Which compass?

[Terry Phillips]

Has anyone else had problems with a Speed Puck?

[David Furna]

other than eating batteries, mine has worked fine, and it's been beat to death too.

[Justin Scott]

Brad, all you need to put on Jackpot is a rear view mirror....

LMAO!  Best post on the forums for 2011 (and 2010 for that matter)

[Craig Wilusz]

Well, Luke there you have it.  Lots of info to chomp on eh!  Use whatever you want. 

The B & G stuff is really cool, and comes with a manual that weighs as much as the Viper

The SpeedPuck is great, and it is black and will  match the carbon mast (my favaorite)

The ProStart is a fixit all for the SC-1 and is new

The RockBox is really cool, like a mini B & G and comes with a remote so as you plane off downwind sitting in the back of the bus you an toggle back and forth thru the commercials

The SC-1 has all the ideas, complicated to use, and the buttons will drive you crazier than an ex wife

[Luke Porter]

Well, Luke there you have it.  Lots of info to chomp on eh!  Use whatever you want. 

I was going to comment that my original question got hyjacked but someone beat me to it.

Up to this point I have raced on bigger boats with full suites of gizmos, boxes and screens and I used them all. However, all I want now is the heading, speed and a timer. I think this speaks well for those arguing to remove restrictions on electronics on the boats. It also clarifies my original question.

What doohicky will give me heading, speed and a timer? (with numbers big enough for me to see) I'll be racing handicap to start with until I can convice others locally to get proper boats or until I get enough courage to venture out for a real ass whooping so I'm not too concerned about sticking to class rules. Suggestions?

Luke.

[Craig Wilusz]

Luke, we have the micro tac tik and a speed puck. 

The micro tac tic gives heading and has a timer.  The speed puck shows speed, headers and lifts (at 3 degree increments of angle, speed to a tenth of a knot).  The speed puck is fun, it will show max 30second speed and max 5 second speeduntil it shuts off.  You can download your day with I think Action Replay (itis on our computer) so you can see yourself  on a track with heading a speed on a display screen later on and learn from it.  We use the speed puck on our Nacra 20 as well and it is fun to compare tracks and speeds with the other catamaran's at the end of the day.


We had the tac tic mounted on the port side and the speed puck mouted on the starboard side.  You can get a mast mount for the tac-tick easily, however the moast mounts for the speed pucks don't work so well. You can however bribe Jeff Jones on these forums with booze and promises of port tack crossings for one of his really nice carbon fiber mast mounts for both units (tac-tic and speed puck).  The mount is velcro and requires no permanent fittings to tap/drill into mast what-so-ever.

Craig
#100, we got our boat in Ocotber
"ours goes to eleven"

[Justin Scott]

micro tac tik and a speed puck.  



Craig
#100, we got our boat in Ocotber
"ours goes to eleven"

Seems a good combo.
I got the larger Vtek, and found I dont use it.
Dont spend too much money on gps......the technology is evolving fast, and this year latest gizmo is out of date in two years.

Speed and ability to playback are the two worthwhile fun features of a gps.
Gps is inaccurate to use as header/lift indicator. The compass is better. Tac tic is neat and compact.  

[Drake Borer]

So do I get protested for using a different device,  but getting no different info?

[Dave Nickerson]

Drake, pls see reply #11 above.  Our current class rules allow the use of 3 specific boxes and nothing else (see 10.2).  This was decided by earlier class votes. 

There seems to be broad consensus that rule doesn't work well now and that we should vote to change it.  The new Tech Comm is working on draft proprosals to be vetted here and voted on late spring in a special vote.  There's a range of options and opinions this and we hear from some of the more vocal folks here on the forum.  But active forum participation is somewhat small relative to the voting membership - so I really don't know where this will end up.  If you are thinking about buying something you might wait until the class makes a decision.

[Matt Sole]

Can we get a moratorium on this rule and enter an experimental period for a few months?

Maybe see if the main suppliers would be willing to loan us a few units.

[Dave Nickerson]

Matt - that's an interesting idea.  The Tech Comm's sense was that folks are anxious to vote this and move on.  How about we review the basic options that Ben is working on (they should be posted soon) and then revisit your suggestion?  What you suggest would likely delay a vote until the AGM rather than have this done for summer.  Texas has decided locally that they are going to use a long list of boxes.  Their experiences and feedback might accomplish essentially what you propose.

[Craig Wilusz]

How about just permitting GPS devices.  IF someone wants to drop the cash on a few grand of electronics, let them.  It has never in my mind of years of boat racing crossed my mind that someboat bested me due to electronics.  In fact it is rather the opposite as mentioned here so many times (head in boat). 

Keep it simple, this with th eit being "the rule".  Take the non-recording thing out of there.

Jeff may even develop a solar powered hangover deterent vitamin c dispensing tooth brushing doll inflating heel o meter made out of interstellar carbon monoxide pixie dust (lightened of course) for us all.

[Terry Phillips]

Could someone publish a list of all the boxes currently available ?

[Matt Sole]

As far as I can tell, the only real advantage that these boxes have is in calculating set (current direction) and drift (current speed). Without a log, drift is not possible. So the big issue is set. For that to be possible a box needs to have a flux gate compass and a gps device.

So here is a basic rule that would sort it all out; Any electronic device may be used, that does not contain both a flux gate compass and gps unit and does not have the ability to calculate set and drift.

Its that simple.

[Tim Carter]

I have not seen a unit yet that compares / calculates Fluxgate heading (where the bow is pointing) vs. COG and delivers some result.  Usualy it's either / or, COG via GPS data or a fluxgate heading...

I tried the Novasail, the top of the line has fluxgate capability.  I own a Velocitek, COG only...