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colbysmith
Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4916
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
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 Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:58 am Post subject: Wireless Fuel Flow Meters |
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| I’d like to know what my kicker is actually burning in fuel during use. But I don’t want to run anymore wires throughout the boat. Ideally a flow unit that would mount in the kickers fuel line and read out on a gauge right there, or can wirelessly transmit it to a small gauge that can be located at the cockpit helm and is water proof. And of course it has to be sensitive to the low fuel rates used by a small kicker. I’d like it to read out amount/hr and total used and be resettable. I’ve been looking online but haven’t found anything reasonably priced to do the job. Anyone here have something they are using or know of a unit that fits the bill? Colby |
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ssobol
Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3559
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: Wireless Fuel Flow Meters |
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| colbysmith wrote: | | I’d like to know what my kicker is actually burning in fuel during use. But I don’t want to run anymore wires throughout the boat. Ideally a flow unit that would mount in the kickers fuel line and read out on a gauge right there, or can wirelessly transmit it to a small gauge that can be located at the cockpit helm and is water proof. And of course it has to be sensitive to the low fuel rates used by a small kicker. I’d like it to read out amount/hr and total used and be resettable. I’ve been looking online but haven’t found anything reasonably priced to do the job. Anyone here have something they are using or know of a unit that fits the bill? Colby |
Problem is that most fuel flow sensors can't sense low flows well or at all. When my Honda BF90D is at idle or even a little above it, the FF sensor doesn't register the flow because it is too low. I got the most sensitive FF sensor I could find and it only goes down to around 0.5 g/hr. |
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colbysmith
Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4916
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Problem is that most fuel flow sensors can't sense low flows well or at all. When my Honda BF90D is at idle or even a little above it, the FF sensor doesn't register the flow because it is too low. I got the most sensitive FF sensor I could find and it only goes down to around 0.5 g/hr. |
That's what I was afraid of. I'm sure that most kickers don't use much more than that. I'm mostly concerned how much it uses while trolling. I'll probably just have to use a known amount of fuel and accept that's approximately what it usually uses. Colby |
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thataway
Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 21354
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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The best way to find out what the fuel consumption is to use a calibrated container vs time, and get the fuel flow x time. Problem is that most kickers don’t have tach’s so you won’t be able to reproduce the same RPM (There are vibration tachs available.)
There are some very low flow meters which will work. Colby you need to do some research on that subject. They will not be ones which are common for the marine engines however.
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Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
Caracal 18 140 Suzuki 2007 to present
Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
KA6PKB
Home port: Pensacola FL |
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colbysmith
Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4916
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Colby you need to do some research on that subject. |
In the process, but not having much luck. There are some high priced ones out there, but even they don't appear to have minimums less than about 2GPM. I do believe there are some cheap tachometer/hour meters that have a wire that simply wraps around the #1 sparkplug. However, for my use, I can probably get away with just setting my trolling speed and see how long it takes to use up my 3 gallon tank of gas.  I should probably see if the Yamaha 9.9 high trust kicker already has an internal system that reports fuel flow, like it's bigger brother the 150 does. But don't want to run any more wires for the NMEA system. Colby |
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thataway
Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 21354
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:22 am Post subject: |
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Colby,
There is a rule of thumb, that gas engines get 14 hp /gallon per hour. Diesels get 20 hp/gallon per hour. So if you are running your engine at 7 hp, it would burn half a gallon an hour. Most likely you would be running at closer to 3 1/2 hp--and that would be close to one quart an hour. It is going to take some time to burn the 3 gallons--if it is accurately measured. |
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hardee
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12637
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 2:31 am Post subject: |
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Colby, there are flow rate meters the measure down to the CC per minute or hour --(as your wife, she uses those pumps ate work) However, getting them, might be an issue.
Harvey
SleepyC 
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Though in our sleep we are not conscious of our activity or surroundings, we should not, in our wakefulness, be unconscious of our sleep. |
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ssobol
Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3559
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:12 pm Post subject: |
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| hardee wrote: | | Colby, there are flow rate meters the measure down to the CC per minute or hour --(as your wife, she uses those pumps ate work) However, getting them, might be an issue. ... |
Probably won't last long in a salty marine environment either.
Getting one with power requirements and outputs that are useful on a boat is also going to be hard to find. Most fine reading flow meters are meant for laboratory and test installations. |
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hardee
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12637
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know if this is correct the ones I was referring to are for IV fluids and are based on Doppler sensing, not actually in the liquid flow stream. Some are on roller pumps, like in dialysis machines, where the measurements does not come from a paddle wheel in the liquid.
Harvey
SleepyC
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starcrafttom
Joined: 07 Nov 2003
Posts: 7932
City/Region: marysville
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1984
C-Dory Model: 27 Cruiser
Vessel Name: to be decided later
Photos: Susan E
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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There was a guy at the boat show 4 years? ago that was selling a wire less gas flow meter that did measure very small flows. I cant remember the name but I posted about it at the time.
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Thomas J Elliott
http://tomsfishinggear.blogspot.com/ |
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