Perfectpass

After 100 hours of use my stargazer system had a malfunction. I smelled burning and the down arrow stopped working. Multiple resets did nothing and just moved on and put the boat away for winter. Fast forward to this spring I send it in to pp. After thorough testing they claim it works just fine. Anybody have any experience with something like this? I'm 100% convinced when I put the gauge and master module back in I'm going to have the same problem.

They have excellent customer service, so maybe they will hook you up with a new gauge. I know i had a dead pixel line on my gauge and they sent me a new one upon sending in my old one.

Did you check the drive motor? Thats the usual suspect. If its stuck, check back here and I'll or somebody else will tell you how to fix it.

Is it DBW?... what type and year boat?

2003 SAN 210. But the star gazer system was installed in 2012. I have my doubts thats its the servo motor. The system as a whole worked as it should. I just couldn't adjust the speed down to surf speeds.

Agreed they have excellent customer service, and I'm hoping it gets resolved one way or another. But boating season is fast approaching and I don't have an answer. They claim burning in their system is rare.

Another planet nautique member had the same problem, and he said he keeps some sort of dehumidifier under his dash. I have my doubts that would work since the button didn't work for weeks and I live in a low humidity state, plus I don't think moisture necessarily explains the burning.

I KNOW THE PROBLEM! The Problem is your using Perfect Pass. I have had perfect pass on every boat I've owned and refuse to use it.

I don't believe is perfect pass, I believe in perfect wrist! Just learn your boat, make your crew learn your boat!

Sorry didnt mean to sound like such a dick.

Lmao... I guess Andy is still driving a carbureted Pinto with bias ply tires... Hint: technology is way more accurate than you bro....


Aaron.. what is you NN and KDW, (CC) settings set at... Email Mark up at PP for expert advice or I can email you the troubleshooting guide for the stargazer system.. My DBW stargazer which is a little quicker to respond than the Servo Motor system holds speed within 2/10's of a MPH.. You have to adjust the setting a bit for your particular ballast weight and prop pitch that your running..

I agree Andy. I don't need to use it, except when I pay $1500 for something I expect it to work. Out of the box I had a bad GPS puck, and now this. I expect more for only 100 hours.

Charlie, I'm pretty sure I'm at factory settings for those things. However, that's not what the problem is. The down arrow doesn't work, which means I can only adjust my speed higher. So no more surfing using the pp, because the system reset automatically sets the system at 20 mph. Can't adjust speed down.

Until I get the gauge back from pp, I can't verify their finding that everything works. I have a hard time believing that when I park the boat for winter the down arrow doesn't respond, then when springtime comes the gauge just magically works. We'll see I guess, I'm surprised nobody else has had this issue.

I had my servo motor cable snap due to a poor build from PP. They over nighted me a new one which props to them for getting this sent so quick. Still sucks that I was SOL that weekend and had to get my perfect pass re-calibrated at the stealership. I would definitely talk with Mark about your issues and how they can make you happy. I completely agree for $1500 everything should work flawless. None the less a excellent customer service with some glitches perfect pass is better than any wrist/manual driving!

Originally Posted by Pad1Tai

Lmao... I guess Andy is still driving a carbureted Pinto with bias ply tires... Hint: technology is way more accurate than you bro....

No its not. Its horrible and a crutch for people who dont know how to pull a wakeboarder. In fact I would go as far as to say it is making people worse at pulling riders, it's dumbing down the art of the pull. There is no finesse in perfect pass, it's cannot anticipate what the rider needs, it just goes one speed and thats it, it allows the driver to get distracted and focus on the ipod not the pull. The best boat driver in the world Travis Moye doesnt use it.

I do know that pro's and old school guys prefer the by-hand method. I've seen a pro wakeboarder take the reigns on a 24MXZ, turn off the speed control and drive flawlessly by hand. His thoughts were that the paddle wheel speed control was terrible and way too inconsistent.

I notice it especially when you have a strong rider that really yanks on the rope during a cut out. I'm not even that good, and I can tell you that it's SUPER frustrating when I take a hard toe-edge and I can feel the boat lose 1-2mph of speed. Totally kills the cut into the wake. Some boats are worse than others, but one of my friends boat is pretty bad and I can almost never have a good set due to speed issues.

With that said, I'm not good enough on the throttle to do it, so I stick to steering and DJ'ing...

I have my PP settings set aggressive and run #4000 ballast.. I've been on the phone with Mark, on the lake, as we set up the software for the PP...
Runs perfect @ 23mph..

PP is called "the marriage saver".... a must for female drivers..

Any pro drivers want to chime in?

Originally Posted by Pad1Tai

PP is called "the marriage saver".... a must for female drivers..

Any pro drivers want to chime in?

HAHAHAHA SO TRUE! I have to admit, my wife uses it on the rare occasion I cannot find ANYONE else to drive.

I don't even think perfect pass is so much of a requirement for wakeboarding, I could care less about it when wakeboarding. It does make a difference in surfing, when 1mph can change your wave.
I guess we'll have to see if it works when you get it put back in. It should be pretty easy to tell if the buttons are working or not before it's all the way in. It could just be that something got loose on the controls and when they took it apart to inspect it and put it back together it fixed it so they called it good after testing. I know some places might do a minor tweak there that's real simple and send it back no fault found to avoid charging you. It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen. I'm not sure what the burning would be.

I don't have PP and I have a badass wife that can pull me like a pro (in and out of the lake haha). Took some teaching but I'm a believer that you don't really need it. I especially hate PP when driving D-ups.

