J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment TackTick Group Purchase Potential

Your class co-president, Carl Sherter sent me a message about a deal he's getting on TackTick instruments through a friend of his. Bottom line - Carl is getting from Cactus Marine a suite of TackTick instruments for $2,384 delivered. The same setup he got quoted from Defender was $2,700 plus CT tax and delivery.

Carl inquired from Cactus if they would be willing to provide the J/30 Class a discount. The answer was yes, and the more that is purchased the better the deal. Here is what is included in the quote Carl got:

• T103 Speed & Depth System with Triducer ( T910 Triducer, T111 Dual Display, T121 Hull Xmttr)
• T070 Racemaster Compass
• T106 Remote Package ( T122 NMEA I/F, T113 Remote Display Control )
• T943 Flush Housing (for Triducer install as flush mount)
• T137 Mast Bracket (Need 2 so T070 Compass & T111 Display are mounted on mast)

Based on his good deal he's probably going to pick up the
T101 Wind System that includes the T112 Analog Display and the T120 Wireless Wind Transmitter

I've already got a full suite of TackTick instruments, so it's too late for me. However, post here and see if there is interest in pursuing a further group discount. Carl Sherter is your go to guy for this! I just posted it for him.

We would be interested...my boat has no instruments at all...

If I hadn't of recently purchased a Rockbox, I would be interested.

http://www.rockcitymarine.com/

I have the whole suite and they are sweet! Highly recommended. Too bad I already own them.

Defender has a special on tacktick instruments $2,148.99 for the micronet super sail system

Just so everyone knows what is included in the T104 Super Sail System
A box set including
T111 Dual Display
T120 Wireless Wind Transmitter
T122 NMEA I/F
T112 Analog Display
T121 Hull Xmttr
T911 Speed & Temp Transducer
T912 Depth Transducer

So here is what is different from the configuration listed above:

• You have separate depth & speed transducers rather than the single Triducer. Identical functionality between these in one versus two hull penetrations (that most people have anyway)
• No T113 Remote Display Control - you can add this any time
• No T070 Racemaster Compass - you can wire in any compass that has a NMEA output. You can also go without a compass, but you're giving up some integrated functions that use compass heading in the calculations. The T070 is a high end networked product and may have more than some want
• No T943 Flush Housing - if you want to fair the transducer flush with the hull you need this housing, otherwise you can use the standard housing that comes with the transducers. You need one for each transducer if you have separate speed & depth sensors
• No T137 Mast Bracket - highly desirable to mount your displays at the mast base so they are easily visible

That said, it's still a good deal. It's best to configure the system to what you want, then email Carl Sherter and let him know so he can get prices and you can compare.

The nice thing about the TackTick system is it is easy to add on at a later date. With the T122 NMEA interface, you can connect to existing instruments and don't need to swap out everything. I now have a complete TackTick instrument set built up incrementally over a couple of years. I saw the system David Bows had on Mallorca when I went to Marblehead a couple years ago and decided to upgrade. My old wind instrument and digital compass had died, so I had a reason to make a change. If anyone wants to look at the interconnection of a complete system networked with the GPS, check out this Link to Rhapsody Schematics for the Rhapsody install.

I'm providing some info with pictures for those who might consider a TackTick installation.

Below the waterline
Installation is shown for the separate T911 and T912 speed and depth transducers, since I was replacing the existing Datamarine xducers that were the same size. You should check because there is a possibility that your old transducers are compatible with the TackTick system, as they use standard Airmar transducers. The old transducers were removed by removing the gland nuts and tapping a sharp putty knife around the outside circumference to break the 5200 seal. I was able to break the rest of the seal hitting the old transducers from the inside with a hammer using 1 foot long 2"x4" board. The hull is isolated from the core so no further prep work was needed here. I used 4200 to bed the new housings and have had no problems. The Speed xdcr housing has check valve to minimize water in the boat when pulled for cleaning. The xdcrs and housings coated with special antifouling black transducer paint.

This shows the new transducer housings from inside with the transducers removed (left is aft - right is forward).



The photo below shows the transducers installed from the outside. The bottom had been previously sanded waiting for a new coat of VC Offshore to be sprayed. The housings must be masked when applying bottom paint because the solvents are not compatible with the plastic in the housings.


