TAPS 21

[Ewok]

UNSTUCK, you are correct, the drag behind the boat creates a yaw moment and when you counter-steer the boat to drive straight, it puts the boat into a side-slip and changes the pressure of the two sides of the hull and causes one side to clean up and be surfable. The physics of cleaning up a surf wave are the same if the boat is listed or uses a drag device or a lifting device to create the yaw and resulting side-slip to get the surf wave. Which surf system you use and how you mount it for an aftermarket system should be about mounting options and getting the most bang for the buck.

Tab style surf systems are more effective the farther out you can mount the tabs, so you are giving up some effectiveness by pulling the mounting points inboard due to the spray pockets. I asked if you had thought about trying to fabricate a NSS style tab system because I think you would have better luck with the installation due to the spray pockets and the amount of space you have under the swim platform. It would be more effective for your boat than the TAPS 3 plate you are trying to replicate and it would be a little easier to install. You have made great progress so far and I imagine you can figure out a way to make it work, but I was just wondering if you had looked at other styles of tabs to fit your hull better. The space under your platform is very different than the space the newer Tiges have and mounting the actuators might be tricky under there.

That's all I wanted to share, if you want to call me and discuss the physics of the various systems send me a PM and we can chat sometime.

[UNSTUCK]

I'm actually pretty happy with how my mock up looks mounted in the more inboard position. I realize that leaves the spray pockets wide open to do whatever it is that they do, good or bad. If I use the TAPS 3 tab I have, I can always bolt an extension to the outside of it that would reach out and cover the spray pocket. This would be easy to do and make it possible to test both ways to see if it really would make a difference for the next guy. I am thinking about making the overall width narrower. Right now its like 20 inches wide. I think I might drop it to 15 inches wide. Then if I bolt on the extension piece that would take it back to 20-21 inches. My brake can only bend to about 19 wide.

Here's the next problem I'm running into. The name of this game is making an equivalent wave at under $1000. My main automation goal was to be able to have the tabs retract at speeds under about 9 mph and then retract again above about 15 mph. I have figured out how to do this on the cheap end, but not as nice as I want. The Lenco switch will retract the tabs with their built in on/off ACC wire automatically. I was hoping to find a GPS based logic switch that I could program the speeds into and be done. It does not appear that that kind of a switch is mass produced. Then I discovered the RPM window switches that nitrus guys use to control their spray. I could use one of those to turn on and off the Lenco switch, but then the system would be RPM based and not speed based. I have never paid much attention to my boats RPMs so I don't know how reliable that would be. Does RPM change a lot depending on the boat load or water conditions? Would I always be adjusting my RPM range?
The next problem is that the Lenco switch will not return the tabs to the last position they were in before the ACC wire was turned off, after turning back on. So after every surfers fall I would be manually lowering the tabs back into position on the restart. If I can't overcome that is it worth making the tabs automatically retract? Think the less my wife has to do when towing me, the better.

I was turned on to Matt at Wave Logic. He was in my position about 3 years ago. Being a computer/automation programmer, he pretty easily build himself a controller that did everything he wanted. Now he's started the business of selling these controllers, which are now wireless for transitions. Price is over a grand for the system, understandably and probably well worth it. It does more than I want and has some bling that I don't need, and then I think it doesn't have a few features that I would really like if I'm going to buy a real system. It does retract the tabs and puts them back where they were, which is really all I want. If I bought his system I wouldn't need the Lenco switch and controller so that would save me about $300. That would put my new cost of TAPS 21 at about $1600. How much of that will I get back out of it when (if) I sell the boat, which I worry about outgrowing in 2-3 years?

Keep in mind, my kids are young. The oldest is 10. I'm the only one on my boat, of the most common people that come out with us, that can ride without the rope. So we are a long ways from really using transitions, ect. I just want a clean unlisted wave.
What do you think?

