Active Trim on Lowrance without getting "no GPS" error

[Johnnyred]

I am buying a new boat with a Mercury 150 4 stroke that of course is smartcraft compatible. I would like to add Active Trim but really don't have the space on the console for the AT control panel. I am curious if anyone here is able to use Active Trim on a Lowrance display, mine is a Carbon, using vesselview link I guess but without adding the Active Trim panel to the dash without the "no GPS" error I see others complain about? That would make my installation much easier and cleaner.

[EuropeanAM]

Thank you for opening your own thread on this... though the title isn't really applicable to the question.

Yes- however, you will need an Active Trim KIT (without touchpad) in order to utilize the functionality through the graphical display of the Vessel View. Both the Vesselview LINK and the Active Trim KIT will utilize the same Junction Box to access your Smartcraft Network.

There were some glitches there previously- most of which have been cleared up in the latest update of the Vesselview Link firmware.

[Johnnyred]

Thanks Don. I'll start scaring up the part numbers and pricing with some help from Mercury. So as I remember reading on the active trim website, the manufacturer or dealer sets up the unit with a base setting appropriate for the motor and hull. Does using the vesselview link and the active trim kit change the need for the dealer or manufacturer to set it up initially?

[EuropeanAM]

Johnny- your best bet is going to be to work with a dealer that sells and knows the system, who will either assist you with any technical problems you encouter, or will do the install for you.

There are several default profiles for Active Trim, and setup is relatively simple once installed. See Rhonda's post, pinned at the top of the Forum. Drop her an email with engine serial number and details- we can assist you with selection of the necessary items (or, have your selling dealer rig them into the boat for you before delivery).

[Johnnyred]

Don, thanks again yes I definitely intended for my dealer to install the parts it's not something I would do myself. I just wasn't sure if the initial setup required on the water testing by the manufacturer or dealer that is installing it?

[EuropeanAM]

Not necessarily needed for functionality, however it is recommended.

[bshort]

I installed active trim with the hope that I would not need the keypad and could operate everything through the Lowrance. Didn't happen until the keypad was hooked up. I tried sourcing GPS's through the network, but the active trim just wouldn't find a gps source until that keypad was installed. This was installed about two years ago. Works fine now.

[Johnnyred]

... I think Don shared that there were bugs early on when Active Trim was setup w/o the keypad. VesselView firmware updates have since fixed the "no GPS" error I think when not using the AT keypad through VV?

[Johnnyred]

Bshort, what boat/motor do you use Active Trim with?

[bshort]

Bshort, what boat/motor do you use Active Trim with?

Tracker 175 TXW w/75 four stroke.

Also, it has been awhile, but I don't recall the VVL having much to do with the operation of active trim. The VVL and the AT did operate off of the same junction box.

[Johnnyred]

Bshort, do you like the Active Trim on your boat? Use it most of the time? Find it easy to setup initially? Tweak on the water?

[bshort]

Bshort, do you like the Active Trim on your boat? Use it most of the time? Find it easy to setup initially? Tweak on the water?

Run it in 4. Never touch the trim.

[Johnnyred]

Don,

I am taking delivery in the new few weeks on my Ranger RT198P with a Mercury 150 4S outboard equipped with Active Trim. I of course do not have serial #s yet. As discussed above, I am having the dealer install the Active Trim kit without a keypad and I will have VesselView Link installed so that I can control the Active Trim through my Lowrance Carbon unit installed at the console. I found the Active Trim manual online:

8m0120820r.pdf

My dealer is installing all the hardware and I will be doing the on-the-water setup described on pages 32-36 of the manual. Couple of questions:

First, I assume my setup of controlling the Active Trim via my Lowrance unit does not affect the MAJOR profile selection instructions described on pages 32-36 of the manual?

Second, on steps 3-7 it says to trim all the way down, accelerate to a "desired" cruising speed, then trim up using the Active Trim controls to find my best trim level without porpoising. I assume I am to leave the engine trimmed down while attaining this cruising speed and I do NOT manually trim up only use the Active Trim controls to trim up?

Third, is it significant what cruising speed I choose to do the setup at? Does setting the unit up at 30mph produce different results than setting up the unit at 40mph or another cruising speed? If the cruising speed is significant to setup results, what criteria do I use to pick a cruising speed?

Thanks in advance for any answers you can share. I posted these questions here instead of a PM to you as I suspect others might find these items useful in the future.

[EuropeanAM]

Johnny- you will likely not need to make those adjustments unless you want to "customize" a profile. Much of this occurs AUTOMATICALLY when you select a default profile and accelerate the boat to your preferred cruising speed. Small (incremental) trim adjustments are made automatically to optimize operation (only real exception would be if you find the boat is porpoising).

[Johnnyred]

Don, thanks for your reply. So the steps in the user manual I cited above seemed like they were the only way to select a MAJOR profile. Again, activating the unit, it goes into setup mode, trim all the way down, accelerate to cruise speed without trimming up with manual trim switch, trim up with Active Trim controls until I see porpoising and then back down one trim level on the Active Trim, then "set" that by pushing the instructed button sequence and that selects the MAJOR profile. Seems like you are saying that initial set up of a MAJOR profile upon unit installation is selected automatically just by going boating and maintaining a cruising speed? Or that there is some other way to select or set a major profile upon unit installation that does not require the steps I cited from the user manual? I realize MINOR adjustments to the MAJOR profile while boating to meet specific boating conditions is done by using the AT controls 1-5 after the proper major profile is selected.

[Johnnyred]

To clarify: I of course am not questioning whether you are correct Don as I am excited that there is an easier way although the way in the manual does not seem hard. Just wanted to make sure I was clear in what I was asking originally and to get confirmation. Thanks.

[EuropeanAM]

Simply follow the steps on Pages 34-35 of the Manual, as written. This will adapt your system so that Major Profile- "3" will be your default or "go-to" setting.

After that has been done, you'll be able to try other Major Profiles (without modifications) to see that "4" is more aggressive, and "2" is less aggressive, etc.

You can later go into the Adjustable Profiles if you like, but that is often not needed.

[Johnnyred]

Excellent Thx

[Johnnyred]

I thought users that read this thread might find this helpful... I did. This link:

https://samerwebapp01apncus01.azuree...tors-guide.pdf

...takes you to the online version of the Vesselview Link manual. On page 27, it discusses the initial setup process for Active trim which includes defining the full trim range and selecting a major profile. Have not done it yet as I do not have my new boat yet but it seems easy.