# Tacktick T033 Feedback?



## Pub911 (Oct 25, 2007)

This is a new product for Tacktick - a wireless masthead wind instrument and a display hardwired to 12v source (vs. solar displace costing about $500 more). Comments?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I doubt anyone has any experience with it as it is new. However, I have the older, wireless TackTick gear on my boat and have been very happy with it.


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## Pub911 (Oct 25, 2007)

Thanks Saildog. Hey, what's your home port - there's a Telstar 28 in mine...just wondering.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'm up in Buzzards Bay, MA.... I know whose boat you're thinking of though.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> I doubt anyone has any experience with it as it is new. However, I have the older, wireless TackTick gear on my boat and have been very happy with it.


SD, surprisingly I met a couple of cruisers crossing the puddle and they were not happy with TackTick. Both their units lost all, or partial display, one was on his third set since leaving the Med. Replaced each time under warranty. I like the concept but is this just a problem with all LED displays. My Navman units in the cockpit have lost the led displays but the information is still available and I now read that info by using the repeater, which I relocated to the cockpit.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Simon-

The TackTick displays are LCD, not LED.  I haven't had a problem with mine, but mine are installed in a much more protected location than most, as you can see in this photo.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

SD, sorry my bad, I ment LCD i have been reading the LED stuff to much.


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Tacktic had problems early on with displays fogging, but that seems to have been fixed AFAIK. We've had the wireless setup for two seasons, and find it really convenient, since we put the displays anywhere we like with double-stick velcro tape. We have had problems with the windspeed sender unit not registering with the displays and going dead on occasion. This may be partly due to masthead visits by protected waterfowl species. We are getting that unit replaced under warrantee now that the mast is down. Otherwise, the displays are legible at a good distance, bright enough to see at night, and versatile as to the range of information and what is shown on each display.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

One advantage of the TackTick wind displays, and that is probably the same with the wired unit, is that the wind unit can either display wind direction or be setup to display close-hauled wind angles only. This can help with fine-tuning the sail trim if you're into racing.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Tacktick T033*

Their website says only for boats under 35', doesn't say why! Is the masthead unit the same as the T120? I found the info on their website, including the user manuals which I downloaded and their FAQ's written in a demeaning manner figuring we're all too dumb to understand technicalities. My mast head is 58' from the intended display position (my boat is over 35' but what does that matter!) anyone know if the T033 will work over that distance? I prefer the simpler (+ cheaper) T033 system to the T101 system since I prefer to provide constant power from my boat electrical system, not rely on an internal battery that will eventually go bad and not be user serviceable. I plan to mount the display in a protected area away from the sun.


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## Pub911 (Oct 25, 2007)

Sorry, Svamulet. I ran out of $ by launch time and did not purchase these units. I too was unable to decipher the <35' comment. It's an odd way to position a product of this kind.


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## CaptnPete (Apr 5, 2009)

*Tacktick Review*

I would not recommend Tacktick devices. They are too costly, there is terrible technical support and they have interference problems from other devices.

Put in the hull transmitter a year ago. Had bad interference, could not get the display to work unless it was within 12" of the hull transmitter. Tried reaching USA technical support with email and phone. No success for 2 weeks. Finally remembered I had Skype and called England. A support engineer was able to change the frequency of my display to get it working.

Recently spent nearly $2000 for the Tacktick wind display. $1200 for the initial unit, then over $700 for a replacement analog display. Must remember these are very delicate "GLASS" units and will shatter if you drop them. So far it has been a complete waste of money. Wind analog will not sync up no matter what steps are taken. Original display will work to masthead unit out to 150 feet down the dock but will not communicate 40 feet to the top of the mast. Unable to reach technical support. On hold for hours without success.

Heading out from Balboa to Marquesas in a week. I doubt the wind display will ever work. I have been without a electrical masthead wind indicator for over 12 years. Looks like I will continue to sail without one. One very expensive lesson.

