Power Flag Upgrades

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-25-2005, 12:53 PM

I have the Hot Buddy power flag. I love it. It comes with a wired remote that make the flag shoot up and down.

It has a Red and Green light to let you know its up or down. The only thing is I never use this remote. I installed a button on the throttle to make the flag go up and down.

So I never see the Red or Green Led's and some times you forget to put the flag down. So I took the wired remote apart and instaled the led's in the dash. Here are some pic's

The whole install http://svtsupercharged.com/gallery/album14

mendo247 10-25-2005, 1:04 PM

nice.. you come up with some good stuff!!

(brick) · (brick) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 10-25-2005, 1:07 PM

Grant, without reopening this debate, have you ever been hassled by the local authorities for using the power flag? I've heard other people mention this problem in California.

As usual, the install looks great!

(wakejunky) · (wakejunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 10-25-2005, 1:11 PM

We should get a group buy going on stuff like the power flag. There is power in numbers.

Chris
Get the Grip you Deserve
www.wakejunky.com

(jon4pres) · (jon4pres) **Join Date: May 2004** 10-25-2005, 1:19 PM

You never cease to amaze me.
How many accesories/mods do you have on your boat?

ryan_bailey 10-25-2005, 1:26 PM

I will make power flags if enough people are interested in them.

In Arizona I have been confronted a couple of times and I keep a copy of the law laminated in the boat. It clearly says that the observer has to raise and lower the flag and that it should be viewable from 360 degrees. After pointing out that the flag is hard to be seen from 360 degrees when held by the observer and that the holder makes it much more visable you should not get a ticket. However if you do and you are in Arizona you can go to court and use Bailey vs. Arizona (August 22, 9:15 - I think) as your precident and get out of the ticket. I have beet this ticket twice in court.

(wakejunky) · (wakejunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 10-25-2005, 3:06 PM

I emailed Hot Buddy and they responded with regards to a group buy.

Deal...Get 10 people to buy. Cost $425, includes power flag and adjustable bracket. Shipping and tax extra.

Chris
Get the Grip you Deserve
www.wakejunky.com

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-25-2005, 3:33 PM

Tim : Personally have never been haseled. Yes like you I have heard of friends of friend's that have been haseled. I have never heard of anyting more than a stupid cop saying thats not leagle and going on their way. If you want to try to tell the water roaches diffrent you can carry a copy of the law if you think some day you might be hasseld.

Ryan your making Power Flag's, You have any pic's of your flag.

Chiss: You crack me up. Your always trying to get some discount/group buy thing. lord know's how you ended up with a Nautique You cheep bastard. J/K LOL

BTW : Chris can I get a discount I need some more gator grip. LOL

ryan_bailey 10-25-2005, 4:05 PM

Yes, we can make power flags. My buddy runs a full service light production/ job shop machine shop. We can pretty much make anything. I don't know who is currently make the power flag and don't really want to step on their shoes on the boards here, but if you are not happy with the current power flag we can make something. We are currently designing and getting ready to make billet speaker grills for somewhere between 40-60 bucks a set. The power flag that I use is nothing more than an electronic accuater(spelling is wrong) and an aluminium tube. I use an overly powerful actuater to pull the flag down the tube instead of cork screwing it down. We just use a relay and switch to make it go up and down. If you want we can use a servo and switch instead so you can work it wireless if you want. My buddies were some of the best guys in the hobby industry before they started the machine shop so they are pretty handy.

www.sierrahobby.com

is their site but they only have their prop adapters on there so far.

We will eventually make speaker enclosures for the towers too, they have a lathe that will handle up to 15" in diameter.

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-25-2005, 4:23 PM

I have seen lots of Power Flag copy's but nothing close to the orignal. I was just wondering how yours worked. The orignal power flag Im talking about is quite a peice of machinery. I have had myn for some time and havent had any problem's.

ryan_bailey 10-25-2005, 4:34 PM

Yes, I have seen the Power Flag and think it's a little over engineered, that's why it's so expensive. We are still baffled as to why they went with the very nice design of spinning the flag the way they do. The one that we made uses the flags that you can get off the side of the road on construction signs (you can also get them Westland Marine) and just pulls the flag down the tube. The reason they spin the flag is to get it to go down the tube with a short throw on the actuater. The actuater that we us is very long and has a lot of travel.

