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Farrari

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Posts posted by Farrari

  1. what is the ball park cost for a logging system? I want to understand cost, verse a new set of batteries...

     

    Fish, you may want to check whether your eTracer MPPT already supports logging.  If you only want to record voltage rather than remaining battery capacity or current draw/charge then it may be more economic to add a simple logger to record the stats for long term storage. 

  2. I am looking for an additional crew member to join us for BBYC winter series.  We are entered in the Farr 1020 division.

    Racing starts this Sunday (Mothers day - yeah I know) at 11:30.  Need to meet at the boat around 10am with a 10:30 departure.  Racing is every 2nd Sunday finishing September 1st.

     

    If you are interested PM me or txt/call on 027 2888649

     

    Steve

  3. The answer to fast charging using USB adapters is not necessarily a simple one.  There are multiple standards and a bunch of proprietary implementations.  The device must request fast charge, the cable needs to support fast charging and the USB port adapter must be capable of fast charging.  The older USB standards only allowed 500mA max current without fast charging.  This moved to 900mA with a later update.

     

    There is a good document here

     

    https://www.extremetech.com/computing/115251-how-usb-charging-works-or-how-to-avoid-blowing-up-your-smartphone

     

    It didn't help that earlier Android and Apple devices used a different mechanism to signal fast charge capability.

  4. Agree.

    The manuals were my first port of call before trying Mr.Google.

    Apart from admonitions to use the correct charger for the devices (both Samsung) and to ensure the charging cables were correctly plugged in, the only instructions relating to charging can be summarised as 'recharge when the battery is low.'

    I think there is a bit more to correctly recharging li-on batteries than that.

     

    Calling Mr. Google .... There are a couple of good articles here if you want the detail.  It was an interesting exercise to learn some of the detail.

     

    https://batteryuniversity.com/index.php/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

     

    https://www.androidauthority.com/maximize-battery-life-882395/

     

    The summary being

     

    1. It depends on your manufacturer and specific model (helpful huh?)

    2. There are multiple blend types of Lithium Ion batteries that have slightly different characteristics. see https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/types_of_lithium_ion

    3. Keeping the battery charge between 30% and 80% increases its lifespan.  50% is the optimum.  Rule of thumb charge little, charge often

    4. Some mobile devices lie ... 100% indicator on your phone may not equal 100% battery charge voltage.  Some manufacturers fudge this to improve battery life

    5. Charging Lithium Ion battery at temperature extremes is detrimental to their life span (keep within 0-45 degrees C). Don't cover your device while charging

    6. Fast chargers decrease battery life

    7. Don't use the device while charging it.  There is conflicting information whether it is OK to charge while the device is turned on.  It is clear that running applications while charging is detrimental to battery longevity.

     

    HTH

     

    EDIT:  Added item 7

  5. Wonder if these do the biz? $36 at fosters.

    Hopefully made out of "slippery" plastic.

     

    I use one of these on Farrari as a prefeeder for the genoa.  It makes life a lot easier to feed the sail up the track without the bowman having to manually feed the track.  All they need to do is jump the halyard at the mast.  No issues with it wearing out so far.  The boat came with one nine years ago and I have replaced it once due to the original knot splice failure.

  6. While I'm a huge fan of Southern Pacific, we have a 5.5mt that is A grade awesome, there is also Seafarer Inflatables.

    With Mr Seafarers history (he was St Pac) his product will be right up there with Southern Pacific

     

    +1 for Seafarer inflatables.  Neil built a custom 2.4m RIB for us in 2015 and it has been awesome.  He used a newer material that was better than PVC but cheaper than Hypalon.  I think his website calls it TPU (Polyurethane)) - it's the grey fabric in his photo's.

     

    They must be gaining popularity as there were four of us with Seafarer dinks while we were pulled in at Coromandel - all of them made with the same grey material.

