Vessel Systems Monitor

[GordMay]

Vessel Systems Monitor VSM 422

Blue Sea Systems new Vessel Systems Monitor VSM 422 provides boaters withinformation on four critical boat systems in one compact and low cost meter. This advanced meter is a solution for monitoring the increasingly complex systems found on boats today.

The VSM 422 monitors four distinct systems with twenty-two measurements.
These include:
- Tank levels for up to three tanks;
- Bilge Pump cycles / 24 hours, last cycle run %, and highest cycle run %; AC System voltage, current, and frequency;
- DC System current, House battery state of charge, and Battery 1, 2, 3 voltage.
- Programmable legends and fifteen adjustable alarm functions allow the boater to customize the VSM 422 for their specific needs.

Goto: Vessel Systems Monitor - Blue Sea Systems

And: http://bluesea.com/files/resources/sales_sheets/Vessel_Systems_Monitor_422_(1,500_KB).pdf

[delmarrey]

Now, if they could set it up to send a message to my cell, while I'm away, that there is a problem it would be perfict.

[Chief Engineer]

That does that.

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Now, if they could set it up to send a message to my cell, while I'm away, that there is a problem it would be perfict.

[delmarrey]

Who makes it?

[Microship]

This looks very nice and I love Blue Sea products (and the price is reasonable)... but I have to wonder about the interfacing options. I know that N2K is sorta marketing flavor du jour, but it's also a nice way to avoid lots of cable runs and take advantage of existing sensors.

Of course, by the time Maretron DC, AC, and a trio of tank level sensors are added along with a suitable display and software to recognize alarm conditions, we're well over the price of the Blue Sea box (my own data collection system also handles bilge sensors and pump cycling, but that's off in custom territory and doesn't count in comparison). This also looks like it's very power-efficient, especially with that retro passive-matrix LCD... certainly the right choice for an always-on monitoring application where frugal use of milliamps trumps eye candy. (Besides, it's certainly time to replace my LINK 10, which forgets everything whenever anything interesting happens.)

Interfaceability is a big deal, though, and it's not clear at first glance what the alarm outputs do. It is intriguing that they include a 4-pin communication port that says, in the fine PDF print, "Communication port is for use with future modules and should be treated as a non-connect." Might have to watch this space, as they say...

Cheers,
Steve
Nomadness

[Chief Engineer]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Who makes it?

www.sensaphone.com

We have it set up for Fire, Flooding, Low Engine Room Temperature (wintertime), Breakins and if shorepower is disrupted.

It Calls the Captain or Me if he is away.

If you want to protect your investment, it sure beats getting a call from a marina.....many if not all WILL NOT DO A THING 'cept call you.

It is all that liability stuff the liars, I mean lawyers dream up.

[David M]

Nice idea. On the other hand, it sounds like more stuff to fix.

[Chief Engineer]

mostly with winter temperature settings....it has been trouble free.

Originally Posted by David M

Nice idea. On the other hand, it sounds like more stuff to fix.

[bobfnbw]

Reopening this thread.

Anyone have this on their boat?
Wonder if this would replace meters on the ac and dc panels ?
Planing a rewire soon, and the price of all individual ac and dc monitors, bilge counters, and tank monitors adds up. This could be a good replacement.
Wonder is this is a replacement or a addition to meters?
Bob

[Chief Engineer]

There is a balancing act regarding monitors on systems.

In most cases, that I have seen, there is this driving need to monitor everything on a vessel electronically. I don't fully understand it in the recreational end....because most people don't know how to interpret their radar or depth sounders.

I have installed cameras in engine rooms some showing nothing but another gauge panel.

There is a creeping increase in remote monitoring of boats. People just don't want to go into their engine rooms...for any reason.

On the vessel that is my avatar...while underway on the first watch
systems are monitored and recorded every 30 minutes. After that every hour.

BTW our watches are 4 on 8 off

There are wheelhouse engineers and real engineers...I am the among the latter.

[Sandero]

I have stated this before concerning data displays that support multiple information streams - MFDs. I have several cockpit repeaters from B&G which fall into this category.

What I would like to see as a standard feature is the ability of the user to program the display to cycle through data at user selected speed/rate without having to go into a menu to call up some bit of information.

In the case of the cockpit repeaters on Shiva, they are mounted in a dash over the companionway and visible/readable from the entire cockpit (as they should be). However in order to select data I need to hit some button to call it up and sometimes 5 or 6 to get at the data I would like to see. If I were at the helm this would be impossible (arms not long enough!)

I have the same beef with this unit. I believe the link 20 can be set to cycle through 4 "screens" for a single bank, but I am not sure since don't have that set and for batt monitoring I would only be interested in voltage and current / amps.

In the case of a single device with monitors several sources of data along with alarms, it would be nice to be able to cycle through the sources without having to do menu drilling each time.

The RayC and E series solve this by allowing the user to have a data bar at top and even a split screen with data - user selectable. But why not have a cycle feature for all this small multifunction display "head"? Wouldn't that be a good design feature?

[bobfnbw]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

There is a balancing act regarding monitors on systems.

In most cases, that I have seen, there is this driving need to monitor everything on a vessel electronically. I don't fully understand it in the recreational end....because most people don't know how to interpret their radar or depth sounders.

I have installed cameras in engine rooms some showing nothing but another gauge panel.

There is a creeping increase in remote monitoring of boats. People just don't want to go into their engine rooms...for any reason.

On the vessel that is my avatar...while underway on the first watch
systems are monitored and recorded every 30 minutes. After that every hour.

BTW our watches are 4 on 8 off

There are wheelhouse engineers and real engineers...I am the among the latter.

Chief the reason I ask is not so I can't go in my engine room.
I am planning a rewire, and was planning on using Blue Sea Systems new 360 panel system for both ac and dc. I was going to include the digital monitors for both sides to monitor ac voltage, phase and dc voltage, amps etc. I also have a link 10.
To install the digital monitors cost 300 each or so, plus would still need to add tank level monitors, and a bilge pump cycle monitor. All of this cost more than the bss monitor.
So I ask if anyone has one and are they comfortable and happy with it.
This has nothing to do with camaras in engine rooms. Just simple monitoring of multiple systems that we tend to use seperate systems for.
defjef, yeah it would be nice to cycle thru multiple programed screens. This could be accomplished with a firm ware upgrade assuming bss has that capability.

The quick time videos they have will not run on my system for some reason. Crashed my IE.
Bob

[Chief Engineer]

I have installed the Blue Seas Sysytems....Especially the Combination AC-DC Panels.

In fact, one such installation begat two more when their friends saw them.

The problem with additional meters is where do you put them? We tend to run out of space sometimes. I have seen them installed in a cabinet where they could easily be read. But it all depends on the type of vessel you have.....Most of us HATE cutting holes in woodwork.

I didn't mean to offend...sorry

[Extemporaneous]

This is also an interesting product.
CruzPro MaxVu110 User Configurable Multi-Function Instrument
It has been these two products that I've been looking at.
They have similarities and difference in terms of potential and configuration.
Hopefully someone has experience with one or both of them.

Extemp.

[bobfnbw]

Wasn't offended, just clarifying. Appreciate your input.

I will be moving the entire panel which is now in the engine room bulkhead to above a freezer in a walk thru to the aft cabin.
I have plenty of room for this, its the wiring that I have to shoe in :-)
I like the new BSS 360 panels, and will be going with those. I figure that instead of having a seperate digital monitor for ac and dc voltage, and tanks.. etc, that this one will fit better. Looks good as well.
Extempouraneous, that cruzpro looks good, but is pricy, and once you add the transducers... ouch.