Lowrance LMF-200

[tsubaki]

Any of ya'll had any experiance with these?

[tsubaki]

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/tsubaki3/Picture045.jpg

[tsubaki]

This booger is supposed to do everything if you can stomach it all on one gauge. I would like to use it as a fuel flow monitor, tach and depth gauge.

[THEFERMANATOR]

They make a 2 1/8" and a 3 3/8" model of them. Only real down side I've seen to them is you have to run the LOWRANCE senders with them. But you can do alot of interfacing with it. I've been eyeing it myself ;D.

[tsubaki]

Your correct, this one came with the flow monitor.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/tsubaki3/Picture046.jpg

[tsubaki]

It seems the more I dig, the more confused I get with it.
It's a NMEA 2000 Network or Lowrance NET connection, so you are right about only being able to use their connections and devices.

[tsubaki]

Right now I can't get any educated information from the dealers or Lowrance, however I do have an e-mail inquiry to them about accessories. Right now I can't find any order numbers for the tach or depth portion.

[THEFERMANATOR]

It should be able to interface with a GPS or bottom finder that works on the NMEA interface signal. But to use all of the bells and whistles you need to run the LOWRANCE net setup.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Right now I can't get any educated information from the dealers or Lowrance, however I do have an e-mail inquiry to them about accessories. Right now I can't find any order numbers for the tach or depth portion.
Your depth would come from an interphased bottom machine, and the tach signal would either come from there sensor or through an engine setup like the MERCURY SMARTCRAFT that can be interphased. Welcome to the PLAYSTATION age.

[tsubaki]

At the present time the installation guide was published the probe sensors available were the: EP-10 Fuel flow, EP-15 Fluid level, EP-20 Engine interface, EP-25 Speed, EP-30 Trim Tab, EP-35 Temp and EP-45 Water pressure.
Maybe the EP-20 will do the tach portion. ???

[tsubaki]

My only concern is the possibility of having to need a sonar unit also in order to get the tach, fuel monitor and depth. If it works the way I'm hopeing a transducer should be able to connect to this network and not need the sonar unit. All I would be able to read would be depth of course. :P
One of my biggest downfalls is over analysing stuff.

[tsubaki]

Right now I tend to agree with you about all of it. Most likely I'll need the sonar unit (bottom reader) to do depth. What I was trying to do was locate a transducer in the bow just to read mean depth also.
I am going to have a GPS-sonar unit also but with the transducer in "clean" water.

Below is the reasoning for getting the gauge.

[tsubaki]

Lowrance LMF-200 w/Fuel Flow Sensor EP-10



Advanced multi-function, high-contrast round dot matrix gauge displaying graphic and numerical digital data. NMEA 2000® data communications compatible, and connect within an affordable, high-performance LowranceNET™ network to display real-time readings from an array of compatible electronic probes (E.P.s), like fluid level, temp, speed, and more!


Key Features<<

High-contrast dot matrix display with advanced LED backlighting
Compact size fits 2-1/8" (55mm) diameter hole
NMEA 2000® compatible for LowranceNET™ networking
Capable of configuring other Lowrance NMEA 2000 devices on the network bus
Capable of displaying the following NMEA 2000 data: paddlewheel speed, GPS speed, tachometer, battery voltage, alternator voltage, engine temperature, water pressure, engine oil pressure, fuel pressure, boost pressure, transmission oil pressure, atmospheric pressure, temperature, depth, engine loads, engine hours, fuel flow, fuel economy, fuel remaining, fuel used, fuel range, trip fuel used, seasonal fuel used, engine synchronizer, fluid level, GPS position, trim tab position, engine trim position, and engine alarms and warnings
Capable of showing data in the following page formats: single digital, dual digital, single analog, trim tab, engine diagnostics, engine trim, and engine synchronizer
Packaged with or without a Fuel Flow E.P. sensor
Compatible with an array of electronic probes, including fluid level, temp, speed, and more
Capable of connecting to a remote speaker for alarms

[reelapeelin]

Like that ;) ...

[tsubaki]

Here's another one stateing the same thing.

Monitor information being relayed from sensors in your LowranceNET™ system with these gauges. The LMF-200 is a 2" NMEA 2000® Multifunction Gauge. Capable of showing data in Single Digital, Dual Digital, Single Analog, Trim Tab, Engine, Diagnostics, Engine Trim and Engine Synchronizer formats. Capacity for up to 16 pages in the queue. Page scrolling from 1 to 60 seconds. Dash Light Sense, Backlight, and Reverse Video control of itself and other gauges over the bus. The LMF-400 is a 4" NMEA 2000® Multifunction Gauge. Similar features as the LMF-200 with the following additional page formats: Dual Analog, Quad Analog, and Quad Digital. Both units are capable of displaying the following NMEA 2000 data:
Paddlewheel Speed
GPS Speed
Tachometer * ******** I want dis one
Battery Voltage
Alternator Voltage
Engine Temperature
Water Pressure
Engine Oil Pressure
Fuel Pressure
Boost Pressure
Transmission Oil Pressure
Atmospheric Pressure
Temperature
Depth * * ******* I want dis one
Engine Load
Engine Hours
Fuel Flow * ******* I got dis one
Fuel Economy/Fuel Remaining
Fuel Used
Fuel Range
Trip Fuel Used
Season Fuel Used
Engine Synchronizer
Fluid Level
GPS Position
Trim Tab Position
Engine Trim Position
Engine Alarms Warnings

*

[tsubaki]

This might be streaching it a bit, but the connections appear compatible.

