Tab switch confusion

Seapig

Active Member
Dec 25, 2018
138
Oakham MA or Winnipesaukee NH
Boat Info
12 Sundancer 310 w Axius
Engines
Twin 350 Mags w Bravo drives
This was my first year with our 2012 310 Dancer (twin Bravos). My former boat was a 2005 260 with a single Bravo. The older Dancer had 2 rocker switches for the tabs. For “bow down” the indication was to push the switch at the top or “up”. Our 310 has toggle switches with a boat icon and arrows pointing upward and downward at the bow next to the toggle switches. I assumed that to “bow down” I’d push the switch down (as indicated by the arrows) or “bow up” I’d lift the toggle. They seemed to me to work backwards all season.

Today, while on the hard I experimented and indeed the toggles work opposite of their arrows. To extend the actuator (tab down or bow down) I lift the toggle.

Can I assume that they are working as intended and I simply misinterpreted the labeling (arrows)?
 
The way they are supposed to work is that the toggle moves the way you want that side of the boat to move.

So if you push the top of the port (left) switch, that will push the port side bow down (by engaging the starboard side tab, interestingly). If your switches are mounted on a flat surface it is easier to visualize.

As an example, if your boat is running with a list such that the port side is low, then the starboard bow will be high. So you would push the right switch top to push the bow down on the starboard side. The system will be deploying the port tab, which will lift the port stern up, which will drop the starboard bow, and level the boat.

Hmmm. Maybe it isn't that obvious....:confused:

I have installed a Bennett Auto Tab Control which makes it almost idiot proof and automatically sets the tabs at the right way to maintain the preset leveling and adjusts them as you drive. Its very handy.
 
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They should actually be acting the same way the rocker switches did on your 260DA (which also had little pics directly on them, but probably had worn off). Imagine the "toggle" was glued to the center of the rocker switch.

Another way you can think about this is to imagine the toggle switch is the "stick" of an airplane. Imagine you had your hand on the stick. Just like on an airplane, if you push forward on the stick (lift the toggle), the nose/bow goes down (extending the tab). Pull back on the stick (push the toggle downwards) and the nose/bow comes up (retracting the tab).
 
Its not just Sea Ray. Its the way recreational boats tabs are set up.
Not true. The "go fast" I have now and some other past boats of mine were set up in a more understandable configuration. 2 toggle switches side by side. Toggle up on the left hand switch and the port tab goes up. Same for the switch on the right, toggle down , stb tab goes down. Nice and freakin simple.
 
They should actually be acting the same way the rocker switches did on your 260DA (which also had little pics directly on them, but probably had worn off). Imagine the "toggle" was glued to the center of the rocker switch.

Another way you can think about this is to imagine the toggle switch is the "stick" of an airplane. Imagine you had your hand on the stick. Just like on an airplane, if you push forward on the stick (lift the toggle), the nose/bow goes down (extending the tab). Pull back on the stick (push the toggle downwards) and the nose/bow comes up (retracting the tab).
Thanks. That’s quite helpful.

The SeaRay switch illustration arrows are ass-backwards
 
I had the same issues when thinking logically that the controls represented the trim tabs. But they don't...They represent the vessel in a similar way a trim wheel works in a plane...

So push down and nose down, push up, nose up...
Nope. Nose down is push up.
 
The way they are supposed to work is that the toggle moves the way you want that side of the boat to move.

So if you push the top of the port (left) switch, that will push the port side bow down (by engaging the starboard side tab, interestingly). If your switches are mounted on a flat surface it is easier to visualize.

As an example, if your boat is running with a list such that the port side is low, then the starboard bow will be high. So you would push the right switch top to push the bow down on the starboard side. The system will be deploying the port tab, which will lift the port stern up, which will drop the starboard bow, and level the boat.

Hmmm. Maybe it isn't that obvious....:confused:

I have installed a Bennett Auto Tab Control which makes it almost idiot proof and automatically sets the tabs at the right way to maintain the preset leveling and adjusts them as you drive. Its very handy.
Thanks for that.

It justifies SeaRay’s ass-backwards lablying
 
So tabs fully retracted is holding both switches “down”
Correct. But only think about what you want the bow to do. If you start thinking about the actual tab movement, then you also need to remember that the port switch controls the stbd tab and the stbd tab controls the port switch. Get's more confusing than just thinking about what the bow does.

It's funny... I don't think I've ever looked close enough at the little pictures. Do you have a picture of yours, by chance?
 
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It's funny... I don't think I've ever looked close enough at the little pictures. Do you have a picture of yours, by chance?[/QUOTE]

From my owners manual.
 

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It's funny... I don't think I've ever looked close enough at the little pictures. Do you have a picture of yours, by chance?

From my owners manual.[/QUOTE]
I'm sorry no i don't But here's the typical switch
BENLS3000-2.jpg
t
 
It's funny... I don't think I've ever looked close enough at the little pictures. Do you have a picture of yours, by chance?

From my owners manual.[/QUOTE]

Next time you are on the boat, can you check if the switch labeled as "port" controls the port or the starboard tab.

I checked the Bennett web site info and they make it clear that the port switch controls the starboard tab. But maybe it is just the Bennett standard and others do it differently. Are yours bennett tabs?

Bennett.JPG
 
A couple of searay's ago I had a similar switch. Unscrewed it, turned it end for end and screwed it back down. Now it worked like my description in post 6
 
From my owners manual.

Next time you are on the boat, can you check if the switch labeled as "port" controls the port or the starboard tab.

I checked the Bennett web site info and they make it clear that the port switch controls the starboard tab. But maybe it is just the Bennett standard and others do it differently. Are yours bennett tabs?

View attachment 76057[/QUOTE]
Mine are Bennett tabs and now that I’ve gotten “straightened out” on this thread, I’ll be operating them correctly next season.
 

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