SteadyPass DIY speed control

[tgi100]

Hello all,

Has anyone ever tried the SteadyPass DIY speed control described here:

http://steadypass.com/order-kit-now/

I have a 2005 216DD without speed control. It seems to hold speed rather well just doing it manually for open water skiing. However, now that I'm getting into the course, it would be nice to have a speed control. I'm hesitant to drop $1200 on the PerfectPass system, and came across this SteadyPass option. Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks,

Tom

[DVskier]

I’ve never known anyone who used that device. I bought a Perfect Pass Star Gazer several years ago for my 2004 SN 196 and did the installation myself. No issues at all. Perfect Pass will give excellent support should you ever need it. If you’re serious about skiing the course I highly recommend it

[NautiqueJeff]

I agree. Go with the known favorite. I have installed and used many PerfectPass systems over the years. They are great.

[jtryon]

there are quite a few people using it but the majority still want to go with PP or Hydrophase Ridesteady just because they're mainstream. check out this thread with some updates and videos: https://www.wakegarage.com/forums/to...st-steadypass/


I would at least consider steadypass since it costs $450 all-in, it looks to work pretty well.

[Boatymcboatface]

Ive got a 95 with perfect pass and my friend has a 96 with the ride steady I like the way the ride steady works better than my perfect pass. Dial vs button.

[SilentSeven]

My 2 cents. If you're course skiing, I'd go with PP. They have YEARS of experience of dialing in their system. It's a slam dunk solution. If you want to save a few bucks and are willing to tinker around and maybe not have the precision of the PP, the other solution might be worth a shot. I feel your pain on the price of the PP.... But this is just an opinion - I'm a PP user but have not tried the other systems.

Edit: Also - I find the speed adjust on PP to work easy enough. For wakeboarding, you can adjust on the fly when you have a boarder up - just push the up or down button. For slalom, it's worth getting the 3 event version because you get 'practice mode'. That let's you dial in a custom speed that varies from the standard speeds. It's the setting we use most for free-skiing and course skiing (we are not super serious course skiers).

[tgi100]

Thank you everyone for the feedback! I have seen some install videos on this forum regarding PP installation, and I greatly appreciate those! Will definitely come in handy down the road.

Tinkering with the system to get it right would not bother me. I like experimenting and I have experience with PID control systems. However, a poor-quality result would indeed bother me. The PP equipment certainly looks and seems to be first class. The connectors and everything else are far more heavy-duty than the SteadyPass option. That said, I could probably put my own connectors and cables on a SteadyPass system...??

I have also considered Frankenstein-ing a system from used parts. Or even buying a cheaper paddle-wheel version and then the GPS upgrade. However, this seems like a bad idea since there are so many different versions out there that I fear compatibility issues trying to save a buck. Anyone try this?

Any thoughts on resell ability? I speculate a PP system would be looked upon vary favorably whereas another system may not...

Thank you kindly for the help!

[DVskier]

I don’t know anyone who skis the course that would consider anything other than Zero Off or Perfect Pass. It’s hard to run the course and you need to make sure that your speed is accurate. If a person is only free skiing or not competing in tournaments it doesn’t matter what speed control system is used. Most free skiers could care less and generally don’t want to spend any money. Just my opinion of course.

[SilentSeven]

I just did an DIY paddle wheel to Stargazer upgrade. It's possible and you might save some $ over their kit. Or not. Depends on how much of a scrounger you are.

The boat I purchased last year arrived with a single line paddle wheel system. Except for being completely obscure to use, it seemed to work well. However, as I had a PP Stargazer in the last boat and that's what the family (wife!) was used to. I poked around until I could find all the right parts to do an upgrade.

If you're not too picky for course skiing, here's a down and dirty way to get into a PP system.

