Perfect Pass

[spdracr39]

Has anyone installed this and not liked it? I am considering the upgrade for tubing mainly and some knee-boarding and skiing. The Stargazer system seems to be the one I want. My boat drivers have issues with holding a constant speed when towing me and I hope this would resolve that issue. They are a little expensive but so is everything else for a boat.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Perfect Pass

I have been considering this one as a little cheaper alternative: Hydrophase | Ridesteady Speed Control for Wakeboarders |

Since I will be needing it to run the slalom course, I this this would get the job done. I would just have to drill another hole in my boat to do it.

And, it is still expensive.

 

[moosehead]

Re: Perfect Pass

PP Stargazer is a great system, and helps not only maintain constant desired speed but can achieve it with many different pilots. Many call it the marriage saver.

That said, IMO it s only worth the circa $1K cost if you are slalom skiing and wakeboarding, it otherwise would be a bit overkill for tubing and kneeboarding. YMMV.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Perfect Pass

That said, IMO it s only worth the circa $1K cost if you are slalom skiing and wakeboarding, it otherwise would be a bit overkill for tubing and kneeboarding. YMMV.

Depends on the boat for kneeboarding... Usually you kneeboard a little below wakeboarding speed, so it puts it right where many boats don't like to stay on plane. The driver is constantly fiddling with the throttle right on the edge of dropping off.

OP, are you on a lake or a river? GPS systems aren't good for a river with current, they are basing the boat speed above ground, not above water. A river with 2.5mph of current will cause the boat to go from 20 mph to 25 mph actual speed, all the while the cruise control thinks its a perfect 22.5.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Perfect Pass

All lake boating and I have tabs so planing speed is low enough that isn't really an issue. The people I have driving just seem to have a hard time maintaining speed in turns and I either sink or have the rope pulled out of my hand. The tubing side would just be a convenience if it worked well for the other stuff.

 

[mikeneal]

Re: Perfect Pass

I added the older version of PP to my boat ( pre star gazer) and its the best $$ you can spend on a water sports boat IMO. I don't think you need it for tubing but skiing and wake boarding its nearly required if you don't have skilled drivers.

 

[cannonman]

Re: Perfect Pass

I have the Stargazer model although we don't use it for tubing, but we do for everything else. It makes it easier for the driver to go a good job and the skier gets a better ride.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Perfect Pass

Why not for tubing ? I know when I decide to throw someone I can accelerate out of the turn but normally I just go left and right at a steady speed. Maybe I am doing it wrong or are you saying it won't hold steady speed in hard turns with the PP?

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Perfect Pass

Why not for tubing ? I know when I decide to throw someone I can accelerate out of the turn but normally I just go left and right at a steady speed. Maybe I am doing it wrong or are you saying it won't hold steady speed in hard turns with the PP?

It will work, but I'd never use it for tubing... It can overshoot on turns, and there is also a safety factor. You want your hand on the throttle in case someone flips off the tube but happens to have a leg/arm/head still stuck on it. Also, cruise control systems don't know if you are exceeding the boat's capabilities, or that the prop is ventilating. They will happily rev it to redline in that case!

 

[rallyart]

Re: Perfect Pass

The Stargazer GPS system holds speed on turns much better than the paddle wheel speed sensor system but I never use mine tubing either. The way I drive tubing there is too much control needed to find the right converging waves in order to launch the tube and its victims, er, I mean bounce my adorable kids. (yeah, I'm goin' to stick with that later one)
Installing a cruise control system is such a good idea for most tow sports. I would recommend it to everyone.

 

[jbach]

Re: Perfect Pass

i have PP wakeboard pro with the paddlewheel (we ride current). it's a must for wakeboarding or surfing as far as i'm concerned. it holds 1/3rd mph VERY accurately.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Perfect Pass

The way I drive tubing there is too much control needed to find the right converging waves in order to launch the tube and its victims, er, I mean bounce my adorable kids. (yeah, I'm goin' to stick with that later one)

Ha ha! You're a man after my own heart!

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Perfect Pass

It will work, but I'd never use it for tubing... It can overshoot on turns, and there is also a safety factor. You want your hand on the throttle in case someone flips off the tube but happens to have a leg/arm/head still stuck on it. Also, cruise control systems don't know if you are exceeding the boat's capabilities, or that the prop is ventilating. They will happily rev it to redline in that case!

Those are some excellent points I hadn't thought about.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Perfect Pass

Thanks to you fellas I ordered my Stargazer and installed it yesterday. Besides some trouble with the throttle body, it went smoothly. Tell me that gauge doesn't look like it's born to be there!



Pretty slick design it seems like, hoping to try it out Thursday. I'm the only "driver" in our group, so when I try to board it is extremely frustrating.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Perfect Pass

Looks Great!!

 

[jbach]

Re: Perfect Pass

you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Perfect Pass

I can see PP's usefulness with wakeboarding due to the fine line on some boats for staying on plane. I don't see it being particularly useful for recreational skiing/tubing as it isn't rocket science to tell a driver to watch the speedometer and try to keep within a few mph of a designated speed. It's a lot cheaper to teach a driver for a few skiing runs than it is to drop money on a PP system and then try to explain the system to them.

No doubt the PP/ZO systems are great and do what they do very well, but I couldn't see myself spending the money on it for skiing/tubing unless it was installed on a new boat or on a tournament-type boat.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Perfect Pass

I can see PP's usefulness with wakeboarding due to the fine line on some boats for staying on plane. I don't see it being particularly useful for recreational skiing/tubing as it isn't rocket science to tell a driver to watch the speedometer and try to keep within a few mph of a designated speed. It's a lot cheaper to teach a driver for a few skiing runs than it is to drop money on a PP system and then try to explain the system to them.

Depends on how 'recreational' the skiing is. Once you have someone on a slalom ski behind you, cruise control systems become very nice to have. A decent rec skier can slow the boat down quite a bit, and although an experienced driver won't have an issue, inexperienced drivers can be a nightmare. I've personally tossed the rope up and given up after a newbie driver was doing things that were scaring me. (felt the pull, so gave it WAY too much throttle. Or they were distracted and would wander between 20 mph and 35) Along those same lines, its one less thing for a newbie driver to worry about, and they can spend more brain cycles on looking for traffic.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Perfect Pass

I got to try mine out last night and I couldn't be happier! Pulling up a boarder it would overshoot by about 1mph then back down slowly to where it's not even noticeable. I can't even explain how nice it is to have the exact same wake every time you approach it. I bought it mainly for when I board but I enjoyed driving with it too. I can focus on driving and watching the rider now instead of keeping a consistent speed and wake. It was also really accurate in moderately choppy water with the bow riding up and down, and in hard cuts on the board it would slow maybe .5mph at best. Great system, I can't wait to get more time on it. :encouragement:

 

[jbach]

Re: Perfect Pass

it isn't rocket science to tell a driver to watch the speedometer and try to keep within a few mph of a designated speed. It's a lot cheaper to teach a driver for a few skiing runs than it is to drop money on a PP system and then try to explain the system to them.

for an experiened wakeboarder going wake to wake, doing any kind of tricks, a few mph is the difference between clearing the wake and casing it and blowing out a knee. i found it much easier to drop money on PP and explain the system. throttle up until it beeps, don't hit other boats. it also would be impossible to surf without it as 1/2 mph either way of 10mph and the surf pocket disappears. best grand i've ever spent on a boat, hands down. i do own a tournament inboard, not sure i could justify on an I/O unless i was really happy with the wake.