# Custom Engine Panel Design



## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

My 15 year old Yanmar panel (B panel) for my 1GM 10 doesn't look too good. Last season I did a custom electrical panel for the interior and was pretty happy with the results so this year I intend to rebuild the engine panel from scratch.

Has anyone ever done this or thought about it? I'd like to use this thread to get ideas and post plans/results etc as I work on this over the winter.

General Plans:
-Use a combo tachometer like the one below with a digital display for hours and voltage. My current hour meter reads 75...needless to say it hasn't been working in years
-Replace all the alarms/lights with LED's
-Kick proof. In my small cockpit there are no good places for the panel. I plan to leave it in place but want to design a lexan (?) hinged or removable cover.
-Light switches. I want control of the nav and spreader lights (at the least) from the cockpit.
-Keep it simple and high quality. Internal wiring will go to a terminal block which will bridge to a standard Yamar engine cable.

Other Thoughts:
-Key? I'd love to get rid of the need for a dangling, kickable key while sailing/motoring. One idea is to move the key into the cabin. The other idea is to use a key lock to lock down the engine panel cover. Then the key is just used to unlock the cover and gets put away afterward.  In either case a switch would replace the functionality of the key for enabling the alarms etc. Thoughts?
-Material? My current plan is to use synthetic lumber but the other option would be fiberglass. I have no experience with glass but would like to have some.
-Button for a horn? It might be nice to add proper horn onto the boat. How many people have horns wired in?
-Indicator lights for 12V and a light from the Bluesea ACR LED output (which I also have on the internal panel)
-Professional print job for the panel? Not sure what this would cost for but it would be nice. Otherwise I need to consider labeling solutions.

Combo Tachometer:
VDO - Tachometer









Example IP67 Switch For lights:
WR11AF NKK Switches | 360-2277-ND | DigiKey









Last Years Project:









Also see
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/electrical-systems/93111-simple-electrical-panel.html
Through the deck connector
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/53073-through-deck-4.html


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Initial scale mock-up. Roughly 11x5.5"









Existing Panel:


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

I did a breaker panel for my Nor'sea. We have a CNC router at work we use to make simple printed circuit boards but can be used to engrave laminated plastic panels. The panel turned out pretty nice. If I had todo it again I would use one of the internet services such as: Front Panel Express: Custom Front Panel Designs & Enclosures - Nameplates - Signs

I have no connection with the above business.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Looks good... we have no 'key'.. just a switch for power to the panel and another switch for the actual starter (actually a three position momentary rotary.. left for preheat, right for start) When away from the boat I can isolate the panel power with a below decks battery shutoff switch


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## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

Recently made a basic functional Type B panel for a 2QM15. Not nearly as ambitious as your panel plan. See my entry in the thread "Low Buck Projects." It has only three items on it...high temp and low LO alarm lights and the push button for the starter. Cost less than 20 bucks and looks great. Wanted SIMPLICITY.

No labels since I used a green light for high water temp and a red light for the low LO pressure alarm.

I used marine ply for the panel base and painted it with Interlux Brightside.

I put the ignition switch and buzzers (one for each alarm) inboard just under and to starboard of the companionway.

I am using a Tiny Tach in the cabin for RPM/engine hours/maintenance interval timing.

Your design looks great as does your electrical panel.


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Nice looking main panel. Where did the label come from? Where did you locate the fuses? I'm thinking of re-doing mine in a similar way.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

That's some nice work ASDF - might I suggest lexan, with a rubber gasket behind and using toggle type fasteners so you can remove the panel easily. 

I've got a similar project for next spring. The Yanmar 44 on my new to me Irwin 38 has a panel that is at shin height behind the wheel. Since it's got to move it might as well get an update as well.
I'm also putting a 6 switch DC panel at the helm (nav, instruments, anchor, steaming, 12v, decklights). 
I had a similar plan for my Gemini - just sort of transferred the project to the Irwin 38.
The problem is, like your 1gm the Yanmar 44 on the Irwin has the dummy panel (buzz and light, not actual gauges for temp, fuel, alt etc..). To upgrade I have to buy and install a new engine harness. The good news is since I'm buying the harness I'll be getting one that works with NMEA 2000 so I can get all kinds of information to my MFD's.

