Help me design my dashboard.

[The Revenge]

Thanks in advance.
I'm looking for some feedback from you guys on how you would lay out this dashboard.
I'm ready to start cutting.
I created a gauge/layout simulator. The white paper is the same size as the dash and the gauges are the correct size. In the center of the paper you will see the helm and where the steering wheel will sit.

The first example I have here is a simple layout leaning on the chart plotter to provide most of the data. Volts, speed, radio operation, etc.. The fuel gauge will be a mechanical gauge on the tank.

The second example gives you more to look at and what I like as far as bare necessities.

I'm open to ideas. What would you add, leave out, change, etc?
Thanks again

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

What are the ACC plugs actually for? Regular use, or access to charge a phone if needed, etc?

What is going below the dash on the shelf in the helm?

If at all possible, I wouldn't put any switches behind the plane of the steering wheel. Easy, quick access w/ nothing between me & the switches.....

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

One acc plug is for recharging devices and the other powering spot light etc..
Nothing planned on the shelf except personal items for the day. Might install a dry box for wallet, money.
The switch panel behind the wheel has 6 switches. Only 3 dedicated right now. Bilge pump, nav lights, and courtesy lights.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

If you don't have a specific use for the shelf yet, I'd mount the ACC plugs up under the helm, back from the edge enough to be protected from the elements, even if you plan to use weather proof cover outlets. Helps unclutter the 2nd design you posted. Hang them in the upper left corner under the helm.

Going back to the 1st layout, move the ACC plugs & do the same w/ the key switch, but put it in the upper right corner, also covered & protected from weather. Now the switches can go on the right of the steering wheel, leave the Tach where you have it, just dropped down to the dash centerline. Fuel & volts can go to the left of the wheel to mirror the Tach location, and to better mimic the size of the Tach face, you could add MPH to the Fuel/volt group. Drop the radio on the outside left of the wheel like you have it in #2. A small aluminum tab could easily be fabbed & bent to securely fasten the ACC & key to the backside of the upper inside corners of the shelf's face frame.

With all that great looking woodwork for a helm station, I might even make those ^^^ changes to the layout & move the radio up under the dash too. Leaving even more exposed woodwork. I'm not familiar w/ a radio (marine or stereo) that uses a large diameter round face. If you don't own it yet, you could remote mount some radios & only have a wireless remote & possibly an IR eye to mount visibly. Radio could be tucked up under dash fairly far & high so as to be hardly visible to casual viewers.

Better access to the switches (IMO), fewer holes in the dash, w/ less clutter and offers protection to the outlets & keys and 'hides' the radio a bit.

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

Excellent, thanks.
I got the acc switch and key in the upper corners under the dash.
Not sure I understand the radio situation left of the wheel if I move the switch panel there.
If I move the tach down on center line of the helm where would you put the depth, fuel and volt gauges?
Thanks

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

Starting w/ your layout @ design #2:

Remove ACC outlet & key and relocate them to under dash
Remove depth gauge (or use it & fuel/volt gauges as a set of 3, rather then 2, as listed below)
Drop radio to centerline of dash, but in essentially the same location, just dropped to centerline
Switch panel goes to right of steering wheel where depth & key were
Tach drops to centerline of dash to right of wheel (essentially were it's shown now, just @centerline)
To mirror the location & size of the Tach, locate the fuel/volt/depth &/or MPH to the left of the wheel where the switch panel used to be, as a group 3 or 4 gauges arranged in a square or diamond shape would balance the shape, size & location of the Tach on the other side of the wheel. You could also put the 3 or 4 gauges in a curve following the arc of the steering wheel, just out far enough to be seen from the helm, rather then behind the wheel


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Those changes ^^^ leave you a dash that 'looks' like it's laid out similar to your design #1 & leaves more woodwork showing then your original design #2. Sort of balanced w/ 2 large instruments on either end of the dash (radio & switches) and 2 instrument groups tucked under the wheel's edge.


If you're using a fish finder (you referenced a plotter above somewhere) I wouldn't put a depth gauge on the dash, shouldn't that be @fish finder/plotter?

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

Yes your correct on the depth gauge. I was looking at the lowrance hds 5 or 7. Which through NEMA I should be able to do volts also.
Here's another design. Which is already outdated if I loose depth and volts.
Just don't know anything about hooking up the NEMA system or what information exactly I can plug into it.
Thanks. Your making me think now. I'm searching for a radio I can mount under the console and operate with a remote.
Not really concerned about a speedo either. Just use GPS.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

Better ^^^

I'm right handed, so I prefer switches to my right, but yep, #3 leaves more negative space (so more woodwork showing) around your instruments. And looks uncluttered.

They may all be NECESSARY, and in the available space, they seem well laid out, but I hate the look of all this stuff on the dash:

Looks cramped & cluttered w/ the gauges shoe horned into that gauge 'pod'. Pushing the switches a little further right, and making the gauge cluster pod/mount a bit wider & taller, IMO, would have looked MUCH better & almost more importantly it would LOOK much less cluttered............

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

Even further. How low can we go.
My other boat dash is like yours except x2 for 2 engines. When I think about it what do I really use.

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Help me design my dashboard.

After a little research my engine for this boat, a 2005 Etec 90 will not hook up to NEMA, allowing me to see the engine parameters on the chart plotter.