EMU-1

No this isn’t a post about a new tasty meat recipe or snack. this is about Actisense’s latest product.

“The Actisense EMU-1 is a specialised analogue to NMEA 2000 Gateway which converts data from analogue engine senders into NMEA 2000. The EMU-1 enables NMEA 2000 display devices to monitor the engine on a vessel.”

I’m sure all of us are aware of the importance of monitoring our engines performance and behaviour whilst its running. So if like me your engine is Volvo Penta Pre-EDC/EVC, (in simple terms non-electronic monitoring), you will be used to having a simple tacho (rev counter) and a set of 4 alarm lights and a buzzer.

 

 

As in the picture of the simple panel to the above left, unless you or the previous owner specified the deluxe version on the above right.

With the newer engines you have an option that allows you to monitor some of your engines behaviour straight onto your plotter. If not monitoring your engine means you have to either wait until you get an alarm or in the case of the deluxe panel keep checking (often at ankle or knee height) to monitor water and oil pressure and most importantly revs.

This is where the Actisense EMU-1 comes in, you simply connect, the outputs from your water temp and oil pressure sensors  (which it appears that Volvo fit as duel sender units on most of their engines whether you had the gauges package or not?) (you don’t even need to have gauges fitted) into the gauge inputs on the Emu-1

 

 

You then connect the EMU-1 to your NMEA 2000 network and with a little configuration you can view the essential parameters on your plotter.

It works with any NMEA 2000 Network, but i created a new one with Actisense’s Own starter kit.

 

 

 

Overall a very satisfying and worthwhile project, total cost just short of £500 including all required components, if you already have a NMEA 2000 network obviously cheaper.