zmk1962

I'm thinking of converting my canvas bimini to a hardtop. Can anyone recommend a fiberglassing service - preferably in the Hills area? Thanks.

Yup. The unit had a "road mode" .... tried it... only to hear sweet sounds of radio static... so back to the drawing board and my original request. Anyone living in Hills area that has a GME 27mhz antenna that I may borrow for a few hours. Please PM me. Thanks Raiders.

Hi Tef1on... Thanks for the reply. I am not hearing anything when on the water the last few trips - no weather nothing except radio "noise". Even in scan mode going through all the channels for hours at a time I am not picking up the weather etc etc. My conclusion was -- No point asking maritime for a radio check - as I would not hear the reply ! My set is an old GME GX300 unit... good call to check if it has a "road mode". I'll go and dig the manual out now. Cheers.

Hi Raiders, Last few trips my 27mhz has gone silent... lights are on, some noise comes out of the speakers but cannot hear any chatter - so cannot even test I am transmitting. There is lots of talk of 27mhz going away, I don't want to start spending lots on trying to get the 27mhz system working again. But since I did find it useful with clubs and colleagues on occasions I would like to do a basic test to figure out which component has failed - radio / cable / antenna. I'm looking for someone in the Hills area that may have a 27mhz antenna with a base like the one in the picture - I would love to borrow it for a few hours to connect to my set up and check if I can hear anything - or score a radio check response. PM me if you can help. Thanks Raiders...

Agree with oz_brett you have the option to install inside the hull....I have the transducer mounted inside my glass hull and "shooting thru"... FYI I have not found I have lost temp reading. Mine is a deep V hull and the transducer is mounted deep in the well just before the bungs where there is always some water... there is another topic started by VViCKiD (Transducer Installation) where I summarized my experiences comparing the temp reads at this point vs outside water. But you have to be sure your hull bottom is solid glass and there is no plywood or other sandwich material between the transducer and the water - just fiberglass ..... I have outlined in the other post how to test if your hull is suitable. If you are interested to discuss how to do the installation - PM me your mobile and I will text you a few times that I am available in between work. Cheers.

True, it will read the temp of the water (and there is always some water) in the bottom of the hull which will stabilize with outside water temp over time - so in the purest sense there will be a temp reading delay with the thru hull set up. But practically I have not seen much difference. Since my sounder also accepted and external Temp/speed impeller in the Aux port I ran with that for many years -- on a few occasions early on we even used the deck wash to fill up the well and compare what it was reading previously and the temp of the fresh water we had added to the well (with the bilge going). The difference I noted was negligible and going forward I was happy enough to just use the thru hull. I have a deep V so it does sit deep in the water at the back. PS - I eventually disconnected the impeller and ext temp source as I now use the Aux port to send an NMEA GPS location signal to my VHF radio - flick of a button and the VHF transmits my current location.

A suggestion before you start bolting more on the stern. I see from the picture its a glass hull and you have a large bung to the left of the transducer -- I presume there is probably a well in the hull behind the bung. If the bottom of your hull is solid glass in the well area you have an opportunity to mount the transducer inside. I have done this and I have nothing projecting from the back of the hull - no rooster tail, no drag, nothing to snag, nothing to damage and no discernible loss of signal or performance. I can sound bottom at Browns and can read bottom up to near WOT. If interested - to test this approach, fill some salt water in the well, place your transducer in there and put a wet sand bag or something similar on top to keep it weighted down. Take the boat for a run. You can play around with the position of the transducer within the limits of your well size. If you like the result, note the position of the transducer and fibregalss resin it into place. As fibreglass and resin are the same density as water they do not impact performance - however if you use silicone it WILL significantly reduce transducer performance. I understand it is a bit of a pain when you want to change transducers/systems (I've changed mine once in 15yrs) - but consider how often do you do that vs how trouble free a working through hull set up can be.

