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StarGazer Operators Cheat Sheet


ed obermeier

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While trying to set up my StarGazer earlier this week and get the speeds calibrated etc I went through the standard newbie fumbling around trying to get to various screens to adjust stuff etc. Even with the manual in the boat it was still a frustrating PITA. And I'm really not a newbie to it and it's still confusing. So I decided I'd sit down and try to condense the instruction manual to a one page quick reference cheat sheet I could laminate and keep in the boat for reference.

I'm throwing out what I came up with here for feedback and input as to what tweaks anyone might suggest to make it better/more concise/easier to use. My only thought in doing this is to get some kind of a simple, quick reference to make it easier for a newbie to navigate the screens and menus in SG without all of the fumbling around, at least until you get it down. I don't know if this will be helpful to anyone else or not but feel free to make any suggestions and do whatever you want with it/to it to customize it for yourselves assuming you find it helpful at all. I'm open to suggestions and my skin is reasonably thick...

Ed

StarGazer Operating Notes

Changing Screens/Modes – Use MENU button to scroll to ARROW ICON, press UP. This takes you to MODE screen (Slalom/Jump/Trick). Use MENU to select Mode, press DOWN to select settings within that Mode.

Slalom Modes – To select among available modes within Slalom mode highlight ARROW KEY and press UP. When SLALOM is highlighted press DOWN to access different Slalom Modes.

Crew Weight – To access, on main Slalom screen highlight SLALOM and press DOWN.

Crew Weight Calculator - On main Slalom screen highlight SLALOM, press DOWN. Once in this screen press UP & DOWN keys at same time.

View All Ball Times after a pass – press DOWN key.

False Timer Trigger – Press UP to reset timer.

Tournament Mode – Press UP & Down keys at same time to enter or exit this mode.

Kx Settings – Normal is default, to firm up pull select + or ++, to soften up select -.

Submenu Screen – To access submenu screen from any Mode press MENU & UP together.

PRE-GATE/1-BALL/3-BALL ADJUSTMENTS – In GPS SLALOM mode press ON/OFF & UP at the same time to access.

- PRE-GATE SETTING– Controls speed of boat approaching course. If 1-ball times are slow INCREASE Pre-Gate value; if fast reduce this setting. Default setting is 70. Tweak this value first before tweaking 1-ball and 3-ball settings. Adjust 10 points at a time.

- BALL ONE TIME – Controls 1-ball time and affects 3-ball time as well. If Ball One times are still slow after adjusting Pre-Gate settings increase this value 3-4 points at a time. Default setting is 22.

- BALL THREE TIME – Adjusts 3-ball time. A higher setting speeds up boat, lower setting slows down boat. Adjust 3-4 points at a time. Default setting is 18.

Manually Adjust Baselines - Must be in SLALOM CAL mode. Highlight ARROW KEY, press DOWN to access screen, MENU to scroll within screen.

Quick Calibrate – Enter set speed and crew weight, drive up to set speed, system engages. Start timing with magnet or hand timer. If you get “OK” time for pass highlight ARROW KEY, press DOWN to access “Quick Calibrate” screen. In this screen press UP to perform calibration. System will confirm “RPM and Speedo Calibrated”. In this screen use MENU to scroll around to “Baseline” to manually adjust baseline RPM setting.

CAPTURE MODE Calibration – In SLALOM CAL mode highlight SLALOM and press UP. At top of submenu you will see “TIMED” which means you will calibrate using magnetic timing or the hand timer. Press UP to change to CAPTURE. Next select your speed, drive up and engage system. Once engaged use MENU key to highlight CAPTURE. At this point both SLALOM and CAPTURE will be highlighted. Once system reaches correct speed press UP to capture that RPM setting. System will give two quick beeps to confirm it has captured the correct RPM setting. Repeat process for each speed. Works better if your baseline is close to begin with.

Baselines - 34.2 - 3100. 32.3 - 2905. 30.4 - 2760. 28.6 - 2640. 26.7 - 2470.

Edited by ed obermeier
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See this is exactly why I'm delaying adding PP to my RLX....even with the Stargazer it seems you need a computer engineering degree to operate the darn thing. We tried a number of times to set up my buddy's PP in in his 2001 RLX, the user interface is HORRIBLE. I wish I could get ZeroOff, but a new boat is not in the budget and my 2K does not have FBW throttle.......JMHO.

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Good info Ed!

If anyone is wondering the Zero Off setting closest to Star Gazer is B2.

