My old toon doesn't have any gauges or electrical accessories other than nav lights. It would be nice to have a speedo & tach. A GPS tach would save me from having to mount a transducer--but wow are they pricey for a single-purpose gauge! I'm trying out a Trail Tech Voyager computer to see if it does everything I might need on a simple boat. It features a speedo that can be configured as GPS-based or magnetic pulse (I picked GPS); ambient temp; an optional temp that can monitor head temp, water temp, or just about anything (live well?); tach sensor lead; and best of all--GPS with free open-source maps & software. It's powered by boat 12V or internal battery, has a backlight, and is dustproof & weatherproof. These are mainly marketed for dirt bikes & ATVs so it should be tough enough for use on a boat.
I'm just surprised I've never seen any mention here. Not one hit in Search. Am I missing something obvious--or thinking outside the box? Or just not enough of us with bare-bones boats searching for a cheap way to add instrumentation?
They ARE available in a white version for marine use (otherwise identical), but being a cheapskate I bought one used off eBay for $75. They're normally in the neighborhood of $250 new.
