Adding Speedometer

[Dan S]

What are your thoughts for adding a speedometer other than using the GPS on a phone?  I'm looking for as small a form factor as possible since there is not much room left on the helm to put a stand alone speedometer.  Warniing!  Stupid question coming.  Is there such a thing as some kind of 'air' speedometer gauge that picks up the air speed somehow?  I just like glancing at speed when I'm out.  Thanks

 

[Maynard G. Krebs]

I prefer a hand-held gps but that's just me.  An air sensing speedo is affected by the prevailing wind across the water, 20 mph boat speed into a 10 mph headwind will have you seeing 30 mph. Only way to use an air driven indicator is to reverse course the same distance and split the difference, but the accuracy will still be way off compared to a gps.

 

[Indian_Lake_Bum]

We have a gps speedometer built into the lowrance fish/depth finder (think it's a mark 4 model) we had the dealer add before picking up the boat.  It works pretty well and is combined into sort of an all in one unit....it tells water temp - depth - speed as well as it being a fish finder.

 

[Dan S]

I'm looking for something veeery simple with MPH only and easy to install.  Thanks

 

[bcpnick]

I looked around for something simple like that, but I couldn't find anything. Now I use an iPad Mini on a RAM X Grip mount and I get GPS speedo, topo maps, satellite imagery and Navionics charts all in one. I love it. A phone with a simple speedometer app works nicely too, and you always have it with you. 

 

[lakeliving]

I just ordered the gps speedo that is built in when I ordered both of mine. They work great and you won't get a cleaner install!

 

[bcpnick]

I just ordered the gps speedo that is built in when I ordered both of mine. They work great and you won't get a cleaner install!

I still can't believe the person who ordered my boat went so far as to add crap like lighted cupholders but no built-in GPS speedo.  :angry:  I would definitely order that if I were buying a new boat. 

 

[lakeliving]

I think it should be standard on 150 and up. Just makes sense to me.

 

[JeffS]

"Crap like lighted cupholders?" I sense you were probably kidding...but I like my lighted cupholders. And speedo is on my phone. I'd take interior accent lighting any day over a gauge that I don't care much about. I personally don't understand speedometers on pontoon boats. I checked my WOT speed once or twice...just to see. But other than that, I couldn't care less how fast I'm going. If I'm going...I'm good. If I'm sitting still...I'm good. If I'm sitting still and cocktailing...I'm great. There are no speed limits that concern me on the water.

On my ski boat - I have 2 speedometers and perfect pass speed control - because on that boat...they matter. Beyond competitive skiing or other speed-sensitive water sports though, in my opinion boat speed is for the go-fast-be-loud crowd. 

Just thought I'd throw in my $.02. It is great evidence why these things are options. Important to some. Crap to others. To each their own.

 

[bcpnick]

Yeah, yeah. I like my lighted cupholders well enough. I wish I could switch them to red so they wouldn't blind me at night, but they're still pretty cool. But when I see the MSRP for that add-on compared to the MSRP to add-on a GPS speedo, yeah, I'd rather have the speedometer. Definitely personal preference. The iPad/phone works great though. When I'm pulling wake boarders I find it very useful to get the speed and wake in the sweet spot (for what a toon can do at least).

The lights in the bimini on the other hand, those I really don't like. Anyone sitting in the front looking back might as well be staring into headlights. And I never have my bimini open at night anyway, so the lights are useless. The floor lighting I added is much nicer.