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VDO Tachometer LCD Display repair service

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:35:07 GMT

Keef Marine Ltd now offers the VDO Tachometer LCD Repair service by post or onsite !

VDO, over many years have created many versions of the 85mm Tachometer but with the same design style inside,

using very similar technology each time they change the design.

Over time with most VDO Tachometers, The LCD fails due to the tiny connections within the screen breaking, leaving the LCD display completely blank, while the engines are running. Unless you are rigorous with logging your boats usage, over time you will lose track of your engine hours or you may have purchased a boat with no idea, how many hours have been logged, within the tachometer.

The tachometer, stores the engine hours within the display, so many older engines and small yacht engines, rely solely on the tachometer, to save this information because they have not other recording method installed. This can really assist with correct servicing intervals, identifying age and use of the engine its linked to.

Inside every VDO unit is an LCD screen mount, which is mounted in various ways, with either glue or double sided tape.

We import new LCD displays, replace the complete unit to solve the issue of the engine hours missing !

Once the LCD has been replaced, the unit completely rebuilt, bezels and glass cleaned.

The unit is then tested, to make sure the engine hours are showing - this is usually 99% successful.

Very very rarely, the pcb is moisture damaged and cannot be repaired, this has only happened once so far !

HOW CAN I GET MY VDO LCD REPAIRED ?

BY RETURN POST

To have your VDO LCD replaced by post, simply email us at

keith@keefmarine.co.uk

We will send you details and an address, to post your VDO Tachometer to.

Once it arrives, we will confirm arrival and repair the display within 48 hours of arrival.

When finished & tested, we will send you payment details, once payment is received.

We then repost your VDO Tachometer back to you, via a tracked and signed for delivery service.

This Service costs £85 including return shipping - UK only !

For Channel Isles & International repairs, please ask for shipping quote when booking a repair !

We DO NOT & Will NOT use - EVRI or YODEL, for any cheaper deal return postage.

We are not responsible for any lost items sent to us, we recommend you use a reliable postal service & use a tracked and / or signed for service only.

ONSITE REMOVAL & REFIT SERVICE

Keef Marine Ltd will travel to any location along the south coast mainland, from Wareham, Poole to Chichester Marina.

We can remove your VDO tachometer onboard, dismantle, replace the LCD & rebuild the unit, then test & refit.

Each VDO Display costs £75 each to repair.

PLUS removal & refit labour & any associated parking / contractor costs.

Keef Marine Ltd is a mobile Marine Electrician service, based in Milford on Sea, Hampshire.

Other marine electrical works, maybe discussed & included on the day with the screen repair.

keith@keefmarine.co.uk

Worlds Toughest Row team support

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 15:32:43 GMT

Meeting the Worlds Toughest Row, Regulations & Standards

To row 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, every rowing boat, to keep competing in the Atlantic, Pacific or Round Britain fleet, have to meet stringent requirements set out by the worlds toughest row.

They have to be fully rewired every 4 years and electrically maintained to a very high standard.

This is a week long process for the rewire and involves not only the cabling itself, but also the navigation network system too. Even within 4 years and crossing the Atlantic twice, the Rannoch R45 "Jasmine" was still found to have corrosion in a number of cables throughout the boat and a few damaged Raymarine network cables.

In December 2023, we fully rewired the Rannoch R45 from bow to stern, along with a complete new navigation network, repaired, upgraded and tested the autopilot system, sent off the drive arms to Raymarine for servicing and reconditioning, along with realigning and remounting the arms with new mountings.

We Replaced all the LED Navigation lights as we had no record of hours used onboard, interior lighting system became a dual LED & filament bulb system, along with upgraded & increased number USB charging points.

The solar panels were tested and all the mppt's were updated to the latest firmware and to prevent any power failures or low battery scenario's, we added a waterproof deck socket that was switchable between either of the 2 lithium batteries and had a removable 130w flexible panel that stowed underneath the bunk cushions to boost charging on flat sunny days or in an emergency if one battery has become very low on the battery monitors.

We did a measured rundown test with each of the Victron lithium batteries, to make sure there is no issues or unexpected shutdowns.

Removed the water maker and refitted after sending away for servicing.

Fitted all new hatch hinges throughout to keep the boat water tight, in rough weather or through a capsize.

After works were all carried out, a written report is made of all the work undertaken and the cable sizes used to make sure it meets the regulations of the world's toughest row.

