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Anyone installed fuel flow sensors?

I am considering putting them in my 348V just so I can optimize cruise settings.

I currently have a Garmin 3010C chartplotter, which is NMEA 0183 only. They now make a 4010C and fuel sensors that will fit and are NMEA 2000, but the package would be almost $2200 - lots of fuel would need to be saved for that to payback....

Another option is a new Garmin GMI 10 display (about $425) and Garmin GFS-10 flow sensors (about $325 for a pair) - both NMEA 2000. Then I could send 0183 from the 3010C to it for speed, heading, depth, etc... (In other words the display would be more useful than only showing fuel flow and MPG).

Are all NMEA 2000 devices compatible? It appears that Lowrance's Fule Flow sensors are a lot less $$$ and are more sensitive (.6 gpm minimum vs. 2 gpm for Garmin).

Who here is an expert in fuel flow meters?

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2004 Sea Ray 420DB
Formerly: 2005 348 Vista

You need a Lowrance display to set up the Lowrance sensors, no way around it. I've been considering getting a GMI-10 for installation down in the cabin. Mainly to provide water depth and temp info for guests. But also to provide GPS info in the event of travel in bad weather (we have a radio 2nd station in the cabin). The GMI-10 is a nice display, pretty capable at a great price. But it's not capable of programming the fuel flow sensors. This is true of all vendor equipment thus far. If you've got one of their sensors you need to have one of their compatible displays to program it.

I have an LMF-200 display connected to two fuel sensors and it works great. I also have it networked to the E-80 chartplotter but, in all honesty, never use it ti display fuel data. Mainly because there's just not enough room on the chartplotter to show everything needed. A separate display keeps the fuel data visible without detracting from what's needed on the chartplotter.

But for you that wouldn't help with getting GPS coordinates. GPS is needed by the LMF-200 (or -400) display (not the sensors) to calculate speed and, as a result, MPG figures. Without it you can still get gallons consumed, but you'd lose a bunch of other fuel management info (trip consumption, etc). My E-80 handles converting from SeaTalk GPS over to NMEA2k. But I also added an LGC-2000 GPS antenna to have a backup. In your case that might be worth considering. Two sensors, an LMF-200 and a GPS would still be a lot less than replacing your current chartplotter. Talk with Jim Maier at BOE Marine and let him know I recommended them. They've got great pricing and really know their stuff when it comes to marine electronics.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista