Re: Smart Tabs
 

Is there any issues with dry storage at the marina and smart tabs? I'd like to get a set but if they store in the down position is there a chance they could be damaged coming out of the water via fork lift?

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I had the same concerns and so did my marina. I came very close to replacing mine with hydraulic tabs and decided to wait and replace them if they broke. I have my boat taken out of dry storage at least once a week and no issues so far.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

In response to the last post, you could always remove them when putting the boat into storage or in someone elses care. The pins seem to come out easily and you could just leave the brackets attached. They should never be damaged this way.

Anyway, I own a 1994 Barchetta 186 which I bought last year. It has a 4.3 merc 2 bbl with a 14 1/2 19" aluminum prop. It planed terribly and would not level out at all with 2 adults in the back. I was always asking the kids or the wife to go up front until I could get up on plane. It would never pull an adult up on skis. The top end is good and the rpms are also good. I tried putting a whale tail hydro foil on last year but it only made a bit of difference. Still could not get a skier out of the water. The foil also cause a bit of a port side list when an adult was seated in the middle passener seat. What to do?????

I read the smart tab threads and decided to purchase a set of composite (SX) 60's. I put them on this morning without much difficulty ( instructions are simple if you were pondering a do it yourself). They cost me $119 plus shipping on Ebay from Texpro Marine Inc. in Port Dover Canada. I am hoping (praying) that these are the solution to all of the world's problems. Everyone else seems to think they are great. I did remove my hydrofoil as recommended by Smart Tabs manufacturer. I will try the boat out on Saturday and post my results. I may need a different prop as well as I want a better hole shot and fast palne and do not care too much about top end speed.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

5 bucks says you wont need a new prop. I was in the same "boat" and OMG the tabs are the bomb (and I dont even have stock in them)

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Ok, I put the boat back in the water with the smart tabs on and the hydrofoil removed. Still can't come to grips with drilling holes in the hull below the water line but oh well it's already done.

Performance is much better. Planes quicker and speed about the same. No porpoising and boat steers awesome now. Fells like I'm riding on the smart tabs only. Turning is tight and smooth. Would still like a faster jump out of the hole. Still not sure I could pull an adult up on skis.
Overall the smart tabs are great. Worth the $120 for sure. Will have to play around a bit to get a really good feel for them as I just drove from the launch to my dock. Gave the boat a wash/wax while out of the water as well.

Shawn

Re: Smart Tabs
 

When I try to make a sharp U turn, around 20 mph to get back to a fallen tuber/skier, my 95 Talari 200 will lean to the inside of the turn more than any other boat I have had. I end up having to slow way down and take alot wider of a turn than I want to, to stop my own wake from catching up with me and me trying to cut through it while turning. My boat is leaning so bad I am afraid a wave hitting it could almost knock it over.
Do all Mariahs do this or do all Talaris do this or is it just my boat? Will Smart Tabs help keep my boat a little flater during sharper turns?

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I think I could drown my boat cutting a turn to sharp. It really dips into the water when making one... luckily the river is plenty wide for making gradual turns. I'm not sure if the Smart tabs will help, but I believe they show them helping level a boat out in turns. If so that'd be a huge plus. I'm sure someone can give you feedback on their experience.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I installed ss steel trim tabs on my Z210 1995. You need to modify them, drilling and cutting stainless. I happen to have a machine shop so not a problem for me. If I was on the driveway this will be a little tough. after that you will need to re shock them due to new angle of them. if you have any questions feel free to call (815) 955-4336. The work is well worth i. good luck

Re: Smart Tabs
 

My Barchetta 182 BR also felt like it was going to tip when I made a sharp left turn when tubing. As the driver I felt like I way way too high off the water and anyone in the middle passenger seat had a look of panic on their face. The composite SX trim tabs seemed to fix this completely. Turning is very smooth and tighter. The left tab seems to just hold that left rear side up where it is supposed to be and keeps the boat level. GET SOME SMART TABS GUYS!!
Shawn

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Ok, Smart Tabs are great but as I said previously, I don't think that they have resolved all of my problems. I was out for a ride and I had my wife and her friend in the back seat and me driving. I had three kids (under 10 years old) on a large tube and I could barely get up on plane. The motor seems to just not have enough uumph to get up and planed out. Once I'm up on plane there is no problem and the boat handles great. My speed and RPMs are good. Actually getting 5000 RPM which is a couple hundred more than max RPM.

