chartplotter fishfinder install

So I started working on my boat a few weeks ago and realized that I had noticed my fish finder was failing.  Given that if I wanted to replace it I had to do it before the boat went into the water, I decided to do it. I picked a Raymarine E7D mainly because my current units worked for over 15 years and I was familiar with them.  I decided to install the unit in the old electronics enclosure cover.  This isn't ideal because they are exposed to the world, but I noticed that all the other boats in my marina had electronics even more exposed. I decided to keep my charplotter even though the E7D is a multi-function display (MFD). I will use it until it goes up and dedicate the MFD to fish finder mode.  I had my marina install the new transducer mainly because it required under the waterline holes be drilled and they had it at a reasonable price.  Next was the mods to the mounting panel I did at home.  The first picture shows the templates and the second shows the old chartplotter (RC420) set where it is to go.  I plan on putting a new plate on or a cover plate when that one is done.  At the same time I did this I decided to do two things that were out of scope for the install.  One was pretty straight forward and I figured I had the dash apart I should replace the side panel that wasn't replaced when I got the new engines.  It was cracked and wrapped.  The new side panel is shown below with the trim tab controls installed.  The second out of scope item was driven by having a VHF radio that supported DSC or digital signal calling, which means it can send and or send and receive position data via NMEA 0183.  The radio is in the radio box above the helm.   The new MFD (and the old one for that matter) has NMEA connections and I thought I would set up the system to support that again while I was wiring up the E7D.  Well that was a mistake. The day of the install I got the display wired and mounted and the side panel on.  Then I started to look at what it would take to get the NMEA up to the radio.  This was going to require running 8 wires up to the box through the hardtop tubing.  I found an unused 10 gauge wire running up there but the first problem was were did it come out under the dash. The second problem was what wire could I find that was 8 conductor stranded in a small enough size to be run up there.  To solve the wire location  problem I had to take apart the area under the seat where the wires came in from the hardtop and then traced it back under the dash.  I then attached a weed whacker line to the 10 gauge wire and pulled it through.  Once done I decided that I needed 2 pull wires in case I lost the new signal wire or it broke.  Both happened by the way multiple times.  The second problem had me go to West Marine (the wire they had was too big) then to Home depot (only had solid core telephone or CAT5 cable, would break under vibration) and finally a electrical supply house (didn't have anything like what I needed). In the end I went back to West Marine and bought wire that was 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the 10 gauge wire.  As I said I spent 4-5 hours trying to pull this wire though. As I was doing this I realized that the radio I had only needed 2 of the 8 wires and only sent location data and wouldn't receive it and display on my MFD.  In the end unless I upgrade my radio this isnt half as neat as I thought it was going to be. After a long hard day I buttoned everything up and caulked the panels, but then I said I should do the other side panel which doesn't require getting under the dash but has 10 switches and lettering on it which is going to require some real work. Also I can now route the engines data to the MFD (and vice versa) via the NMEA 2000 or deviceNet network that they can share. That looks like it is straight forward but will require a cable or two and opening the dash again (nice summer project).     

Below are some more pictures.  Under the side panel, the MFD and old chartplotter as installed, under the seat (you can see the orange weed whacker line used to pull), The radio box, the display's wiring (re-purposed the old engine terminal strips that were left after getting the new engines).

End of March short

March Madness, Oh it gets worse.  In all my brackets I don't have any finalist left except 1.  Not a good year.  I did enjoy FGCUs run and the Wichita state's cheerleaders flashing the shocker symbol at the cameras....

I started a new project that I was reminded of when I started working on the boat.  I had forgotten or blocked out the fact that my fishfinder was on the fritz the end of last year and if I was to replace it I had to do it before the boat was launched due to the fact the transducer would have to be replaced.  Anyway I agonized over what to get for a few weeks.  In the end I settled on the Raymarine E7D.  I will post some of the project progress.

March Madness 2013

This year it's round 2 (technically 3) and my bracket has been busted since half way through day 1.  Every year I get some insight into how things are going to go a week or two before the tournament.  This year my insight was blurred and Recognizing this I decided not to play.  Last year I won money in both contests I entered, so I was obligated to try again.  As I said my bracket is in disarray, especially the West region where I though for some reason New Mexico was the sleeper pick of the year.  Yeah they lost day one.  Now my final fours are intact except one bracket where Georgetown blew it against Florida Gulf Coast who wasn't even in the NCAA until last year.  Well I didn't feel real good about my bracket last year either at this time and things worked out, so we'll see.

Raven's WTF is going on?

Ray retired.  Anquan Boldin gets traded.  Bernard Pollard gets cut.  Kruger we knew was gone. Those are known. Ellerbe was supposed to resign; he didn't.  Ed Reed looks like he is going to Houston or at least out of here.  Mckinney is probably gone (considering he doesn't get along with somebody).  That is 7 starters off the superbowl team.  The gut reaction is Flaccos contract did it.  The Ravens lovers would quickly point out Flacco's contract cap hit isn't much next year, so that's not the reason.  If that is so then why the shedding of players?  I think it isn't the cap for next year dictating these actions but the cap in the next 3-4 years.  By extension it is Joe's contract that is causing this, so stop trying to shift the reason off of Joe's contract.  All I can say is own up to the situation.  The team is trading a solid quarterback, known commodity, for every other piece of the team.  I get it but disagree.  The Raven's are built around the pieces on mainly on D and not a star QB.  Putting it all on Joe (and Ray Rice) isn't going to work.  Anybody remember how Joe played before Mckinney started?  Yeah he needs time in the pocket and without that solid O-line he's average.  Even with the line he looked great, because somebody made some miraculous catches.  Who was that? Oh yeah, it was Q who we traded for a 6 round pick!  Shakes head.  Next year we'll go 8-8 at best and cinci will win the division.  

