replacing linc screen

[charlesml3]

The days of analog gauges are over. They're gone. You can call it "razzle dazzle" all you want, but it's still very functional. With these displays we can now manage all of this from a single screen:

- Engine vitals (oil pressure, temp, fuel, volts, speed, rpm, diagnostics, water depth, air and water temps)

- Speed control settings

- Ballast controls and displays

- Surf system controls and displays

- Stereo input selection, zone, tone, volume, etc

- Lighting controls

- GPS Mapping

- Other stuff I'm forgetting.

Doesn't matter. This simply cannot be done with analog gauges anymore on a boat this size. GPS mapping couldn't be done on anything but a digital display anyway. Towards the end of the analog gauge era, we were already seeing "gauge sprawl" with some of them being moved down near your right leg. There just wasn't anywhere else to put them. These multi-function displays allow the manufacturers to condense a lot of information into a smaller and more usable space. The displays can be context sensitive and shift according to what you're doing. It's not about lack of skills. It's about the presentation of information and the ability to easily manage the various systems we have now.

-Charles

[robertsmcfarland]

i don't think any body is is faulting the look and information the linc screen gives its what happens when it breaks down, it makes the boat useless, it should be a quick fix or replacement not a 4 thousand dollar solution .

[bturner]

Agreed. Also one feature about this flat screen implementation not mentioned is that it's a huge single point of failure that would never be allowed in a commercial vessel. Of course modern commercial vessels have computer based technologies and flat screen displays as central feature in their deployment but they are also built with redundancies and back up systems. If one breaker fails or the screen goes out on you're Linc system you lose all those features mentioned and are unable to monitor the simplest and most critical systems of the boat, that is if it'll even start.

As to if it's a necessity..... brother please. Linc is a nice toy to have but please don't tell me it's a necessity. It may be a necessity for the "family truckster" you've created to turn on the lumbar massage system in drive's seat, the disco ball and the Christmas tree like light show with 200 strobing colors but there are far more people getting by with a set of gauges and set of switches. Of the items listed there is nothing that couldn't be controlled manually with a basic understanding of their operation and a few hours learning the operation of the boat from a YouTube video or heavens forbid reading the manual. But that would take a desire to learn and develop skill in operation of the boat and you know a lot of this market segment is well, really busy. As to navigation, I already own and carry a GPS system in in my pocket called a smart phone. I've also taken the time to develop a skill called navigation and also learned what the navigational aids on the lake mean so I know where I can and can't safely go with my boat without a system telling me where to drive.

While Charles certainly makes many great points on system integration and advancements in technology within the boating industry I believe more importantly that there have been outstanding advances in hull, engine and other more critical systems. With this however comes the near ridiculous features that load these boats up options that owners will never use or will set once and never touch again. That, along with the initial cost of these features that have pushed the price of a new boat into the stratosphere, the other down side which started this thread is the inability to provide reasonably priced service parts or tools to troubleshoot these systems when (and yes I said when, not if) these system fail. $4K for a display in a boat that will all too soon be worth $25K is ridiculous. If the industry stays on this course there is a very good chance they could kill off the food chain that feeds them as without a healthy used boat market to keep the new boat market alive they'll knock the bottom out of the market when people are no longer willing to risk buying a boat loaded with items that will cost $4K to repair and are more likely to fail as they get older.

Lastly, what a system like Linc does is dumb it down for the masses which is perfectly OK. It masks the complexity of having to actually operate the boat or understand things like the effects of ballast, trim and control of vessel and thus yes it is a skill thing. But I get it. This is how you broaden your base and make your product more appealing to the masses and I certainly would not fault any company for wanting to achieve this.

[ScooterMcgavin]

i don't think any body is is faulting the look and information the linc screen gives its what happens when it breaks down, it makes the boat useless, it should be a quick fix or replacement not a 4 thousand dollar solution .

I agree with this statement

[scottb7]

These boats are - at least in my opinion - VERY expensive toys and while it is great to be able fix them cheaply, it is not always possible. Hopefully skidave or bturner or someone else will get a hold of a few of these someday and learn to fix them.

What always gives me pause is when i go to buy a part or something expensive to fix something and they are like "ok, you get 90 day or even one year warranty." I am sure it gonna happen to me, but scary when you pop for $4,000 and they only give you a year warranty. But the vast majority of the 2013 linc are still working so knock wood any new one people get will work for a good long while.

[NautiqueJeff]

robertsmcfarland I may have one that will work for you. Does yours look like this? If so, and you're interested, shoot me an offer!

[c640947]

robertsmcfarland I may have one that will work for you. Does yours look like this? If so, and you're interested, shoot me an offer!

Jeff, you dont still have that screen available do you?

[c640947]

Also, anyone have experience with swapping these out? Is it as simple as "turn boat batteries off, unplug, take out media card, put media card in new one, plug in new one, turn on batteries and voila?"

I am trying a used screen but the boat doesnt boot up some wondering if i missed a step....

Andrew

[NautiqueJeff]

I don't have any right now, but Stevemo14 might have one for you.

[c640947]

yep thanks he and i have hooked up and trying to figure it out. wondering if there is another step than just plug and play on the screens. dont think so and so that would mean the screen is dead but we;ll keep trying. thanks.

[bturner]

There's a guy on the MasterCraft TT site that works with robotics and industrial controllers that has been offering up advice and says he can repair some of these screens. You may want to go over there and see if he can do anything for yours.

Also the way I understand it these units are from the machine tool family of devices and are basically low level controllers that are programmed for specific use. In your case it is very possible that while the unit you have is correct, the based code for the system is not and may need to be updated with the correct code for your boat.

Here's the thread I was referring to. You may want to give it a read and see if it is relevant to your situation.....

https://teamtalk.mastercraft.com/sho...t=77240&page=3

[c640947]

interesting thanks for the idea. does anyone know if the screen itself can have its software updated (like not installed in the boat?) maybe thats the problem - old software on the screen. that would make sense with the fact that the boat wont even "boot up."

[NautiqueJeff]

These screens can certainly have their software updated. If yours has never been updated, it is way out of date.

Still, that wouldn't cause it not to boot up.

[nohlan_4]

Does anyone know if there is a place where they repair the Linc 2.0 screens or if anyone has one for sale?

[Stevemo14]

I have one that is for a 2013 G23. They are year specific for the first few years, and I have been told mine will only work for a 2013 G