Since we'll be living on board and going places where towboat US doesn't I want to be able to see what's going on before it breaks.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Captainmeme,
Yeah good suggestion. I'm considering them although still leaning towards synthetic lumber/lexan because I'm better equipped to work with it as opposed to aluminum. However I believe they offer printing on other materials and that's exactly the type of thing I picture for a custom print job.

Faster,
Yeah I wondered if other people had eliminated the key. One reason I still want to retain it is that I tend to leave the cabin unlocked with the far fetched idea that someone could hop on and save the boat if it was sinking. Although this isn't likely so I'm still considering ditching the key entirely and doing what you do. But I think if I can work the lock into the hinged cover it's a good compromise. 

fryewe
Nice work. How do you like having that stuff in the cabin? 

Barquito
Everything there is bluesea except the lighter plug outlet which is from digi-key (the only metal in it is plated brass, so it's marine ready and cost $3). I'll edit the first post with some links to other posts I've made about the panel. 

chucklesR
I've thought about adding real gauges but decided I just don't want the info. And as you say it means adding senders and cabling. I wonder if I'll regret it later. I'll be giving this some more thought.

I thought about the anchor light but it's not something you need spur of the moment while sailing so I'll leave it below and save the space. On the internal panel I combined the nav and steaming lights with one DPDT switch (bluesea suggests this in one of their documents) so one way is Nav only, the other way is Nav + Steaming. I can't turn on steaming by itself but it saves a switch. I plan on doing the same thing on the engine panel.


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## redline (Feb 15, 2010)

For what it's worth, the last boat we chartered (a Moorings 413 by Beneteau) had a Yanmar engine and panel without any key - just a rocker switch with START on one side, spring -return to center RUN, and STOP at the other side. If you want to prevent starting the engine, it's the battery switch inside. 

It worked fine, and would never have the problem we did on our previous boat's 2GM panel when the keyswitch broke apart at the threaded collar while sailing. Impossible to glue it as the mounting nut puts it in tension, so for a month or so until I broke down and bought the original overpriced and equally overbuilt SPST rotary switch (start was a separate pushbutton and STOP was a mechanical choke-cable on the fuel cut-off), I wired it to the compass light switch instead. Theft-deterrence through obscurity, to paraphrase? Besides, one the old flat-key panels, the "single pin" tumbler was simply a ball bearing to prevent the key from falling out in the "on" position. All "keyed alike" so a switch would have been about as secure.


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## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

Nice job on the panel. Another idea is to put the panel behind an opening port. The previous owner of my boat, a very experienced long-term cruiser, made this change when he installed the new Yanmar. This keeps the panel and wiring out of the salt air and practically ensures the panel will last forever. It still looks like new 12 years later.


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## akavishon (Apr 29, 2007)

ASDF - is there a reason why the buzzer needs to be mounted on the panel? I'm thinking it may be possible to simplify / save some panel space, and the buzzer would likely be very audible even if hidden behind the panel ...

Also, really like the idea to put the panel behind an opening port ... I hope to get to my own panel replacement project some day, but have not really started design/planning.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

akavishon said:


> ASDF - is there a reason why the buzzer needs to be mounted on the panel? I'm thinking it may be possible to simplify / save some panel space, and the buzzer would likely be very audible even if hidden behind the panel ...
> 
> Also, really like the idea to put the panel behind an opening port ... I hope to get to my own panel replacement project some day, but have not really started design/planning.


No, and that's an area I want to think about more. But by default I left it there because it needs to be audible. I also have no leads on better components than the existing yanmar buzzer right now. So it's the only component I plan on keeping. There's also a small advantage to having the familiar yanmar buzz - I'm not always going to be the user here. Sometimes marina staff etc need to run the boat.

If I make a latching cover then the buzzer is already going to be behind something, this will protect it but diminish the sound a bit already. Moving it further behind the panel itself and it will be even less audible. But maybe that's fine. Engine noise sure doesn't have a hard time escaping through the fiberglass. Another factor is space. Right now my mockup shows there is enough space but if that changes it's more reason to move it back.