Throughout the journey of the EBB & FLOW 2024 team, Keef marine continued support all the way through training periods, with fast response repairs, basic training with the navigation equipment and set up of the system, ready to cross the Atlantic in 2024. We worked with the surveyor, who does a final inspection before declaring the boat ready to ship to La Gomera, we fixed any issues found and supplied reports to show work had been completed.

WORLDS TOUGHEST ROW / TALISKER / GB ROW CHALLENGE / ATLANTIC DASH

GREAT VALUE, BUDGET FRIENDLY - OCEAN ROWING BOAT REWIRING, MAINTENANCE & TEAM SUPPORT

RANNOCH R45, RANNOCH R25, RANNOCH R20, RANNOCH RX25, RANNOCH R15, RANNOCH R10

OCEAN BOAT, OCEAN KAYAK, WHALE BOAT, SEA SABRE, ROSSITER, RANNOCH ADVENTURE

How does AIS work

cromaloop@gmail.com (keith willsher) — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:41:55 GMT

How does AIS work ?

AIS - Automatic Identification System

Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a short-range coastal tracking system, currently used on ships. It was developed to provide the identification details and positioning information to all vessels and shore stations using the AIS system.

AIS has been the mariner's most significant development in navigation safety and yacht visibility since the introduction of radar. This is a digital positional awareness system, operating on the Very High Frequency (VHF) maritime radio band. Its purpose is to help identify yachts & ships, assist in target tracking and search and rescue operations. Its design simplifies and assists in fast information exchange and provide additional information to assist situational awareness.

Originally developed as a collision avoidance tool to enable commercial vessels to 'see' each other more clearly in all conditions and improve the helmsman's information about his surrounding environment. AIS does this by continuously transmitting a vessels identity, position, speed and course along with other relevant information to all other AIS equipped vessels within range. Combined with a shore station, this system also offers port authorities and maritime safety bodies the ability to manage maritime traffic and reduce the hazards of marine navigation.

AIS Range of Visibility

The range of reception for commercial Class - A AIS can be variable and is dependent on factors including signal propagation conditions, sea state, the height of the transmitting and receiving antenna and the strength of the vessel transmitter. Reception could be as little as 20 nautical miles on inshore areas like the Solent, or up to as much as 350 nautical miles for powerful transmissions during appropriate atmospheric conditions. Most offshore AIS reception ranges, it is considered likely that on average, a 40 nautical mile reception radius will be achieved by an AIS receiver network.

AIS Class -B has a much smaller power output to class - A with ranges of up to 10 nautical miles but works in much the same way with conditions changing range.

How AIS Works
AIS works by taking your position and movements via the vessels' GPS system or an internal sensor built into an AIS unit. That information is then collated along with programmable information from the AIS unit (e.g. Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number, vessel name, destination, cargo type) and is transmitted in the background at regular intervals whilst also receiving other vessels AIS information. The AIS unit can have its own separate antenna or an antenna splitter can be used from the antenna the VHF radio transmits from. If an antenna splitter is used, it must be an active splitter suitable for a VHF radio and AIS transponder.

AIS types and what is the difference

Class A: Mandated for all vessels 300 GT and above engaged on international voyages as well as all passenger ships
Class B: Provides limited functionality and is intended for non-SOLAS vessels. Primarily used for vessels such as pleasure crafts

AIS operates principally on two dedicated frequencies or VHF channels:

AIS 1: Works on 161.975 MHz- Channel 87B (Simplex, for the ship to ship)
AIS 2: 162.025 MHz- Channel 88B (Duplex for the ship to shore)

Every 60 seconds the AIS system creates 2250 transmission slots - or 1 every 29 milliseconds. Class - A vessels always has priority over the slots available and after each transmission from a commercial vessel, it then reserves its next slot in the next 60 second window and this continues 24 hours a day wherever it is in the world within its transmission range. Class - B vessels search for the spare unreserved slots in amongst the 2250 available slots to transmit their information. In busy areas like the Solent the number of boats present at sea, along with the busy commercial traffic in the channel and surrounding ports can cause delays in transmission for many Class - B transceivers causing a lag of information on sites like marine traffic and jumping targets on yacht chart plotters

AIS DATA transmitted

1. Static Information (Every 6 minutes and on request):

MMSI number
IMO number
Name and Call Sign
Length and Beam
Type of ship
Location of position fixing antenna

2. Dynamic Information (Depends on speed and course alteration)

Ship's position with accuracy indication
Position timestamp (in UTC)
Course Over Ground (COG)

Programming a Class-B AIS transceiver

If you only have an AIS receiver only then you will not need to program your unit, if yours transmits, most manufacturers create a similar looking software the picture below that all ask for the same information. You will always be asked to enter your MMSI number twice to confirm it is correct, if you enter it incorrectly, it cannot be changed, unless you remove the unit and send it back to the manufacturer in most cases for a fee.

