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-   -   thinking of getting Perfect Pass Stargazer - any advice? (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=794994)

greg_smith 08-09-2012 7:44 PM

thinking of getting Perfect Pass Stargazer - any advice?
 
Hey, what's up?

So I'm pretty new to the idea of Perfect Pass. Obviously I've always known what it is, but have never used it, and have never really been exposed to it. I bought a 2001 X-Star in the spring, and have noticed that the more weight I put in the boat, the more my buddies are having trouble keeping the boat at one speed. So, I'm thinking about taking the boat in and have the Perfect Pass GPS Stargazer (wake edition) installed. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice when getting this installed. Is there anything I should look out for? Anything you would have done differently if you were to have Perfect Pass installed again? Any features that I need? Any features that I don't need?

tampawake 08-09-2012 7:51 PM

http://http://www.nauticlaugic.com/


I would go this route for your boat the rider profile stuff is a waste.

idaho_hillbilly 08-09-2012 9:37 PM

I installed Perfect Pass Stargazer on my Sanger V230 around a month ago. If your not doing the installing, it's pretty cut and dry. The only decision is where to put the GPS receiver and the gauge. I even got a gauge with a Sanger logo. My previous boat had the Perfect Pass with a paddle wheel and I'm amazed how much better the Stargazer system is.

I actually like the rider profiles PP has...I have a setting for me wakeboarding, surfing and skiing and settings for my daughter wakeboarding and my wife surfing. Pretty nice to scroll down the list and be done.

My biggest suggestion is to get it installed....NOW! You will not regret it.

saberworks 08-09-2012 10:49 PM

Yeah it's super nice to have. You may also want to consider getting a different prop to handle the more weight w/out having so many speed control issues.

boardjnky4 08-10-2012 5:35 AM

sounds like the prop is also an issue. both will make night and day differences.

tampawake 08-10-2012 7:01 AM

The reason I said the profiles were a waste was the fact that it does not adjust the ballast wedge or anything else just speed. So spending the extra money to get the new screen and the GPS unit is a waste unless you cant remember what speeds you ride at. If you got the money it might be a nice bell and whistle. I have the 02 version of your boat. Willing to bet you would do better to re prop. Once I ended up adding a bunch more weight I needed a new prop badly. That was a huge game changer. So if its Star Gazer or new prop go with the prop. OJ or Acme both great companies.

lifetimewarranty 08-10-2012 8:01 AM

1 Attachment(s)
I assume you've already read a ton of all the other strings on this exact same question and subject but I'll say this.

Buy it
Install it
Enjoy your boat a million times more than you currently do.

It is that simple.

(on edit - I am assuming your boat doesn't have pp for some reason)

lifetimewarranty 08-10-2012 8:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idaho_hillbilly (Post 1774939)
My previous boat had the Perfect Pass with a paddle wheel and I'm amazed how much better the Stargazer system is..

I disagree. Paddle wheel is the best but Stargazer is the best(easiest) to "add on"

idaho_hillbilly 08-10-2012 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifetimewarranty (Post 1775020)
I disagree. Paddle wheel is the best but Stargazer is the best(easiest) to "add on"

Really?!? My last 2 boats had PP with the paddle wheel and I find the GPS holds the speed better and gets to the initial speed quicker and doesn't "overshoot" the speed as much. The only negative I've heard with the GPS is that is doesn't work well on moving water like rivers.

williamburell 08-10-2012 12:38 PM

my stargazer fluctuates maybe .5 each way until it really "settles". My paddle would be all over the place. Enjoy it!

lifetimewarranty 08-10-2012 1:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idaho_hillbilly (Post 1775111)
The only negative I've heard with the GPS is that is doesn't work well on moving water like rivers.

BINGO...(and "doesn't work well" doesn't describe it. It don't work at all. You have to set it for one speed going up river and one speed going down and rivers rarely are the exact same speed in all sections of it - turns, wider sections, shallower sections, etc...)




As far as holding speed, My DLX with stargazer vs my MC X2 with paddle are a wash. Both within a few tenths of a mile per hour...