(peter_c) · (peter_c) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 10-25-2005, 8:15 PM

In the past I was trying to think of a way to make the power flag automatic. It can not be off the throttle because we may have to use the throttle when getting back to the rider. Most likely the best way would be to have it so it is up under 15 MPH. Somehow this would have to tie into a speedometer. Now if someone built a module to do that, then they could go get a patent and work with Power Flag. Might not be that hard for PP to write the software.

ryan_bailey 10-25-2005, 8:52 PM

This has already been done with a tension switch on the tow point,directly wired into the up down switch. When there is tension on the switch the flag goes down when there is no tension the flag goes up. The tension switch has to be adjustable since the length and weight of the rope just dragging behind the boat creates enough tension to trip a basic switch so it has be adjustable.

(peter_c) · (peter_c) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 10-25-2005, 9:29 PM

Ryan, what happens when spinning, does the flag go up in the middle of a trick or is there a time delay? Also sounds like a pain to adjust and is it easy to switch ropes?

(lukeduke95) · (lukeduke95) **Join Date: May 2002** 10-25-2005, 9:44 PM

Hey Guys, $425 isn't so bad.

No ones getting xmas presents at my house, but I will have an automatic flag!!

deltahoosier 10-25-2005, 9:48 PM

My Power Flag has not worked in two years. It stopped working after a year. Pretty expensive tube at this point. When it worked, I loved it.

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-26-2005, 7:24 AM

Rod: your flag stoped working? If your flag breaks HPB most likley will fix it that day. HBP has awesome customer service. Last Shasta trip. I had the flag up and started to pull the rider when he was way over to the side (not behind the boat) and some how the rope caught on the flag and bent it. I took it to HBP when I got home and he fixed while I waited. I heard the same story about cutomer service from a friend that left the flag up when he backed his boat in the garage and the flag got choped. HBP fixed it right then.
As someone that make things all the time because
#1 They are to expencieve for what your get
#2 Or I can do a better job
#3 Or It dosent exist
When I saw how the Power Flag works and what went into it I said there is no way I can make a better product for anything under $1500. Even then it would just be a copy of a Power Flag.
My 2-cents its a steal at $425. Get one and you will agree.

(andreas) · (andreas) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 10-26-2005, 7:48 AM

Grant,

Well Said

I love mine!!!! Supposedly they are working on a unit that the skier wears and when it gets wet sends a signal and the flag goes up. When the water runs out the flag goes down??

this is true. Was told about it when I oredered mine!!

andreas

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-26-2005, 7:56 AM

Yes I was told the same thing. Im not sure of the status on the Lifejacket unit.

BTW: I also heard the the goverment is "working" on a time travel unit, if anyone knows the status of that let me know. LOL

P.S Andreas what are you dressing up as for Halloween

(andreas) · (andreas) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 10-26-2005, 3:58 PM

Not sure yet but the big question is "what is your wife wearing???? "

(Message edited by andreas on October 26, 2005)

(mikeski) · (mikeski) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 10-26-2005, 5:36 PM

Hey, what am I missing out on here???

Andreas, I was in Grant's boat last Sunday when we saw you on your deck.

So my Q is where's the party?

BUD MAN lives!

Mikeski

(lzyboy) · (lzyboy) **Join Date: Jun 2001** 10-27-2005, 2:46 PM

Grant / Andreas,

Yeah - Patrick has been working on that keychain / sending unit that attaches to the vest of the rider. When it gets wet / submerged the flag goes up - when dry back down. Back when I / GW used to work with him quite a bit and he was in R& D with it... Great Idea - hope it all works out..

(andreas) · (andreas) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 10-27-2005, 2:55 PM

Me Toooo!!

(greatdane) · (greatdane) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 10-27-2005, 3:04 PM

Cool. Transmit when not wet and flag up when no transmission (errors with flag up). Thats what I have been suggesting on this website for years. The only complication will be with making it work with multiple boats in the same area. For this to work the transmission needs to be a bit more sophisticated.