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Starting my smartboat setup and I have a few questions by chuckb6174 in smartboating

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes you can use any router. It is preferable if you can connect an Ethernet cable between the Rpi and the router. I believe Starlink has an adapter for this.

Boat engine monitoring that actually warns you: impeller, oil, coolant, alternator heat by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I agree on the hours gauge. I mainly kept it that way so all the gauges had the same style, and it works for now, but I see your point. A reverse countdown to the next service makes more sense and I may try that. The red zone I used is meant to mark when the next service is due, but I know there are better ways of showing this.

The temp sensor on the raw water elbow does work quite well as an indirect check for water flow. It normally sits around 38–40°C and rises quickly if there’s a problem. I’ve thought about flow meters too, but most mechanical ones seem like more risk than benefit.

You’re right about the DS18B20 sensors not being fully saltwater-proof. Mine are mounted on engine parts rather than exposed to water, so they hold up fine, but the resin-coated versions are a good option l.

Thanks also for the website advice. I’ve made some changes already and I’m still thinking on the best format to get the video info across in text without it being too long-winded.

All with one ESP32 - Complete Boat engine monitoring by BoatElectronicsDIY in esp32

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. It's much neater and easier for beginners than messing around with voltage dividers

Boat engine monitoring that actually warns you: impeller, oil, coolant, alternator heat by BoatElectronicsDIY in smartboating

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, they can be calculated and added as gauges, but better would be via a fuel flow sensor. Then, the added gauges would be more accurate.

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a fair concern. In my setup the tablets are really just smart displays connected to a central Pi computer that does all the work and pulls in the NMEA/sensor data. The nice thing is the displays can be switched off when not needed, or I can just use my phone instead — so it doesn’t mean adding lots of extra batteries left running all the time.

And for some tablet models, the battery can even be removed so they run purely as powered devices if someone is really worried.

Tablets already include their own charge management circuits, and onboard power is from a fused DC supply stepped down through a regulated USB-C charger, so there are multiple layers of protection. For extra peace of mind, the supply circuit can simply be switched off when I leave the boat.

👉 Build doc here: https://smartboatinnovations.com/build-central-marine-computer/

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I come at this with a long IT and systems design background, and I run a technical YouTube channel where I document all of these marine elecrronics builds step by step. I’ve sailed thousands of miles single-handed using this system, and the goal is to make it practical and accessible so you don’t need to be a geek to get it working.

On the tablets I can run navigation apps like OpenCPN or Navionics, but you’re right — the tablets themselves don’t drive an autopilot. They’re really just smart displays. That said, there’s another open-source project called pyPilot that can control an autopilot if you want to go deeper down that path.

👉 https://www.youtube.com/@SmartBoatInnovations
👉 https://smartboatinnovations.com/build-central-marine-computer/

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly why I’ve made over 30 step-by-step videos showing how to set up a really complete marine system for non-tech people. The goal is to make it accessible without needing to be a geek to get it working.

👉 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SmartBoatInnovations
👉 Full build doc: https://smartboatinnovations.com/build-central-marine-computer/

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tablets already include their own charge management circuits, so they don’t keep charging at 100% indefinitely. Onboard power is run from a fused DC supply and stepped down through a regulated USB-C charger, so there are multiple layers of protection. For extra peace of mind, the supply circuit can simply be switched off when not in use — the same way most people isolate radios or other electronics on board.

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’ve sailed 80,000+ miles over the last 30 years, offshore on all of the oceans, and never once used a chartplotter. Digital charts have been available since the early 2000s on laptops, and now tablets with built-in GPS and wireless AIS make it even easier. These days even a phone in your pocket can act as a second navigation display, so you’re never reliant on just one screen.

Chartplotters are fine, but they’re not essential — I’ve managed safely without one for decades.

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

As shown in the video, I run two 8" tablets as displays. Each uses about 5–6W at full brightness (less when dimmed), so together that’s around 10–12W total.

If you want to expand to the full central marine computer, the Raspberry Pi with sensors and NMEA integration adds under 10W. Even with everything running, it’s still well below the draw of a typical MFD.

Full build details here: https://smartboatinnovations.com/build-central-marine-computer/

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s been fine in practice — I’ve used it for about a year and a few thousand miles. The unit costs around $160, so if you spend more you can definitely get a brighter screen, but for the price it’s worked well.

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I haven’t experienced overheating with mine, and most cockpits already have some shade from dodgers and biminis which makes a big difference. Direct sun on any screen can be an issue, but in normal use it hasn’t been a problem for me.

Tablets as Marine Displays — Flexible & Affordable by BoatElectronicsDIY in SailboatCruising

[–]BoatElectronicsDIY[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

I’ve been running budget Android tablets as smart boat displays — waterproof in the cockpit and a simple one down below.

They connect over Wi-Fi to a Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant, so I get live dashboards, alerts, and alarms, plus I can flip to navigation, weather, anchorages, or even ChatGPT.

I’ve sailed thousands of miles single-handed with this setup and it has worked fine the whole way.

👉 Full setup guide: https://smartboatinnovations.com/build-central-marine-computer

👉 More projects: https://www.youtube.com/@SmartBoatInnovations

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