside pretty? Yes, but on the inside.... hmmm let's see it's either a Yugo, Pinto, or maybe even a Trabant.
Last week I saw an enthusiastic new boat buyer packing back up the bad boy of all CHIRP transducers, the Airmar 599 he had bought for his new fishing machine. 3000 watts of low CHIRP power and 2000 watts of high CHIRP. It can hold bottom in 17,000 feet of water, and can see a swordfish on the seabed floor in 1000' of water.
His new and very expensive offshore fishing boat machine however couldn't accommodate this type of tech for love or money. What he ended up with was one 1000 watt B175 CHIRP transducer and that barely fit. He was most disappointed, and next time he will know better.
So production boat builders, have at it. I will continue to do the installation work because there is almost almost always a way, and your customers will continue to pay the high bills for your lack of foresight, marginal construction, and close to zero documentation. It also gives me endless things to write about, so keep that shaky work going.
This all begs the questions. Are there good well made boats out there? The answer is yes. Are there boats the builders think are great, but really aren't very good? The answer is also yes. Are there alot of really abysmal boats being produced. This answer is again also yes.
This means that if you can't easily put a full suite of gear needed to safely navigate offshore on a boat quit deluding buyers that your product is suitable for big water, even if it looks like it can float on it, for a while at any rate.
1.1 These specifications cover the minimum infrastructure and design requirements for installation of standard aftermarket customer purchased equipment and access for maintenance of builder installed vessel systems.
Ahem, the key word above is minimum. I know it's asking a lot. This isn't almost, we forgot, gosh we don't actually use our boats, who'da thunk, it's the dealer's and owner's problem, or you just need some duct tape and some tie wraps.
2.0 Aftermarket customer supplied equipment definition: Designed in capability to support installation of aftermarket equipment shall consist as a minimum the following systems. One Multi-Function Display (hereafter referred to as a MFD), two 8' marine radio antennas, one GPS antenna, one marine weather/audio antenna, one radar unit, one spotlight, one autopilot system including a specified location for its electronic compass, and hydraulic pumps system, one sonar black box, and associated transducers, satellite TV antenna, hailer, electric/air horn, night vision system one electric anchor winch.
Okay, I can live without the anchor winch, but if it takes a battle royale to get the rest of these basics installed on your boat you need to rethink your product designs. These are commonly installed marine electronics. Where is the autopilot compass going to go? Is there room for a hydraulic AP pump? Sure you installed a plate to mount a radar on, but left no way to get the cabling to the MFD.
2.1 Builder supplied equipment definition: This is all steering systems, breaker panels and switches, relay switching systems, fuse panels, power and ground blocks.
What, you mean you don't install aftermarket equipment auxiliary equipment power, ground, and fuse blocks? You should! BTW if you can't figure out the amp loading for the potential gear, give a call and I'll help you. I'm pretty sure that 16 gauge wire you would use to feed the fuse block won't do the trick, for long at any rate. What's that burning smell Bubba? You know now that I've thought about it I have never seen a builder include a label on a fuse block stating the maximum amperage load it's capable of.
3.0 Vessel wiring: All wiring installed shall be in full compliance with ABYC standards and wiring diagrams are to be included with the owners vessel documentation. Documentation shall include diagrams showing where primary wiring related components are located.
You're telling me you don't have a wiring diagram or schematic for your boat? Someone must have made one even if it was hand drawn on a napkin in the bar. Or do you just wing it as you put the boat together? It's proprietary you say? What's that all about? You better be using coldfusion to power the boat to get away with that excuse. Just email the damn electrical drawings to me soonest.
3.1 Electrical components: All electrical components shall be detailed in a bill of materiels including the vendor's original part number, contact information, and quantities used. All materiels used shall be in current production at the time of purchase.
I know, you got "such a deal" on those discontinued relay modules and stereos. It seemed to be a good idea until one broke and I can't buy another one now. It's not that I don't enjoy the intellectual masterbation involved in kludging together an expensive Macgyvered solution, because I do. Unfortunately you're screwing your customer when you do this.
While I'm on the subject I recently spent a day Googling the picture of a part the builder could no longer identify, and had placed a sticker with their own special part number on top of the vendor's original part number thus rendering it unreadable. It was a battery solenoid switch made in France. Nice part, but it shouldn't have been a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes.
3.2 Wiring conduit: All wiring runs longer than 4' shall be in conduit. All conduit shall have a cross section diameter of at least 50% larger than needed for the designed wiring. In addition conduit shall be supplied for aftermarket equipment installation as specified. Conduits runs shall have no hard 90 degree turns and pulls wires shall be preinstalled.