All the required details will be in your letter from Ofcom in your returned application for an MMSI number, these details are

Vessel Name
Call Sign
MMSI Number

Then you will need to add the type of vessel it is, sailing yacht, motorboat etc. Then it asks for the precise dimensions of your vessel in meters alone, don't add centimetres or points as sometimes the program will makes it into 1 large number, that then creates a huge green target hundreds of meters long, that everyone can see on their AIS displays - it has been done in the solent and only other people can see it. Then for precise locating, you need to add the location of the gnss antenna on the boat, in meters from the bow or aft and from port to starboard, its quite often these are glued to the underside of the deck near the AIS unit in the chart table area.

Maritime security

AIS enables authorities to identify specific vessels and their activity within or near a nation's Exclusive Economic Zone. When AIS data is fused with existing radar systems, authorities are able to differentiate between vessels more easily. AIS data can be automatically processed to create normalized activity patterns for individual vessels, which when breached, create an alert, thus highlighting potential threats for more efficient use of security assets. AIS improves maritime domain awareness and allows for heightened security and control

AIS should not be switched off, save for very few exceptions. AIS should always be in operation when yachts fitted with it are underway or at anchor. A yachts crew may turn off its AIS broadcast for a variety of legitimate reasons, but this behavior may indicate that a vessel is hiding its location and identity to conceal illegal activities which if already flagged, can alert local authorities.

New Paragraph

Lithium Batteries Vs AGM/ Lead Acid

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:54:33 GMT

Why Choose LiFePO4 over cheaper AGM / Lead Acid Batteries

What's the best type of battery for your boat ?

Well... it really depends !

Each battery type has a unique set of pros and cons when it comes to installing on a boat

The History of the Battery

The Lead acid battery was invented in 1859 by Gaston Planté in France.

It was the first type of rechargeable battery ever created and is still one of the most popular batteries on the market. The reason Lead-acid batteries have been around for 160 years is that they are reliable and very cost-effective. Compared to modern rechargeable batteries, lead–acid batteries have relatively low energy density . Despite this, they are able to supply high surge currents . These features, along with their low cost, make them attractive for use with engines to provide the high current required by starter motors . Lead-acid batteries suffer from relatively short cycle lifespan (usually less than 500 deep cycles)

As they are inexpensive compared to newer technologies, lead–acid batteries are widely used even when surge current is not important and other designs could provide higher energy densities. In 1999, lead–acid battery sales accounted for 40–50% of the value from batteries sold worldwide equating to £14 billion a year.

AGM

AGM stands for “Absorbed Glass Mat” and is a type of Lead-acid battery. There are other types of Lead-acid batteries, such as “Flooded Lead-acid” and “Gel”, but they are less common in boats. With an AGM battery, the acid of the battery is stored in a fine fiberglass mat which prevents spilling and limits off-gassing. Both of which are important when a lot of yachts have their batteries stored within cabin area

AGM Downfalls are lifespan and weight

Life of the battery can vary widely depending on how well you take care of it. Proper charging voltages, limiting the discharge, and proper storage all play a role in its longevity.

Most manufacturers expect 300 to 400 cycles out of an average AGM life. This is really just before a decrease in capacity becomes apparent

You can still expect around 80% capacity after this many cycles. If the battery is properly charged and taken care of through its life, you can expect to get about 3 to 5 years of happy usage from them. They are heavy, at about 30kg each for the typical 110Ah size. Most batteries are installed and never moved until time to change but you will notice a bank of AGM batteries loaded onto one side of your boat especially if it's a smaller size.

LiFePO4

LiFePO4 batteries are becoming the go-to option for many boats. It’s a type of Lithium-ion and stands for “lithium iron phosphate”, or LiFePO4. As you can imagine, this is one of the primary materials used in the battery but it does require a different set of installation rules and charging system.

