Mercury DTS-whassit orl abart?

[Brian]

Came across an adv. for Mercury-Digital Throttle and Shift. Apparently it:
“eliminates the binding of cables and mechanical linkages…………..”
“no cable kinking and no adjustments needed”
“similar to luxury cars and jets”
“feeding information through the digital cable”
“Provides failsafe system redundancy”
“When the starter button is pushed or key turned briefly, the controller instantly takes over and starts the engine”
Sounds marvellous doesn’t it so I turned to Mercury’s website and read:
http://www.mercurymarine.com/digital..._and_shift_dts
after reading all the turgid Marketingspeak I am no nearer to understanding what the hell it is.
Is it fly by wire?
Instead of steering, throttle and gear cables going from the helm to the engine, do you have a sort of SCART cable? And if not that, then why not?

What exactly is it?

[John Kennett]

Originally posted by Brian
Is it fly by wire?

Sounds like it.

Wonder how long it would survive on a RIB!

John

[Keith Hart]

Hello folks

It's none of the above...in fact I have such a system fitted to my boat. It's called 'tiller steering'.

Keith (back from Scotland and back online) Hart

[gingercoastie]

My understanding is it is a fly-by-wire type system. They are developing an new "X-type engine", I read details when I was in New Zealand as they have also taken over Rayglass boats thet build the Protector range of ribs and Navman electronics.

[Brian]

Alex
Are you saying Mercury have taken over Rayglas and Navman?

Actually, isn't a fly-by-wire approach an ideal way to go?
Assuming you can make the "SCART" cable bomb-proof, you can get rid of a huge load of mechanicals and integrate the necessary actuators etc. into the engine environment. And I dont see why this should not apply to the steering and trim tabs as well.

[Rick]

This system does not include the steering, only throttle and shift. Instead of two mechanical cables running from the shift lever the shift lever has an electronic module which recognises the position of the levers. This is then turned into an electrical output sent down a wire to a similar electronic unit on the engine, or more probably the main ECM. It picks up the signal and adjusts the throttle or gear shift accordingly. All very simple.

It has inbuild safety management, stops you going from WOT straight back into reverse etc.

[Alan]

Given the arseache factor of changing the throttle/gear cables on most ribs it sounds like a good idea! Although I suspect more useful on the Cyanide end of the market

[Brian]

Well Rick, this sounds simple, brilliant and simply brilliant. Thank you for that.
Surely using electronics instead of mechanics has got to have lots of advantages (and very little downside)?
Why has it taken them so long?
Why isn't it more available?
Why can't it be applied to steering as well?
When can I have it on my boat?
Why does it appear to be restricted to one or two petrol outboards?

These, and other questions will undoubtedly keep me awake tonight.

[gingercoastie]

Originally posted by Brian
Alex
Are you saying Mercury have taken over Rayglas and Navman?

Yes, ther is a large article about it in a Kiwi boat mag I picked up while I was there. But I just happened to pop into the Rayglass factory for a look round, before I read the article, and they expressed no aligence to any engine maker.

[Rick]

Brian,

This months RIB international has a few paragraphs on the subject. Mercury/Mariner are offering it as an option on the 2004 models of the Optimax 225.

[Brian]

Yes, Rick, that was the adv. that I was actually looking at.
I didn't want to admit it though, as some of my friends will probably now change bars on me!

[Daniel]

I beleive it's been around in the States for a year or so on their 'flagship' outboards - Optimax and high power 4s's. It integrates somewhat into their 'smartcraft' system which is a computer controlled instrumentation system which is available currently on the aforementioned engines in the UK, these things just take some time to reach europe.

The idea is brilliant and i must say having 1st hand experience of Mercurys waterproof connectors i think it'll be RIBproof aswell - i recently discovered one of my connectors has been sitting in 2 inches of water for a few weeks, and nothing has failed on the engine - taking it appart it was not even damp inside.

Although this system, i suppose, is a potential for Mercruiser inboards it's very much a Mercury development so i don't think you are going to see it available for you boat for some time Brian, anyway i thought you were getting a new one? I guess you'll be staying diesel though?

[jwalker]

Volvo have used a similar system for years.

[TIPS]

I've seen this used on a Avon 620 with a Yammy 150 HPDI, thought this sort of stuff had been around for ages. Strangely enough it had failed and they guy was drifting about in the entrance to Poole harbour.

Mark