Rulan Rudder Indicator

[BroadAmbition]

Arghhh, the battery is now charging at 37° to port.

Like it

Griff

[LondonRascal]

I've had a look at these gauges - you can get them each for just over £18.00 on Amazon, the Rudder gauge and sender unit for just under £40.00 - however while they are all the same diameter and do have those nice bezels, they feature a bright white face and I understand illuminate at night in an amber glow different to the Vetus illumination.  This would mean any replacement would stand out like a sore thumb - in the day or night.

So as I see there are three options:

1. Replace all gauges to KUS branded ones and include a rudder angle position one so all match and look nice
2. Install a rudder angle gauge and accept it looks very different to the Vetus ones in day and night which will bug you
3. Leave as is

However, here are the gauges off of amazon however I think they are also on Ebay for a little less.

Fuel: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IM3QYA2 

Waste: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P8ZR4TC 

Water (Tank): http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IM3T0B2 

Water (Temp): http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IM3VKRY 

Oil PSI: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IM4752C 

And for the current 'unused' hole a rudder angle or...navigation light gauge:

Navigation light: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014CS1TKA

Rudder angle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014CS1TKA

 

[tjg1677]

Robin,

 

you can also get them with Black faces to give a total contrast to the ones shown.

Surprisingly, the backlight is changable between red / yellow, so can be backlit either colour depending on which wire you connect or by using a 3 pole switch you can have the choice depending on your mood.

 

they are actually quite good quality too. I have a voltmeter, rudder indicator and a tacho/hourmeter from them.

hth

ttfn

trev.

[BroadScot]

Or Robin......You could by a few cases of John Smiths for £58.00p!!!  Knowing how thirsty Yorkshiremen can become ! 

[BroadAmbition]

So Robin, we could get a rudder indicator with a black face thereby it wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb.  Re the back-lighting thing, as you know we don't have them lit when night navving as they reflect ON the inside oF the windscreen, we just turn them on briefly now and again to check so that wouldn't be an issue.  Would it not be possible to change the coloured lamps in the vetus units to match the kus one if it really bothered us that much?  What is interesting me more is those s/steel bezels, it might be worth ordering just a bezel -  if they are sold separately , and if they are separate from the gauge to see if we can fit them to our vetus units.  I've had a look at the seven gauges we currently have on the helm they are:-   Waste tank,   Fresh water tank,   Fuel tank,   Oil pressure,   Water temp,   Amp,   volts

Griff

[MauriceMynah]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

I've had a look at the seven gauges we currently have on the helm they are:-   Waste tank,   Fresh water tank,   Fuel tank,   Oil pressure,   Water temp,   Amp,   volts

Griff

You have a guage that measures 'Griff' Wow, that is impressive.

[LondonRascal]

I have had a call about and I've not got very far with an absolute yes or no that the bezels are removable and sold separately more a case of 'if they are we don't sell them'.

Instead of replacing the Amp gauge with a rudder angle gauge - we leave this as it is so all looks the same and neat.

However, be it in white of black we would install the rudder angle gauge separately so it looked like it was designed to be separate and different in look in its own right.  I attach a photo of the dash and two possible locations where it may go marked 1 and 2.

 

[riyadhcrew]

FWIW, I would go for position 1, as it is much closer to the top of the wheel.

[MauriceMynah]

I agree with Eric.

[ScrumpyCheddar]

3 hours ago, riyadhcrew said:

FWIW, I would go for position 1, as it is much closer to the top of the wheel.

Yep position 1... It's in good eye shot... I had one on broom commodore last week and it came in handy...

[Baitrunner]

Griff/Robin,

    You can buy the bezels in different sizes and if you want I will find out where my mate bought his from. 2 pics below of his refurb'd dash. The first one is with the gauges back in after he stripped and re-covered the dash panel (the gauges fit from the rear and look quite plain), then he fitted the bezels and wow!!

[Liberty]

I have a friend who relies on his Rulan. The problem is that it keeps falling off. Adhesion aside, it does work. 

[LondonRascal]

I have spent some time looking into things and find that KUS branded gauges come from the Dongguan Zhengyang Electronic Mechanical Co.Ltd - yep direct from our friends in China.  

This explains why easy to get on Ebay and Amazon, not so easy to find being sold from the usual chandlers - I have no issue with their origin myself, they look very nice and clear and are of good value.

