Questions about the Power Wedge Gauge

[Redneck_Surfer]

(Please let me know if this belongs in a different forum category)

For reference, Power Wedge Gauge photo here:

http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn225/R...wedge_gauge.jpg

I'm uncertain as to where the wedge actually is at any one time.

My guess is, with the needle pointing straight up at 12 o'clock (as in the photo), the wake is supposed to be the largest. Is that correct?

What happens to the wake when the needle goes more to the right (clockwise, toward the UP position)?

We had a driver this weekend inadvertently tap the wedge button and it moved from 12 o'clock to about the 2-3 o'clock position. It felt like the wedge was actually displacing even more water than at the 12 o'clock position; the boat seemed to struggle to keep up speed. We readjusted it to 12 o'clock almost immediately. What is happening when the needle points to 2-3 o'clock?

Any insight is appreciated. Cheers!

Edited September 18, 2008 by Redneck_Surfer

[mikkee1]

I can't see the photo from my computer here, but I'll take a crack at it and others can expand.

Everything sounds like it is working as it should. When you deploy the wedge (from 6 o'clock on the gauge, then to 12, to 9, etc), it drops down from under the swim platform. When it is retracted, it is above the wake displaced by the boat, when you deploy it, it rotates down into the water. When the wedge is all the way down, the airfoil is parallel with the water flow, so it produces little drag. When you retract it (from the 6 o'clock position all the way up to the 12 o'clock position on the gauge), the airfoil rotates back up to a max wake size position of, I imagine, about 45 degrees angle of the airfoil to the water flow. This is the point where it produces the biggest, most efficient wake. Retracting it more produces a lot more drag, without a proportional increase in wake size. With it at the 2-3 o'clock position, it is like trying to drag a barn door around. I believe the speed is supposed to be under 13mph when dropping the wedge, probably for stress on the parts and safety of deploying it.

There's an underwater video on youtube somewhere, or maybe the Malibu site, can't remember. It provides a nice visual of what's going on.

Hope this helps.

Mike

(Please let me know if this belongs in a different forum category)

For reference, Power Wedge Gauge photo here:

<a href="http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn225/R...wedge_gauge.jpg" target="_blank">http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn225/R...wedge_gauge.jpg</a>

I'm uncertain as to where the wedge actually is at any one time.

My guess is, with the needle pointing straight up at 12 o'clock (as in the photo), the wake is supposed to be the largest. Is that correct?

What happens to the wake when the needle goes more to the right (clockwise, toward the UP position)?

We had a driver this weekend inadvertently tap the wedge button and it moved from 12 o'clock to about the 2-3 o'clock position. It felt like the wedge was actually displacing even more water than at the 12 o'clock position; the boat seemed to struggle to keep up speed. We readjusted it to 12 o'clock almost immediately. What is happening when the needle points to 2-3 o'clock?

Any insight is appreciated. Cheers!