When are outboards going to be wireless?

[Loveofsea]

The technology is there....

[Poida]

Technology and the marine environment aren't always compatable.

Poida

[eponodyne]

Even an oar is "Technology." And it's wireless.

[USCGRET/E8]

Look how long it took fuel injection to move from automotive to marine...

[Poida]

Look how long it took fuel injection to move from automotive to marine...

That is because new technology needs to be tested for a long time before marine use. If it breeaks down on the road you can walk.

I just can't understand why oars were used in boats before they were tested in cars.

poida

[Frosty]

Wireless? wireless what exactly? Wireless control box? What?

Wireless has already been tested in cars. I think the Cord 8-10 was the first car to have a wireless.

Your right about the oars never been tested in cars Poida. Neither was the anchor.

[Loveofsea]

Oars are required equipment per the CG regs.

I have one of those cheap toy helicopters that you fly around your living room (FUN~!) and it has a variable 'throttle' that is extremely articulate. Servo's under the cowl and senders at the helm will someday be the norm. Now days you have a chioce of refrigerators that have internet connections....(i kid you not!) I even have a digital toaster forcryingoutloud.

Technology deliberately paces itself out over time and that is understandable. But once the certain thresholds have been passed, such as DFI over carbs, it is time to continue the advancements. I am looking forward to the day when throttle position and F-N-R transmision will no longer require mechanical connectioin.

Why not?

[eponodyne]

The nice thing about mechanical connections between throttle and transmission is that they rarely break, and if you do, you can fix them with the spare parts you had the foresight to bring (Or those rolls of baling wire and duct tape).

You can't put a wrench on an electron.

[Pericles]

It's not an outboard, but http://www.yellowfin.com/VSDTechnology.asp offer fly-by-wire control of their VSD system. Whether it's copper or fibre optics I do not know, but the system does away with rudder and bowthruster and that means less to install and have go wrong.

Pericles

[mydauphin]

Originally Posted by Pericles

It's not an outboard, but http://www.yellowfin.com/VSDTechnology.asp offer fly-by-wire control of their VSD system. Whether it's copper or fibre optics I do not know, but the system does away with rudder and bowthruster and that means less to install and have go wrong.

Pericles

This is suppose to be simpler than a simple rudder, simple shaft, and a simple prop. I have a bow thruster on my boat, if it doesnt work - it means it takes me longer to dock. Not life and death. If this thing breaks or wireless goes crazy - I will get stuck in middle of a large body of water with a paddle.

I have a wireless video hookup to my satellite antenna, do I need to tell you what happens when either myself or neighbors use microwave oven...

[StianM]

What advantage would a wireless outboard have?

Electronic control over wire would provide smother operations off the handles, but total wireless can't see it.

[Pericles]

From mydauphin,

"I have a wireless video hookup to my satellite antenna, do I need to tell you what happens when either myself or neighbors use microwave oven..."

Which is why they use fly-by-wire to imput the commands to the servos in the hubs that orientate the titanium blades. There are also servos on the throttles of the engines electrically operated from the helm. Rudders, shafts and propellers are vulnerable to impact damage. Bow thrusters often overheat and cease.

Yellowfin VSDs are surface drives. I also like water jets, but Yellowfin VSDs are more fuel efficient, because they require fewer hp to deliver the same performance. Whilst water jets are a retro fit item on most boats, the Yellowfin product is OEM, so the unreliability factor should be designed out. I say "should", we shall have to see. BTW, what are the thoughts on these drives? http://www.schottel.de/eng/r_produkt...uebersicht.htm

Pericles

[mydauphin]

I forgot - I have two wireless outboards now. A nissan 5 hp 4 stroke and a 15 hp 2 stroke Evinrude. They even have a fail safe starting device that requires no battery....

[Loveofsea]

we move major aircraft asemblies and install jet engines using an overhead crane with a wireless control.....

Most of us use a wireless control to open our car door....There are enough frequencies so my remote will not open the door of another car....

besides, my opti already has two fuel pumps, an air pump, a water pump and an oil pump, not to mention, an electronic brain to control the menagerie

It's doable

think module*

[pfridays]

Pure wireless ...who knows??? Mercury Verado, yamaha 350 and SUZUKI 300 all have drive by wire in the last two years which will probably trickle down to lower horsepower motors before we see true wireless control on any outboard.