I have never understood the inability of many boat builders to make provisions for the inevitable. I think they Photoshop in pictures of top mounted marine electronics that I've seen of some boats. Wait, I know how it's done. The gear is just screwed on to take the helicopter aerial pics and the wires are never attached because marketing didn't have the budget to actually pull the wiring to make it work.
3.3 Hardtop/Tee-Top: The minimum sized conduit is 2.5" in diameter with no hard turns, going directly to the lower helm console from both the starboard. and port sides. The builder shall make provision to access the primary wiring conduits from the center of the Hardtop/Tee-Top for centrally mounted equipment such as satellite domes, radar, and other related equipment.
This isn't hard to do, if you design it in. The picture above is a classic example. It was almost like the builder was trying to make it especially difficult to do a simple task. After the fact, three holes had to be drilled, and the cables painfully creeped inch by inch through them. After about three hours of tedious work you still end up with less than a professional appearing installation.
3.4 Lazarett to helm conduit: The minimum sized conduit is 3" in diameter with no hard turns, going directly to the lower helm console. This conduit is for the exclusive use of aftermarket equipment such as rudder references, transducer cabling, underwater lighting, and other aft mounted systems.
This just drives me nuts period. I'm snaking wires under a berth, drilling a hole in the base of a head sink cabinet, and then another one through a bulkhead into the engine room, or I'm staring at a conduit that is so full of stuff that even after I cut the connector off, bend it over, lube it with grease and use a come-along to pull the wire it just barely squeezes through. Fifteen feet of 1.5" ID flexible conduit costs about $8.00 full retail. You couldn't spend more that a couple of hundred dollars total on most boats saving the owner huge sums of money in installation labor downstream.
4.0 Transducer installation: The builder shall provide acceptable through hull locations for at least three transducers. Through hull fittings for other systems shall not be placed in upstream locations that will cause downstream transducer turbulence at the vessels maximum speed. Hull interiors shall provide sufficient room to allow installation.
This is one of the most overlooked, or outright ignored things boat builders do. They all too typically don't design in good and accessible locations for transducers, and the step hull builders are among the worst offenders of the lot. Since I'm harping on the subject, what marketing genius came up with the idea that the fastest fish machine always wins the tournament? When did the concept that finding fish with all the fantastic technology that is now available became secondary to speed in a fishing tournament? This is an anathema. Its possible to go fast, hold bottom and find fish is, just not for many because the lowly transducer was an afterthought. Some get it, most don't
5.0 Accessibility and mounting space: All vessels shall provide adequate space and accessibility for aftermarket equipment installation. This location must be inside the helm area or immediately adjacent to it. It shall have at the minimum 4 sq feet of unobstructed mounting area capable of accepting up to 3/4" long number twelve fasteners.
Most boat builders are unfamiliar with the word "accessibility." Let me help them out. It doesn't mean you use the smallest possible Beckson plates, preferably the ones you can barely get you hand through, or place things where humans can't get to them without a chain saw, and hide things in crevices that require disassembling half the boat only to find it wasn't there in the first place.
6.0 Documentation:........................................................
Who am I kidding here? Most days I stare at the boat I have to contend with and think, "This is just another piece of poorly thought out boat building work with a pleatheresque Ferrari looking outer skin. Outside pretty? Yes, but on the inside.... hmmm let's see it's either a Yugo, Pinto, or maybe even a Trabant.
Last week I saw an enthusiastic new boat buyer packing back up the bad boy of all CHIRP transducers, the Airmar 599 he had bought for his new fishing machine. 3000 watts of low CHIRP power and 2000 watts of high CHIRP. It can hold bottom in 17,000 feet of water, and can see a swordfish on the seabed floor in 1000' of water.
His new and very expensive offshore fishing boat machine however couldn't accommodate this type of tech for love or money. What he ended up with was one 1000 watt B175 CHIRP transducer and that barely fit. He was most disappointed, and next time he will know better.
So production boat builders, have at it. I will continue to do the installation work because there is almost almost always a way, and your customers will continue to pay the high bills for your lack of foresight, marginal construction, and close to zero documentation. It also gives me endless things to write about, so keep that shaky work going.
This all begs the questions. Are there good well made boats out there? The answer is yes. Are there boats the builders think are great, but really aren't very good? The answer is also yes. Are there alot of really abysmal boats being produced. This answer is again also yes.
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