The boat is a 182 Barchetta bowrider. The motor is a 4.3 litre 2 BBL with alpha 1 drive. Not sure of gear ratio. I believe that the prop is 14" with 19" pitch aluminum (rebuilt at least 5 times).

Any advice on what to try? Will setting the trim tabs on a higher setting help? I am thinking that it is not that simple as the boat just seems to lack the power out of the hole. Perhaps my motor is just tired (doesn't have an hour guage). Thinking a different prop will be the fix.

Shawn

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Aloha Shawn, 5000 rpm at WOT is definitly way to much & will ruin your engine at the end.. You have to check out your prop and have to look to bring your rpm's down so you can use all your power to move and your prop is not just spin around doing nothing... I have a Shabah 180 with a 4bbl 4.3 Alpha 1 and with 4 adults in the boat (incl. me ) and 3 kids on a kitetube i plane with no sweat at all... Did you ever tried a increased size prop ?

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I have never tried a larger prop. I have never tried any other prop. I tried a whale tail and then removed it and put the smart tabs on. These all helped but still no good hole shot. I'm sure that I could not pull a water skier up as the boat is set up. I know a marina which will likely let me try some different props but don't know what to try. I suppose asking them would be a good start but to date they have all said that my prop is the correct one for my boat. They are the ones who recommended the hydrofoil.

Getting the boat onto plane quickly will make this boat perfect for me in every way.

Thanks
Shawn

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Coolfish... Try a four blade prop same size and pitch that should drop your RPM's... And help with the holw "shot".

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I have a 2001 Diablo 180 and installed smart tabs last weekend. Wow! What a big difference. They keep the bow down so I never lose sight of the water when starting out. Also, allows me to stay on plane at a lower speed, which is nice for tubing and cruising around the lake. Next thing is to see if they help trying to get a slalom skier out of the water. This wasn't possible before installing the smart tabs. They are a no brainer. Money well spent.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

What setting did you use when you installed the smart tabs. Mine are on the middle setting and they improve my ride greatly but could nto pull up a skier still. Using #60 smart tabs. Barchetta 182 with 4.3 2bbl and 3 blade 14 1/2 " aluminum prop with 19 pitch.
Shawn

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I am also using the 60# actuators, and I have them set to the middle position. I have not tried pulling a skier up yet. I have a 3 blade aluminum prop on with a 19 pitch. I tried a 17 pitch, and the hole shot was better, but I thought I would invest in the smart tabs first. I'll let you know my results after I try pulling a slalom skier.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

When I put mine on, I had to weaken them a little as I wasn't getting as much bow rise as I wanted. It was plowing through the water.

It's hard to pull a 200 lb slalom from a deep water start unless the boat is lightly loaded, even with the tabs.

Last time I pulled my brother, we were struggling because I was dumping the throttle. I tried a smoother, more gradual acceleration and he was able to get up.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I have a question on where to install my smart tabs. On the transom I have a very small area where the stern is recessed. Should I install there or further out where I have dealer installed fixed tabs.Attachment 2576

Re: Smart Tabs
 

It appears they would only fit where the existing ones are. Remember the further outboard the better. The main concern is enough height to mount the tab to the planing surface and the spring end to the same surface. But I really love mine!

