Airguide Speedo GPS Conversion

[TeamAllen]

I installed a new Stargazer Perfect Pass last year and loved the accuracy of the speed. This year I decided to have my old, original Airguide speedo converted to a GPS speedometer. No more pitot tube. It should add the accuracy desired with the choice of looking at the analog needle style vs the digital readout. The cost was $229 + $4 for shipping to them. I mailed my Airguide speedo to them in WA. They are going to do the ugrade installation, calibrate it and ship it back. I just sent it in on Thursday, so we will see how it goes? You can order the kit and do the work and calibration yourself if desired.
I did a lot of correspondence with Cary and he was very helpful!

OFF SEASON SPECIAL

Purchase the AirGlide upgrade
and Nautic Laugic will install it
at no extra charge!

In the confirmation email
Mention: Install-For-Free
(Model 2025’s with a plastic rear case only)

http://www.nauticlaugic.com/airglide.html

[boatwakes]

Thats pretty sweet. Did you do it on both sides of the dash?

[TeamAllen]

No. I installed Perfect Pass, which has it's own digital speedometer, in the hole on the right. This will stay on the left.
I think I took a picture of the dash after the Perfect Pass installation. The new GPS retro will look the same from the outside, just have different guts.
I'll see if I can find that pic?

[TeamAllen]

The Speedo on the left is a Faria gauge, not the Airguide I am having upgraded. I will remove the Faria gauge and put the GPS Airguide back in it's place.

[IDBoating]

This is the perfect opportunity for me to ask a question that's been haunting me for a while.

I'm a latecomer to the whole inboard world. Why do some inboards have dual speed sensors and speedometers? Is it so they still have a sensor in the water during hard turns? If that's a problem, why don't they still have duals?

[boardman74]

The older pilot tube speed's were somewhat unreliable. They plugged easy with debris and would sometimes airlock in corners. It wasn't uncommon to be driving along and have one just drop to zero. Then next time you stopped and took off it would work fine. The duals were for reliability, so you always had at least one working.

The advent of the paddle wheel made them much more reliable. Plus with slalom skiing speed is very important and you wanted to be as accurate as possible, now with most of these boats being for wake sports extreme accuracy is less important.

[IDBoating]

Makes sense for the pitot tubes. But on my brother's older Mastercraft, he has two spring-loaded lever style sensors. Nothing to get clogged. What's the reasoning there... just that folks expected to have two?

[boardman74]

Those spring loaded lever style sensors on the back of the boat are called pilot tubes. They have a tiny hole on the front side. They worked on water pressure. 99% of the manufacturers all used the same system air guide speedo's with their patented pilot tube pickup system. Used a special pilot tube with another tube inline(mounted inside the hull) which helped to stabilize the readings. Pickups looked like this:

[IDBoating]

Got it, didn't realize the spring loaded ones also relied on a pitot tube. I would have thought you wouldn't want articulation in the arm, but just allow the water force to enter the tube to generate pressure that could be sensed. Thank you for the education, I can sleep better tonight with one more question answered!

Minor nitpick: It is spelled "pitot", not pilot. No "L". They use the same type of sensor for airspeed on aircraft. I wonder which application came first, air or water?

[TeamAllen]

Looks like it was designed for water originally.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/...11/Henri-Pitot

[IDBoating]

Conclusive. Thanks!

As a friend once told me: "You've got to be really careful or you'll learn something new every day."

[EricU]

I installed a new Stargazer Perfect Pass last year and loved the accuracy of the speed. This year I decided to have my old, original Airguide speedo converted to a GPS speedometer. No more pitot tube. It should add the accuracy desired with the choice of looking at the analog needle style vs the digital readout. The cost was $229 + $4 for shipping to them. I mailed my Airguide speedo to them in WA. They are going to do the ugrade installation, calibrate it and ship it back. I just sent it in on Thursday, so we will see how it goes? You can order the kit and do the work and calibration yourself if desired.
I did a lot of correspondence with Cary and he was very helpful!

Thanks for the link. I am ordering a kit to convert my 08 RZ4's gauges to GPS. He says the built in temp and depth functions will pass thru and still work including the SpeedSet

If I am understanding him correctly, mine is just a plug in deal

Though I do wish PP would work!!

[TeamAllen]

That's great. Your welcome. I hope yours works out
I just got an email today and they received my old Airguide and will start working on it tomorrow.

[TeamAllen]

I didn't even realize they have kits available for paddle wheel conversions too. That's not what I have, so I wasn't even looking for that. So it doesn't have to be a pitot tube style like the one I have.
http://www.nauticlaugic.com/Products.html

[JohnnieMo]

Keep in mind that gps measures speed over ground so in high currents it won't be correct. A paddle wheel measures speed in water. Just something to consider.