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Part III (2024 UPDATE): Custom NMEA 2000 2″ Round LCD Multifunction Display Gauge for Boat

DIY, Electronics, Hacks & Mods, Videos
May 4, 2024 No Comments

(This is a continuation of Part 1 and Part 2…)

Wow, it’s been over 7 years since I built my first NMEA2000 Boat Gauge and it’s been working flawlessly ever since.   I recently got into the ESP32 platform (I know very late to the game) and I was interested to see what types of advancements there have been in round LCD screens.  The biggest challenge I had with the 4d systems screen module was it’s not a perfect circle and thus it did not fit within the envelope of the 2″ gauge casing.   That caused all sorts of complications. This is where the 1.28″ screen by Waveshare comes in (available @Amazon).

The screen comes in both touch screen and non-touch screen versions. I have both working, but since my screen will be mounting inside a matching gauge with a lens over it. I will be installing the non-touch screen version and adding the capacitance touch to the metal bezel. That worked great in my current installed version.

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Part II: Custom NMEA 2000 2″ Round LCD Multifunction Display Gauge for Boat

DIY, Electronics, Hacks & Mods, Videos
February 17, 2018 No Comments

(This is a continuation of Part 1…)

The gauge has now been installed since late July 2017 and it’s functioning well.  I was concerned that the sun and heat (and the winter cold) would cause some issues but so far things are working great.   The installation of the display in the  gauge cluster was a bit rough due to the 4d systems screen module is none circular.  I had to design the casing in two parts screen/bezel and rear PCB housing.  Where the two meet up was a weak point and required a few tries.  I’m looking to possible using a new LCD module in my next version as 4d System is discontinuing the ULCD-220RD :).

Here’s a video of the gauge functioning in the boat:

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Part I: Custom NMEA 2000 2″ Round LCD Multifunction Display Gauge for Boat

DIY, Electronics, Hacks & Mods
July 15, 2017 No Comments

The Backstory

I recently purchased a 2013 model year boat and in style of Mavromatic, I wanted to “hack/mod” the onboard electronics ASAP.   The previous owner had installed a Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3 GPS/Chartplotter and added a NMEA 2000 backbone to use a Lowrance EP-60R fuel flow sensor (that I later found was clogged, a simple back-flush blow of compressed air fixed it).

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How To Make An Industrial Light Sculpture

DIY, Videos
September 6, 2016 No Comments

I was walking around downtown Seattle during my lunch and walked by a furniture store when these light bulb sculptures caught my eye. After researching them online. I found out they are used/old “industrial factory bulbs”. When mounted on a piece of wood, they look really cool.

Please support the artists that originally thought of and made them, but if you want to do a variation of your own — this is an easy project to learn woodworking and creating a piece of art.

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The Right Way To Clean Brake Dust Off Rims Using Sonax Full Effect

Automobiles, DIY, Videos
July 2, 2016 No Comments

My least favorite part about washing/detailing my car is cleaning the brake dust off the wheels. Mostly because the cleaners I’ve used in the past either seemed to emit extremely toxic fumes or left behind fine dust that required additional scrubbing. That’s why I like the Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner. First, this stuff is “Made in Germany” so it must be great, right? Second, it turns red when it’s working — visual indication! Third, it just works — no fuss, no muss! Spray onto dry, cool wheels, wait a minute or two, then rinse off.

I take my car to our local self-service Brown Bear Car Wash and use the pressure washer setting to rinse the spray off. Using this process I don’t have to do any additional scrubbing — it works like magic! I then use a microfiber cloth to dry/clean the rim to a factory new finish.

If you guys adopt my method of wheel cleaning, you’ll be able to spend more time cleaning the rest of your car than spending wasted time on your rims.

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How To Remove Denim Jean Rub Stains Off Light Car Leather Interior

Automobiles, DIY, Videos
June 20, 2016 No Comments

I like lighter colored interiors in cars and I cannot lie — but the issue is they’re always not that practical, especially if you wear denim jeans daily. Here’s a quick tip I learned for dealing with light colored interior so if you start noticing your leather car seats have a blue tinge to them (or they’re just dirty) you’ll know what to do. Now, if you are here because you searched on “how to get denim jean rub stains off of light car leather interior”, you’re also in luck! I have the solution and it works like magic.

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