Dead tacktick T033 - battery?

[MagicalArmchair]

As with anything that breaks, it usually breaks at the very top of the bleeding mast. After probably the worst sailing season in my 37 years of life due to work, I finally had some time to go and at least check up and do some jobs on Triola (no summer cruise and just two weekends away at anchorage, ho hum ).

On turning the instruments on, everything else pinged into life apart from the wind instruments. The tacktick continued to read blank after what looked like an initial period where it was hunting of the transducer.

A quick look up the mast and its still, reassuringly, attached. Any thoughts? Battery praps? Its a cracking unit, maybe ten years old, so quite venerable.

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Any good source for Spares for them?

 

[michael_w]

Try Raymarine. When the mini compass on my Flying Fifteen was declared FUBAR. Raymarine offered a reasonable deal on a new one.

 

[RupertW]

Is the wind vane and separately the cups turning?

Assuming they are (and we replaced ours when they seized) then it could be the battery up there or the solar panel with d. gunk on it. The only thing you could try that doesn't involve going up the mast is pairing them again but that's a long shot.

 

[capnsensible]

Now there is a coincidence, was sorting one of these out on Saturday. Exactly the same symptoms. It took a while in the sun for the solar bit to kick in on the instrument. We also took down the transmitter anemometer and fond the two small solar panels dirty. When cleaned, all looked good. My oppo has taken it home to investigate further. If we discover anything else, I can post it here.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Thanks all, that's a good thought on the solar panels. I'll dig out all my mast climbing gear and wait for a relatively windless day to go aloft and take the unit down - its only one screw so (presuming I don't drop the little sucker), getting it off won't be hard.

 

[RupertW]

Thanks all, that's a good thought on the solar panels. I'll dig out all my mast climbing gear and wait for a relatively windless day to go aloft and take the unit down - its only one screw so (presuming I don't drop the little sucker), getting it off won't be hard.

And remember that if you do have to pair it again it has to be within 1m of the instrument head so easier to do when they are both down ( though not hard to do if you aren't like a poster last year who first hoisted the display without a downhaul, then we realised he'd tied it on instead of using a bag as the downhaul banged it on the deck leaving the halyard stuck up at the top and finally lost the display in the drink blaming Tacktick and also us for the terrible advice)

 

[Daverw]

Have you checked signal strength, this will confirm if head unit is transmitting, accessed through setting menu

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Ha, probably better I hoist myself up than the unit (I'll probably bounce better...?)

Ah ha, thanks, just found this:

https://www.strath.ac.uk/media/depa...cktick_Wind_Indicator_(Replaced_Dataline).pdf

So I'll try that and see what the signal strength is like before heading aloft. I do like an excuse to go up the mast mind you, although it does waste a half day where I could be err, whats it called again... errr, ah that's it, sailing!! Heavens forbid I do any of that...

 

[capnsensible]

Bit of feedback. Main problem is the instrument rechargeable battery knackered. New one on its way....£60 ish!

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Bit of feedback. Main problem is the instrument rechargeable battery knackered. New one on its way....£60 ish!

Ahh thanks for that. I went up the mast using my awesome TopClimber gear the at the weekend (its always alarming going RIGHT to the top, even with a fall arrest on another halyard - I need some more practise so it becomes 'normal' and not 'bloody terrifying' :encouragement and recovered the unit. Its in surprisingly good nick considering its been up there for over ten years! No dirt on the solar panels, so that eliminates one thing.

Waiting on the tiny torques to be delivered today before I can open it up. Where did you source the replacement battery from?

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Right, replacement battery fitted and delivered for £60. Very straight forward. Hmm, to test at home, whats the best way of rigging the base unit up to 12V? I have a booster pack (the type you use to jump start your car or charge your mobile), short of rigging it up to my car, and other ways I can test before I get it back to the boat?

 

[Daverw]

I found a small wall power unit from a long lost router that supplied 12v dc and just chopped the small plug of the end, been very useful since

 

[RupertW]

Right, replacement battery fitted and delivered for £60. Very straight forward. Hmm, to test at home, whats the best way of rigging the base unit up to 12V? I have a booster pack (the type you use to jump start your car or charge your mobile), short of rigging it up to my car, and other ways I can test before I get it back to the boat?

I thought you said it was Tacktick therefore never connected to 12v but always charged by daylight?

 

[Mikedefieslife]

And remember that if you do have to pair it again it has to be within 1m of the instrument head so easier to do when they are both down ( though not hard to do if you aren't like a poster last year who first hoisted the display without a downhaul, then we realised he'd tied it on instead of using a bag as the downhaul banged it on the deck leaving the halyard stuck up at the top and finally lost the display in the drink blaming Tacktick and also us for the terrible advice)

Haha that almost sounds like me. But mine was in a bag and it was the downhaul that caused the problem getting tangled. Can't believe you lot gave someone else the same terrible advice

I thought you said it was Tacktick therefore never connected to 12v but always charged by daylight?

If it's an NM30 the base unit will be 12v powered.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Just to finish this one off, I popped down to the boat at lunchtime, quick change out of my suit, set up my mast climbing gear and got up and down within an hour - all fixed and got a lovely view from the top of the mast. The more I use the mast climbing stuff, the more natural it becomes and less alarming (and less time consuming too!). Tips for climbing:

• Get the 'knot' right to the top of the mast that joins the halyard to the rope you are climbing.
• Get all the stretch out of the halyard and the line you are climbing else you will swing about (get it bar tight).
• Remember you are climbing the ROPE, not the mast, never touch the mast apart to work on it as you go up and constantly remind yourself you are climbing the rope. Expecially important when coming down. Clinging desperately onto the mast won't help.
• To work on the very top of the mast, you need to get above it. Put your feet in the foot straps and then LOCK your knees. The temptation is to push up a little way so you are 'just' above the mast head - unless you have thighs of steel, you won't last long like this. Push the last few inches up and lock those knees, then you are stable to work above the mast head.
• Having a fall preventor on a second line is great for your state of mind .

Success!! Time to go sailing!

 

[Quester]

I have trouble with the tacktick wind transponder on a 35ft mast. I replaced batteries - no reading. Tested at ground level - good reading from up to 100ft away down the pontoon. Works fine 1/2 mile down river. So it's a local issue and only when located at mast height. Tested at home - good reading. Test near a cellnet mast - no reading. Finally found that there is a cellnet mast about 100 yards away within line of site over roof tops from top of mastwhen in my marina That's giving enough interference to stop the trasnponder working. I now wait untill 1/2 mile down river before switching on the Tacktick. I wonder how many more Tacktick owners have junked their kit without finding this solution.

 

[Mikedefieslife]

From about 2012 I believe that all models are dual frequency.It's worth checking that yours is running on the right European frequency, I think it's 833mhz.

 

[Quester]

From about 2012 I believe that all models are dual frequency.It's worth checking that yours is running on the right European frequency, I think it's 833mhz.

I'm pretty sure I checked the frequency was correct some years ago but wortht checking again on next visit to the boat.