If your paddle PP's were "all over the place" then you had the settings wrong...or there were some other factors with those particular boats.

Then there's the issue of getting a satellite signal. I had a few times that it took a while(few minutes, IDK - seems like forever when you are ready to ride) to gain a signal and I am in the middle of a populated area (Sacramento area). Never have to wait for the paddle to find the satellite.

Bottom line like I said, it is a no brainer for me. The Stargazer is awesome...simple install and go. I am not brave enough to drill a hole for a paddle in the bottom of a boat so there would have been no way I would have added a paddle.

Do find a really good spot for the puck though. I had mine just under the dash and like I said, had a few issues with satellite access and it also was hanging by the tape (which they said was fine to do) but it didn't hold as well as I would have wanted. I just didn't want to put it out on top of the dash since I just thought it wouldn't look too good.

greg_smith 08-10-2012 2:43 PM

This is all really good information. I wasn't going to post this topic... but I'm glad I did!!

So here's a couple more questions based on replies that you guys have posted:

- In terms of where to place the receiver, is there one spot where it is typically mounted that works the best? Or what factors determine where the best spot would be??

- Are there other systems that have profiles for setting ballast weight, speed, etc?? This isn't something that really matters to me in the end. I can set my own ballast! I was more just curious about that.

- What prop pitch do people tend to go with when having a lot of weight in the boat? Or is this something that depends on the particular boat. TampaWake, you said you have a 2002 X-Star right? What prop pitch do you use?

- How many profiles can the StarGazer hold??


Hopefully the other issues mentioned here won't be issues for me. I don't think I've ever boarded on a river. There are a couple places on my lake with a very very slight current but.... I wouldn't think that would make a difference would it? As for the issue of not receiving GPS signal... what would even cause that? I ride in a fairly populated spot.


Thanks again for your responses. Definitely helpful!

idaho_hillbilly 08-13-2012 8:58 AM

Tim C. - Those are the two biggest issues with the stargazer...GPS signal and using it on water with a current. Have you tried the RPM control with Stargazer when on the river? I'm not a convinced that mounting the GPS receiver under the dash is the best way to go...even though PP says it's ok. I put mine pretty close to the windshield. Not the prettiest place to put it, but I haven't had any issues with signal....and I live in Nowhere, Idaho.

Greg - I believe Stargazer holds 10 profiles. PP pass doesn't do anything with your ballast settings, nor does it factor in ballast for it's settings. It only has speed control. I'll try to snap a picture of the placement of my receiver today. I just placed it there because I knew it would face the sky all the time.

yjwrangler95 08-13-2012 10:10 AM

I have the stargazer system on my boat and love it.

It is night and day compared to trying to hold speed by hand.

davenk 08-13-2012 10:51 AM

My biggest worry would be if you ride on a moving river, otherwsie any speed control is better then none!

jlembas 08-13-2012 11:26 AM

Does anyone have any experience with stargazer if the boat is stored inside a boat house? I'm worried that it's going to take too long to aquire the sat signals when the boat is pulled out of the boat house.

nitrousbird 08-13-2012 11:46 AM

Installed a Perfect Pass Stargazer Wakeboard Edition on our 01' Malibu Sunsetter VLX with the LS1 motor a couple months ago.

- Install is pretty easy. If you have some basic hand tool knowledge and basic 12V wiring knowledge it shouldn't be too challenging. It took me about 1.5-2 hours, and that was because of challenges mounting the throttle servo.

- Throttle servo can either be cake or a bit of a pain. The instructions for my boat PP provided were crap. Pictures were for a direct drive w/ an LS1...where they said to mount the servo was 100% impossible. I ended up rigging something up on top of the motor, but had to pull my Corvette fuel rail cover to do it. Since then, I found a spot next to the port manifolds that works really well; just had to rig up a throttle cable support to make sure the cable stayed off the muffler. I also had to move my stock throttle cable back one spot on the mounting block (there are 3 mounting holes for it) in order to get proper clearance. PP instructions for attaching the throttle cable sucked too, as it looks like they re-designed the hookup for my motor and just crossed stuff off with a pen in the instructions.

