Installing OLAS Guardian on your fishing boat

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Installation, step by step

An outboard fit usually takes 1–2 hours. Inboard diesel systems, especially with a relay box, can take up to half a day.

1. 1

   Gather tools and parts

   • Drill with 21mm and 2mm bits
   • Wire cutters and strippers
   • Marine-grade heat-shrink crimp connectors (18–22 AWG)
   • Cable clips or mounts
   • #2 Phillips screwdriver and 24mm spanner

   • 18 AWG wire for power extensions, 22 AWG for signal extensions
   • 2A inline fuse (not supplied)
   • Masking tape
   • Optional: extension cable set EXPOLASGUARDEXT (+0.75m on switch and power cables), £37
   • Optional: long switch nut EXPGUARDSWITCHNUTLONG for panels up to 30mm, £18
2. 2

   Plan where everything goes

   • Mount the Guardian hub within 0.5m of the existing engine stop switch or its wires.
   • Mount the control switch within 0.5m of the hub, ideally in shade so the LED stays visible.
   • Keep the hub clear of metal, carbon and water, which block the Bluetooth signal. On steel or carbon boats the hub must be mounted externally.
   • Avoid places with extreme heat or cold.
   • On diesel installs, mount the relay box near the stop solenoid wiring. The supplied leads are 350–420mm.
3. 3

   Isolate the power

   • Switch the vessel's batteries off before you start.
   • Make every connection waterproof with marine-grade heat-shrink butt splices.
   • Before drilling, check behind the panel for cables and structure, and make sure you can reach the back to fit the nut.
4. 4

   Fit the control switch

   1. Choose a panel less than 18mm thick (1–8mm or 8–18mm with the supplied nut; up to 30mm with the long nut).
   2. Apply masking tape, then drill a 2mm pilot hole using the template.
   3. Drill the 21mm hole.
   4. Fit the switch and tighten the nut with a 24mm spanner.
   5. Plug the control switch cable into the Guardian hub.
5. 5

   Mount the hub

   1. Mark the screw positions either side of the hub.
   2. Drill pilot holes with the 2mm bit, no deeper than the screw length.
   3. Screw the hub down firmly with the supplied self-tapping screws. Check the panel is thicker than the screws so they don't come through.
   4. Secure all cables so they can't move or chafe.
6. 6

   Connect power

   • Outboard or direct connection: white wire (+) to positive, black wire (−) to negative. Fit a 2A inline fuse on the positive, after the battery isolator. Guardian runs on 10–32V DC.
   • Diesel with relay box: Guardian is powered through the relay box's Guardian connection cable. No separate power feed to the hub is needed. Connect the relay box power lead: red to 12/24V, black to 0V.
7. 7

   Connect to the engine stop circuit

   • Grey is common. Brown is close-to-stop. Purple is open-to-stop.
   • Connect grey and either brown or purple. Never both. Cap the unused wire with the supplied end cap.
   • Close to stop: connect in parallel with the existing kill switch.
   • Open to stop: cut the existing stop cable and connect in series.
   • With a relay box, use the relay box's COM and N/O (close to stop) or COM and N/C (open to stop) with 14 AWG (2.5mm²) wire.
   • Up to three outboards can be stopped together with the Multi Engine Connector EXPOLASMEC.

   Use the checker above to see the exact wiring and diagram for your boat.

8. 8

   Pair the tags

   1. Make sure the tags are off.
   2. Switch the batteries on. Guardian beeps once and the control switch flashes red.
   3. Turn on an OLAS Tag (hold 4 seconds, flashes green) or T2 (press twice) and hold it within about 0.5m of the hub.
   4. The hub beeps twice. Once linked, the control switch turns solid green and the system is live.
   5. Repeat for every crew tag. Up to 25 can be tracked.
   6. Walk the whole boat with each tag to check it stays connected everywhere, including the stern and foredeck.
9. 9

   Set up the OLAS app

   • Download the OLAS app (iOS or Android), select the Guardian icon and follow the setup screens.
   • Name each tag after the person wearing it.
   • Set crew tags to Cut-off and Alert. Use Alert only for passengers.
   • Single-handed? Turn on Solo Mode to send an SMS with vessel name, time and position to a shore contact.
10. 10

    Test it in the water

    1. Check the control switch is green.
    2. With the engine idling in neutral, put a tag into at least 4 inches (10cm) of open water for 2 seconds or more.
    3. The engine should stop. On twin or triple installs, check every engine stops.
    4. Lift the tag out and bring it within 1m of the hub to cancel the alarm and resume tracking.
    5. Repeat with every tag.

    A bucket or glass won't block the signal, and walking away along the pontoon can keep the link for up to 100ft. Only submerging the tag in open water gives a true test. Photograph the fitted kit and record the test for your grant claim.

Tag modes

Set each tag's mode in the OLAS app. The mode is stored on the Guardian.

Reference

Diesel relay box

Part numbers	EXPOLASGDRLY single, EXPOLASGDRLY2 twin
Relay	SPDT, 12V DC coil, 30A. Durakool DG56A-7011-76-1012 or direct equivalent
Power input	12/24V DC
Stop circuit wire	14 AWG (2.5mm²)
Power wire	17 AWG (1mm²)
Enclosure	IP66 polypropylene, 104 × 104 × 70mm, 83mm mounting centres
Cables	Power 350mm, Guardian 420mm (750mm extension available), engine relay 350mm
Supplied	2 × A4 stainless screws and washers, 4 × butt splices (14–16 AWG)
Temperature	−10°C to +40°C

Control switch signals

Situation	What you see and hear
Tracking, all OK	Solid green
No tags in range	Green/red alternating, beeps increasing every minute
New tag tracked	Red double flash, double beep
MOB alert	Constant red, hub high red, beep every second
Standby	Solid red
Tag battery under 20%	Red flash every 10 seconds
Tag battery under 10%	Beep every 5 minutes

If the switch isn't lit, Guardian has no power and the engine will not be cut. Check it's lit every time you go to sea.