Tacktick wind instrument

chubby

chubby

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Another question for the combined wisdom of the forum: Fitted one as a replacement 2 years ago and great idea but: every so often the display fails to show wind speed/direction. This might happen for half an hour then it will just start working fine, as though the display looses the wireless signal from the transducer. Why? The display to mat head distance is not exceptional: Dabchick for a 32ft boat has a fairly low main mast being a ketch. Does the solar panel on the display loose charge but sounds odd. Is the display somehow not in line of sight to the transducer and blocked by the boom, sail, lazy bag etc but why doesn't it happen all the time? These intermittent things are puzzling. It looses display for maybe 15-30 mins every few weeks so reluctant to go back to a wired system but is a nuisance especially when about to berth and display of apparent wind is useful, any one else had this problem?
 
pvb said:
Wait until the transducer's batteries need replacing, that'll be another couple of trips up the mast!
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do the solar cells have a lifespan? I assumed they would outlast the mechanical items? Is the power they generate dependant on the amount of sun? I also assumed that background ambient light would keep them charged up as they work at night, I hadn`t associated the drop out with lack of sun?
 
chubby said:
do the solar cells have a lifespan? I assumed they would outlast the mechanical items? Is the power they generate dependant on the amount of sun? I also assumed that background ambient light would keep them charged up as they work at night, I hadn`t associated the drop out with lack of sun?
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silly reply, I realise the amount they generate depends on intensity of light but assumed average Uk conditions would keep them fully charged?
 
I have had this happen occasionally. I found that switching off and on again usually restores normal working. A friend has noticed this happen sometimes around thunderstorms altho' I have not seen that myself.
 
chubby said:
Another question for the combined wisdom of the forum: Fitted one as a replacement 2 years ago and great idea but: every so often the display fails to show wind speed/direction. This might happen for half an hour then it will just start working fine, as though the display looses the wireless signal from the transducer. Why? The display to mat head distance is not exceptional: Dabchick for a 32ft boat has a fairly low main mast being a ketch. Does the solar panel on the display loose charge but sounds odd. Is the display somehow not in line of sight to the transducer and blocked by the boom, sail, lazy bag etc but why doesn't it happen all the time? These intermittent things are puzzling. It looses display for maybe 15-30 mins every few weeks so reluctant to go back to a wired system but is a nuisance especially when about to berth and display of apparent wind is useful, any one else had this problem?
Click to expand...

Have been suffering the exact same problem since I got the kit.
- signal drops for no apparent reason. Restarting the receiver may or may not resolve the problem.
- set does not work when it rains.
- set stops working shortly after sunset.
Been back to the manufacturer 2 times - first time the claimed it might have been a firmware problem (then updated), second time they replaced the battery of the transducer. The problem never really went away.
In the end they started blaming it on the length of my mast (19.6m).

Set now out of warranty, and it is being replaced this week by a Furuno Fi50 (wired).
When it works it's a great bit of kit, but it does not always work.

Great idea - shoddily made :(
 
I am mystified by the fact that most people rave about these. Our Tack**** regularly loses its signal and I have to take it to the bow where it has a clear line of sight to the masthead. This usually does the trick. The main problem with ours is that I have no faith that the windspeed indicated is accurate. Sometimes I think it is right but quite often it can be blowing hard and gusty and the thing says speeds of 12-14 knots. I wonder if there is a way to have them accurately calibrated .....
 
saumur2 said:
I am mystified by the fact that most people rave about these.
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I think the enthusiasm for them is because they are wireless, not because they are faultless. They are MUCH easier to instal. Previous boat had wired (Raymarine) instruments, and I had as many or more problems with them as I do with TackTick, mainly because of wiring problems (dodgy connections, damp getting into cables).
 
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Just what I found and seems similar to other people`s experience, glad I am not alone! The system works fine when it works but looses signal just enough to be irritating but then works for long enough to forgive and not replace but with the winter season coming up I am planning my list of jobs to do.
Leighb said:
I have had this happen occasionally. I found that switching off and on again usually restores normal working. A friend has noticed this happen sometimes around thunderstorms altho' I have not seen that myself.
Click to expand...
 
does anyone have a recommendation for reliable wind instruments? mine need replacing and a while back I posted a request for positive views of the NASA kit. Despite lots of posts here on how sh*tty they are, there were lots of people perfectly happy with them when asked. (Everyone complains when units fail but no one decides to post saying 'mine is working fine') I decided the unit was so cheap it was worth a go this winter.

Now lots of people saying tacktick (horrendously expensive!) are unreliable. Before I commit to a brand - any cast iron certs for reliability?
 
I have had tack tick for 6 seasons now, they have been fine apart from on a couple of occasions the wind system seemed to lose the connection. Easily sorted by restarting.

I guess all systems can have problems and there may be bad apples in every barrel. I would suggest choose what you like on the basis of what you can afford and it will probably be fine.
 
Exactly the same problem with mine, on my new boat. It does seem down to the power from the solar panel . If there is anything blocking the light for a few minutes, that's it. But they drop out sometimes even when in full sun.

Really annoying, I think they are a waste of money.
 
I think the concept is brilliant, just imagine how much wiring would be avoided if electronics linked wirelessly, no more fiddling with tiny coloured wires between GPS, AIS, VHF and plotter, but is the system robust enough for marine use? The tacktick idea was started by a local engineer/inventor I believe in the Emsworth area, bought by Sunto then by Raymarine: Raymarine don`t seem that interested or to have developed it further, shame. My mast is not that high, little over 10 metres, I would have thought average light levels would keep it well charged; anyone from the electronics industry, even raymarine or the original developers on the forum able to give a technical answer? Would be a shame to have to replace what seems a great idea but is annoying!
AndrewB said:
Exactly the same problem with mine, on my new boat. It does seem down to the power from the solar panel . If there is anything blocking the light for a few minutes, that's it. But they drop out sometimes even when in full sun.

Really annoying, I think they are a waste of money.
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