- Locate one of the older paddle wheel control boxes and single line displays - ( I have one in my basement that I pulled off my boat that I'd part with cheap.)
- You'll need to acquire the engine servo unit, bodin cable and servo, rpm and power harnesses. - you can buy these direct from PP or cobble the parts together. Skiitagain.com is a good source. There's a guy in ID that has a lot of PP cables and bits; I bought some stuff from him and can hook you up.
- Skip installing the paddle wheel and instead get one of these - http://nauticlaugic.com/nl4.html GPS unit that spoofs a paddlewheel signal into the PP box. Read the FAQ or call them if you think you want to go this way. I looked into this a bit and these guys seem to be pretty straight shooters.

This would get you into business likely for the about $ as the Steadypass but with a PP core. Then, start looking around for a stargazer control box, 4 line display and GPS antenna and then you have a full PP stargazer system.

[NautiqueJeff]

Just want to give a plug for Nauticlaugic. I have used their AirGLIDE speedometer conversion that converts old Airguide speedometers to GPS, and it is great. Those guys really know what's up, and can make your classic Nautique components operate like a newer boat while still retaining the classic look. I am sure the paddlewheel GPS unit is just as good.

[SilentSeven]

Parts on Skiitagain. Ebay has some stuff too.

https://www.ski-it-again.com/php/ski...ory=Speed_Ctrl

[Michael Crouse]

Another thing about buying PP is the support from Mark and the rest of the PP guys is great. Last two years they have helped me work through timing and surging issues and also gave me a free update on my Garmin device to the latest satellite positions. In my case I ended up getting the latest version of 3 event for running the course.
Really have nothing but good things to say about PP.

[Steadypass]

Good day fellow boaters, this is Dmitry, the one who one day decided to make his own vs spending $1500 on stargazer. Still workign on improvement, and it wouldn't be possible without support of early adopters.

Responding to comments below - yes, my Steadypass is not meant to be competition level control system. It is build (currently) for one sole purpose of keeping speed constant with help of GPS input. Which is exactly what many need for recreational wakeboarding. So, folks at PP and RS can stay calm - not competing at that high end. But feels there has to be a low cost solution, so i'm still working on it.

Still very low volume hand built units, but workign on a plan to set up higher volume capability. Currently (May'21) have to turn away most orders - as i'm not able to keep up. But will get there. It's been an 8 year journey, and still continuing.

[HollywoodBall]

Just want to give a plug for Nauticlaugic. I have used their AirGLIDE speedometer conversion that converts old Airguide speedometers to GPS, and it is great. Those guys really know what's up, and can make your classic Nautique components operate like a newer boat while still retaining the classic look. I am sure the paddlewheel GPS unit is just as good.

Did you go internal or external GPS? Are you still using it, or is this on a boat that you have passed on? If you still have it, how is it holding up? I just found out about these guys and I'm considering this for fixing my replacing Airguide.

Was thinking PP, but I don't do enough serious watersports to justify that kind of expense on an older boat.

[tgi100]

Did you go internal or external GPS? Are you still using it, or is this on a boat that you have passed on? If you still have it, how is it holding up? I just found out about these guys and I'm considering this for fixing my replacing Airguide.

Was thinking PP, but I don't do enough serious watersports to justify that kind of expense on an older boat.

I have it mostly installed, but have not used it yet. It has been a crazy year and waterskiing had to take a back seat to everything else. I will let you know what I find out.

Just for reference, I have a 2005 Nautique 216 DD, and plan to ski the course with this GPS-based speed control. Right now we are just using manual throttle which is a lot of workload, especially for a newer driver. Even manually though, the Nautique tracks and holds speed pretty well, so I'm thinking that even a basic speed control will do what I need. I also happen to do active controls work, and have been running numbers on the side. This PID controller seems rather promising, but will not perform as well as a competition series system that has a ski course mapped and can anticipate the pull of the skier. I have some other tricks up my sleeve that I want to try to improve the performance using predictive/adaptive control theory, but let me get this working first...

Another thing that led me to Steady Pass vs. PP, is this system is GPS-based and works with my mechanical throttle. Getting PP to do that costs extra.