Salmon cakes and potatoes au gratin

I made these salmon cakes yesterday.  Turned out pretty good.  The amount of corn seemed excessive and looked like it to, but it tasted good.  On a food eating note, I've kept my weight at 213 well 212 on a good day.  I would like to lose 10 more pounds, but working out is causing me to ache more than usual.  I'm sticking to every other day to minimize the discomfort.  I haven't injured anything specific, but it seems like it doesn't take much for me to over-do it these days. That said I'm going to try and cut out desserts.  I watch what I eat; however, I do like my cookies at lunch. No more starting today. I figure that couple hunderd calories per day is going to make some difference ATBE (all things being equal, is that a valid acronym?) .  We'll see.  Oh I dont know if I mentioned I'm trying to learn spanish.  Started with memrise now I'm doing duolingo .  Duolingo is more traditional (grammar and mechanics) than memrise in that memrise was more vocabulary.

End of February post

Not too much going on in the last few weeks.  I've been sticking to my workout and diet plan pretty well.  I am hovering around 213 pounds. So with this means lots of gym time and of course you notice things at the gym.  Ok I've gone to the Towson location a bunch and there are a lot more older people at that location than Canton. My question is why do older men like to hang out naked in the locker room?  On more than one occasion I have observed dudes carry on long conversations and just taking their time getting changed stark naked. This seems to be part of their routine.  I chalked it up to an older man thing, innocent until one day this old man was talking to a little boy who was with his dad.  The dad was changing and this naked man was talking to the boy about his belly button.  I just left not leave the boy in danger, his dad was there, but I don't think I would be real comfortable with a naked man talking to my son about his body parts. I'm sorry but it ain't right. Next issue is a bit less inappropriate, but inappropriate none the less.  So I head into the gym around 6:30 (Fort Avenue), there is the older man reading the newspaper up by the desk.  Ok no big deal its not normal for people to hang out much at all, most people in and out.  I get changed and do my hour routine. I come back into the locker room and who waltzes in? Yep, newspaper guy.  So I start getting changed, this guy finds an outlet and starts to shave his beard.  not at a sink, but like 5 feet from me at some lockers. He doesn't just shave but then proceeds to groom himself like picking nose hairs and the like. Im thinking how is he going to get the hair up off the bench? I mean the next people to change there are going to have old white stubble all over their clothes.  Then I was thinking is this guy well? Think about it he read the paper for an hour or so then decides to shave, I don't think he was even thinking about working out.  This isn't a rental living area it is a gym primarily for working out.  This was weird, the next weirdest thing I had seen at that gym was the guy who would ask if you were done with a piece of equipment then try and strike up a conversation.  Most people either wait patiently or find some other thing to do.  if they do ask its like you almost done yes/no ok I'll wait. No this guy is like: you done no oh well I need to use it, you know its real busy in here, I like to do that exercise, etc. He got me once and I figured it was a one-time thing. I was wrong, every time I see him he's do it. Guess what he's an older gentleman. I would think that these guys would take clue from the majority of the clientele, come in, work out, go home. That makes it easier on everybody.

The Baltimore Allstars showed up again and Ski trip '13

It all came together one more time and this one was for Ray. This picture says it all:

Closing thoughts on the season:

Flacco's going to get his money, just don't break the team, because without talent in the other 10 on the field, specifically the O-line most importantly, Joe wont be successful.

Lastly, thanks Ray, the Ravens will not be the same without you.

The weekend following the Baltimore All-star's victory was the 3rd annual Ski trip.  For the second season we went to West Virginia's Canaan Valley, although only 2 couples participated. Getting there in the winter is interesting, we were ok but our guests came later and ran into some weather. Last year the same thing happened to some folks.  I think in the future daytime arrival is critical.  Weather from there on was beautiful and made hitting the slopes a pleasure.  We snowboared at Timberline Saturday (where we stayed) and then the Canaan Valley ski area on Sunday.  I had a new used board to get used to.  It did it's job after a few incidents, but all in all it was an upgrade from the tired ex-rental board I had been riding.  My brother in-law likes to push the limits so the first day it we did a double black diamond (see picture below).  That went ok for me meaning I got down on the board not my face. As the afternoon crowds hit lift lines became nuts.  The second day, I followed him off a trail into a few feet of powder on the steepest slope I had been on.  Let's just say I'm glad powder is soft.  We ran all the trails that place had (with no lift lines) and had another great day on the slopes with no permanent injuries.

Timberline morning

 Me

Experts Only (but nobody asked for my card)

 Canaan Valley Ski Area 

wife and the dogs