adding an hour meter

My engine hour meter on my original tach no longer works. Instead of replacing the tack at significant cost I am looking into an hour meter that would stand alone. In the aviation world it might be referred to as a Hobbs meter.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the best unit to use and how to hook it up as well as where to mount it?

Hour Meter

I replaced a dead hr meter on my 28+ (Universal 18) with one from an auto supply store at about $25. It is wired into the "run" side of the ignition switch.

My 32-3 came with the Hobbs and the fuel gauge mounted under the seat lid to the right of the panel. I tossed the Fuel gauge and moved the Hobbs to the lower hole. Still bloody hard to read. Must grovel down to the kill cable, then look up through your eyebrows.

I see no reason for the Hobbs to be in the cockpit. I might mount it over the engine box to read from below.

The factory-installed ( presumably) hour meter on our boat was/is mounted on the side of the engine enclosure facing into the walkway into the aft cabin. To read it without squinting I do have to sit on the head of the bunk.
It is wired into the 12 volt circuit that feeds the electric ("Facit" brand) lift pump. This kept the wire run to around a foot.

I have seen at least one other sistership with the meter elsewhere, so there must have been some "random-ness" in the installation...



Loren

My hour meter is inside the boat on the side of the teak box that covers the back of the instruments on the stbd side of the companionway. It's really hard to see unless I am sitting at the Nav desk and look directly inboard. Didn't even know I had one until I re-read the survey and it stated engine hours "per meter". I don't see why you couldn't mount your new hour meter anywhere you like. Mine counts hours when the engine key is on.

I seriously thought about mounting my replacement fuel gauge at the Nav desk but I decided to put it back where it was just to fill the existing hole near the engine panel.

Mark

Hour meter

This reminds me, my boat has no hour meter, so I am going to add this in the engine compartment this spring:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049I6TJA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Steve Pretti

1987 E-32 III Glory Days

I mounted an aftermarket hourmeter just outside the engine room in the bulkhead. It is connected to the hot side of the switch and works great.

I wonder if any of these is lighted. One tends to read the hour meter at night, and other instruments are ty[pically lighted.

I think I will mount it behind the ladder on the bulkhead.



No light needed there, and not obtrusive.

Steve Pretti
1987 E32- III Glory Days
Rock Hall, Md.

No light on ours although I wish there was. I have to kneel down with a flashlight sometimes to read it.

I got an Isspro meter from Moyer Marine, mostly because I've been slowly replacing my other gauges from that source and wanted them to match. Also because I drive right past the Isspro factory in north Portland sometimes, and there's a bit of local connection.
The gauge failed in the first few months, and Don sent a replacement right away. He did double-check with the factory and verified that it's supposed to be weatherproof.

I put it in the cockpit, with all the pros & cons listed above. I think it does have a backlight that can be wired to the same switch as the rest of your instruments. I didn't want it to be off by itself somewhere in an odd location, and I wanted it to be handy for recording daily engine hours in the log, and for noting service intervals. (Well, that was the aspiration, anyway.) If I had an aft nav station, as per GrandPa Steve's pic, I might put it there. I guess I could have put it on my nav station control panel, but it would have been a long wire run and wasn't obvious to me at the time. I may re-think this - got some engine-monitor alarm lights to install too...

You can also wire it in various ways. E.g. to the engine key or to the oil pressure switch, or so that the display is always on or only on when the key is on.

Adding an hour meter

• Although hour meters used on aircraft typically are Hobbs it does not mean that they are the best. It has been my experience that the hour meter will quit even if it is high quality like Hobbs is. Looking through log books will prove me out.
• As to mounting; I mounted mine on the electrical panel (at the chart table) where it can bee seen to estimate the hours remaining for float planning.

Ccaptain

Galley

SeaRogue said:

My engine hour meter on my original tach no longer works. Instead of replacing the tack at significant cost I am looking into an hour meter that would stand alone. In the aviation world it might be referred to as a Hobbs meter.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the best unit to use and how to hook it up as well as where to mount it?

Click to expand...

On our 32-3 the meter is mounted in the gallery which was done by a previous owner. Strange place to mount one I thought at first but it's very easy to read (especially when I'm cooking something for the 1st mate) and I imagine running the wires to that point was easy.

Ccaptain said:

• Although hour meters used on aircraft typically are Hobbs it does not mean that they are the best. It has been my experience that the hour meter will quit even if it is high quality like Hobbs is. Looking through log books will prove me out.
• As to mounting; I mounted mine on the electrical panel (at the chart table) where it can bee seen to estimate the hours remaining for float planning.

Ccaptain

Click to expand...

Ours is read and the hours notated at the beginning and end of each day of sailing.

Bolo said:

On our 32-3 the meter is mounted in the gallery which was done by a previous owner. Strange place to mount one I thought at first but it's very easy to read (especially when I'm cooking something for the 1st mate) and I imagine running the wires to that point was easy.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that would be a very easy wire run form the engine panel to the galley bulkhead.

Well, in fact Isspro hour meter #2 has failed. I guess I'll have to give them a Do Not Buy recommendation. Or at least do not install in the cockpit. The display of the first one went to 8888 after the winter. This one has gone to all black.

Location by the nav station

Rick R,

I have a spot by the nav station where an item was previously mounted and has been removed that would be perfect for mounting the hour meter. How did you run the wiring to yours?