PerfectPass Question

[smokedog2]

The EFI throttle question reminded me of this.

On my PP setup I hit it, and keep pushing to the beep, then let go.

On my friends Supra, his boat keep climbing into the speed. You hit it, get the guy up and let go, the boat increase the speed to the set speed.

His works, mine works. If you drive his like mine you will race way past the set speed and generally botch the pull.

So, how is your PP set? Is it the installation or a setting I don’t know about that creates this difference?

I’m sure PP would tell me if I asked, but I like my setup the best.

SD2

[lowdrag]

The PP on my Supra works a lot like your friends. I've found that the key is to get on plane and accelerate slowly until you hear it beep, then let it take over and finish bringing the boat up to speed. If you just open it up and let go, the boat will run 3 to 4 mph over the set speed before it starts to correct itself.

[gcombe74]

I was messing with Perfect pass the yesterday day... I found that even if I gave to much throttle, and it went by the desired speed, it pulled it back to speed. And If I got them up and left it at 15mph ... it would just gradually move up to the set speed... Maybe a firmware issue is what seperates the results you have?

[JoeTechie]

LOL, this is the story of the blind men and the elephant!

The problem is a simple human one - we all have crappy muscle memory.

Perfect Pass uses the throttle position to determine if it can meet a desired speed. Depending on how that position is met, determines the type of feel you are experiencing. If you zoom past the required point before PP has a chance to "beep", then it will take over after the speed has been met, and will throttle back to keep the requested speed. If you approach the required throttle point slowly, then the PP can check the speed as well as the throttle point and beep much more closely to the desired speed, and that is where the smoothest transition from manual to cruise happens - and the best feel for the rider. If however, you do not reach the required position, but get close, the boat will usually plane out and slowly increase in speed naturally, and then the pp can lock in once the required speed is met. This is "cheating" the throttle position sensor - like short-shifting in a car.

Since PP has an overhead on the sensor position, the above cheat is perfectly allowable, but you can lose the lock on the speed if you are outside the safety zone. PP considers the throttle below the sensor postion by a certain percentage (i have no clue how much) to be considered "off".

The best use of PP is this: Get the rider up the best way for them (quickly or slowly) then approach the desired speed slowly until the PP beeps and takes over - take a 2 count, then bump the throttle a bit more. This will not effect the speed, but gives PP the overhead it needs to use.

Also remember that wil different tow speeds come different reactions - ski PP is different than Wakebaord PP (and not just because of the paddlewheel vs RPM modes) - the boat planes farther and that is a big change in how speed is met.

Professional Tow Boat Drivers are actually amazing at this and use the throttle like a flight stick - finger tips and thumbs, and they have trained their muscle memory to pull people up the same way every time. The rest of us are less inclined to take that much care - but we could all learn a few things. I think the interface could use some improving as well - maybe a variable friction control, but that will come with time.

So, same PP, all correct observations, very different operation.

Hope this helps,

Joe