Yeah the port idea is great. I'll actually look into that because my cover plans essentially replicate a port. I think that the space I'm working with is so small that I can do better with a custom design but it's certainly a good idea.

All the suggestions have been helpful so far. I'm trying to plan this as well as possible. The nice thing about this project is that I can do it all at home/computer which gives me tons more time to plan it than the usual at the boat projects.

Redline, yeah my first boat maintenance after I bought this was replacing the key switch. The original yanmar had corded away. I don't think most key switches are really up for the task of being in this environment. Looking at mcmsaster I'm not totally impressed. I like this right now for latching the cover but wish it were entirely stainless without the nickel plated steel cams
Weather Resistant Cam Lock


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## Jetexas (Apr 3, 2012)

I had to make a panel from scratch for my boat.

I used Adobe Indesign to mock the size of the panel and then lay out the placement of the gauges, switches, etc. Then I printed it and taped the paper over the plywood to start drilling holes.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

asdf38 said:


> My 15 year old Yanmar panel (B panel) for my 1GM 10 doesn't look too good. Last season I did a custom electrical panel for the interior and was pretty happy with the results so this year I intend to rebuild the engine panel from scratch.
> 
> Has anyone ever done this or thought about it? I'd like to use this thread to get ideas and post plans/results etc as I work on this over the winter.
> 
> ...


Personally I would keep it as simple as possible. Those rockers SUCK in an exterior location. I jsut replaced three last two weeks ago on a commercial boat. Tested fine for voltage but could not pass any current.

My recommendations would be:

#1 lose the expensive hour meter/volt/tach and go with a simple less expensive version. These tachs DO NOT last very long in the marine environment. Hour meters are cheap and can be in the engine bay and voltage can be displayed on just about any modern plotter.

#2 Lose the buzzer at the panel. There is no need for it in the panel. It can easily be heard if hidden below decks.

#3 Add a temp gauge!! One of the most critical gauges on a sailboat engine panel. Cheap, simple and easy to install.

#4 Add an oil pressure gauge. Again very simple, cheap and allows you to "see" what is going on not just get buzzed where there is an issue. With "idiot lights" you never really know they are working until it is too late. With gauges you can SEE them working.

#5 The on/off key can be a toggle switch and the start button rubber insulated. Alternatively the key can be in a lazarette locker so you don't kick it. Sabre does this..

#6 Lose all the other switches for nav lights etc. All you are doing is extending those circuits and creating more potential for issues. Nav lights need to be 3% voltage drop max. These are critical items for navigation so I would leave all switches for them below decks. Takes me less than 15 seconds to pop to the nav station & turn them on. Exterior mounted switches, keys etc. are one of the most trouble prone items on boats. keeping them out of the elements is always the most reliable choice. I replace switches on open center console boats and walk-arounds etc. like they are going out of style..

My ideal simple engine panel would have:

Start Button
Tach
Engine Temp
Oil Pressure

Key or on switch for engine would be separately located in a dry area....

That's it......


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## akavishon (Apr 29, 2007)

Maine Sail said:


> My ideal simple engine panel would have:
> 
> Start Button
> Tach
> ...


Umm, plus glow plug button, I suspect? And, no alarms at all?


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

> Key or on switch for engine would be separately located in a dry area....


Glad to hear others do not think it is crazy to have my blower and ignition switches inside the cabin.



> ASDF - is there a reason why the buzzer needs to be mounted on the panel? I'm thinking it may be possible to simplify / save some panel space, and the buzzer would likely be very audible even if hidden behind the panel ...


I'm just guessing, but I bet if you mounted a buzzer directly to the inside of an expanse of flat fiberglass, it would act as sounding board and be pretty loud.


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## SVTatia (May 7, 2007)

Plus 1 on the Maine Sail post.

I had to build a panel because the original Westerbeke one was too big for my location.

I placed all the gauges plus two buttons - glow plug and start.

The key and the buzzer were inside the cabin and yes, I could hear its high-pitched sound well with engine on and the companionway closed.
I only used the key because it came with it - it was always in place, otherwise I would have used a switch.