- GPS is mounted on the dash; has been perfect there. I knew I wouldn't have a problem as my Sirius antenna is mounted on the other dash and I've never had any issues with reception.

- Everything else is just running wire and making some attachments. Gauge goes in easily, and the whole setup isn't hard to install.

We LOVE having the Perfect Pass. Makes driving the boat so much better, especially when surfing. Less stress on my wife as well - probably her 2nd favorite boat add-on after the bimini top. $1100 (ouch) well spent. We don't use the user profiles as we just change the speed we want for surfing and slalom manually (very quick to do), or chage it over to slalom when we ski.

yjwrangler95 08-13-2012 1:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlembas (Post 1775531)
Does anyone have any experience with stargazer if the boat is stored inside a boat house? I'm worried that it's going to take too long to aquire the sat signals when the boat is pulled out of the boat house.

MIne "boots up" incredibly fast, 10 seconds fast on the lake, and has aquired a signal sitting in my garage in about the same amount of time. Mine receiver us under the dash, it has to fire through the glass. I would highly recommend it. 95% of the time I'm on a lake, I do not spend much time on the river.

saberworks 08-13-2012 3:44 PM

When the boat is off the gps isn't receiving, so each time you start it it has to acquire a signal. Mine takes about 10 seconds, and is mounted on the dash.

greg_smith 08-14-2012 5:26 AM

Nice!! Well ya I've decided to go ahead and have it installed. I'm gonna take my boat in some time this week.

Just out of curiosity, are there a systems that have profiles to control ballast? I imagine the new X-Stars and Nautiques might have something like this!

jlembas 08-14-2012 9:40 AM

10 seconds isn't bad at all. Thanks for the info.

calipackfan 08-15-2012 9:07 PM

perfect pass StarGazer........saving marriages everyday

idaho_hillbilly 08-15-2012 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calipackfan (Post 1776184)
perfect pass StarGazer........saving marriages everyday

Wise words my friend!

The funny thing is, my wife is the one that gets pissed when I don't pull her correctly! I have her pull all the newbies, because is way better at it than I am. :rolleyes:

gpalovcak 08-16-2012 6:36 PM

We have a 2000 Mastercraft Pro star 205 and installed Perfect Pass Stargazer Wakeboard Edition about 3 years ago. Best purchase we ever made. Super easy to install and have not had any problems at all. I never notice it having to acquire a satellite when we start the boat.We just start and and go and it is ready. We ride on a river with tidal change and sometimes you have to adjust for the current. We can be going 21.5 one direction and have to bump a few MPH when we are going the other direction. No big deal plus you do not have to put a hole in the hull of your boat.

TC_Mastercraf_X5 02-22-2013 10:40 AM

Perfect Pass Group Buy
 
Do you guys know of any star gazer PP group buys going on? What should I expect to pay for a perfect pass star gazer setup?

whiteflashwatersports1 02-22-2013 11:37 AM

PP = marriage saver - Do it already!!

whiteflashwatersports1 02-22-2013 11:39 AM

There is a group buy on tigeowners.com thru florida inboards

CarZin 02-22-2013 11:52 AM

I have Perfect Pass with a paddle wheel on the Supra. It has worked pretty well, but the interface is maddening to make user profiles. Hopefully they've fixed that. The version on the 09 Supra makes me want to bash in the dash to change settings :) Shouldn't be that difficult. But it has worked flawlessly for the last 2 summers. If I had any problems with it, it would be surfing when it takes over a little too soon as the result of a slow throttle push, and then it takes forever to get to the setup.

TeamAllen 03-16-2013 6:53 AM

If you wanted to take advantage of the group buy mentioned by whiteflashwatersports1 there is less than a week left.

jhartt3 03-16-2013 9:08 AM

Thanks for getting that buy setup Team Allen. Mine is supposed to come in next week. Super stoked.

TeamAllen 03-16-2013 9:42 PM

You're welcome, I'm glad you got one and it's on the way.


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