Edited by zad0030
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This is good information. However, I don't feel SG is all that difficult to navigate. You just have to get out and use it. The problem I'm having is the surging after starts or quick set ups. I was told I need to add a new or additonal throttle return spring. Has anyone had to add a throttle return spring on an 03 RLXI or similar engine? I would like to see how you did it.

One item I didn't see is the "crew calculator". Here is how you get it:

Crew Weight – To access, on main Slalom screen highlight SLALOM and press DOWN once in this screen push down and up buttons together.

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See this is exactly why I'm delaying adding PP to my RLX....even with the Stargazer it seems you need a computer engineering degree to operate the darn thing. We tried a number of times to set up my buddy's PP in in his 2001 RLX, the user interface is HORRIBLE. I wish I could get ZeroOff, but a new boat is not in the budget and my 2K does not have FBW throttle.......JMHO.

Once you get used to navigating it it's not that bad. One thing that screws me up is that I was SO used to how you navigated through Classic with the single line display. I tend to try to navigate SG the same way and you can't, many of the same button sequences do entirely different things in SG. Where you use the UP button for some things in Classic you use the DOWN button in SG i.e. It gets a lot easier as I get more familiar with it and once dialed in it's pretty much turn it on and go. More to do on the front end to set it up but once done to me it's a vast improvement over Classic. Just gotta invest the time and brain cells on the front end, which is what drove me to try to develop a cheat sheet to help with that. Patience my son, patience...

Ed

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Ed, Once you have SG all dialed in could you post the numbers that you have for Pre ball, 1 ball and 3 ball. I'm using the settings that I had from last year and running hot ball 1 times , slow ball 3 times and perfect second half times since upgrading to the new software.

Thanks Larry

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Ed, Once you have SG all dialed in could you post the numbers that you have for Pre ball, 1 ball and 3 ball. I'm using the settings that I had from last year and running hot ball 1 times , slow ball 3 times and perfect second half times since upgrading to the new software.

Thanks Larry

I'll be happy to Larry but it's likely to be a few weeks. Our weather here has been absolute crap up until now; we're usually getting in course shape by this point in the season, this year I've had my boat out for only the 3rd time this morning. The guys I usually ski with are still open water skiing trying to get some beginning conditioning, haven't even discussed putting a course in yet. I won't ski myself for probably another month (rotor cuff surgery left shoulder Feb. 17th).

FWIW I calibrated in open water using CAPTURE mode and have been checking my times just pulling open water skiers at various speeds using the hand timer to start timing. With default settings, at 34.2 my 1 ball times are perfect (1.77), 3-ball times are running 7.09 - 7.12 (a bit hot), end times perfect to 0.01 either way. I'm also running a 13 pitch prop rather than the standard issue 12 pitch for whatever difference that may make.

Ed

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This is good information. However, I don't feel SG is all that difficult to navigate. You just have to get out and use it. The problem I'm having is the surging after starts or quick set ups. I was told I need to add a new or additonal throttle return spring. Has anyone had to add a throttle return spring on an 03 RLXI or similar engine? I would like to see how you did it.

One item I didn't see is the "crew calculator". Here is how you get it:

Crew Weight – To access, on main Slalom screen highlight SLALOM and press DOWN once in this screen push down and up buttons together.

Good pointer. I've edited the list above to include tht. I missed it I guess because I never use the calculator personally but it needs to be on hte list. Thank you.

Ed

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Just went thru this exact setup yesterday on my boat. I agree that it's not hard to do, just different than what I was used to. Thanks for consolidating the info Ed!

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For those who have used both the last version of PP (pre Stargazer) and now Stargazer, are you finding the performance of Stargazer (setup aside) to be an improvement over its predecessor? (or is it still to early to make that determination?)

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Works great so far, but still early in the process. Will be awhile before I get the boat back home and get some skiing in a good course. Will pass along an update with the good and the bad.

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For those who have used both the last version of PP (pre Stargazer) and now Stargazer, are you finding the performance of Stargazer (setup aside) to be an improvement over its predecessor? (or is it still to early to make that determination?)

