Raymarine's FAQs for Micro Compass 

• What is the life of the battery in my Tacktick Micro Compass?
• Can my Tacktick be used in the southern hemisphere?
• I am laying up my boat for the winter. What is the best thing to do with my Micronet Instruments?
• What are The benefits of a Tacktick precision digital compass?
• What happens if my instrument will not stay on?  
• How do I charge the battery in my Tacktick Micro Compass?
• My Micro Compass is not giving me correct readings?
• Can I buy a discontinued product?
• Does my Tacktick Micro Compass float?
• What happens if my instrument will not stay on?
• Can I use the Micro Compass for navigation?
• Will my Tacktick work at night?
• My unit rattles or sounds as if it has water inside it?
• Is my Tacktick waterproof?
• What happens if my Micro Compass won't turn on?
• Will my Displays re-charge their battery even if they are switched off?

What is the life of the battery in my Tacktick Micro Compass?
The battery is a specialist Lithium Cell that does not have a memory and therefore will last the life of your instrument.

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Can my Tacktick be used in the southern hemisphere?
Yes. There is no set up required. The fluxgate compass units installed in Tacktick devices operate correctly all around the globe. There are no regional changes to be made and the compass readings will be accurate worldwide.

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I am laying up my boat for the winter. What is the best thing to do with my Micronet Instruments?

It is best to ensure that all the wireless components of a Micronet system are fully charged before storing for the winter. If there is not enough sunlight to charge Displays then connect a 9-24V supply to the terminals hidden behind the small panel on the rear of the display and leave for 12 hours. Ensure that power has been supplied to Hull and NMEA Transmitters for 12 hours before layup. If the mast is taken down for the winter then it is best to remove the Wind Transmitter to prevent damage. Check the outside of the unit is clean and rinse with fresh water then dry it thouroughly before storing safely away. All components can be stored away on the boat or at home for the winter period.

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What are The benefits of a Tacktick precision digital compass?

Tacktick compasses are precise, lightweight, and easy to read, so you can spend less time looking at the compass, and more time thinking through the tactics. They are also portable and straightforward to install, so you can take your Tacktick from boat to boat, and rapidly set up for tactical racing.

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What happens if my instrument will not stay on?
The battery level may be low? All Tacktick Instruments have a battery level indicator, this shows how many hours of use your instrument has with no sun light. If when you turn the instrument on the battery level is low you need to charge your batteries see charging my instrument. Alternatively if a unit is left and the electronics see no change in data then it will shut down automatically to conserve power. This will not happen at sea but will happen if a unit is left on at home.

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How do I charge the battery in my Tacktick Micro Compass?
To achieve the best recharge time, you must place your instrument carefully with respect to the sunshine, making sure that the solar cell is perpendicular to the midday sun, and that the unit is placed outside. For a completely flat battery the unit should be left in the sunlight for 4-5 days.  

If you do not have a suitable outside location, then be sure that the indoor site chosen has DIRECT BRIGHT sunshine, for at least 10 hours of the day and avoid tinted glass windows. Ensure solar cell is at right angles to the midday sun.

Even in cloudy weather, if you position the solar cell as above for 5 days, then you should achieve enough charge to complete a weekends racing.

Battery hours indicated at power up is affected by temperature and will give an artificially high reading just after charging. For a true reading always allow the unit to cool before powering up to see the battery charge condition.

The charge is displayed just after power up with the unit showing "bAt" in one window and the number of hours of operation remaining in the other.

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Does my Tacktick Micro Compass float?
Yes. Due to the light weight construction and the volume of air trapped inside the sealed unit a Micro Compass will float.

It is probably worth practicing your man overboard drill if ever it does get knocked into the water and certainly any form of wear and tear or damage to the cradle or mounting bracket should be sorted out before the Compass itself goes for a swim. 

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What happens if my instrument will not stay on?

The Tacktick Micro Compass has a battery level indicator, this shows how many hours of use your instrument has with no sun light. If when you turn the instrument on the battery level is low you need to charge your battery, see FAQ charging my instrument. Alternatively if the unit is not moving it will auto shut down. This will not happen at sea. 

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Can I use the Micro Compass for navigation?
As there is no compensation for local deviation in the Micro Compass it is not recommended for navigational use. The Master and Micronet ranges can be corrected using their in-built software and may be used for navigation.  

The Micro Compass is designed to be used as a tactical compass to help dinghy sailors spot wind shifts and increase performance upwind. Because the compass is normally fitted to a boat with no ferrous metal components and this mode of operation uses a differential in compass heading to determine the wind shifts it is not necessary to correct the compass for local deviation. Allowing the unit to store such information would also make the Micro Compass illegal in many class rules.

 
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Yes it will but there is no backlight facility on the Micro Compass so an external light source will be necessary. A fully charged Micro Compass will operate for around 200 hours without any sunlight.

The Race Master has a backlight (3 levels) to assist in night sailing and all the Micronet range of displays have back light.

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My unit rattles or sounds as if it has water inside it?

The fluxgate compass in the instrument is filled with oil which makes this noise.

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Is my Tacktick waterproof?

Yes. All Tacktick displays are waterproof. Submersible to 10 Meters although the Micro Compass will float. Unlike many other marine electronics instruments Tacktick products are fully sealed and can be submerged to depths of 10m. There have been reports of displays being lost overboard and then retrieved later by divers several days later to be placed back on board still working.

It is recommended that Hull Transmitters and Speed/Depth Pods are located in areas of the boat such that they are not subjected to direct water spray.

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What happens if my Micro Compass won't turn on?
Your Instrument probably needs charging, place the instrument in bright sunlight on a window sill.

Bright Sun: 2 Days

Cloudy Days: 5 Days

Dull Days: 10 Days

It is not possible to recharge the battery with electric lighting – sunlight must be used

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Will my Displays re-charge their battery even if they are switched off?

Yes. All batteries will be charged when off regardless of whether they are Displays left in daylight or Hull/NMEA Transmitters left connected to an external power source.

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