Why are "LiFePO4" batteries used instead of other Lithium-ion chemistries you may ask? The main reason is this: LiFePO4 and Lead-acid batteries are both about 12 volts. This is because each battery chemistry has an individual voltage they produce, and for LiFePO4 and Lead-acid this just so happens to be 12 volts.

Since Lead-acid batteries have been used in vehicles for so long, 6v batteries moved onto 12v batteries over time and because of this, most accessories and components use 12V as their standard now. Then you can safely multiply these into 24v or 48v safely to reduce cable sizes and huge amperages.

Solar panels, fridges, and alternators are all designed and based on the 12V standard. Other types of Lithium-ion chemistries like LiCoO2 (used in many electronics) cannot be formulated to produce a nominal 12V, which makes them incompatible with marine electrical systems.

Developed in the late 90s, LiFePO4 has become a favourite around the world in the marine industry with its now fast decreasing production costs and popularity due its weight, longevity and safety aspects that are now making it competitive with AGM batteries

LiFePO4 Advantages

Most manufacturers expect 3000 to 5000 cycles per battery that's 10 times that of an AGM and 10 to 12 years average lifespan. Again depending on proper charging voltages , temperatures etc but realistically 4-5 times the lifespan of an AGM, Along with much deeper, usable discharge rates compared to AGM, Most lead acid / AGM will start to fade in power at around 50% discharge whereas LiFePO4 with discharge down to as much as 90% on some batteries, before the BMS turns off the battery.

Another advantage for LiFePO4 is their high capacity to space ratio, meaning you can store much more energy in a similar amount of space when compared to an AGM. If space is a major constraint onboard, you may want to consider LiFePO4 to get further distances at sea without charging, plus they are about a third of the weight of an AGM. Along with a zero chance of them producing harmful gasses during the charging process plus the lithium ion phosphate is incombustible, meaning they will not burn in a fire or catch fire when punctured, unlike other lithium ion Batteries featured on the news a lot recently.
They have a very low risk of thermal runaway and usually the BMS (battery management system) installed to every LiFePO4 battery, will turn off the battery before anything like this can start. Most LiFePO4 batteries will only charge above 5 degrees centigrade, trying to charge below this can cause damage internally.

Mixing Batteries

AGM & LiFePO4 batteries cannot be mixed at all, they have different charge rates and working voltages. If mixed the LiFePO4 will work almost until its flat until the AGM even starts to help out, because of its higher operating voltage to AGM, then while unused, the AGM will keep itself topped up from the LiFePO4with its higher float voltage. The next issue is LiFePO4 can handle a lot of power when it comes to charging and the AGM would not be able to cope and may just dramatically shorten its life through to creating heat and possibly gas out or explode as part of the same charge circuit.

It is possible to have both on a boat together, for instance a lead acid engine battery and a lithium house bank which have to be on seperate circuits, but can be charged together using isolated DC-DC chargers. So your engine alternator can charge the lithium from the lead acid battery with 1 DC-DC charger and your solar can charge back into the engine battery from the lithium using another smaller suitable DC-DC charger

Understanding Amp-hours (Ah)

If you’re shopping for your battery, you have probably noticed that they are listed in “Ah” or Amp-hours.

Amp-hour is not a unit of capacity, it's a unit of power.

Basically a 100 Ah battery should be able to discharge 1 amp for 100 hours from fully charged.

To determine a battery’s capacity, you must account for voltage.

The unit for capacity is Watt-hours (Wh) and the formula for Watt-hours is the Amp-hour rating times the voltage.

So a 100 Ah x 12V has 1200 Wh of energy (100 x 12 = 1200)

BUT you can’t use 100% of your battery’s capacity without causing damage. This is referred to as it’s “usable capacity”.

The usable capacity of battery depends on the type. For example, Lead Acid is around 50% discharge.

but you can discharge a much higher percentage of LifePO4 batteries without causing damage.

Compare Watt hours

Lithium batteries operate at around 12.8v and can operate fully for up to 90% capacity so this is 12.8v x 100Ah = 1280 watt-hours.

AGM Batteries operate at around 12.2v buttony operate up to 50% of its capacity this then becomes 12.2v x 100Ah = 1220 watt hours.

Now we remove the usable capacity and this is the true display to the advantage of LiFePO4 batteries.

