Tacktick micro, User Manual

Micro Compass

Establishing the line bias

With 

Micro Compass

in compass mode, sail along the start line on

starboard tack, and note the bearing. Add 90˚and you have the 

line

direction

. Now point the boat towards the wind, stopping the turn when the

Micro Compass

shows a heading equal to the 

line direction

. Now if the wind

is coming from the starboard side, the line is right biased, if from the port
side, it is left biased.

5.3. During the race

Using the Compass mode

In Compass mode, the mode indicator shows “Compass” at the top of the
display and your 

Micro Compass

displays the magnetic heading 

1

. You can

use this precision heading reference to site marks, to check the line bias, or
to detect wind shifts (although Tactical mode is recommended for detecting
wind shifts). 

Reading wind shifts whilst beating upwind 

Make sure the 

Micro Compass

is in Tactical mode. On port tack look at the

port display, and on starboard tack look at the starboard display. If the wind
shifts, then you will see the displayed number change accordingly.

When on starboard, if the number gets smaller then you should tack (tack on
-). When on port, if the number gets bigger then you should tack (tack on +). 

Elapsed time

Elapsed time can be accessed during the race by pressing the mode key
until you see the Timer mode indicator at the top of the display. 

5.4. The battery status

The battery status is shown for 5 seconds after the 

Micro Compass

is

switched on, or once every 4 minutes if the battery falls below 20 hours of
charge remaining. The number indicates the hours remaining assuming the
sun does not shine at all, and from a full charge this will be 200 hours. If the
battery life is less than 50 hours, you should place your 

Micro Compass

in

BRIGHT

sunshine for 2 days, with the solar cell facing directly the mid-day

sun. Note that if the sun is hidden by thin cloud the effective charging time
will be weeks rather than days and that under thick cloud the unit will not
charge at all. Do not worry if the unit turns itself on during charging,

STRONG 

sunshine charges the unit rapidly, even when its operating.

1

There is no compensation for magnetic deviation, so do not site your Micro

Compass near a conventional compass which is magnetic.

7

GBR

Micro Compass

3. Press the 

set

key to start the countdown. Audible beeps will count you

down to the start.

4. If the initial gun was not timed accurately, press the set key at any

subsequent gun to automatically 

resynchronise

the timer to the nearest

full minute.

5. When the countdown reaches zero, 

Micro Compass

returns to the mode

it was in, before the countdown timer was set.

For rolling starts, count the number of fleets ahead of your start, and
multiply the start time accordingly. This procedure ensures you have
an automatic transition to the main page at the start.

Establishing the wind patterns

To establish the wind patterns, you will need to arrive in the starting area
early and spend time sailing up the first beat. During this time, the 

Micro

Compass

should be in Tactical mode and you should: 

Check the tack angle is correct for the conditions. If you find the wind
direction reads higher on starboard tack than on port tack, you should
reduce the tack angle and visa versa. To change the tack angle, press the
set key once, then use the 

set

or 

mode

key to adjust the flashing “tack

angle” up or down. After 5 seconds, the screen will automatically revert to
Tactical mode.

Watch the wind direction for some time, to establish its average value
and the size and frequency of changes.

Changing the resolution of the tactics scale 

Trials have shown that the optimum resolution for the tactics display is 5˚.
This allows sufficient resolution to detect meaningful wind shifts, but
eliminates the distraction of small errors in the tack angle.

The adjustment range is 1˚, 2˚, 5˚or 10˚. To change the resolution, press
AND HOLD the set key for 2 seconds, then use the 

set

or 

mode 

key to adjust

the flashing “resolution” up or down. After 5 seconds, the screen will
automatically revert to Tactical mode.

6

GBR

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