SMARTCRAFT Options (Checked 11/23)

So there seems to be a lot of questions of folks getting lost when searching for the right instrument/display for their Mercury motors as well as way too many folks calling their gauges by the wrong name. I have played with a lot of them so I thought I would post so Don and Savage don't have to answer the same question all the time.

Smartcraft is the "language" the motors speaks. Your GPS and FF units speak NMEA2000 so if you want to display engine data on your GPS, you need a gateway (aka a "translator"). It also allows GPS data to your Smartcraft instruments. Not all Smartcraft options include this gateway. Also, the engine data works best with Lowrance. I personally use Lowrance and know it works great. If you have any of the others, ask those questions in the HB, Garmin, et al sections.

The options currently in production:

MERCMONITOR:
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321498&stc=1
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321470&stc=1
This instrument is the size of a standard Tachometer or Speedometer. It comes in many levels starting with BASIC (No longer in production), Level 1, Level 2 etc. Most of us bass boat users do not have a need for any level above Level 2. I have used both Level 1 and 2 and I honestly cannot see any difference. BASIC is NOT a gateway. BASIC also does not allow custom tri-data screens and has a cheaper lens that can be tough to read in bright light. Level 1 and above have the custom tri-data screens (see picture) and they are a gateway. My favorite screen is Water Pressure, RPM and Coolant Temperature. If you want a Mercmonitor AND have data on your Lowrance, then you want a Level 1 (or higher). The Level 1 (or higher) can also power the NMEA network. All the levels, including BASIC, show most alarm data in plain language. They do not store codes. If you turn off the motor or power to the instrument, the alarm data is lost. This is the most useful instrument available IMO. You can change GPS/FF brands and still have all the engine data available.


VESSEL VIEW:
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321475&stc=1
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321499&stc=1
This is all your engine data in a self contained unit that comes in various sizes similar to the way Lowrance units come in 5", 7", 9" etc. They do have plain language alarms. They are not a gateway since you have a dedicated box already. If you have a big, blank dash or extra space, these are a great option. These are not all that common but I listed them since they are still in production.

VESSEL VIEW LINK:

http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321476&stc=1 http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321477&stc=1http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321500&stc=1

The Vessel View Link is a box that is hidden under the console or other location. It is a lot more than just a gateway. It translates engine data across your NMEA network. These work great with modern Lowrance HDS units and some Elite units. The Vessel View Link brings in a whole new set of menus and displays on your GPS. It will also do basic overlays on your GPS screens. This option provides plain language alarms. The down side is that you may clutter up one of the smaller HDS units. It is a great option though!

VESSEL VIEW MOBILE:

http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321483&stc=1

This initially has the lowest upfront cost. It does put your smartphone at risk for going for a swim. It is not a gateway either. It will display all the data you need via Bluetooth to your smartphone.



SMARTCRAFT TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER:
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321478&stc=1
These provide a whole host of data than just the Speedo and Tach. The LED screens at the bottom of the gauges, have optional data displays and can display virtually any data us fisherman find useful. There is a connection for NMEA (input only) for GPS speed input to the Speedo. These are not a gateway so your only option for engine data on your Lowrance is to add the Vessel View Link.


ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES AND ADD ON ITEMS:

SYSTEMLINK GAUGES:
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321487&stc=1
These mimic traditional analog gauges but use digital data from the motor's computer. They daisy chain off either the Mercmonitor or the Smartcraft Speedo/Tach and are extremely east to install. I haven't read a complete list but pretty much anything you want to display can be. The gauges come in standard small and large sizes. Multi-display gauges too. One of my favorites is a full sized GPS Speedo. For you northern guys, the advantages of these is the ability to remove both your speedo and water pressure lines so they will not freeze in the winter.

FUEL HARNESS:
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321488&stc=1
This harness is used to get fuel quantity data to your Smartcraft instruments for range calculation and low level warnings. There are leads for two tank levels. You can use one for fuel and one for oil level with the optional oil tank. With this installed, you can use Systemlink Fuel gauges too. I use both leads for both of my fuel tanks. The harness plugs into a port under the motor cowling, normally below the starter.

DIGITAL TRIM SENDER:
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321489&stc=1
This is used to get trim data to your Smartcraft gauges. Specifically, make the ECO function of Smartcraft instruments fully capable. It is also required if you want a Systemlink trim gauge. It is installed in the same location as your analog trim sender. It MUST be calibrated through your Mercmonitor or other Smartcraft device after it is initially installed. Notice it has a rectangular shape vice the round puck of the analog sender.

PLEASE contact Don or Rhonda (yes she is VERY knowledgeable) for pricing, installation and BBC discount.


DON, FEEL FREE TO EDIT, DELETE OR UPDATE ANY INFO YOU SEE THAT IS WRONG.

BTW, The gauge below is NOT a Mercmonitor. It is a Systemonitor. It is old technology and does not provide plain language alarms. It just gives symbols. It is really worth getting one of the items in the above post.

http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321490&stc=1
http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....d=321491&stc=1

Thanks for the information and posting the options.

