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Perfect Pass Wakeboard Pro GPS installed!


chadwick02

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I installed the new version of Stargazer this past weekend, its essentially a GPS wakeboard pro that does not require any paddle wheel of any sorts. Very easy to install from start to finish, I did it with the boat in the water, and did the whole thing in about 3 hours. I don’t know much about perfect pass (only used it a few times before), and did not have a chance to use it much, but from what I see so far, its AWESOME!! The speed control seems to be very accurate and responsive. The speed on the display updates its self very frequently.

It does over corrects in sharp turns while at slalom speeds, and after you straighten out the boat ends up going 4 or 5 MPH over the set point before it corrects its self. I’m pretty sure there are settings to help with this though, I just gotta read the manual more and tweak it some. All in all, a quality product and works great! Mark and the guys at PP were also very, very helpful!

Chad

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I have the same year boat as you do and I am very interested in this. You did it yourself? I would love to maybe see some pictures. I was waiting to maybe put this in next year, but if you did it in 3 hours, I might spring for it sooner. Any comments to help a fellow boat owner out would be great!

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The Malbu Cruse doesn't seem to hold too tight of speed (+/- 1.5 mph). How well does this hold speed? Also, I may have to upgrade to some form of Perfect Pass but I spend a fair bit of time wakeboarding on a River. Can this compensate for going up or down a 4 mph current? If so how? I don't want to hold speed over the bottom, I want it vs the current which is what matters the most for wakeboarding.

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In the slalom mode the manual states, "make sure you slow down and disengage system in between passes if you are not dropping the skier". I've found this true for all but long sweeping turns.

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Just got my stargazer upgrade installed last week. (upgrade from PP cruise)

So far, love it! Clap.gif

Advice from crew members and perfect pass helped me get it dialed in.

Calibrating rpm base modes and such since I don't have magnets or timers.

Once setup though, the system works wonderfully.

I've only used trick mode and slalom mode.

But there are options for wakeboard mode too.

It almost seems like the stargazer now is an all around speed control system no matter what type

of skiing you do.

Since the GPS is strictly speed over land, not sure how it works over water with current. There is a port

on the master module for a paddlewheel still, so I guess it can still use the paddlewheel for speed control

when on a river. Contacting Perfect Pass directly would help you out there.

Cheers,

Edited by stonelx
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I want to get the stargazer this winter but not sure about how well it will work for us as we ride on a 3/4 mile stretch of river with a 5-10mph current.

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I have the same year boat as you do and I am very interested in this. You did it yourself? I would love to maybe see some pictures. I was waiting to maybe put this in next year, but if you did it in 3 hours, I might spring for it sooner. Any comments to help a fellow boat owner out would be great!

PP provided me with awesome instructions and diagrams. NOTHING required any thinking or head scratching at all. I'd be glad to send you pictures, but I'm not sure of what? Screw the control module to a wall, zip tie the throttle motor to a hose, and snap in a new gauge into the cluster. Plug it all in (and all the wires have different plugs and are well labeled so you know exactly where it goes) and you are good to go. If i didn’t have to snake and zip tie the wire from the engine bay to the dash, I probably could have done the whole thing in under an hour. It really was that simple. We skied and boarded with it yesterday after work, and I LOVE IT!! By far one of the best (and safest!) additions to the boat. Now, instead of watching the speedo constantly (my boat needs constant attention to go 21MPH) I can watch the water and let PP take care of the speed.

The Malbu Cruse doesn't seem to hold too tight of speed (+/- 1.5 mph). How well does this hold speed? Also, I may have to upgrade to some form of Perfect Pass but I spend a fair bit of time wakeboarding on a River. Can this compensate for going up or down a 4 mph current? If so how? I don't want to hold speed over the bottom, I want it vs the current which is what matters the most for wakeboarding.

VERY TIGHT. We boarded yesterday with 10 people in the boat, and it never varried more than a tenth or two of a MPH. While skiing, it was within a tenth at all times once it got the speed locked in. And this is GPS speed, so you know it is dead on.

We live on a lake, so I cannot help you with moving water. The GPS will provide you with speed-over-land data, and will not take into account water speed. You will need to compensate for this manually (easy if you know how fast the water is moving) or get a paddle wheel.

In the slalom mode the manual states, "make sure you slow down and disengage system in between passes if you are not dropping the skier". I've found this true for all but long sweeping turns.