Capt Pete
S/V FrenchKiss


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## Pub911 (Oct 25, 2007)

Thanks for the update, Cap'n. New season approaching and new bonus yet to be received (hopefully). So re evaluating options for getting wind direction input to my Simrad autopilot. Absolutely thrilled with Simrad AP24 by the way, even though I'm just using it via fluxgate compass input. Should have done it years ago - a whole new sailing experience to be able to leave the helm and chase my 5 year old around the deck.

Others? Comments on wind instruments, tacktick or others?

Pub911


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## Noelex (Jan 23, 2008)

Pub911 said:


> Others? Comments on wind instruments, tacktick or others?
> 
> Pub911


I have installed a B&G H3000 system, more expensive, but vasly superior to all my previos stuff. Even my wife said "the ST60 looks like a toy after seeing the B&G "


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

*Great experience with Tack Tick*

I've had TackTick (104) installed on our boat for a year now and I'm very pleased.

The only issues I have had so far have been loss of data on a rare occasion, usually the wind unit. It can be a little annoying but a quick reboot usually solves the issue.

Although I have not used it for a extended voyage, I did have them On 24/7 for about two weeks last summer and they never went below 50% charge, including using the back-light, two days were overcast.

The installation was so easy it was comical, easier than hooking up my surround sound theater at home and the power draw is virtually nothing. Took all of about an hour, not including rebedding the new thru hulls.

The system provides a lot of information when compared to other systems I looked at. The system comes with two mounting brackets for each head unit (speed/depth, wind, remote), therefore I am able to easily move them from the pedestal mounts to bulkhead mounts, even have a remote mount at the nav station. IMO the remote is the coolest part of the system, I can get all the data on one cool little unit that I can take anywhere on the boat. I often take the remote with me to bed so I can monitor wind speed all from the comfort of my bunk  The wind unit has a Close Hauled function that I use often. When the GPS in connected to the system the amount of info you can get through the network is pretty darn cool.

I spent about $1700.00 on the T104 Sailing package from Defender.com during their Spring Sale in 2009. TT was throwing in the remote ($800) with purchases made at the time. Considering what a wired unit would have cost to install, the time involved, etc...I actually feel that Tack Tack is a good buy...and everyone knows the first problems you start to have with instruments are usually the wire connections


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## pmt200 (Oct 23, 2007)

*TackTick T033 "35' " comment*

I am thinking of installing the T033 system and spoke with a TackTick rep in the US called Don at 203 453 3090 and asked about the significance of the " boats up to 35' " statement re the T033. Don said it has nothing to do with range, since both systems use the same T120 mast head transmitter. He says that it has more to do with the fact that larger boats tend to have more sophisticated electronics that can provide data to, and take advantage of, the additional information that can be shown on the T112 display of the T101 System. He also said that the T112 display on the T101 system was wireless and had larger characters and could therefore be located farther away from the helm. Don did confirm that the T033 would work fine on any size boat, keeping in mind it required a hard wired 12 volt supply and the display info is pretty basic.
That being said, I still think it is a confusing and misleading statement to make.

Regards to all.


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## tomblalock (Aug 14, 2010)

*Any alarms?*

Does the T033 Tacktick have windspeed alarms? I need that as I sail a catamaran and sometimes the wind picks up while I am sleeping and things can get out of hand before I wake up.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

@ tomblalock, it should...mine does.


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## anson38 (Oct 9, 2011)

*Tacktic T033*

Noted your years earlier question about the Tacktic T033. I have a Catalina 36 and wondered if you ever got an answer to your question about the distance from mast top to display and why they say "for boats 35 feet and under".
Did you buy one and does it work?
Thanks


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

Look a few posts up in this thread


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## anson38 (Oct 9, 2011)

PaulinVictoria
Thanks for the info! That post addresses my question completely.
Big help!


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## stevensuf (Feb 26, 2012)

i just installed the to33 system, very easy to set up, granted the display does require power, but not having to run extra cables up the mast was well worth the little extra in cost


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## jsaronson (Dec 13, 2011)

The RayMarine engineers told me the units are the same. (Ray owns Tackick now) It is an effort to up-sell to a more expensive unit. I bought the 033 and am having it connected to an E7 chartplotter.
The Ray engineers have been very helpful at both the boat show and by phone.


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