I used 1/8 inch phenolic for the base rather than ply or plexiglass, as it is resistant, more suitable for electrics and easy to cut (look up its specs here PHENOLIC). I bought a small off-cut for the purpose.

I did not have an opening cover, the panel was totally waterproofed and was installed/screwed from the inside. For the cover I used a piece of ¼ inch acrylic with screwed and bedded with Dow 795. If I needed to service it I just unscrewed it from the base from inside.

Worked well and was always dry.
You can find push-buttons for the glow-plug and starter that has a rubber ring to prevent water ingress - I had that mounted thru the plexi cover.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Barquito said:


> Glad to hear others do not think it is crazy to have my blower and ignition switches inside the cabin.
> 
> I'm just guessing, but I bet if you mounted a buzzer directly to the inside of an expanse of flat fiberglass, it would act as sounding board and be pretty loud.


I do think that's a little crazy...at least for me I like the security of knowing I can start the engine from the cockpit when I need too. This is partly due to my lack of experience but for example when I sail on and off the mooring occasionally I like to have that backup there in-case I blow something.

Hmm so what I was picturing is that the panel would be enclosed on all sides including behind. That's because the panel is just in a locker and I want to protect it from things back there. So I could change the plan to mount the buzzer interally pointing out into the locker which would protect it better and give me more space..

Thanks for the reply I'll take your suggestions seriously, especially on the gauges.

Digikey sells over 5000 rockers starting at [email protected] 1. Sorting for IP67 narrows that down to 300. So this isn't your average cheapo rocker it's, the best I can find (silver contacts, brass with silver plating terminal). Good enough? Not sure.

1) It's hard to resist this because the tach already has the information for hours and voltage so why not get a device that can display them? It adds no complexity to the system and I agree that simplicity is major goal.

What brands of guages do you have experience with, is VDO not good?

2) Ok I think I'll take this suggestion and mount it internally behind.

3/4) So my two reasons for no temp/oil guages were 1) no extra wires 2) additional anxiety/distraction of having one more piece of information to worry about. 2 is a crappy reason and I can deal with 1.

My only comment is that while your right about temp alarm - you never know if it's working, the oil alarm sounds every time you turn the engine on or off. So it's one of a few things on my boat that I have faith in. (And I've been pretty good about testing the temp alarm by forgetting the seacock or having the impeller blow)

But anyway, ok I think I'll trade the buzzer for temp and probably oil. Again any recommendations for brands?

5) Key in locker, another good idea.

6) Well these switches will be wired in parallel to the existing switches. So if they fail I can just pop down below (unless they fail short, then the fuse will blow). I just like the idea of not having to go below to do things that will inevitably come up while sailing. My guests are almost always inexperienced leaving me with the full burden or operating the boat. I'm looking to make it as streamlined and simple as possible.

Actually as an aside I agree that running extra wires is a pain. Voltage drop is a huge problem with 12V power. So I've been toying with the idea of designing a custom circuit board that's the equivalent of a relay (but current and temperature protected) meaning the engine panel switches wouldn't be carrying current only signals. There is a huge class of power IC's designed for industrial/automotive applications that are fantastic at switching/protecting/limiting 12V and I've been wanting to a PCB for the boat for years (pcb hardware design is what I do). But that's a bit outside the scope of this panel discussion.


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## johnnyandjebus (Sep 15, 2009)

asdf38

Great thread, while I am not interested in "re-building" my panel I have often thought about moving it and making it more water proof. 
Reason for moving it being; I find the cockpit sole space under the tiller/aft of the cockpit drains to be dead space(like asdf38 I own a contessa 26). I am considering filling the space with a "home-made" fiberglass box for storage that fits the space. The panel, as it is currently mounted, gets in the way where this idea is concerned.



copacabana said:


> Nice job on the panel. Another idea is to put the panel behind an opening port. The previous owner of my boat, a very experienced long-term cruiser, made this change when he installed the new Yanmar. This keeps the panel and wiring out of the salt air and practically ensures the panel will last forever. It still looks like new 12 years later.


copacabana
Bloody brilliant idea. I will be implementing it next spring.