I have attached a picture of the basic wiring for the connections. This was from - http://www.4wdadventurers.com/showthread.php?775-DIY-Guide-to-Trailer-Plugs The basic 7pin configuration is replicated in the 12pin configuration - and 12pin has additional pins like Pin 9 for Aux Battery charging. Pin 5 is the braking signal common to both. But it sounds like you are replicating my old 7pin configuration - which was legal unless your rig is over 2T and has to go to a HVIS for rego (Heavy Vehicle Inspection Station) which required the in car monitoring of the trailer battery. So if you have 7pin trailer and 7pin car then you are running only one circuit for the brakes - and this should be wired on the trailer to power both the brakes and to charge your trailer battery. (The battery charging will only occur when the car brakes are applied). Pin 5 is what your trailer brakes should be running off - and the car circuit feeding Pin 5 should be hardy enough to take the brake load of all the trailer brakes and the trailer battery charging. If you have just tapped into the car tail light to feed Pin 5 I doubt you will get enough current through pin 5 to drive the trailer brakes and charge the battery - you may have enough to activate the trailer brake controller but it may be drawing current from the trailer battery to do the actual work of powering the brakes. Ideally Pin 5 should be supplied through a separate relay in the car activated by your brake circuit. Also ideally on the trailer - the brake battery charge circuit being fed from Pin 5 should have a diode (to only allow current flow one way into the battery) and not allow the battery to drive the trailer brakes - preserving its charge for emergency use. Ofcourse there will be a separate circuit from the trailer battery through the breakaway switch to power the brakes in the event of a disconnection from the car in emergency. Not sure if this is helping!

I don't have a Redarc system so can only go of my experience with my much older cobmination of Hayman Reese controller + Carlisle Hydrastar trailer brake unit. It sounds like your wiring between the Redarc in the car and the trailer is incorrect or incompatible or faulty. There seems to be a charging circuit from the vehicle to the trailer that is missing or in-operational. As I understand it, your trailer brakes should ONLY run off the trailer battery when the breakaway switch has been pulled out of its socket. During normal operation when the trailer is connected to the vehicle brake power is drawn from the vehicle -- it should not be running off the battery. You said you recently installed a Redarc controller in the car, what is on the trailer? Is that a Redarc unit or wired to be compatible with your Redarc in car controller? Can you track down the wiring of the trailer? In my case for 10yrs I ran with the flat 7pin connector between the car and trailer, but I had to upgrade my existing system to comply with RTA standards (namely in car monitoring of the trailer brake battery condition) and this forced an upgrade to the 12pin connectors to accommodate the additional charge and monitoring circuits that were required. As a first check what is on your car and trailer 7 or 12pins? From memory in the past you were able to activate the trailer brakes and charge the trailer battery off your brake light signal in the car...but to meet the current requirements that are being enforced regarding monitoring the trailer battery condition from the normal driving position, you have to disconnect the charging while you were sampling the battery - otherwise you are just monitoring your vehicles charging circuit. This required a separate circuit to be installed just for charging the trailer battery - which could be isolated during sampling period. The operation of the trailer brakes when connected was still through the vehicle brake circuit (not from the trailer battery). The modern controllers like the Redarc may be expecting separated wiring, but your trailer may be wired differently. Hence why RTA now expects trailers to have a sticker that they must be towed by a vehicle with a "compatible system" and both must be presented as a set at rego time of the trailer.

I just did a quick search of the Redarc site... this is what they say regarding shade of red "Application of the brakes from the foot brake or the manual button on the controller will change the LED to red - the shade of red indicating to what degree the brakes are being applied." Shade of red seems to be related to the braking gain you have set. Have you changed the braking level in-between application of the brakes?? http://www.redarc.com.au/products/product/remote-mount-electric-trailer-brake-controller/

Agree Swifty13.... I wrote a fairly long post in this topic earlier -- scroll up to 12 September 2014... I documented my experiences there.

