Playing around with Google’s NotebookLM. Loaded Yanmar parts list, Operation manual and Maintenance manual PDFs to dork around with utility using these three “sources”.
So far I am impressed. I asked LM how to adjust valves. Got a step by step description, had similar results with other topics. Notebook LM realizes some of these manuals cover multiple engines: 1gm, 2gm and 3gm and will suss out correct engine is one specifies the model in one’s question.
So what good is that, isn’t all the info in the manuals? Yes, obviously it is, but the prompt aka question provides the answer within seconds vice fussing around with the books. Very interesting.
I am wondering about the multitude of tech docs I have on board…radio, power. Instruments, AP and so on. I could see this being mighty useful if all relevant manuals uploaded as “sources”. Even self generated “notes” can be incorporated as one customized the boat. I have some mast wiring notes which would be great candidates if I can find them.
Anyway, thought some of you might be interested in experimenting with this.
What document format did you use when uploading the manuals? I assume PDF.
Yes. Although I have hardcopies of all the docs, I was able to find PDFs online.
The output is not perfect. For example I queried the parts manual for a 2gm riser PN. It had problems with the nomenclature. NLM needed a precise description which turned out to be “mixing elbow”. Perfect world NLM should have been able to infer a riser is aka mixing elbow or the like.
With regard to parts I think the manual, with its drawings, is the way to go but procedures and ops questions seem to be fairly easy to extract.
Having said all this I realize this is sailing forum so I didn’t want to distract with a bunch of AI stuff. I did think it might be interesting to some of the folks here because many are pretty tech savvy folks.
It might be possible to share the NLM on the forum which might be interesting if we were to load the documents repository on the site. Imagine if we all contributed our tech docs, drawings, pictures, technical posts and so on.
Geoff, around min 6 this guy discusses the tech manual concept. Having said that, i came up with idea by myself. Great minds and so on 
This is a great find - thanks Mike! I’ve been playing with it and it seems really useful, especially for long complex manuals like for the Victron Cerbo. I have a copy of every manual in Google Drive already so linking some as sources was very simple. A quick thing I found: if you have an iPhone, then click the share button for the website and “Add to Home Screen”. You’ll get an app-looking icon that opens a web app
in full screen outside of Safari. Makes using the tool a little nicer on your phone.
I can link? I have to check that out. I also have most, not all, of my manuals on g drive.
One can also use videos as a source.
My big project at the moment is motor mount replacement (I will get back to you with power design when I complete the mounts). I am wondering how NLM handles conflicting info. Some videos include key info that others do not and, in some cases, approaches differ.
Paul Dennis also provided verbal input which was very useful. Got to get that into “notes”…and down the rabbit hole we go 
Oh, and regarding complex manuals. My car came with a 650 page manual, my new printer’s manual is 450 pages!!!
I imagine things like a new chart plotter must come with an encyclopedia! Finding what you need is often harder than doing what you have to do after you find it.