  7. In its most basic form a VSR is a very simple device, a smart charger perhaps not quite so much.  Think of a VSR as a smart relay that closes when the start battery reaches a predefined voltage i.e. when it's charged. This saves the operator having to operate a manual switch when they think the start battery is charged and then disconnect it again when the motor is turned off.

     

    Many have manual override so if you suspect there are issues with the VSR, it can by bypassed and it will act as a manual switch.

  8. Aside from the fusing issue, you may want to think about using a Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) between your start and house batteries instead of the proposed manual switch.  You ought to disconnect the switchboard from the ALT otherwise you are bypassing the VSR when you have both red switches engaged and risk running the start battery flat as the house battery is drained.  If your cabling on the red circuit is of insufficient size you may also risk a fire.

     

    If finances allow you should also think about installing a smart charger otherwise it is going to take a month of Sundays to reach full charge on your batteries.  The end result probably being you won't achieve full charge so A/ you won't maximize the capacity use and B/ you will reduce the life span of the batteries.

  9. I replaced my Kiwiprop with a 2 blade Flexofold.  I like the Flexofold as it has slightly less drag and isn't so hard on the gearbox in reverse; I also get a little more speed in forward gear although I may have also been able to achieve the same with the Kiwiprop if I had adjusted it.  The yachtingmonthly article was a useful reference for me.

     

    https://flexofold.com/folding-propellers/7-saildrive-propellers/

     

    https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/gear/folding-and-feathering-propeller-test-29807

     

    I still have my old Kiwiprop if anyone is interested in it.  It will need new blades however.

  10. Are you 100% on this? I thought the N2k on the TP series only  did heading outputs and a couple other little bits on n2k but no control from MFD, ie no +1 +10 etc from a navico MFD

     

    I hooked one up breifly as a test and could't get any AP functions to show..

     

    Seriously hoping I am wrong, but I want to see it with my own eyes before I shell out for a new TP and p9...

     

    Yep, I can confirm it does (on mine at least).  I have a TP-32, P9 and Vulcan 7 all connected via N2K and can control steer to heading from the MFD i.e. +-1 and +-10.  You can also set a way-point (or route) and enable navigate mode from the MFD.

  11. It's about time we had something to take on the costs of these things. An AP is simply not that expensive to make by the manufacturers. They charge what they do because they can, not due to cost of making. There is not a great deal inside the units and most of the "brains" is inside a Chip. There would be lucky to be maybe $80 worth of parts inside. As IT said, the compasses and Rate Gyro are all solid state now. The old compasses were a bit more expensive due to a lot more manual labor involved, but now the Solid state devices are few bucks if even that.

     

    It's not until you start playing around with these things that you realise how much effort goes into the R&D, writing and maintaining the code etc.  I'm not saying they aren't making lots of profit on this stuff but their costs are definitely significantly more than just the sum of the parts.  Take a look at how many lines of code have gone into Slanty's project.  This is all possible because of everyone contributing their code for free under an open source license.

  12. Most of my parts are chinese cheapies. All have worked great so far and quality has been fantastic for the price. I've bought the key items from US suppliers (motor controller, compass module) as there was no good generic available that I could find. Almost everything else is from banggood.com. Free shipping on everything!

     

    warning tho - bangood is highly addictive.

     

    Another site along those lines is http://www.sainsmart.com.  Shipping isn't free but it is cheap; $5.00 USD to get my 9 inch touch screen shipped by China Post.  The screen was only $55 USD

  13. Totally agree, sailing up to Opua next week before we clear to head to Tonga and I see you must have proof that the boat has been slipped in the last 6 months for a hose down or antifoul before you can get in the marina.  FFS what land do these idiots who run our Councils live in?  

     

    My understanding is that the boat needs to be slipped within the last 30 days for a wash-down if the anti-foul is greater than 6 months old.

     

    http://www.nrc.govt.nz/Maritime/Our-marine-environment/visiting-a-northland-marina-this-summer/

  14. Thanks for posting; that's a cool looking project.  I like your rudder feedback mechanism and have always wondered why Raymarine/Simrad don't include the same.