On the topic of opening ports, I was reading a thread over at sailfar.net about opening ports. CharleJ posted a link to a company that sells opening ports and have over stock for 40$

sailfar thread;
High cost Portlights

The link to the company in question(I have no experience dealing with them);
Opening Port Overstocks

The overstock may not be a suitable size but I thought it was worth mentioning.

John


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

johnnyandjebus said:


> asdf38
> 
> Great thread, while I am not interested in "re-building" my panel I have often thought about moving it and making it more water proof.
> Reason for moving it being; I find the cockpit sole space under the tiller/aft of the cockpit drains to be dead space(like asdf38 I own a contessa 26). I am considering filling the space with a "home-made" fiberglass box for storage that fits the space. The panel, as it is currently mounted, gets in the way where this idea is concerned.
> ...


I've thought about the same thing. But I just don't see a significantly beter spot for the panel - I like the fact that it's in accessible but unused space. So for storage perhaps a smaller box or canvas organizer or something would work. Or something spanning the whole back "seat" in the cockpit.

If you do one I'd love to see it. The only time that back space in the cockpit is nice is if you lie down - there is a full 6'+. Otherwise it's under the tiller and generally not useful. The PO put the connector for the auto-helm smack in the middle of the stern locker/seat indicating how often they used that space and it hasn't been an issue for me either. Trivia: The British contessa cockpit stops where our engine panel is now and it has a much larger stern deck.

The cockpit:


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Jetexas said:


> I had to make a panel from scratch for my boat.
> 
> I used Adobe Indesign to mock the size of the panel and then lay out the placement of the gauges, switches, etc. Then I printed it and taped the paper over the plywood to start drilling holes.


Great panel, how do you like those gauges? I'll be looking at them more closely later. Their website seems to be down now. I use Microsoft Visio to mock up these panels and for the last one, like you I printed it life size and used it as a drill guide.


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## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

asdf-

My engine panel is on the forward bulkhead of the cockpit well and locating the ignition switch in the cabin-literally a "lean forward and reach down" operation if I am in the cockpit-solves a couple of problems while eliminating a couple of risks. The switch is a standard rotary key switch and can't be waterproofed. Putting it in the cabin keeps water out of it and keeps the key in the cabin so it can't be dropped overboard or lost. The switch provides all power to the panel and engine electrics except for the starter motor power.

With the key in the cabin and only the alarm lights and push-to-start switch on the panel there is no need for a cover or opening port to make it waterproof. A little Boat Life caulk seals the openings around each and the push switch has a rubber boot over it.

I can hear the buzzers (I used two...one for each alarm circuit) in the cockpit with the engine running and drop boards in place. They are pretty fragile and not designed for exposure to water.

I agree with Mainesail about the utility of water T and LO P gauges but my senders are simple switches and I need to change them out before I install gauges. I left space on the panel to put gauges in and will likely do so during the winter if I can locate senders.

Nice thread.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Two questions on my mind right now:
1) So people recommend adding temp/oil guages, has anyone done this? Do the yanmar senders normally communicate with 3rd party gauges? I'm not finding answers at the moment. I see that many of the 3rd party gauges include their own senders but I'd rather not plug non-yanmar parts into my engine in important functions.

Also, if I go this route what generates the alarm signals for the buzzer?

2) Any thoughts on the horn? Should I bother wiring one in permanently? I was smart enough to add an unused wire between the panel and my forward terminal block which could easily become the horn.

Ongaro Stainless Steel Mini Hidden Compact Single Horn


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## redline (Feb 15, 2010)

The Yanmar senders are just pressure/temperature switches - they just close a contact to turn on the warning lights. For gauges, you would have to swap them out for "analog" gauge (losing the buzzer feature) or better yet, install additional senders for gauges, keeping the original ones for the buzzer (and as an independent backup).


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

If you have access and space, you could easily add a 'T' to the sender connection and mount the gauge sender and remount the alarm sender on the same tap. It's just a few pipe fittings - in fact a 'street T' (with one male thread and two females) would be the cleanest way to do this.