LiFePO4 - 1280wh X 0.9 capacity = 1152 watts of usable power from your lithium battery.

AGM - 1220wh X 0.5 capacity = 610 Watts of usable power from your AGM battery.

The LiFePO4 equates to having 47% more power in the same size unit with half the weight and twice the life expectancy.

Decision time

For many it will come down to the costs but also need to factor in what you are going to be doing with your boat. Weekends away with the occasional week off in the year or trips from marina to marina, it maybe better with the cheaper options. Serious trips with lots of time at sea and anchoring in small bays & creeks away from civilisation, then longer lasting batteries maybe better for your boating style.

AGM is around £150 per battery for 110Ah .
LiFePO4 batteries start at around £300 for 100Ah.
Ultimately it comes down to what best suits you.

Dashboard upgrade & refresh on scorpion rib

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:15:10 GMT

Dashboard Upgrade & Refresh on a Scorpion Rib

This recent project was created for the customers requirements which were:

New Raymarine axiom 9 chartplotter
New VHF with built in GPS
New sound system
Extra switching for future additions
USB charger

We started out by testing then removing everything in the dashboard, the trim displays, VHF & stereo were all non working. The fused switch panel had a lot of corrosion & the volt meter was unnecessary.

We then made a template on the boat with cardboard for the location of the engine controls, the passenger handle and all centralised around the steering wheel location.

We then laid out and marked out locations for all the new items to be mounted and all centralised and even, the owner agreed on an Icom IC-M330 with built in GPS, New Fusion RA-210 stereo head unit, USB C fast charger with volt meter and a set of 6 waterproof switches set in a stainless steel panel with matching carbon effect wrap.

After cutting all the items out of the laminated engraving plastic, we used to create the panel, we took it back to the boat and marked all the holes on the dashboard and cut out anything new that required to be cutout of the original dashboard.

Now back in the workshop we wrapped the dashboard in 3M textured vinyl in a Carbon Fibre finish.

Back on the boat, we mounted the dashboard panel with a silicone bead all around the edges and around instrument holes to seal.

Fitted all the dashboard equipment back in and mounted properly with seals, we created an NMEA backbone & linked all the newly installed equipment together on a single network.

Reconnected everything through the new switch panel, navigation lights, bilge pump, stereo, VHF, chart plotter.

USB charger & NMEA backbone are switched on via the battery switch.

**black carling switch mounts were out of stock locally, we had to fit them the next day after they had arrived from order with another stockist (the reason they are angled in the final photo).

Original Midway Finished

Installing a Kill cord to the yanmar Loom

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 11:37:59 GMT

Installing A kill cord to the Yanmar Loom

All ribs and open fast boats require a kill cord to instantly cut the engine in the case of falling overboard at speed or an emergency on board.

LED underwater light installation on a Sunseeker Hawk 34

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:53:03 GMT

Sunseeker hawk 34

LED underwater light install, Sunseeker hawk 34.

Completed in 5 hours, onsite installation in Christchurch, Hampshire, UK.

We measured and marked out the location of the lights to be fitted, drilled the holes through the transom for the cables to run inside.

Next, we marked out the area these were mounting on, scraped back the antifoul to bare gelcoat, we then cleaned and prepped the surface. We then applied Sikaflex 291 to seal the lights securely underwater.

Once sealed and mounted correctly, we ran 2 core cable from the rear of the engines along the conduits fitted in the boat, to the helm position. We tee'd a meter of extra cable onto the joint for the underwater lights, to add small lights into the air intakes for the engine bay & rear steps for more exterior comfort lights at night.

At the helm position, the boat already had a couple of spare carling switches which were unused, which we connected to the cockpit light circuit from the main breaker board and added a separate 7.5A fuse for the underwater lighting on its own.

The lights are different colours as we tested each one individually before installing, to make sure they are fully functioning and we left them on different colours before leaving.

The lights both operate from 1 remote control that allows a full range of colours at night.

Summary

On these particular Sunseekers, the access in the engine bay is quite easy, lights can be difficult to install above the trim tabs as the access is restricted with pumps and cabling.

On the starboard side there are 2 conduits running forward from the engine room, one directly to the switch panel in the main saloon the other stops in the underfloor cupboard by the helm position. It's small in there but you will find the end of the conduit and you can run the cables over into the rear of the dashboard by dropping a rod through from behind the dashboard