Great post, been thinking about doing this for a couple years and this will help with the decision

Thanks 06. I've been thinking of making a similar post for the same reasons you did. Hope Don puts this in the FAQ so all we'll need to do in the future is post the link in a reply. :thumb up2:

Great post! Thanks! I installed the MercMonitor last summer. The boat came with the System Monitor installed which was okay. It made the MM upgrade easier. Now I have more damn info coming ar me than I could ever imagine. ��

There are some additional options, and variations of what the FUEL level harness can do (depending on the engine it is attached to).

Rhonda (in our Parts Department) can assist and guide you with a system that meets your Particular Needs. Drop her an email at PARTS (at) EuropeanMarine (dot) ORG.

O6SB :bows::bows::thumb up2:

What engine functions does "vessel view mobile" show?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by G4bama

What engine functions does "vessel view mobile" show?

---

Click on this>>>>New VesselView Mobile

Being it was stated that the Vessel View Link is "simply a gateway" and MercMonitor level 1 or higher have a gateway, Im curious what sort of functionality differences would these two devices have when connected to a Lowrance HDS? Its my understanding Vessel View Link pretty much provides the the full experience of the Vessel View product just displayed on the Lowrance screen instead of the separate screen that would come with the Vessel View kit. Does connecting the MercMonitor's gateway to Lowrance HDS provide a similar experience or is it more or less just providing data for screen overlays?

Vessel View Link is the same as the Mercmonitor only it hides behind the dash, out of sight.

The VV Link and the Level1 or higher Mercmonitor will both do overlay data and supply data to the customizable engine info page(s) of your Lowrance. The Mercmonitor just adds another tier of viewing data without cluttering up your Lowrance with overlays. Another differnce is that the Mercmonitor will allow system link gauges to be added where the VV Link does not.

The Vessel View Link is fully-functional TOP of the LINE Smartcraft System WITHOUT A DISPLAY. It's display becomes a compatible GPS or Graph (example: Lowrance HDS Gen-2 or higher).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EuropeanAM

The Vessel View Link is fully-functional TOP of the LINE Smartcraft System WITHOUT A DISPLAY. It's display becomes a compatible GPS or Graph (example: Lowrance HDS Gen-2 or higher).

---

Thank you, with that said (especially the mention of "TOP of the LINE"), the experience with VVL hooked to HDS Gen-2 or higher is vastly different compared to what one gets when connecting the MercMonitor level 1 or higher gateway to Lowrance via NMEA 2000 network? I dont mean to keep asking but, I want to make an educated decision, and it seems a bit unclear, as I have gotten mixed answers and there isnt a ton of information readily available to the consumer about these products, or I just dont know where to look. I was quite excited when came across this post and thank you to 06 SB for putting this together, and thank you Don for sharing your knowledge with us.

Good question.

The Vessel View Link is a MUCH more intuitive (and Mercury Designed) layout/format. MUCH more versatile than simple "over-lays" of data (or data piped into a dash-display look-a-like). Look at "Vessel View" in Post #1... that is essentially what you would see with the Vessel View LINK.

Keep asking! Have you seen this video? It does a pretty good job of explaining the VV Link.

https://youtu.be/bhamHErf5kk

Yep, thanks. I've watched about every video I could find on the Vessel View Link and had a pretty good idea how it works... However there isn't much information about what you get with the MercMonitor gateway connected to a MFD. The majority of the MercMonitor videos like to highlight the ECO screen and maybe touch on Troll Control, but that's about it.

I had purchased VVL but havnt gotten the install finished yet, final piece of the puzzle (HDS Carbon 9) arrived yesterday and I only get to work on it on the weekends. It's been a bit of a project adding VVL, Xi5 Pinpoint Gateway, conversion from cable to hydraulic steering while adding Mercury Outboard Pilot, stereo and speaker install, adding an analog trim gauge as apparently they dont make a digital sender for my 60hp 4s. Its been a narrow window of opportunity up here between the final snowstorms and fishing opener this upcoming weekend.

I was beginning to fear I had made the wrong choice if MercMonitor could have done everything that VVL can, with the added benefit of the MercMonitor screen itself showing 3 pieces of user defined data at all times w/o cluttering the Lowrance.

The more information we can share about these systems, their features and differences the better (seems like Mercury marketing is missing the boat). Until I came across this thread I wasn't even aware that MercMonitor had a NEMA2000 gateway. Likewise MercMonitor manual talks about being able to toggle Troll Control between setting a speed or RPM if you have a paddle wheel connected, but I have not been able to find mention of this in the Vessel View manual, only RPM control. Is the feature not supported via paddle wheel or GPS, or did they neglect to mention it?

so it would seem the VVL is the best option if you want to utilize your Lowrance HDS units . What is the cost of the vessel view link ?

Since Mercury updates their pricing DAILY, you will need to contact the Parts Department (directly) for pricing. Email is the best method, as it allows a substantial amount of useful info to be sent.

See Rhonda Post (Pinned at the top of the forum) for email contact info.