[dukesofhazzard]

with the taps 3 style tabs, do you think this would be a better than the nss style since it is actually still listing the boat with the tab and not side slipping the boat, as we have all seen the listed waves still prove to be the best. I like all this hype. Maybe one day I can do a setup that works good since I have equal reg and goofy in my boat. but for now I'll keep watching, keep up the great work

[UNSTUCK]

I'm not sure how much the tab actually causes the boat to list. Ragboy makes it seam like the boat doesn't list enough to really notice. I'm good with that! And the shape of the taps 3 pushes water down and out, not just down. I'm not real familiar with NSS, but I think it mainly just pushed water out, like the surf gate. I've been curious about what would happen if a TAPS 3 boat added a surf gate to it. Then you'd have lots of down and lots of out. I think I just blew my own mind!

[UNSTUCK]

I made a little progress on TAPS 21. I changed my drawing a few times to get it to where I really like it and to make it resemble the TAPS 3 plates a bit better. Then I pulled the trigger. I got very lucky on the size of my sheet of stainless. I kind of guessed on the size I would need, and my local supply store had a remnant that I thought I could make work. Turns out it couldn't have gotten any closer. It nested perfect.

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After I ordered the 1/4" hinge, I noticed that the TAPS 3 I looked at uses 3/8" hinge. I would be very surprised if the 1/4" proves to be insufficient. Time will tell, I guess. That last picture of the hinge is just before we started cutting the bolt holes in it. It was the first time cutting hinge for us. Worked well.

I'll get all the bends done up in the next few days. Once my tax money comes in, in a week or so I'll be placing the order for the Lenco actuators. I'll run them off of basic switches and relays this summer to make sure it works the way I want, then maybe change the control/switches to something nicer if needed next winter.

[Thegerman618]

Man, I wish access to plasma cutter....so many ideas to try. Good luck looking forward to seeing the final product.

[Captainkurk72]

Keep us updated. This will be DIY mod of the year in my book.
Btw I got the raspberry pi and will be getting the relays soon. Will run tests on some motors to work out that programming and interface. Basketball ended this week so should have more time and hope to have something to supplement this mod. The plan is to have a small touchscreen with buttons for deploy port and starboard. I am also going to add buttons for ballast fill and empty.


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[UNSTUCK]

Kurk, That's what I want to hear! Make two of them and I'll cut another set of tabs! Just waiting on my tax return so I can order the actuators and finish up the manually operated/test version. I don't want to dump a bunch of time/money into automation until I know I'll be happy with the wave. Controlling it manually, on the cheap, will tell me that.

[NICKYPOO]

I can't wait to see the results of this project. Looks like you've got a pretty good handle on it.

I've really been kicking around the idea of doing a set of the Volvo-Penta QL tabs on my boat. I'm going to go with a suction cup ghetto gate first.

[UNSTUCK]

I made a little headway on this project again last night. I got the bends all done up and the corners welded. Tige doesn't have the corners welded on their TAPS 3 plates. Not sure why, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to weld mine. I test fit all three pieces together on one side. The fit was just about perfect. There's going to be a LOT of screws holding this thing together. I think it will be an eyesore. I kind of wish now I would have welded the hinge on. If I knew I wouldn't change the design down the road I would. I need to trim the hinge a bit where it overhangs on one end, due to the angel of the plate. I couldn't cut that out on the plasma because the torch would have hit the barrel of the hinge. I'm pretty slammed with my car project right now, but I hope to be able to get them mounted on the boat this weekend. I still haven't done my taxes so I can't get actuators ordered yet.


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[dukesofhazzard]

awesome cant wait to see more, what about rivets instead of screws, i guess still a bit of an eyesore, but i really don't think yours is, very cool.

[UNSTUCK]

Parts are rolling in and the car project is rolling out! I hope to have the tabs installed this weekend. We'll be on the water in three weeks so I need to get going on this.

[hycosurf]

20160330_110036-1.jpg.

[hycosurf]

Unstuck. This was my plate design for left tab. It looks like your plates are mismatched. The narrow side of the plate that attaches to boat should be towards the center of the boat.

[UNSTUCK]

Good catch! Not sure how I messed that one up. Somewhere between paper and Plasma my drawing got swapped around. That means I'll have to notch the other transom mount to clear the drain plug.

Yours looks good. Did you make it yourself?