It's a huge improvement and much simpler to use, absolutely no question about it. No skier weight to set every skier, no wind adjust to worry about, the crew weight doesn't seem to be very critical (I leave mine at 350 lbs unless we have more than 2 in the boat), no rpm tweaking (we always ran in Tournament mode so we could easily adjust the rpm as necessary), basically just turn it on and go. The issue is navagating the thing to get to the different screens to make the initial setups and adjustments. BUT, once you get it tweaked out it's simply turn it on and go. In my previous boat with even the first early version of the software I had little trouble dialing in the times. The new version gives you a lot more to work with making it easier to get your times nailed. I need the cheat sheet to get to stuff I don't often have to get to so I can remember how to get to it if I need to tweak something.

If you already have PP in your boat the cost to upgrade to SG is money very well spent IMO. And as I get more familiar with it I need the cheat sheet less and less.

Ed

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Works great so far, but still early in the process. Will be awhile before I get the boat back home and get some skiing in a good course. Will pass along an update with the good and the bad.

Dude. You gotta do something about that avatar... Yuk.gif

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StarGazer Operating Notes

Changing Screens/Modes – Use MENU button to scroll to ARROW ICON, press UP. This takes you to MODE screen (Slalom/Jump/Trick). Use MENU to select Mode, press DOWN to select settings within that Mode.

Slalom Modes – To select among available modes within Slalom mode highlight ARROW KEY and press UP. When SLALOM is highlighted press DOWN to access different Slalom Modes.

Crew Weight – To access, on main Slalom screen highlight SLALOM and press DOWN.

Crew Weight Calculator - On main Slalom screen highlight SLALOM, press DOWN. Once in this screen press UP & DOWN keys at same time.

View All Ball Times after a pass – press DOWN key.

False Timer Trigger – Press UP to reset timer.

Tournament Mode – Press UP & Down keys at same time to enter or exit this mode.

Kx Settings – Normal is default, to firm up pull select + or ++, to soften up select -.

Submenu Screen – To access submenu screen from any Mode press MENU & UP together.

PRE-GATE/1-BALL/3-BALL ADJUSTMENTS – In GPS SLALOM mode press ON/OFF & UP at the same time to access.

- PRE-GATE SETTING– Controls speed of boat approaching course. If 1-ball times are slow INCREASE Pre-Gate value; if fast reduce this setting. Default setting is 70. Tweak this value first before tweaking 1-ball and 3-ball settings. Adjust 10 points at a time.

- BALL ONE TIME – Controls 1-ball time and affects 3-ball time as well. If Ball One times are still slow after adjusting Pre-Gate settings increase this value 3-4 points at a time. Default setting is 22.

- BALL THREE TIME – Adjusts 3-ball time. A higher setting speeds up boat, lower setting slows down boat. Adjust 3-4 points at a time. Default setting is 18.

Manually Adjust Baselines - Must be in SLALOM CAL mode. Highlight ARROW KEY, press DOWN to access screen, MENU to scroll within screen.

Quick Calibrate – Enter set speed and crew weight, drive up to set speed, system engages. Start timing with magnet or hand timer. If you get “OK” time for pass highlight ARROW KEY, press DOWN to access “Quick Calibrate” screen. In this screen press UP to perform calibration. System will confirm “RPM and Speedo Calibrated”. In this screen use MENU to scroll around to “Baseline” to manually adjust baseline RPM setting.

CAPTURE MODE Calibration – In SLALOM CAL mode highlight SLALOM and press UP. At top of submenu you will see “TIMED” which means you will calibrate using magnetic timing or the hand timer. Press UP to change to CAPTURE. Next select your speed, drive up and engage system. Once engaged use MENU key to highlight CAPTURE. At this point both SLALOM and CAPTURE will be highlighted. Once system reaches correct speed press UP to capture that RPM setting. System will give two quick beeps to confirm it has captured the correct RPM setting. Repeat process for each speed. Works better if your baseline is close to begin with.

Baselines - 34.2 - 3100. 32.3 - 2905. 30.4 - 2760. 28.6 - 2640. 26.7 - 2470.

FWIW to anyone I've made a couple of tweaks to the cheat sheet to make it a little eaier to use. Added info on how to find the screen where you adjust baselines manually, reorganized a few things to keep it all on only one printed out page, a little more info for Capture Mode.

Somewhere down the line my system freaked and dumped my baselines so I put them on the sheet as well; replace with your own baseline values. I figured out pretty quickly that using Capture mode works a whole lot better if you're in the ball park with your baseline rpms to start with. When I'd guess within 200 rpm or so it would only take one run/pass for Capture to nail it down. Then I had to figure out how to get to that screen so I added the info to the sheet.

Ed

Edited by ed obermeier
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