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## Brewgyver (Dec 31, 2011)

asdf38 said:


> Digikey sells over 5000 rockers starting at [email protected] 1. Sorting for IP67 narrows that down to 300. So this isn't your average cheapo rocker it's, the best I can find (silver contacts, brass with silver plating terminal). Good enough? Not sure.


Asdf, another issue with rockers is simply cutting the holes for them. Unless you buy a knock-out punch made for the purpose ($$$), you'll have to drill multiple round holes, then cut/mill/grind/file into a rectangular hole. I've done it, it's a PITA.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

asdf38 said:


> combo tachometer:
> vdo - tachometer


Sorry about my late entry into this discussion. I do so only because I have a Yanmar and the original tacho cashed in a while ago and I started searching for less financially-crippling replacements.

In that search I looked at VDO and looking at the unit above, are you sure this is not for gasoline engines? The 6000 RPM upper limit suggests it may be. In which case it probably won't be of any use because it needs an electronic trigger and the Yanmar flywheel sensor won't trigger it.

Some of them trigger off the rear of the alternator - you may be wise to check that out before spending your sheckels


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Omatako said:


> Sorry about my late entry into this discussion. I do so only because I have a Yanmar and the original tacho cashed in a while ago and I started searching for less financially-crippling replacements.
> 
> In that search I looked at VDO and looking at the unit above, are you sure this is not for gasoline engines? The 6000 RPM upper limit suggests it may be. In which case it probably won't be of any use because it needs an electronic trigger and the Yanmar flywheel sensor won't trigger it.
> 
> Some of them trigger off the rear of the alternator - you may be wise to check that out before spending your sheckels


Yes, absolutely. At the moment, I know nothing about the yanmar tach signal and for now, I was generally assuming that this gauge would work with it. But I definitely need to check.

Actually I thought there was a signal coming off the alternator until I was at my boat Sunday and saw an extra wired device at the rear of the motor and realized it was a tach sender. Your mention of a flywheel sensor confirms that because that's where it was.

If you know any more specifics please share otherwise I'll be posting the info whenever I get around to confirming it.

Note that VDO makes a whole range of tachs with various RPM limits. They do make one with a 4k limit which is what I'd want for the yanmar.


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

My Westerbeke has an Admiral Panel - a nice design IMHO:









Works well for me, not too fancy, but compact and with the basics. You can purchase it separately (don't know the price). There is a buzzer (oil pressure alarm) but it is behind the panel somewhere.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

This guy did a nice job building a custom teak panel:
Inboard engine on Caraway


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## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

Regarding tachometer senders and tachometers:

Don't know about the 1GM10 but for my 2QM15 the tachometer sender is a flywheel sensor and is located on the engine block just forward of the transmission on the port side. It has two male terminals on it.

For speed sensing using this type of sensor the tachometer used must be matched to the number of teeth on the flywheel. My engine has 114 teeth on the flywheel. For OPer: 1GM10 has 97 teeth.

My memory is that the stock number of the meters have the no. of teeth they are designed to work with as part of the number. Also the meter face has the number of flywheel teeth it is designed to work with engraved on the meter face.

For my Yanmar (and others) the alternator output can used for tachometer sensing IF it has an alternator fitted with an "R" or "N" terminal. VDO meters can be used in this application. To match the VDO tach with the alternator you have to know the number of electromagnetic poles of the alternator and buy a tach designed to be used with that number of poles (frequency matching the pulsing waveform coming out of the alternator).

On Yachting and Boating World Forums (www dot ybw dot com) one member mentions converting an alternator for use with a tach for a 1GM10 and might be worth a look for those interested. The thread is "Recalibrating Yanmar P116 Tachometer to P97 - Possible?"


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

paul323 said:


> My Westerbeke has an Admiral Panel - a nice design IMHO


Yep, that's neat and nicely compact.

Yanmar haven't learned the art of compact yet, their panels are large and mostly unpopulated. What I do miss on your panel though, are the big warning lights that come on with oil pressure drop or overheat on the Yanmar panel.

I guess if you have a buzzer that's all it really needs - I have just got used to the lights as well.

