Does anyone manufacture wireless equipment for boats. Was thinking that it would be nice if I did'nt have to rewire a mast for all of the electronics. I'm thinking that in this day and age one of the manufactures (Raymarine etc) would have equipment that eliminates the wiring. Comments
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I have seen a demo...
...of the Tack Tick product at the Newport boat show. They are really nice. Many of the simple questions heve been addressed. E.G. What if the boat next to you has them, also? How do you initialize the masthead anenometer if you don't want to go up the mast? Do I have to go up the mast to install the anemometer? The demo was great! But, as always, the new ones on the market are pricey. Go to the web site and download the spec sheets in PDF format.
...of the Tack Tick product at the Newport boat show. They are really nice. Many of the simple questions heve been addressed. E.G. What if the boat next to you has them, also? How do you initialize the masthead anenometer if you don't want to go up the mast? Do I have to go up the mast to install the anemometer? The demo was great! But, as always, the new ones on the market are pricey. Go to the web site and download the spec sheets in PDF format.
...but you need to replace batteries!
Dan: I was thinking the same thing. WOW, no more wires. Then you need to worry about replacing batteries. I think I will just stick with the wires. The batteries are always going to fail at the worst of times. Maybe they will use the same batteries that are in my pacemaker and they only need to replace them once every 10 years.<g>
Dan: I was thinking the same thing. WOW, no more wires. Then you need to worry about replacing batteries. I think I will just stick with the wires. The batteries are always going to fail at the worst of times. Maybe they will use the same batteries that are in my pacemaker and they only need to replace them once every 10 years.<g>
They are Long-Life Lithium Batteries.
Yes, the batteries will need to be replaced eventually because they are long-life lithium batteries. And lithium batteries do need to be replaced eventually. They are also recharged by a small photo cell that is on the front of the display unit. I forgot about this. The question that I would have is: What if they are mounted under a dodger and away from direct sunlight? Will they charge enough where they are located? Also, they are not permanently mounted. Only the base is. This allows you to move them about the boat or remove them and put them away when they are not being used. I think it is also a theft-deterrent since there is nothing "fixed" in place, such as wires. Each unit can be programmed to show either a multi display or single display of data, thus the flexibility of moving them about. This also gives the skipper the flexibility to mount one down below where he can keep an eye on it while underway at sea.
Yes, the batteries will need to be replaced eventually because they are long-life lithium batteries. And lithium batteries do need to be replaced eventually. They are also recharged by a small photo cell that is on the front of the display unit. I forgot about this. The question that I would have is: What if they are mounted under a dodger and away from direct sunlight? Will they charge enough where they are located? Also, they are not permanently mounted. Only the base is. This allows you to move them about the boat or remove them and put them away when they are not being used. I think it is also a theft-deterrent since there is nothing "fixed" in place, such as wires. Each unit can be programmed to show either a multi display or single display of data, thus the flexibility of moving them about. This also gives the skipper the flexibility to mount one down below where he can keep an eye on it while underway at sea.
tack-tick issues
I seem to recall a thread recently to the effect that the tack-ticks are sealed units and the batteries cannot be replaced! according the the author, when the batteries fail, you throw the unit away!
I seem to recall a thread recently to the effect that the tack-ticks are sealed units and the batteries cannot be replaced! according the the author, when the batteries fail, you throw the unit away!
I spoke to a Tac-Tic rep
at our boat show in November and he confirmed that the batteries are not owner 'serviceable.' If the batteries fail during the warrranty period (I forget how long) he said the company would replace the unit. After that, they'll 'consider' battery problems on a case by case basis. It's a cool set-up but I decided that I didn't want to gamble the longevity of a $2500 system on a bunch of non-serviceable batteries.
at our boat show in November and he confirmed that the batteries are not owner 'serviceable.' If the batteries fail during the warrranty period (I forget how long) he said the company would replace the unit. After that, they'll 'consider' battery problems on a case by case basis. It's a cool set-up but I decided that I didn't want to gamble the longevity of a $2500 system on a bunch of non-serviceable batteries.
5 years on battery but outside warranty
equals becomes a "rock" when the battery dies. There was an article/letter to editor early last year in Practical Sailor that argued aginst it. The units are sealed for water tightness and the batteries cannot be replaced. The 5-year "expected" batery life (use, temp, etc) is longer than the warranty.
equals becomes a "rock" when the battery dies. There was an article/letter to editor early last year in Practical Sailor that argued aginst it. The units are sealed for water tightness and the batteries cannot be replaced. The 5-year "expected" batery life (use, temp, etc) is longer than the warranty.
I wrote
the folks at Tack-Tick and they confirmed that the batteries are not owner serviceable. In fact if an owner takes one apart for any reason Tack-Tick won't even consider helping out if it's beyond the warranty period and if within the warranty period the warranty is void. They assured me that the batteries will last longer than the warranty but if they ever do fail the unit must be sent to them for work on it. All this assuming that Tack-Tick is even around in five years. Add to that the price is quite high and the Tick-Tack may be a risky instrument to own. Good luck
the folks at Tack-Tick and they confirmed that the batteries are not owner serviceable. In fact if an owner takes one apart for any reason Tack-Tick won't even consider helping out if it's beyond the warranty period and if within the warranty period the warranty is void. They assured me that the batteries will last longer than the warranty but if they ever do fail the unit must be sent to them for work on it. All this assuming that Tack-Tick is even around in five years. Add to that the price is quite high and the Tick-Tack may be a risky instrument to own. Good luck
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