     

    Have you considered using a 5V UBEC to power the Arduino rather than the LiPO power pack?

     

    It's what I use to power both my Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects. http://www.trademe.co.nz/toys-models/radio-control-robots/parts-accessories/chargers/auction-1305879640.htm

     

    I'm keen to look at the code and logic being used for both the 9DOF IMU and the direction/correction logic.  I see you have provided the link to most of the source code so I'll have a deeper look.  I have a hat for a Raspberry Pi that's primarily intended for a home-made quad-copter but has the IMU and some of the other components that I need to create a DIY autopilot.  It's on a growing list of things to do ....

  15. I have looked at the Seafarer site as I've heard good things about them but the information about the different models is a little sparse. No capacities and no pricing plus there are a couple of different designations but no details about what they mean.

     

    Give Neil a call and he can provide all the details.  He is an easy person to deal with and price is somewhat negotiable.  He is certainly very flexible when it comes to options.

     

    Where are you located?  PM me if you want to have a look.

  16. We have a Farr1020 (33ft) and when it came time to replace our dinghy we decided the priorities were

    • Low weight (our inflatable keel dinghy was 42kg without motor and was too heavy for the Wife and I to load/carry on shore)
    • Rigid hull (our previous one was an inflatable keel and it made us nervous when going over rocks/sharp objects etc.)
    • Size - i.e. would it fit on the under the boom and on the back transom.
    • Cost
    • ideally new with warranty etc.

    We looked at a number but ended up settling on a 2.4m Seafarer with the German Tiger Fabric (an alternate/replacement for Hypalon).  They can be found at http://www.nkconsultancy.co.nz/nk-services.html

     

    What we liked about them was

    • Neil(the owner) was ex. Southern Pacific so had a good reputation.
    • The weight was only 25kg.  Other fibreglass hulls I looked at were 38+ kgs.
    • All the seams were welded,  not glued (most of the other imports were glued including the Zodiac)
    • The hulls were power coated after the holes were drilled in them
    • The German fabric was a bonus and meant we ought to expect 10+ years life without handles falling off etc
    • He would customise as required (He designed and built the 2.4m version for us.  It's now listed as a standard part)
    • The price was competitive

     

    We have had it for nearly 2 years now and I am very happy with it.  In hindsight the only change I would have made would be requesting proper rowlocks and oars.  The dinghy rows well but the fitting let it down a bit.  It tows off a bridle (an extra I asked for).

  17. It sounds like you have been invited to participate in a Marketing Focus Group to test the messages that the ad agency have already prepared to see if they resonate with you.

     

    From Wikipedia

    focus group is a small, but demographically diverse group of people whose reactions are studied especially in market research or political analysis in guided or open discussions about a new product or something else to determine the reactions that can be expected from a larger population.[1][2][3] It is a form of qualitative research consisting of interviews in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members. During this process, the researcher either takes notes or records the vital points he or she is getting from the group. Researchers should select members of the focus group carefully for effective and authoritative responses.

  18. If you are into following blogs take a look at Nike's blog "white spot pirates".  She has spent a lot of time around Panama and I think she is still there having just returned back to her boat "Karl" after passing through the canal last year.  She has a lot of video content on her Youtube channel and seems to answer questions on Facebook quite regularly.

     

    https://www.facebook.com/whitespotpirates/

     

    https://www.youtube.com/user/WhiteSpotPirates

  19. Had a look wasn't a boom brake but a preventer line, never had much luck with these things myself as they seem to put a lot of load on things especially if the boom ends up in the water.

    Ultimately unnecessary if you have running backstays surely.

     

    Yes, my bad; it was a preventer line not a brake.  Interestingly enough she had broken the line on a number of occasions and there was a hint that she had recently replaced it with something stronger.

     

    It has been a really interesting blog to follow.  I especially liked the entries about running the series drogue while passing Cape Horn and the following post about the retrieval.

     

    https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/blog/2017/3/14/cape-horn

     

    https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/blog/2017/3/15/and-here-we-go-heading-home

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