Tack Tick problem

Metabarca

Metabarca

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About four years ago, I bought a Tack Tick depth sounder, but I've only just got around to fitting it. However, the display shows 'no data' . I've checked that power is getting to the central unit and that the depth sounder is plugged into it. I've also tried 'network setup', placing the central unit next to the display (although appatently this should ge necessary with just one unit), but no joy. Any ideas?
 
After that length of time, I would guess the internal batteries would have gone flat, and lost settings potentially (not completely sure). have you got the instrument head on power as well? If the latter is true, leave the instrument for a few hours so that it shows "fully charged" in the display, then remove and take close to the Hull transmitter and carry out the full network setup procedure. Once that has completed, if you still don't have a display, go to Setup on the display (press and hold second button from left) and then scroll down until you see Health. Press right arrow, and the first screen you see should display something like "32.7" and X nodes... for your setup with one instrument head and one hull transmitter X should be 2...

I've had Tacktick since 2009, and am happy with them, so ping me a PM for any more details.
 
Good luck with that! I had exactly the same problem with a wind instrument. Bought 2 years before it was fitted and didn't work. Took it to Raymarine and explained and they said (effectively) "tough" you have a faulty transducer and will have to buy another one cos its out of warranty. After complaining bitterly I insisted on complaining to the service manager and got 50% off but was still not happy and insisted on a warranty on that at least. 12 months later it packed in again and I took it back, warranty in hand and saw a different service engineer who replaced it. He told me that they had had lots of problems with these units due to manufacturing faults!! Thank you Raymarine. I won't buy anymore kit from a company that wont replace an unused unit straight out of the box when they know it has a manufacturing fault.
 
That means the instrument display isn't (as a minimum) seeing the hull transmitter. You need to go to Set up... Options then right arrow until you get to auto network. I suggest you remove the hull transmitter or instrument, and organize a temporary power supply so that you can get them within a foot of each other. Don't worry about not having the transducer connected, you just need the network set up between the transmitter and instrument before you put them in their final position
 
Metabarca said:
Thanks. The display is not solar but Drawers from The boat's power. Left it all in all morning but still no joy: health says vers 1.3, nodes 1. Defective hull unit?
Click to expand...

Probably. In my case it was, twice. Although mine was a wind unit I think the problem is in the circuitry that talks to the main unit which is probably the same. Frankly, I asked to retain the old defective unit and out of curiosity took it apart and was unimpressed with the build quality. If it is the same fault it won't make any difference how near it is to the main unit. From what the guy said I think it is quite likely that if the batteries go flat the software dumps. Don't know though. All I know is that two units in a row died. The upside is that I think they may have fixed the glitch as mine is still working after 12 months but I have had it periodically on power since the last problem so the batteries have never gone flat.
 
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boatmike said:
Probably. In my case it was, twice. Although mine was a wind unit I think the problem is in the circuitry that talks to the main unit which is probably the same. Frankly, I asked to retain the old defective unit and out of curiosity took it apart. I was unimpressed with the build quality.
Click to expand...
Sorry, that's not how Tacktick works. The hull transmitter does the job of collecting together the cabled connections for sounder, log and compass, and then sends it wirelessly to the instrument heads. Wind transmitter communicates with the instrument heads wirelessly
 
I don't understand your post. As you say, in any of the instruments, the transducer "talks" to the display head wirelessly. It matters not a jot how the information is collected or generated, if the transmitter in the transducer stops transmitting the head will not receive anything.
 
No it doesn't, except in the case of the wind transducer. All the in hull transducers connect by wire to the hull transmitter. The hull transmitter transmits this information to the instrument heads wirelessly.
 
Therefore the hull transmitter does the same job does it not? The OP does not indicate that he has any other Tack Tick instruments other than the depth sounder. I concede that if he has other kit and its working and transmitting then the transmitter is OK but if he only has the depth sounder then it is quite possible the transmitter is not transmitting which would indicate that he has the same problem that I had and the instrument head is not receiving because nothing is being transmitted. Either way my bet is that the problem is at the transmitting end not the receiving end.
 
It isn't because as he said in earlier posts, when he went into Set Up the first screen shows "Nodes" - i.e. the number of Tacktick devices present on the wireless network, and that showed "1", i.e the instrument head he was running it from. He needs to see two, the head, and the transmitter. If the sounder was defective, but the hull transmitter was connected, he would see dashes, not "no data"

When you have a wind transmitter issue (I've had the signal "overwhelmed" in St Katz, and this year the battery pack gave up) you get "--" and the wind direction indicator pointing dead ahead
 
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I'll try the setup once again, but I've already had two goes at it. Just to confirm: the display unit is powered from the boat and 'works' (in the sense that the display goes on, I can see the menus, etc). The transmitter receives power from the boat (I've checked that the juice does indeed arrive to the unit). The depth sounder is plugged into the transmitter but there's no indication of any current running through the three wires (but perhaps that doesn't mean anything). This is the only Tack Tick instrument I have. I think I'll be setting off for my cruise with no depth sounder. Luckily the water is transparent where I am...
 
Definition of a tack tick owner is one that likes climbing his mast....

I have tack tick and it is a continued pain in the arse. Keep on at Raymarine and they will eventually help. Also you can buy the components off eBay from owners who have given up and flogged the lot on eBay. You need at least one spare of everything.

More trouble than it's worth. My advice is avoid or cut your losses and fit some decent Furuno or B&G

P
 
Metabarca said:
I'll try collaring Raymarine (thanks!) but they're not going to solve the problem in the five days I've got left before setting off.
Click to expand...
They'll probably want the hull transmitter back to test out.If you're close enough it's worth dropping it off. There was a batch of dud hull transmitters before Raymarine took over... I suffered from that, but Raymarine are controlling production better and the last swap out has been fine
 
Gladys said:
They'll probably want the hull transmitter back to test out.If you're close enough it's worth dropping it off. There was a batch of dud hull transmitters before Raymarine took over... I suffered from that, but Raymarine are controlling production better and the last swap out has been fine
Click to expand...

So having argued constantly with what I said in the first place regarding the transmitters you now agree that there was a "duff batch" ! Isn't that precisely what I said in the first place?
I know how these things work and the chip that handles the software for transmitting information from the masthead wind transducers and the hull transducers is the same and as I said before does not retain the programme when the batteries go flat. At least that is what I am lead to believe. There is no way to recover this and the only answer is a new unit. I didn't make this up. I was told by a Raymarine service engineer.
 
boatmike said:
So having argued constantly with what I said in the first place regarding the transmitters you now agree that there was a "duff batch" ! Isn't that precisely what I said in the first place?
I know how these things work and the chip that handles the software for transmitting information from the masthead wind transducers and the hull transducers is the same and as I said before does not retain the programme when the batteries go flat. At least that is what I am lead to believe. There is no way to recover this and the only answer is a new unit. I didn't make this up. I was told by a Raymarine service engineer.
Click to expand...

So that means that replacing the battery pack isn't possible then? Sorry Raymarine sell it as a spare, and as I said earlier on I replaced the battery pack in my wind transmitter this winter, and it's working fine...
 
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