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The information provide by the gauges is great. However the gauges that were supplied with my boat were JUNK! they fill with water, I don't think they are/were waterproof at all! As with most equipment from BRP they wait until the product is in the field to do their testing. Get the gauges from Lowrance LMF 400 it'll save you alot of needless headaches good luck
The general concensus seems to be you are better off ordering the gauges (LMF series) and cabling from Lowrance than BRP. The exception, of course, is the one cable that connects to the NMEA 2000 connector on the motor.
I have them and after a bit of trouble I have them working good now! 1st set got water in them, BRP replaced with no questions. Second set the guage(software ver 1.1) and my Lowrance lcx26hd were conflicting. Third guage was the same as the second(same software version) Forth guage(software ver 1.1.1) was a charm. Now that everything is working the way it should they are pretty nice guages. Now that I think about it I still have the second and third guage they sent me and nobody is asking for them back. I forgot I had them!
Thanks for the info. I hope I did not get into a mess as I was talked into these by the builder. He said he would go 50/50 on the price with me.
Not at all! I'd go with them if given the opportunity. Mine has the BRP analog gauge set, and they are not that great. The 2" ones fog all the time, and they do not seem to be very accurate. I'd go digital.
I've got the BRP I-Command digital ones (made by Lowrance). So far, they've been pretty good. Lots and lots of data available. But some of it I have not figured out totally just yet. I can't get engine trim to work and some of the fuel management stuff is less than intuitive. Fuel flow works fine but I have no faith in trip fuel, fuel remaining, mpg, etc. A friend of mine has the very same setup on his and was having the same issues. I'm pretty sure he's finally figured his out and has it working now though. I've also had a few water pressure sensors go bad on me but BRP has replaced them under warranty each time so I can't really complain there.
I think that the LMF-400 has some limitations when compared to the BRP I-Command version. Seems I heard that somewhere or another but don't know for certain as I've only used the BRP version. If I'm not mistaken, the BRP version reports engine error codes while the LMF-400 does not. Not sure if there are any other differences though.
I'll be giving a full report on my NMEA2000 system, including the I-Command components, soon.
stwal - 12/29/2006 12:17 AM
One of the differences between Lowrance LMF-400 and I-Command Digital is [that] you don't see the engine error codes in Lowrance LMF-400.
I have been told this by a knowledgeable Evinrude dealer. If you buy the Evinrude I-Command Digital gauges you will be able to display some engine diagnostic code data. If you get the Lowrance gauges you will not. Otherwise, the two devices are just about identical.
The connectors used to attach the gauges to the NMEA-2000 network are also different. There seems to be some dispute among vendors about what the "standard" connector should be. I do not believe that either the Lowrance or the Evinrude connector is actually the "standard" connector. The Lowrance devices can be more easily daisy-chained together using their plastic T-connectors.
the gages--all built by lowrance, no matter the badge, will only work with NMEA 2000 compliant e-tec engines. no DI or ficht or other e'rudes.
as for the connectors, they are EXACTALLY the same. dont know where that info would have ever came from. we have swapped and swapped from lowrance to i-command and back and forth a couple of times. there is no difference. unless an unknowledgeable dealer doesnt realize there are 2 different i-command gages--the analog/digital and the NMEA 2000 digital. thats apples and oranges. whether is says lowrance or i-command, its pretty much the same bird.
codes, schomdes. its a numerical code. unless you have the cabling and download software, you cant reset the codes anyway, so you are going to the dealer to reset. when you get an 'alarm', you get a display on the screen that tells you what is wrong anyway--it'll say 'low oil', 'overheat', 'fuel', or whatever. only when you get 'see dealer', is the code displayed, and like i said, its a numeric code, and the layperson wont know what to do to reset or fix, so again, i-command or LMF, both are pretty close to the same and pretty dang useful.
If you have the analog/digital I-commands and are having problems with water intrusion or fogging, BRP has a recall and will exchange yours for the updated more water resistant version....
...as for the connectors, they are EXACTALLY the same. dont know where that info would have ever came from...
It came from me.
I am referring to the LowranceNet connector as compared to the Evinrude 6-pin Deutsch connector which is used on their network hub. They are totally incompatible and require an adapter cable to connect them together.
The NMEA-2000 standard is supposed to include specifications for the connector so that devices are more easily interconnected. There has been talk that there is another connector in the works which will be the "standard."
ok, well im no help then. i have no experience hacking together a network out of makeshift pieces. my lowrancenet system has no hub. there is no adaptor cable needed. each component has the same plugs--no hub, no other connectors needed. but, im running all lowrancenet 2006 devices, and e-tecs. not sure how i did it, but mine came from the factory, out of the box and into the boat.
did you say you had experience with these 'hubs', and 'totally incompatable' cables and such, or were you just talkin' to someone who had? im afraid this sort of seems like mis-information. at least, when talking to people who actually have the lowrancenet system--with either gage namebadge (remember, i currently have both in my boat). and again THE CONNECTORS ARE EXACTALLY THE SAME. check the detailed photos on our website. no difference in anything, except the name badge. you're better off getting your information from the horse's mouth, no the other end.
sorry, if you have an axe to grind or agenda, then you gotta do better than that.
if you are just honestly misinformed, then welcome to the hull truth. you can ask a dealer who seems to have limited information, or you can ask people who actually have the gages. (we've been running them since march of '05) and there are plenty of photos on our website along with a rough schematic on putting together a network (with no hub), you can see for yourself.
There is not much room for compromise between "exactly the same" and "completely different."
My explanation is simple: you and I are not talking about the same connectors.
The Bombardier connectors I am talking about are the connectors used to attach devices to the network using the Bombardier hubs. These are all Bombardier parts with Bombardier part numbers. The actual connectors are made by Deutch. They are just like all the other Deutsch connectors which are used by Bombardier for their electrical connectors on the engine and its electrical harnesses. I have seen these in person, right out of the package with the Bombardier part numbers on them. And they are unmistakably different from the LowranceNet connectors. There is no person alive who could mistake them for anything but completely different connectors.
There is no axe being ground. I just report my first-hand observations. Again, I believe the problem is you and I are not talking about the same connectors.
And, again, I will repeat my observation that it is extremely odd that a "standard" for a network cannot agree on what the connector is supposed to be. I think NMEA-2000 is a great idea, but the vendors need to get together on what connector they are going to use.
I have twin E-tec 200's and ICommand gauges. I need to point out that there is two iCommand gauge styles, the iCommand Classic that looks like this:
And the iCommand Digital that looks like this:
To answer the original question, the iCommand Classics are garbage for the reasons previously posted, like water getting into them.
The iCommand Digitals on the other hand seem to have an excellent reputation. I have the digitals on my boat, and have been pleased so far. The biggest problem I've had so far is trying to decide how I want to configure the pages!
I Command guages/ E -Tecs 
