no high water or engine stalled buzzers (and a story)

rooferdave · Post by **rooferdave** » Wed May 02, 2012 4:05 pm

when I am on my flybridge I cannot hear my engines when docking, we had a problem with my port transmission so I was running on starboard only but port engine was idling, at a very inoppertune time the starboard engine quit w/o me noticing, was heading towards a sailboat and with a touch of reverse I was about to swing the bow out and let the prop walk me to the dock.... well when I went into reverse and nothing happened I hit the throttle and thats when I realise I was down my only working engine, BOY! shouda heard the owner of the sailboat yelling, anyhow I just didn't panic, was not going too fast, and got it started and missed the collision by oh, 5-6 inches, just had to give it thottle the instant it started, keep in mind I had 5 people on hand at the dock in case I lost it (we were in some pretty good wind) and was going to an alternate slip for emergency use.

anyhow if I had them there lights/ buzzers it may not have been so close

any suggestions?

also I have no high water alarm (I am going down to put in auto bilge pump as my rear one has crapped out and the front one is not automatic)

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Wed May 02, 2012 6:25 pm

I think the buzzers were standard equipment and are under your dash. I don't have a pic of one though. Usually wired so that the buzzer sounds if ignition is on but not running, and/or low oil pressure.

It might just have crapped out (my port works, my starboard doesn't), or wiring issue. Some people disconnect them because they want to hear the engines cranking while starting, and you can't with the buzzer screaming at you.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed May 02, 2012 6:31 pm

I believe they were standard as both my Trojans had them . look for a circuit board under the dash

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Wed May 02, 2012 6:49 pm

Dave, it'd be easy enough to wire in a tell-tale 12 volt lamp to the helm so that it's not illuminated should the engine shut down.
But yes, looking at wiring diagram, you should be able to chase the culprit down.

Good luck.

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Wed May 02, 2012 7:06 pm

light is a good ideal Jamie...and alot cheaper than those horns....and Dave if you have Muffs you can cut them out then you can hear them engines...

Commissionpoint · Post by **Commissionpoint** » Wed May 02, 2012 7:07 pm

So you have a '76. Both the upper and lower have engine alarms. In the '77/'78 facelift of the F series the alarms were relocated in the helm panel upgrade (salon models) but were still present, just not in the previous locations.

So, yes Dave, you should have oil pressure buzzers on the bridge as well as the salon station(s). Now, are they still hooked up, and if so still operational after 35+yrs? Well thats one you are gonna have to look into and hopefully answer for us so we all know how it worked out for you.

Stock equipment is a buzzer box with light combo (red) and is about the size of a cigarette lighter (automotive). They are horribly annoying, but I suppose thats the point. To alert you to a problem. I would imagine you could use any modern 12v signal alarm provided the amperage was appropriate and the switching for the alarm was functional and operating as designed.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed May 02, 2012 7:57 pm

Both mine where circuit boards in the harness 77 & 78 models . Only 1 helm on a tri-cabin .Unless the tri fly had a option ???

Just want to add the stocks system is not that loud may have issuse hearing under way

Commissionpoint · Post by **Commissionpoint** » Wed May 02, 2012 8:19 pm

prowlersfish wrote: . Only 1 helm on a tri-cabin .

Rite. Dave gotz no dual helm. I'll try to remember that. Honestly I thought he had an F-36! LOL. I have no idea where I came up with that notion. I should pay better attention, espescially when offering any type of advice. Geez. Now I have to rethink what I said.

OK. '76 TRI-CABIN. Red light/Buzzer module mounted behind helm panel. Some early panels had a translucent area which illuminated if the buzzer was triggered and read something like "Port (Stbd) Engine Alarm". I think that was pretty much done away with in the late 70's on all of the models it was offered on. Even so the same module was still used and just not mounted behind a panel with lettering. Eventually R&D caught up with this design change and started sourcing the shrill ear piercing modern alarms we are all familiar with.

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Wed May 02, 2012 8:34 pm

Ouch , buzzers and noisy exhaust are handy

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Wed May 02, 2012 8:56 pm

I always keep an eye on my tachs when docking. If an engine goes down I see it right away and can tell when it restarts. I don't like buzzers. freaks everyone out.

davidsmith · Post by **davidsmith** » Wed May 02, 2012 9:04 pm

On my F-36 the buzzers are wired thru a oil pressure switch. That is what activates the buzzer.

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Wed May 02, 2012 9:12 pm

Install a float on the forward pump to make it automatic, this will require an additional wire if you don't have three there; one neg, one pos continuos power for auto, one pos for manual which is there now.

For high water, add a float higher up than the rest, and I would add another pump. If the higher switch detects water, it may as well turn on a horn and a pump too.

A lamp only at the helm is not good enough, need an alarm to bring a problem to your attention when focused on something else and not the gauges when docking as happened here. Merc had a good setup pre electronic engines, they had a buzzer circuit with a time delay so it would not operate for a few seconds when you turned the key and started the engines but would sound after that if no oil pressure. Find a few old Merc scrappers and remove them. The electronic buzzers sold at Radio Shack are great; some are steady beep, some are beep beep. It wouldn't surprise me if there is one available from them or another electronics supplier with a built in delay. Heck, I bet with a little homework and a few parts you could make your own 12 volt delay circuit.

rooferdave · Post by **rooferdave** » Wed May 02, 2012 9:30 pm

no Dave HAS a trifly and it has dual controls (thought it says on my avatar)but I pretty much always stand on the flybridge

I just built the exhaust last year (4") so alexander that ain't gonna fly

I am going to go and have a look tomorrow for the circuit boards and I have the wiring in the manuals I bought from Bob

Jimbo; as I had the one trans (port) that has walked in neutral since I bought the boat, coupled with the fact I have to dock in a tight spot with an uptight trojan 44' owner, who also knows this is my first boat ( he doesn't sleep much thinking bout my docking lol) docking has been a blast but no time for a rookie to be watching tachs, I think also with my last adventure in high winds with one engine a buzzer would have been welcome

just put the automatic bilge pump in tonight, guess a horn relay is required with the 2nd float switch, and I will go with the 2nd pump(thanks d)

Commisionpoint thanks for all your input in my posts

Thanks all for all the help!!

going to try and post pics of the last 2 weeks adventures

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed May 02, 2012 9:32 pm

Commissionpoint wrote:
prowlersfish wrote: . Only 1 helm on a tri-cabin .
Rite. Dave gotz no dual helm. I'll try to remember that. Honestly I thought he had an F-36! LOL. I have no idea where I came up with that notion. I should pay better attention, espescially when offering any type of advice.

Easy to do ( done it myself more then once) Being a tri-fly it looks more like a F36 conv from the front then the normal tri But they are all F36s any way so your right it is a F36 .

I always wondered why they did not make a F32 tri-cabin

I just noticed Dave posted he has dual controls . so I guess that was avalable on the tri fly

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Thu May 03, 2012 3:38 am

Dave here's an alarm in a box for ya..

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... ilge+Alarm

Paul , Carver made my boat in a 3207 and didn't sell as many as the 36 and 42 If been on a 32 and felt closed in the cabins are just to small..that 4' is needed...a week on a 32 aft cabin and the Pups would throw me off it.....