Unfortunaltely I am one of those that forked out $4000 in repairs to my EFI 2 Stroke having been sold a dud batch of fuel with alcohol which separated over time in the EFI pump causing it to seize - so although I am not a mechanic I have an expensive past experience to underpin my caution. I am also a Chemical Engineer so have a basic understanding of the underlying processes to mix insolvent liquids to create emulsions or miscible solutions. So while I agree with you that adding a small amount of metho is an effective method of removing water I would add to that -- only if you are going to consume the whole tank of fuel within a very short period of time - as in the case of cars with relatively small tanks driven daily. Hence, I would still generally not recommend adding metho to boat fuel to remove condensation when you consider i) if your motor is a 2-stroke it uses the fuel as a lubricant, ii) the combustion of alcohol creates water and carbon gases - that last ignition will leave some water behind, iii) most boats have significant amounts of fuel sitting idle in the tank for months at a time, iv) during this idle time the alcohol and water will separate out again and the alcohol will further break down to water and acid. So as I understand it, 4-stroke motors may not be as susceptible to issues as they have a sump and hence separate lubrication system but even then the engines have to be designed to run on petroleum-alcohol blends with many parts made out of materials resistant to the effects of the water/acid mix. ... As you say - people need to read and make their own decision based on their circustances.

I would advise against adding Metho or other alcohols to petroleum based fuels - remebering back to my chemistry days alcohols break down to water and acid and you will end up with even MORE water in your fuel then the condensation you are trying to remove. Also most outboards out in the community are of a vintage that was not manufactured to run on fuels with alcohol content (like E10).

I have had the same Rule 360gph on my live tank for 9yrs ... no issues with the pump - in fact I am waiting for it to fail so I can fit a bigger one - I could use the extra water flow as I have spliced into the live bait hose to run a tap on the cutting board and also a hose to fill the kill tank etc. I have the pump mounted on the stern on a s/s bracket that has a water pickup pipe with a small bend in it facing forward (bought from WWths). When I was fitting it, I do recall being advised if I was mounting a bilge pump on top to position the bracket so as NOT to have the pipe fully immersed facing forward when the hull was planing -- as I would be forcing water at quite some pressure through the pump - leading to early pump failure. I mounted mine so just part of the outer rim of the pipe protrudes from under the hull stern - my set up works fine at all speeds. Maybe check your setup - the position of your pickup at high speed or over time may be blowing the impeller off the spindle by forcing the water through the pump - which would explain why you can hear the pump running but get no water flow. You may not need to reposition your bracket or pickup. I have seen some custom ally boats where the pickup was a vertical aluminum pipe cut at an angle (no bend) with just the open face of the cut facing forward and they pick up water fine. So if your pick up is like mine with a bend facing forward, maybe just saw off the bend on the pipe.

Here are the rules ... http://maritimemanagement.transport.nsw.gov.au/lifejackets/lifejacket-servicing-and-maintenance/index.html

If the rig is over 2T there are several things the in car controller must do to pass the NSW towing requirements for trailer registration - the rules include statements like you must have the charge of the battery constantly monitored from within the tow vehicle when coupled. There have been previous posts on this topic.

I have just had one custom made last year....my 3rd. I have a 6.35m boat and the custom cover is snug enough to tow with. It is made from waterproof marine acrilyc canvas. In my experience the good quality custom jobs last about 7-8yrs. I used a local trimmer in the Hills area - and he did a great job and I would recommend him. PM me for details if interested.

He he he ..... No complaints about the Hills !!! ...or from the Hills please !

The water mostly runs out from around the prop - my prop (Vengence) does nto have a solid core - some of the boating experts can comment but I think most through prop exhaust systems vent a bit to the front as well. From memory I read somewhere it helps with spinning up the prop from idle - so the water runs out through those cavities and around the prop edges near the front. The muffler in the video was my second version. The first, had a longer pipe and no cap - it also worked with a deeper sound. I cut the pipe down when I could see where the water level had stabilised (as the water was running out from around the prop) and added a cap as it helped dampen the gasses now that the pipe was shorter. There are 6, 12mm (1/2 inch) holes around the cap these are mainly to help vent the gasses - very little water comes out of them.