Now, I've never tried this before - but what the heck - I have sent an email to their factory in Dongguan City, Guang Dong Province, China .

I will  see if they would like to send me (for free) a set of instrumentation gauges to fit on what is a very well known boat,  and be able to mention some of the exploits she has been part of and the fact that I can then share the fitting and quality of said gauges with my wide audience on You Tube through my channel and this Forum to help promote their products.

Well, I can but try...

[Timbo]

OK I have to put my hands up and admit that...well I suppose you could say 'I lost the thread' and I can't fathom why you would need a gauge to tell you which way the rudder is pointing? Am I a bit dense? I used to have arguments with Uncle Albert who used to buy pockets full of fluorescent hair bands to mark the wheel center...pockets full because as fast as he put them on the wheel I'd take them off and ping 'em in his ear.With Royal Tudor you know by feel, sound and by looking out of the cockpit and the way the boat lies where your rudder is, how many revs you have on, what speed you are doing, how much fuel and water she's carrying in her tanks etc. The only three gauges I've ever checked are the temperature, oil pressure and charge.

[BroadAmbition]

However, be it in white of black we would install the rudder angle gauge separately so it looked like it was designed to be separate and different in look in its own right.  I attach a photo of the dash and two possible locations where it may go marked 1 and 2.

 

Position 1 is close to the helm itself but I think it kinda unbalances things somewhat.  Here's a thought, how about moving the ignition key over to position 2 , make a new hole gauge size where the key is now.  Then move the gauge directly above the rev counter stbd one place where the redundant ammeter presently is, shift the ammeter over to the new hole where the key was.  The rudder gauge could then go directly above the rev counter.  This would imho balance the helm dash out better.

Oh and if China are not that keen on the idea, ask them if we can buy the bezels separately

Griff

P.S - Howard will just love the whole idea of this - Not 

[BroadAmbition]

You can buy the bezels in different sizes and if you want I will find out where my mate bought his from.

Baitrunner - Yes please, as long as they are good quality, the plastic 'Chromed' ones that are currently supplied by vetus are not that impressive in the quality department to be honest

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Timbo - I can't argue or disagree with you at all on your last post - fair point, well made.

We (Or rather 'B.A') is in a situation with a redundant gauge, albeit back lighting along with the rest of them, so upgrading to a working useful gauge has to be considered, besides opinions / help / advice in here is welcome and it's good to talk (Don't let MrsG here I said that)

I really would like to upgrade the bezels, ours keep on losing their finish and it's a pain to keep on having to purchase / fit the blasted things so I'm interested in that, as I am interested in having a rudder indicator.  Tbh - never felt the need for one before but if one was fitted then I would use it and why not?  It's a darn site quicker than pegging it down aft and gawking over transom for a look-see!  At present if we are stern moored between other craft, I have to spin the helm to centre to ensure I set off without the stern kicking out one way or t'other so it would help in that scenario

Griff

[tjg1677]

and dont forget. warships had them too..............

 

in the process of fitting one to mine and as Griff says, if moored stern on ( or mediterrainean mooring as the RN called it ) they are useful to see exactly where the rudder is positioned. Anyway I am an ex POMEM so I like gauges............

stay lucky everyone

trev.

[grendel]

10 hours ago, LondonRascal said:

 

Well, I can but try...

As they say - if you dont ask.............

[ExUserGone]

On my last boat it had regular cable steering so I used a bit of heat shrink to hold a magnet on the end of the cable and put 5 reed switches along the outer cover, 5 leds in the helm bezel and voila one rudder indicator for under a tenner and it was all done in the helm gear, it had two greens for starboard one yellow for centre and two reds for port, even made a dimmer for night use for a couple of quid.

Saved that annoying full helm to one side and count 1.5 turns back each time.

 

[tjg1677]

4 hours ago, LeoMagill said:

On my last boat it had regular cable steering so I used a bit of heat shrink to hold a magnet on the end of the cable and put 5 reed switches along the outer cover, 5 leds in the helm bezel and voila one rudder indicator for under a tenner and it was all done in the helm gear, it had two greens for starboard one yellow for centre and two reds for port, even made a dimmer for night use for a couple of quid.

Saved that annoying full helm to one side and count 1.5 turns back each time.

 

That is sheer genius -  much respect.

[oceandawn]

We have had one of these  gadgets for some time and even with a a bow thruster it is very useful particularly for stern mooring . Quite inexpensive as I recall.