SR owners manual on trim tabs - is this a mistake?

[jattea]

Here is an excerpt from the owner's manual for my 2004 260da on trim tabs:
"To trim the bow of your boat down, push the top halves of both rockers down in short bursts. If you hold the rockers down, you will over trim the boat and the bow will dig in. ... To be sure the tabs are full up in the zero position, push the bottom halves of the rockers for several seconds"

Isn't this reversed? Don't you press the BOTTOMS of the rockers down to extend the tabs, trimming your boat down and digging the bow into the water? Then to return them to the full up position, don't you press the TOPS of the rockers??

 

[chuck1]

I agree with you but, No the newer SeaRays are wired that way.
When you push the top it extends the tabs, when you push the bottom it retracts them.

 

[highslice]

I agree with you but, No the newer SeaRays are wired that way.
When you push the top it extends the tabs, when you push the bottom it retracts them.

What he said..

 

[skolbe]

No- that is how they are wired - you need to think not about how the tabs specifically react - but more how you are trying to get the boat to react - if the port - bow is high - you need to hit the port bow- high tab. I agree with you it doesn't make sense if you understand how the tabs work. But the switches are wired that way.

 

[Turtlesboat]

It seems counter-intuitive until you look at it like it's a boat. You want the bow to go down, you push the buttons at the bow. You want the bow to come up, you push the stern buttons.

 

[Larry]

+1 What Turtle Tone & Skolbe said...

FYI, In the past 25 years I have operated boats with trim tabs they have allways worked this way unless somebody miss wired something, the theory has not changed.

 

[In Two Deep]

It is a bit confusing until you began to undertand the concepts involved Try this link http://www.bennetttrimtabs.com/simulator.htm There is also some more detailed info on their site that explains the mechanics involved.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Yes, tabs can be a bit to understand. What I tell customers is: to not think about what the tabs are doing. Just think about what you want the bow to do.

Now, just to confuse you a little more, my tip is to think of the tab buttons as an airplane stick. If you push the stick forward (the top of the buttons), the bow goes down. If you pull the stick back (the bottom of the buttons), the bow comes up.

The left button controls the port bow, right button does the starboard side, so at least that part should make sense.

 

[Bridog]

Maybe this will help too? http://www.searay.com/pdf/trim_tab/Both_Final.pdf

 

[Morpheus]

The way I think about it is when you are are looking at your tab buttons picture yourself looking down on top of your boat.

Pushing the top of the buttons makes the bow go down (extending the tabs) pushing down on the bottom of the buttons makes the stern sit down in the water (retracting the tabs)

But yea the the airplain wing idea works too