2018 Tracker Pro Team TXW 175 60HP

Nitro Owners Forum

Help Support Nitro Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

arzenmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2022
Messages
51
Reaction score
15
Location
Central Pennsylvania
Hello to all. Nice web board to share information.

I just bought a used 2018 Tracker Pro Team TXW 175 60HP with 15 hrs on it to replace my ancient 1976 Alumacraft.

20221106_162912.jpg


The boat has a Bmini top vinyl floors and was reportedly garage kept. It is bone stock sans the bimini, and the Lowrance Hook 4 GPS at the console. The boat came with a 4x without GPS chart plotter.


I added a Level "0" Mercmonitor. (Level 0 has an NMEA0183 input for speed) I tried to purchase the monitor through two local dealers. Bass Pro was somewhat helpful. In both cases, the local dealer and Bass Pro tried to talk me in to using Vessel View, and to stay away from the Mercmonitor and or Smartcraft. I'm guessing Vessel view is what they had in stock.

I have lost keys, dropped phones, fishing rods, and even had to go home and get my dry suit to retrieve a friends shotgun that took a plunge in ten feet of water. Needless to say I wanted something that provided good info that wasn't primarily a hand-held device, or somewhat less than IPxx rated for total immersion waiting to be retrieved.

I was pretty much sold on an instrument panel mount. I bought off of eBay ($513) after a short time deciding that for such a small boat I really didn't need NMEA2000 capability.

Finding install info, manuals or just directions prior to purchasing is very difficult. Considering this thing is plug and play and incredibly easy to install, I would have thought there would be a good write up smewhere.


This a picture of the items you need to make it all work. with part numbers.
Mercmonitor: 79-8M0119406,
Male to Male plug Canbus adapter (Harness adapter): 879982T20
CanBus harness: 892452T01

Mercmonitor level 0.jpg


I wanted two things to function other than the basic engine monitor data. 1. Trim information 2. Speed data. Trim information more for not having to swivel in the seat or aggravate my neck arthritis. Speed info is necessary for the ECO function to work, which is kind of unnecessary for this kind of boat but since it is easily activated by adding a small NMEA0183 GPS receiver I figured I'd plug that in too. (I know I could have changed out the Lowrance Hook 2 and Hook 4 chart plotters with NMEA2000 I/O etc. added a backbone etc. yadda yadda.) I just didn't think it was necessary for me.

GPS NMEA0183.jpg


Here is the $45 eBay purchase of a NMEA0183 GPS to activate the Speed made good function (ground speed if you will) on the Mercmonitor.


Dimensions: 2” x 1.5” x 0.65”; Mounting holes distance: 1.9”; Cable length: 4’ (48”), mounting screws are not included.

Accuracy: 3M-CEP

Wiring:

1672329150571.png



White pulse signal is not used, the green wire is NMEA0183 out.


Here is the wiring diagram found to connect the GPS to the Mercmonitor (Same as CmartCraft gauges.) this part of the system work.
MercMonitor NME0183 connection.jpg




I ran the single canbus wire from the front of the console to the engine harness by using an old piece of conduit with a piece cut out to hold the canbus plug up and not get hung up pushing it through.
20221219_204619.jpg



20221219_205534.jpg


You can see the blue Canbus cable in front of the console, and the last picture here is behind the Throttle under the gunnel. I loosened the rear side panel screw to allow the canbus connector room to go through.

The connection to the engine is routed along the gunnel and through the engine control rubber pass through by drilling a slightly undersized hole in one of the empty quadrants and making a razor slice in the rubber to allow the blue cable to slide into the newly drilled hole.
20221229_110919.jpg



Here is the cable routing inside the upper cowl.

20221229_110635.jpg



Here is the yellow terminator plug removed where the canbus adaptor plugs in.

20221229_110659.jpg


The digital trim sender part number: Mercury 8M0109720 - TRIM SNDR 40-60 $112

The instructions included for this are very thorough and detailed included in the package.

Please see next post, The web board will only allow me to post 10 files.
 
Trim sensor instruction sheet. Part number Mercury 8M0109720

20221229_110820.jpg
20221229_110707.jpg


The purple black and yellow wires are the digital trim connector for the sensor.
 

Attachments

  • 20221216_170358.jpg
    20221216_170358.jpg
    989.8 KB · Views: 0
The reason I've included this video is to show that what the dealer told me and many web boards have incorrectly reported is that the PCM on the 60 HP engines wont report trim data to a mercmonitor.

NOT TRUE!

Mercury customer support told me that the dealer is full of C**P, the PCM will report trim data.

 
I just bought a used 2018 Tracker Pro Team TXW 175 60HP with 15 hrs on it to replace my ancient 1976 Alumacraft.
Congratulations. Beautiful boat!
I love its color combination, looks so sporty yet classy at the same time.
 
Nice work. Also nice work shop/ man cave.

Thanks. My wife is mostly responsible for the workshops well put together appearance. She did however stop me short of putting a full bathroom in, figuring I'd probably move in.

Now, If she starts pushing me to install a toilet and shower, I know something is up. But at least I'll have a nice place to stay.
 
Oh boy.

I upgraded my 175TXW Pro before the season with a 24v Edge 70, thinking I'd reevaluate it at the end of the summer, and see about a spot lock, anchor lock etc. trolling motor. Well, I didn't wait that long.

The Edge 70 had been in the water a grand total of 5 times. It worked fantastic for what it is. Tons of thrust for the 175TXW. BUT, I couldn't leave well enough alone.

I bought a Lowrance Ghost, and 2 HDSLive 12"s.

Wow what a difference. The Edge 70 was more than adequate, but holy cow what a difference in functionality and ease of use.

I honestly didn't think I'd need to network graphs and install a NMEA2000 network. After using a set of networked HDS Lives on the lake I now see that it makes things a heck of lot easier and more enjoyable. Of, course at the cost of a king's ransom, as it's not an inexpensive upgrade.

After a couple of uses on the Trolling Motor the Anchor function is fantastic as well as course lock. The Ghost 360 function on the HDSLive 12's is a really neat feature.

The features are way more than what I envisioned needing or using. But the difference is like having a pull start carburetted 2 stroke with a manual choke outboard without tilt, vs a 4 stroke fuel injected FADEC conrtolled outboard with tilt on a hydraulic jackplate.
20230712_180650.jpg


20230712_180702.jpg
 
Great photos. I especially like the lower photo.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top