Raymarine LightHouse 3 calibrates Oceanic Systems tank senders, on my float mate’s boat

Ben Ellison

Ben Ellison

Panbo editor, publisher & chief bottlewasher from 4/2005 until 8/2018, and now pleased to have Ben Stein as a very able publisher, webmaster, and editing colleague. Please don't regard him as an "expert"; he's getting quite old and thinks that "fadiddling fumble-putz" is a more accurate description.

8 Responses

  1. Grant Jenkins says:

    Another interesting article, Ben – I’m sure lugging around the 5-gallon jugs was the least fun part! I recently calibrated a couple of 35 gallon tanks using Wema (now KUS) sending units and Simrad’s NMEA 2000 Fluid Level sensors, with good results – but instead of the 5-gallon jugs, I simply timed the water flow at a fixed setting into a 5-gallon pail – once the GPM is calculated, it’s amazingly accurate, and a lot easier than carrying and pouring from jugs! Of course, this requires a hose nearby….

  2. Don Joyce says:

    Thanks for posting this Ben! I have the Oceanic tank sensors on my day tanks since 2010 to be able to monitor when its time to refill them. Does the calibration work N2K system wide, or only on the Raymarine Axiom?

    Cheers

    • Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

      Don, I’m nearly positive that the calibration values live in the Oceanic senders. And I’m positive that the Ray Axiom 7 used for the calibration in this case was shut down and removed from the N2K network when I photographed the Garmin displaying the 100% tank 2 reading.

      • Bruce Coward says:

        Hi Guys,

        The calibration points live in the senders and can be calibrated at the factory at no charge when being purchased or from Oceanic Displays or now directly from the latest Raymarine Axion software.

  3. Don Joyce says:

    Thanks for the clarification. The reason I asked is the senders could have been calibrated before with “full and empty”. If so they would also show 100% when full. I suspect they come from Oceanic Systems that way. They of course would have to be calibrated again if the sensor tube were cut.

    I need to update the dinghy chartplotter. another plus for choosing an Axiom which I can easily patch into Cat’s Meow N2K network for calibration..

    Cheers

    • Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

      Don, you are right to be concerned since some systems like Simrad’s can add calibrations to other brand N2K sensors like wind and speed that do not live in the sensors. So you get the calibrated wind speed on the Simrad displays but not on other instruments displaying the PGN coming directly from the sensor.

      Maybe the Raymarine manual I linked to is specific about this, but I’m very doubtful that Ray is keeping the calibration within its own system. For one thing, it would be hard to add irregular tank shape calibration to whatever simple values the Oceanic sends out by default — while it’s easy to, say, add a +/- % correction to wind speed, or a direction offset. For another thing, I understand that NMEA 2000 has always included a Command PGN meant for sensor calibration like this. It just hasn’t been used much between brands.

      Maybe you should contact Raymarine or Oceanic to be sure.

  4. Bruce Coward says:

    We have always held that calibrations should be in the senders so every manufacturers display shows the same value.

    • Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

      Thanks for the clarification, Bruce, and also for doing it the way that is ultimately best. And congratulations on the relationship with Raymarine. Can I hope that we’ll eventually see it with other display manufacturers?

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