Yea, I did see that. The problem is, we are on a small lake and only run the course on the weekends. During the week we free ski, and basically ski a "box" on the inside of the round lake, making fairly hard 90 degree corners. We would be half way to the next turn before the PP locked in the correct speed if I dis-engaged it. Its not that PP is slow to engage and set the speed, its just we are on a very small lake! My buddy with a mastercraft and WB pro has tweaked his so it only accelerates a little in the corners, and recovers very quickly. I'm sure if I futz with the pull characteristics a little I can get it to not accelerate so hard in sharp corners.

Wide-er corners made while boarding are no problem at all. It holds within a tenth or two.

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Taken from Section 9 of the stargazer manual.

6. CS & CR (Control Settings)

CS is a control parameter for the speed based modes. (Trick, Wakeboard and under 24 mph Slalom) This

adjustable parameter allows you to tune the engagement of the system so it is ideal for your boat. Heavily

weighted boats may need a higher CS to engage and control properly. Factory value is about 800.

Example:

1. You are set for 22 mph, but system overshoots and goes to 26 mph before settling back. CS should be

lowered. (Try adjustments of 20 at a time)

2. You are set for 23 mph, but boat will not get to 23 mph and engage.

CS must be raised to allow for a faster engagement point.

CR is for RPM modes including slalom & jump. Factory setting about 1900.

Auto CR/CS Set

Go to the “Control Settings” page same as in previous versions. On this page you will see CR/CS and “AUTO

CRS SET”. The new CR/CS setting combines both the CR and CS from previous versions. This setting can also

be automatically calculated and set by selecting the “AUTO CRS SET” option.

While on the “AUTO CRS SET” page, bring the boat to over 3500 RPM (you may have to go as high as 4200

RPM). At which point the system should engage and settle back to 3000 RPM and a message will come up to

show you the CR/CS setting has been corrected. You will see this change to the CR/CS setting at the top of the

page. Return the boat to idle, press the MENU Key to return to the Main screen. And you are done.

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Taken from Section 9 of the stargazer manual.

6. CS & CR (Control Settings)

CS is a control parameter for the speed based modes. (Trick, Wakeboard and under 24 mph Slalom) This

adjustable parameter allows you to tune the engagement of the system so it is ideal for your boat. Heavily

weighted boats may need a higher CS to engage and control properly. Factory value is about 800.

Example:

1. You are set for 22 mph, but system overshoots and goes to 26 mph before settling back. CS should be

lowered. (Try adjustments of 20 at a time)

2. You are set for 23 mph, but boat will not get to 23 mph and engage.

CS must be raised to allow for a faster engagement point.

CR is for RPM modes including slalom & jump. Factory setting about 1900.

Auto CR/CS Set

Go to the “Control Settings” page same as in previous versions. On this page you will see CR/CS and “AUTO

CRS SET”. The new CR/CS setting combines both the CR and CS from previous versions. This setting can also

be automatically calculated and set by selecting the “AUTO CRS SET” option.

While on the “AUTO CRS SET” page, bring the boat to over 3500 RPM (you may have to go as high as 4200

RPM). At which point the system should engage and settle back to 3000 RPM and a message will come up to

show you the CR/CS setting has been corrected. You will see this change to the CR/CS setting at the top of the

page. Return the boat to idle, press the MENU Key to return to the Main screen. And you are done.

Isn't that for drive by wire boats and for wakeborad speed only?

Edited by onamission
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In the slalom mode the manual states, "make sure you slow down and disengage system in between passes if you are not dropping the skier". I've found this true for all but long sweeping turns.

Yea, I did see that. The problem is, we are on a small lake and only run the course on the weekends. During the week we free ski, and basically ski a "box" on the inside of the round lake, making fairly hard 90 degree corners. We would be half way to the next turn before the PP locked in the correct speed if I dis-engaged it. Its not that PP is slow to engage and set the speed, its just we are on a very small lake! My buddy with a mastercraft and WB pro has tweaked his so it only accelerates a little in the corners, and recovers very quickly. I'm sure if I futz with the pull characteristics a little I can get it to not accelerate so hard in sharp corners.

Wide-er corners made while boarding are no problem at all. It holds within a tenth or two.

I think with a little practice you should be able to pull the throttle back just enough to disengage the PP then forward quickly to re-engage it without any major speed change in a sharp turn.

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