tach - hour meter & depth sounder wiring

[First Look]

Hello. I am getting an AB Lamina AL10 with the bow seat/locker. I would like to install a tach/hour meter like this one:

https://www.amazon.ca/Joykit-Engine-...h%2Fhour+meter

I want to flush mount it in the aft wall of the bow locker so I can see it from the steering position. Am I allowed to extend the sense wire that wraps around the spark plug lead so it will reach from the outboard to the bow locker?

I also would like to install a small depth sounder. The outboard is a Suzuki DF20A - manual start but with a 6 amp alternator. I'm told the 12 volt DC power is not clean enough to wire directly to the sounder. What is the smallest battery I can install? Weight is an issue.

Thank you very much,
Gregg

[breezeblock]

Originally Posted by First Look

Hello. I am getting an AB Lamina AL10 with the bow seat/locker. I would like to install a tach/hour meter like this one:

https://www.amazon.ca/Joykit-Engine-...h%2Fhour+meter

I want to flush mount it in the aft wall of the bow locker so I can see it from the steering position. Am I allowed to extend the sense wire that wraps around the spark plug lead so it will reach from the outboard to the bow locker?

I also would like to install a small depth sounder. The outboard is a Suzuki DF20A - manual start but with a 6 amp alternator. I'm told the 12 volt DC power is not clean enough to wire directly to the sounder. What is the smallest battery I can install? Weight is an issue.

Thank you very much,
Gregg

those hour meters are shite don't waste your money on them unless they are in a waterproof case a 12v 7 ah house alarm battery is what I used on mines

[charliee]

why bother with an hour meter, are you worried you will pass service intervals?
just get your 20 serviced annually and forget about it - no future purchaser will trust such a reading given by that junk. I try to avoid unnecessary electronics from my boat and I certainly class this as unnecessary - of course you my have reasons to want something like that and that's fine.

[paintman]

Can't help with the tach.

I use one of these alarm batteries with a Dragonfly 7 when using it away from my own boat. I know it is fine for 2 days at 10-12 hours continuous use a day. Not used it for more than 2 days at a time so I don't know how much longer it would last. A smaller battery may well do the job, but I had that one to hand.
https://www.vps-ups.co.uk/yuasa-np18...iABEgIxtfD_BwE

[jeffstevens763@g]

I got a a Lucas gel battery 20 A hour weighs about 2 kg charged off my engine no power issues. You could buy a tinytac but not sure if you can extent the wire unless you contact them and spec what you need

[chipko]

Originally Posted by breezeblock

those hour meters are shite don't waste your money on them unless they are in a waterproof case

To be fair not all tach/hour meters are shite.
For a ‘few dollars more’ something like the Trailtech TTO’s are both waterproof,reliable and easy to read.

Fitted these to most of my portable outboards and proved really useful especially during break in period. Not had one fail yet.

Even run the hour meter only version under the hood on my Mariner 60 to keep track of actual run time.