Tank monitoring
- Thread starter Cptd
- Start date
I'm looking at multiple tanks, fuel, water, holding etc. Was it easy to install and does it have Nmea 2000 capabilities?
I used the Gobius C which is different from some of the other Gobius monitors. Installation was a snap. Find a suitable location on the tank top, clean it, and stick the sensor on. Then it is just a matter of connecting to the N2K network and configuring your Chartplotter or displays to show the level. I only have one, so I can speak to multiple sensors. I assume each sensor has an ID number and you get to configure it on the BT app or the CP.
The Gobius C is a micro radar and uses a radar single to sound the tank. I believe the other sensors are either sonic or capacitance sensors. For the holding tank it is great as there is no contact with the contents, which is a problem with the float based sensors like those from Kus.
Thanks for the info..... I'll do some more research. Sailed on a Sabre 36' for 20 years. Managing a new boat with multiple tanks
Fuel, water, holding etc. with outdated monitoring system and want to go non invasive and wireless.
Fuel, water, holding etc. with outdated monitoring system and want to go non invasive and wireless.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,263
I use the SCADTECH monitors. By noninvasive, I conjecture you mean contacts on the outside of a plastic tank. They have the system.
Their products can be found here.
scadtech.com
I'm not too sure about "Wireless." My system is wired. It's easy to install, accurate, and functional, in my experience.
Their products can be found here.
SCAD Home Page - SCAD Technologies LLC
SCAD Technologies manufactures tank level sensors and monitors for RV, marine and specialty trailer applications.
scadtech.com
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I do use Gobius sensors on my waste tanks to alarm when they’re 2/3 full and they’re a bit squirrelly but generally good. Pretty easy to install.
l also use a Gobious C on my diesel tank. I found it painful to get working properly and it took some real experimenting with settings to get it to read correctly. It wasn’t intuitive, nor did the directions work. It seems accurate, but it’s a bit of a pain to get a reading as the Bluetooth is reluctant to work in the cockpit above the tank.
I do use Gobius sensors on my waste tanks to alarm when they’re 2/3 full and they’re a bit squirrelly but generally good. Pretty easy to install.
Yes thank you, I was just watching the videos on installing .I would look for another system. There's a lot of them out there. Are you, or others out there familiar with BLUE SEA SYSTEMS products?
I went through this process a few years and looked at the Blue Seas systems and ruled them out. But I can't remember why.
My first choice was Maretron monitors, however, there was one significant obstacle, it was necessary to use a Maretron device to set up the monitors or to use a PC based program. Since I wasn't using Maretron displays and I'm a Mac guy this wasn't a viable solution.
The most economical solution was Kus sensors connected to Simrad/Lowrance tank level sensors which connects the resistance based Kus sensors to the N2K network. This worked well for the 2 water tanks, not so well for the holding tank. This prompted the change to the Gobius C sensor. I'm adding a Simrad tank level sensor to the fuel tank sender this winter so all the tank monitors will be on N2K.
The problem with SCAD and other capacitance sensors is access to the sides of the tank. My tanks do not have access to the sides and the sensors were not compatible with N2K which would have necessitated purchasing more gauges. This might have changed over the past few years.
I put a Gobius Pro sensor at about the 80% level on my waste tank due to the inaccurate sensor strip on it. I generally just tap the tank to estimate level, but the Gobius sensor tells me we have a day left to find a pump out when it triggers. Easy to install and the phone app works well as does the light indicator on the tank.
Still struggling with the Gobius C on my diesel tank. Physically measured the clearance from tank top to liquid level and it is more than necessary according to the documentation for me to calibrate the unit. Appeared to calibrate but is reading nearly 1/2 tank higher than actual measured fuel according to depth. Even pulled 10 gallons of diesel out of the tank, looked at the Gobius C reading, then added the 10 gals back while I watched the app. No change in the level.
I’ve contacted tech support, e-mailed the company, etc. over a period of months with absolutely no response.
I like their Pro sensors which I use on my waste tanks. But the unusable C sensor and tech support fail make this company a no go for me anymore. Glad the C worked for some of you.
I’m going the mechanical route and checking against calculated consumption. It blows me away that boat fuel sensors are so unreliable (orig sender failed on mine). Several sailing friends have the same experience. I’ve never replaced an automobile fuel tank sensor in any car I’ve ever owned and have driven probably a half million miles in my lifetime.
I’ve contacted tech support, e-mailed the company, etc. over a period of months with absolutely no response.
I like their Pro sensors which I use on my waste tanks. But the unusable C sensor and tech support fail make this company a no go for me anymore. Glad the C worked for some of you.
I’m going the mechanical route and checking against calculated consumption. It blows me away that boat fuel sensors are so unreliable (orig sender failed on mine). Several sailing friends have the same experience. I’ve never replaced an automobile fuel tank sensor in any car I’ve ever owned and have driven probably a half million miles in my lifetime.
There are a couple of issues with the Gobius C that are endemic to any of the digital/NMEA tank sensors.
An analog sensor that uses voltage and resistance updates immediately. N2K sensors update every 10-15 seconds and it updates on based on the level of the fuel surface, thus if the boat is healed and the sensor is off to the side, it will measure either high or low depending on the tack. The other issue is foaming. If the diesel is foaming while filling or if the return line is causing the fuel to foam in the tank, the sensor won't read correctly, because it reads the level below the foams.