Stuff that gets wired
Hey I thought this was a wireless system! Well it is, and you can use a solar panel if desired to power the T121 hull transmitter and T122 NMEA interface, but since the J/30 already has 12V instrument power, it's just as easy to connect these to the existing switched circuits. I mounted the hull transmitter where it is easily accessible. They recommend you not put it in the bilge anyway. The transducers come with long cables, so you can mount the transmitter almost anywhere. I mounted it inside the locker on the shelf above the stbd settee, immediately forward of the nav station. This made it easy to run the 12V instrument power. The Xducer cables were routed through the center bilge, then passed through the settee drain and snaked through an existing hole where the VHF antenna cable was run. I didn't need to drill any new holes to run the cables. The connections to the TackTick are all connectorized with screw terminals on the connectors, so it is easy to cut and reterminate the cables, which have all color coded wires. TackTick even provides the little screwdriver needed for the connector terminals.


I mounted the T122 NMEA interface in the overhead of the stbd quarter berth, inboard aft of the companionway opening. This location worked out for me as a convenient point where I already had installed a terminal board to connect other stuff that was previously interconnected (Autohelm and GPS). I have two GPS units (primary & backup) so with the T122 NMEA interface, I can now wire both GPS units so if the primary fails, I can get data from the backup. Note that the TackTick system does have an internal battery that charges, so even if you loose power, the hull transmitter and NMEA interface continue to work. My primary GPS has an internal battery, so if I loose the 12V system on the boat, I still have all the TackTick instruments and the GPS. You really do want to take advantage of the GPS data with your TackTick system for calculation of different parameters available to display.


Up the mast
My intital installation of the T120 Wireless Wind Transmitter was done mid season to replace an old NAVMAN 3100 wired unit that had failed. Better planning would have allowed the install to be done with one trip up the mast instead of three. Basically, they provide a template you drill 3 holes in the mast cap so the circular base of the wind transmitter gets screwed in. I found out after the fact it was better to get a tap and die set, and use machine screws, rather than the sheet metal screws that TackTick provided (I broke one off). So initially, the sending unit was held by only two screws, until next season when I dropped the mast for maintenance. Another thing to remember is you should "autonetwork" the system before installing the wind sending unit. Autonetworking is done with the instruments in close proximity of each other. I think it was Dave Erwin who developed the special autonetwork procedure where you raise a bag up the mast with the other instruments to complete the networking procedure. Not too much detail in this shot, but here's the view up top from below.


Mounting the Displays
This is an area you should decide what you want to see where. TackTick offers the option to permanently mount the displays, or use brackets that the instruments slide over and lock in place. The instruments are removable this way for safe keeping, and should last longer so you don't constantly expose them to the elements. I used the removable brackets. Placing the TackTick displays on the mast makes them visible by the entire crew aft of the mast. The digits are large enough so that I can read them at the helm, even without my glasses. I put a T111 Dual Digital display and the T070 Compass on a mast bracket. When I bought my bracket, TackTick was in between designs, so I got an old one that I modified to handle both type of instrument bases (the new brackets already do that).

Here is a photo of the old style mast bracket with a plate I added to it.


You can see this bracket mounted on the mast between the gooseneck and the boomkicker bracket base. There is a slug that fits in the mast track and screws hold the bracket to the slug. The bracket fits very snug around the mast, and the front of the bracket is held in place with a velcro loop that is feed through the slots visible in the photo above.


This is what the displays look like when mounted on the mast. I ended up using smaller line and blocks for the cunningham and routed it through the space between the mast bracket and display so it wouldn't interfere with the view, or put pressure on the displays.


I installed the T112 analog display on the stbd side aft cabin bulkhead. Over the next winter I glassed in the old instrument holes from stuff removed and installed an additional T111 dual digital display on the port side. These displays are useful for the tactician and are great when cruising because I can have the GPS waypoint information displayed there.


I mentioned that you could remove the displays if you use the TackTick brackets. I mounted some of these brackets at the nav station so I can store the displays safely locked inside when the boat is at the dock. This is a picture of the 1st bracket I mounted. There is no need use the TackTick instrument covers if the displays are stored inside. During the off season, I remove the displays and leave them on the windowsill at home so they are always fully charged.


There is a schematic I developed for Rhapsody that documents the complete system interconnection. You can download it at this link: Rhapsody Schematics (Download pdf file)

I also have a crew guide that explains how we use the TackTick system on Rhapsody. Go to the Rhapsody Crew Page and read the information there.