Originally Posted by AdamTX

I don't have PP and I have a badass wife that can pull me like a pro (in and out of the lake haha). Took some teaching but I'm a believer that you don't really need it. I especially hate PP when driving D-ups.

Pics of your "perfect pass"?

What is the problem with PP when hitting double ups?

Tight turns for a dbl up maxs out the PP controlled throttle ..

Turn it off for dbl ups...

Originally Posted by Pad1Tai

Tight turns for a dbl up maxs out the PP controlled throttle ..

This. It speeds up too much in the turn. You need to be able to finesse it a bit for a perfect double up

Originally Posted by andy_nintzel

No its not. Its horrible and a crutch for people who dont know how to pull a wakeboarder. In fact I would go as far as to say it is making people worse at pulling riders, it's dumbing down the art of the pull. There is no finesse in perfect pass, it's cannot anticipate what the rider needs, it just goes one speed and thats it, it allows the driver to get distracted and focus on the ipod not the pull. The best boat driver in the world Travis Moye doesnt use it.

What systems of speedometer does Moye use? I love my airguides on my 99 Tige, but I've been on boats like a 2000SAN with the ****ty digital gauges and the gauge reacts too slow when you start to lose speed. Out of all my friends I was the best and I drive by feel 99% of the time, but in a new boat I need to see that speedometer to get the initial feel.

Also agree that it really pisses me off when people aren't paying attention during double ups etc, OR when PP doesn't engage right. PAY ATTENTION the boat doesn't drive itself

I love my perfect pass. I can't find a driver that goes out with me regularly that has any clue. It's my only option. My boys are scared to drive. Sometimes my wife can even "F" it up using the perfect pass. Goes like this: Finally have a nice run set up, no boats, no tubbers in site, set the perfect pass before I jump in, tell her I'm ready. Next thing I know we are going 30+. Hopefully I get her attention quickly. Tell her to slow down, We go from 30+ to 10mph in seconds, I sink and hopefully can hang on until she realizes. finally she figures it out, nice consistent speed, Yes, get to hit the wake once or twice and then from around the corner comes Mom in the Xstar pulling two tubes, doing circles across the whole section and going 15mph. Most of the time I just let go and laugh it off, wait for Mom to make her 4 or 5 laps, give some very gentle advice to the wife and have a great second go at it.
Without perfect pass I wouldn't even take my boat out.

Nets

I feel your pain. most of the time its my wife that is driving when it'e my trun to ride. Bless her heart she tries but most of the time results were not good. In the old boat my pulls were jst like yours but with are new boat that has Zero off the pulls are perfect and I think that it has given my wife more confedence to drive the boat.

Ahhhh... ^^ Another Marriage Saved! ^^

Originally Posted by AdamTX

This. It speeds up too much in the turn. You need to be able to finesse it a bit for a perfect double up

Quick question about the perfect pass fluctuating speed through double ups... I've had this problem before, but I was always under the assumption it is only on the paddle wheel based systems (like mine). Depending on where the wheel was mounted if you turn hard one way or another can the paddle wheel come off the water? Or going through chop it does not spin at the same consistancy that it would on a straight flat run resulting in mixed signals to the servo motor and a fluctuation of speed. Is this why it does it or is there another reason? If it is, then the solution would be to take a wide flat as possible turn into your double up (I know that may not be possible depending on the body of water) or like said above shut it off and learn how to use wrist. I prefer the wrist method but truly trying to learn more about why these boats fluctuate speed so much going through turns and chop.

My question about the double ups and perfect pass, if it is about the paddle wheel, does the GPS version have the same issue?

I drove a few double ups last night in a 2012 230 with zero off. It's obviously gps based and it does slow down slightly and then GET ON IT out of the turn, but even on a tight turn like the ones we did last night, it was always at set speed by the time we hit the rollers. Don't know if that helps, but sometimes on those tight turns (409hp engine 3k ballast) the engine REALLY gets on it even when it doesn't need to so I've manually backed off the throttle a bit through the turn to take it easy on the boat. It still hits set speed by the time we approach the rollers.

^^ that was not my boat btw, mine is old paddle wheel based system

Originally Posted by andy_nintzel

I KNOW THE PROBLEM! The Problem is your using Perfect Pass. I have had perfect pass on every boat I've owned and refuse to use it.

I don't believe is perfect pass, I believe in perfect wrist! Just learn your boat, make your crew learn your boat!

I hate technology and electronics on my vehicles as much as the next grumpy old curmudgeon. I only drive old carbureted vehicles, prefer manual transmission, brakes and steering, hate any sort of "amenity" in my vehicles. I get confused and annoyed on the rare occasions I get behind the wheel of a 90s or newer car, difficult to work the key, no clutch pedal, shifter doesn't want to move, no clue how to work windows/radio/seats/mirrors/wipers, they tend to lock you out if you step out of the car for any reason and shut the door with windows up, etc... But I will say Perfect Pass was worth every penny and hands down the best thing I've ever done to my boat. Breaking from my curmudgeony ways I also installed a heater and seat furnaces which work great to extend the season.

I can drive well and give others a consistent pull at their desired speed, but very few can do it for me. Been there done that giving good pulls all day and when it's my turn to ride I get speed all over the place and nothing but frustration. PP allows me to enjoy my own boat and not worry as much about who's available to drive.

To the OP, I had an issue with the display on my PP and they replaced it no problem, sent me a new one without even wanting the old one back first. I'm sure they'll get you fixed. Make sure you have good +12v and ground to the PP, best to run to battery or off blocks from battery and not use existing dash wiring except for key on. It is picky about voltage.