Lowrance PD-WBL Transducer
Model Specifications/
Transducers Fits
PD-WBL Trolling motor-mount or shoot-thru-hull,
200kHz, 20° pod type LCX Series, X Series Sonar, LMS-480,
LMS-330C, LMS-332C, LMS-334C

[tsubaki]

Another site possibly confirming it.
Model PDT-WBL - 200 kHz, 20° Pod w/Temp, 10' Cable, fits units with blue connectors.
There are three different colored connectors with the system(s). BLUE, GRAY and RED.
All the connectors with this unit are BLUE.

[reelapeelin]

I just put a new Lowrance Combo in mine...those are the same "T" connectors that came w/it ;) ...

[tsubaki]

Reel, did you recieve as much non information about accessories on what you got? The instructions are reasonablly clear as to what to do but none as far as expanding, it does say each probe will have seperate instructions. The dealer told me good luck in finding out the capability of all Lowrance products because they won't even give the dealers info.

[tlb888]

tsubaki,

I have one and use it soley for fuel management. It works OK but does not register sometimes when idling and I knew that going in. Other than that it is more of a piece of mind for me over the digital yamaha guage letting me know what consumption is. Without a GPS you cannot read GPM only fuel used, fuel remaining, and GPH. Let me know if you have any problems, Lowrance customer service can be very slow to respond.

Also there a couple of guys on THT that are experts on these and the NAVMAN guages, just ask on the electronics forum and they will respond.

[tsubaki]

I'm finding out that most Navman stuff is being discontinued and for the most part all I want to do is read GPH, RPM and if possible (but not necessary) depth.
I may go as far to put both fuel tanks on it also.

[reelapeelin]

Try here...the 200 is listed...


http://www.lowrance.com/manuals/default.asp

[tsubaki]

Thanks Reel, that gives me a lot more than I had on the accessories that I know about. I seemed at a dead end before this. Thanks :)

[reelapeelin]

Glad it helped :) ...

[tsubaki]

To further complicate the unknown. I looked in THT's forum and come to find out Lowrance has just released the EP-20 this week which may do the tach portion I want.
However it's desighed for Suziki engines. One guy is attempting spliceing to his BRP.
It appears it's not able to hook up like a normal tach but has to go thru the engines data harness.
I'll search for more dealers that might advertise for it.
Currently it's not on any website for sale.

[tsubaki]

Finding trickles of info about the EP-20 sensor from anyone except Lowrance. I have found one supplier who shows it in stock and the info states "for use on Yamaha, Suzuki, Evinrude and other engines that are NMEA 2000 compliant".
WELL so far that leaves my "84 Evinrude out of the picture! *:(

[tsubaki]

Oh by the way, day 5 and no responce from Lowrance.

[Airslot]

Navman stuff is being rebadged Northstar for the USA. Your not going to get an old 2 stroke to work on a NMEA2000 system because the tach signal is just a pulse of the stator (I think the stator). The new systems are getting there data feed from the Central Processor on the motors.

[tsubaki]

I tend to believe you on that. You know I have never had a problem with Lowrance products, however I am being refreshed on why I have purchased other manufacturers stuff of the same caliber. LACK OF IMFORMATION ON LOWRANCE PRODUCTS!
The tach portion I wanted is apparently not going to happen now I wonder about the depth portion. :(
THANKS Air

[Airslot]

The depth portion? Without re-reading the thread, I know that the transducer signal will transmit through the network, but you will need a device capable of "decoding" what the transducer is saying, then the depth info can be displayed on just about any display on the system.

[tsubaki]

Well if that's the case then I got one more gauge to stick in the dash. I don't like the idea of depending on an entire network in case of an electronics failure. The intended idea was to have a fuel monitor, tach and depth gauge as one unit. The depth gauge would be thru the hull in the bow and a seperate GPS-Sonar unit with the other transducer in clean water. The possibility of having the fuel level probes in the LMF-200 does exist. Based on the literature provided by Lowrance the unit will read all what I'm trying to do, however deep down I know you're correct and will need the sonar unit to attach to the network for the gauge to do what I want.

[tsubaki]

Air if you don't mind read the first page and see if you think I'm trying to streach this unit to do more than intended. I think the word "capable" might be the escape clause.

[tsubaki]

Mac_Attack just blew me out the water with what I was trying to do with the gauges.
http://www.evinrude.com/NR/rdonlyres/FC564B83-3D2E-4874-9151-D2A38CDA7344/0/BOM_60497_GaugesBro_7_web.pdf
Look in General under "Well hung!"
And now in Modifications under "Evinrude I-command gauges"

[Airslot]

I just went back and re-read everything and got hung up on these words, "capable of showing data." It doesn't process data, maybe fuel flow, but...I don't think its gonna do what you want.

Even interfacing it to current GPS, most aren't NMEA2000 yet. Most operate under NMEA0183 protocol, so even hooking it up to most exsisting systems won't work. To get the engine data (Tach) your engine has to transmit NMEA 2000 as well.

I think Lowrance has a great idea here, but they don't really have any partners yet. BRP & Suzy are the only two manufacturers that are pushing NMEA2000 at this point. Merc is proprietary SmartCraft and I have no idea what Yami is using.

I think that the LMF 200 you got is gonna give you fuel flow, but nothing else. I could be wrong, but I don't see have that gauge is intended to process the raw sonar returns from the 'ducer. I mean if thats the case, I assume you could it up to their radome as well ;D Now ya got something...

My .02

[tsubaki]

Yep, yep,yep. That is one of my weaknesses, impulse buying. However I did research the unit to the end with information available and on impulse bought it at the store with the hope of further info being available.
Right now this gauge appears to be able to stand alone and read fuel flow,fluid level,speed,and temp.
THANKS Air for taking the time to confirm all this. :-/