Marine
CMD Releases Sportfish Digital Throttle and Shift Controls
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Cummins MerCruiser Diesel has developed Sportfish-style controls that are designed to operate any of its SmartCraft Digital Throttle and Shift-equipped propulsion systems.
Also called side-mount or Palm Beach controls, the Sportfish controls fulfill the needs of captains who prefer to have one throttle/shift lever on each side of the console to control the corresponding engine and drive. This type of control is most popular on twin-engine sportfish boats owned or operated by hard-core offshore anglers. The configuration allows the captain to turn his back to the steering wheel to see the action at the stern of the boat – while a person in the cockpit is fighting a fish, typically – yet still be able to quickly and easily maneuver the boat with one lever in each hand.
Like all CMD DTS controls, the Sportfish model features smooth shifting and proportional throttle response with adjustable friction for a customized feel. And because there are no mechanical cables to bind or wear, there’s no unpredictable lag, and the controls and cables are completely maintenance-free for life. They also come with a dash-mounted DTS control pad – the same key pad that is found in the center of a typical CMD DTS control head – that governs such functions as Throttle-Only Mode, Auto Engine Synchronization On/Off, Dock Mode, Single-Lever Mode and Troll Control, and it also houses a pair of neutral indicator lights.
The controls are compatible with all CMD Quantum Series engines from the QSD2.0 liter to the QSM11 liter. They can be used on traditional twin inboard and sterndrive setups, and can even be installed as part of CMD’s award-winning Axius® sterndrive and Zeus® pod joystick-equipped systems. In fact, the software system behind DTS is so sophisticated that the standard two-lever Sportfish setup can operate three or four engines, a configuration offered with CMDs Zeus 3000. The Sportfish Controls will be shown in conjunction with the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) International Boat Show, Oct. 29 through Nov. 2, installed in QuadZeus.com, the world’s first quadruple-Zeus vessel. The distinctively decorated 60-foot sportfish boat can be seen during the show at 1004 Seabreeze Blvd., less than a block south of the Bahia Mar show entrance.
CMD Sportfish controls are available immediately on new boats, and can be retrofitted into many boats that have the appropriate console arrangement and CMD engines equipped with SmartCraft 2.2 architecture.
About CMD
Based in Charleston, South Carolina (USA), Cummins MerCruiser Diesel is responsible for designing, manufacturing and providing reliable after-sales support worldwide for marine propulsion products. It offers a broad range of power, with available ratings from 115-715 hp for recreational applications and 76-715 hp for commercial use. Cummins MerCruiser Diesel is a joint venture between Cummins Inc. and Mercury Marine and can be found on the internet at www.cmdmarine.com.
For further information, contact Clay Gaillard, Public Relations Manager, at 843-745-1238 or clay.gaillard@cummins.com
High resolution photography can be downloaded from the CMD FTP site: http://www.cmdmarine.com/ftp/index.html.