FYI. I've just posted my design for a low cost DIY outboard exhaust silencer/muffler in the Workshop forum which may be of interest and help. By my iPhone Apps measurements my 200HP EFI two stroke now flushes at 80dB - noise of an Average Car. http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=77270

There have been a few topics recently about outboard exhaust noise when flushing motors, neighbours complaints etc. I have never had problems with my neighbours but was always conscious of cranking over my 200HP EFI two stroke, so I spent last weekend coming up with a simple DIY exhaust silencer/muffler. Here are the results....once you see the youtube clip you'll get the idea and can adapt. Hope this helps someone. https://youtu.be/jpvsHWFFoWY My 200HP now idles at flush at 80dB - which my iPhone app tells me is about nosie level of an Average Car.

Maybe the way I phrased it sounds like its a constant chore - apologies - I really meant at the 6mthly inspection I check if I need to grease gun a bit into them. I agree with you, if they need constant top up that is an indication there is a leakage problem somewhere - probably at the back seal. The bearing buddies I have also have a silicon type cap that slips over the front face covering the spring loaded plate and grease nipple. So water has an additional barrier. With the design of my trailer/boat unfortunately I have to dunk my bearings at each outing. Touch wood I have not experienced any hub/bearing issues in my boating career. I put that down to the bearing buddies being able to expand and contract keeping the grease packed around the bearings.

I have been trailer boating since 1986. Based on my experience I swear by Bearing buddies. Personally I always fit the more expensive stainless type - they are far more durable. My 2nd trailer came fitted with the plastic type and after a 100km run I found one of the plastic ones had popped off - cheap rubbish. Anyway, bearing buddies are NOT maintenance free. You must keep them correctly filled with grease and CHECK the back seal on the hub...the problems usually occur from the back seal. But if they are correctly topped up... they keep positive grease pressure on the bearing and deter water ingress. Also as you drive, bearings and hubs warm up, any air in the hub expands - when the hubs hit the cold water this air contracts and can suck in water if your hub seals are compromised. The bearing budies have a spring loaded plate, and if correctly loaded with grease this plate allows for expansion and contraction of the internal hub contents. If you overload or underload them - you don't get this effect and maybe thats why some people are having mixed results with them.

And after that experience how would you rate the scale of that problem? I happen to be doing some home reno's at present moving stormwater pvc pipes etc... and one thing I have learnt... 1st rule of plumbing - you WILL spill your glue.

I carry a fair few things... but not as many as you - man you could almost service the car with all that - I'm in awe ! Also I love the brake pedal depressor - very neat - I now know my next welding project! One thing that I do carry that I did not see on your list is a 2T hand puller. Several years ago, I lost about 1/3 of the teeth on my boat trailer winch. They just sheered off the main large cog as we started to retrieve the boat. Since then I have always carried a 2T hand puller that I can jury rig to the winch post and pull up the boat onto the trailer. Drive-on is not a fallback option at all times as my boat/trailer combo does not lend itself to drive-on when using the shallower ramps. PS - In case anyone is wondering how I got the boat up with 1/3 of the cog teeth missing - I used some of the pther items I carry - many spare D-shackles, a length of chain etc etc. Anyway, after about 5min of head scratching at the ramp - I said to my self think positively - then I realised I still had 2/3 of the teeth on the cog that were good - I could use those !!!! So mucking around with a few D-shackles and a bit of spare chain in between the boat hook and the winch rope I was always able to lengthen or shorten the winch rope to position the cog on the good teeth - 2/3rd turn - repostion - 2/3rd turn...30min later the boat was up ! If I held up anyone at Parsley Bay Brooklyn boat ramp that day - my apologies.