But that is a nice panel.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Well, 2.5 years later and I finally started this project!

First, my original plans were overly ambitious. While it would be nice to have Nav/Spreader lights etc in the cockpit it's not really needed. And the extra wiring would just be a pain.

Still, the old panel was an eye sore (see it below) and in a spot where it was exposed to being kicked or bumped. Here's what I settled on:

SSI Plastic Recessed Panel:
Recessed Panel | SSI Custom Plastics

Sunlight Visible and Waterproof LED Indicator Lights:
McMaster 2779K13

New rubber boot for toggle switch:
McMaster 70205K26

Heat Shrink Fully Insulated Quick Connects:
McMaster 72625K76

Write-On Wire Labels (I'm a big fan of these):
McMaster 8668T11

The picture shows some of the steps. After doing some planning with MS Visio I first cut a template for the panel itself. Using the old panel as a guide with the router table I cut out the big holes for the guage and buzzer and drilled out the other holes. I was able to test fit this (realizing that behind the panel the toggle switch hit the buzzer), and then copy the plywood template to the panel with the router table again.

I also made a plywood template for the cutout that has to be enlarged on the boat. A cordless Ryobi router will be used for that.










Comments:
-I'm probably giving up visibility on the indicator lights which are fairly small. Though the buzzer should still be the primary alarm.
-I don't have labels for the lights though I chose red for oi/temp and orange for charge. A buzzer plus a red light is going to mean shut-down! And I'll remember the order.
-I have some sunbrella fabric that I plan on using to make a roll-up cover.
-The unpopulated indicator is going to be green just to show that panel power is enabled. This is the one design addition to the panel.
-I bent 3/16" lexan to make a back cover to protect the wiring. Though I have yet to decide how to fasten it.
-I grouped the controls in the lower right because I may cover the panel with lexan and have a cutout in that corner to access them. This would mostly be for kick protection.
-In my diagram the key and the start button were aligned on the bottom but in real life the fact that their centers are off looks like a mistake. I'll probably address that.
-If I added an oil gauge I might put it where the buzzer is now, and then move the buzzer behind the panel (MainSail's suggestion earlier).
-After being frustrated by the lack of availability of good marine connectors I've definitely settled on fully insulated quick connects as the best easy solution.


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## the_abuse (Jan 12, 2014)

I just built a clear carbon fiber engine start panel just need an rpm gauge to finnish it but it looks bad ass


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## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

All good ideas above. Consider separating the indicators from the switches. The indicators and light should be where you can see them and sealed from sun and water. The switches can be elsewhere out of harm's way. Key is indeed useless and a maintenance problem.


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

the_abuse said:


> I just built a clear carbon fiber engine start panel just need an rpm gauge to finnish it but it looks bad ass


Pictures please.


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## the_abuse (Jan 12, 2014)

Captainmeme said:


> Pictures please.


this will get mounted in to a recessed panel but still visable just have to find a small digital RPM Gauge. the small hole is for the choke. Its push button start and the red saftey switch controls the blower and start button so if you flip the red down every thing except the light panel switches off(motor and blower). but to have access to that panel you have to set the main battery switch on the master panel on first. That main panel i built is also quite spectacular.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

double post.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Final install.

Before









After:









I still need to clean up some butyl and generally this back corner of the cockpit collects dirt (it was just washed so there is dirty runoff) but it's a nice improvement.

I removed the broken hour meter, glassed over that hole and moved the engine stop.

I also wrapped the engine wiring in conduit and re-routed it. It used to be pretty exposed in the cockpit locker, now it's a tighter run and the connectors are tucked behind the panel.

All the indicators have been tested including the temp, which I did by shorting the wire right at the sensor (the oil alarm is normally active, so no need to test manually). Theirf visibility in the recess is poorer than I intended but they're plenty bright in daylight, something that can't be said about the stock yanmar indicators.

My last concern is that my always on green indicator LED will be too bright at night. But we'll see. It's a nice feature since it's technically possible to de-power the panel and lose all alarms while the engine is still running. The green LED will be a constant indicator that things are ok.


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