2018+ SAN 230 and aftermarket ballast questions

[paticus]

I’m about to purchase a new 2019 SAN 230. I’m exploring wakemaker ballast to replace the pro stock ballast that comes with the boat. These bags just replace the pro ballast bags, and piggy back on the tanks.

https://www.wakemakers.com/nautique-...st-system.html

During my test drive, the Linc Panoray seems to understand the percentage full for the stock/pro ballast system. I can see it progress when filling or emptying. When it’s full, it doesn’t turn off, it just overflows.

My questions are:

How does it sense the percentage full? Is there a way to calibrate it with the bigger bag?
It doesn’t seem like they are on timers. So will it continue to fill the bigger bag or do I have to manually fill it several times?

[mooneywa]

I have a 2020 230 coming my way, but I can speak to this since I have a 2015 210 that I added ballast to. A few more can chime in and there's a really good thread that's fairly recent that talks about how to fine tune the wake for the 230.

Long story short when you add the aftermarket bags the boat will fill up to the original stock/pro level. Then you must manually turn on the pumps either for a set period of time or until you hear the water going overboard because the tanks are full. Similar deal in terms of draining.

You'll also want to get some ballast for the front of the boat as well. This seems to be the single biggest thing to get a good wake is to get the nose down. If you don't, you can add all the weight in the back you want and the wave will wash out quickly. You can also add weight to the port side to offset prop rotation.

Search here and you'll find some pretty good stuff about the 230 and ballast including videos.

[charlesml3]

That's exactly right. They will fill to the level of the original Pro Ballast and stop there. You must manually start the pumps again to fill the Wakemakers the rest of the way. There is no ballast adjustment.

-Charles

[paticus]

Got it. How does it know that it is at “stock/pro ballast levels”? Is it on a timer or flow rate sensor?

I guess I was surprised that I was on my test drive and the ballast was full but still spewing out the side of the boat. I had to manually turn it off. Maybe it has a buffer and would have turned off on its own... I only did a single fill and did not play around with it.

[mooneywa]

It's on a timer, not flow rate. I believe the only adjustment that can be made to the timer is pro ballast or no pro ballast. I'm sure there IS a way to adjust the timers, but I'm not aware of it. If there is a way to adjust it, it's somewhere in a dealer computer I'd suspect.

What I'd do is if you have a watch with an alarm, take a timing of how long it takes for you to fill your ballast beyond the auto shutoff to the desired level. Remember that time and in the future set an alarm for that time and then manually shut it off again.

I've noticed that my belly ballast would overfill on occasion. Not a big deal if it does, probably just means it didn't fully drain last time perhaps because of boat angle or something else.

[kylant]

i have set my ballast pumps to "quagga filter present"
the pumps run significantly longer and actually fill the wakemakers bags full.
i generally shut them off before they stop

[paticus]

Does it calculate the percentage accurately with the extended bags? I’m learning that Nautique has a ballast pressure sensor and I wonder if that’s playing a role. Not sure if the 230 has it.

[charlesml3]

Does it calculate the percentage accurately with the extended bags? I’m learning that Nautique has a ballast pressure sensor and I wonder if that’s playing a role. Not sure if the 230 has it.

It depends on what you mean by "extended bags." If you have the Pro Ballast bags (or bags of the same size) AND you have the Pro Ballast option enabled in the Dealer's Menu, then yes, the percentage is fairly accurate. If you have any other size bags, then no.

[AdamUCF]

i have set my ballast pumps to "quagga filter present"
the pumps run significantly longer and actually fill the wakemakers bags full.
i generally shut them off before they stop

Where's that setting?

[kylant]

Where's that setting?

in the dealer settings of the system. purple screens