Before you head off, can you get the plotter to display some random engine parameter, and likewise one of the gauges to display a GPS / Depth (assuming you have an NMEA sounder) related thing?
Then if / when the gauges go down, you'll be able to ttell if its the sender or not. (the Plotter will continue to tell you RPM if it;s a gauge fault, but if it;s the sender, the plotter will also give a "no reading" for that parameter, whereas the gauge showing lat / long or deopth will continue to do so. if the gauge(s) go down (incl the "nav" reading) & plotter still showing RPM, you know it's gauge related.
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