Re: Smart Tabs
 

OK. Saturday:mad:. Smart tabs on. Set on the middle hole setting. Lots of boats on the water and so lots of chop. Hole shot better, but the porpoising is still a problem. Today I changed the setting to the stiffest setting (I have the #60s). Hole shot even better. Lots of boats, lots of chop, lots of porpoising, very frustrated! Maybe my expectations are too high and I have the wrong boat (RS-181). I need help. Do I need a new boat?

Re: Smart Tabs
 

When I first put mine one, I plowed through the water so I lightened them up a little.

Mine will still propoise at certain speeds and trim. I am able to trim out farther with out porpoising, but I don't think you can totally eliminate it, especially on a 18 footer. A choppy day would make matters worse.

Did you notice that you can plane at lower speeds and the ride is not as harsh as before?

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Sorry for the delayed response. I was out of town last week. Lower planing speeds and hole shot are way better. Unfortunately, my marina called me last week when they pulled the boat out of the water, one of the tabs was gone.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I have a 2007 SX18 with the 3.0l engine - not terribly different than your setup - and I have experienced none of the issues that you describe. The hole shot is excellent, the porpoising and the low-speed wander disappeared. I've kept my boat at two different dry storage marinas and never had damage or loss to my Smart Tabs (probably 50 ups and downs). I have the 60# tabs set at the lowest pressure setting. You might ring Nauticus and get some guidance.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Can anyone comment on how the tabs affect the wake shape? I'm looking for a good wakeboarding wake and don't want to have a strange curl right where I hit it because of the smart tabs. Which location would be better for wakeboarding? towards the center or the outside? I have a 93' Talari 200z with the 5L. It sounds like the 60# actuators are the way to go for me.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

This was a pain on my 1995 Z 210 and ending up removing them to make it handle better. with the correct 4 blade ss prop my boat trims quick and stays that way

Re: Smart Tabs
 

My 16yr old son wakeboards behind our boat with the Smart Tabs and its a decent wake for him but different size boats may offer up slightly different wakes. The farther out they are mounted the better they work. I do remember someone a couple of years ago mention that they did not like the wake.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I cant say that i'm completely surprised to hear that. I'm of the opinion that Smart Tabs are very effective on boats from 16 - 20' but once you get up above that, the extra weight & hull dynamics seem to offset how well they work.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I just purchased a pair of 80# Smart Tabs as a gift for my dad's boat. He has a Mariah 21 ft. with the 7.4L. Any one have a similar set up? What are your thoughts? I'd hate to have him drill holes in that beautiful LE red hull and not like them. Please let me know what you think. Thanks, Craig

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Who has installed them on a Z202 Shabah? They need to be outboard, but there isn't enough vertical clearance for the actuator. How do you guys get around this?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...-07-42_481.jpg


Actually, I just gave them a call and they said mounting them near the drive is just fine. So, I guess the only other issue I will have is the paddle wheel. Where should I relocate it to? I hate drilling holes, hate it. Think it's possible to just use 4200 to mount it closer to the drive? Or does it really need to be drilled?

Thanks,
Steve

Re: Smart Tabs
 

relocated your transducer and mount em there.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Got them installed! Much easier than I thought. I must have spent 30 minutes making sure everything was perfect to drill that first hole, then once I got over that, the rest of the instal went very fast.

I can't wait to get it out on the water!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...-11-01_326.jpg

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Looks good. Nice work. I think most of us can probably empathize with the whole drilling part.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Wow, what a difference! I took it out yesterday for about 30 minutes by myself to test them out. I couldn't believe how it quickly it jumped on plane! Virtually no bow rise. I could see over the bow at all times. I had the 80# actuators on the 3rd position, which were too stiff. I couldn't get the bow out of the water. So, next was the fun part. I jumped into the water, and had to adjust the tabs totally blind. The water was murky, I couldn't see a thing. I can't believe that I didn't drop anything.

Anyway, I adjusted them to the 1st hold, least resistance. They seem perfect now. It used to be that, once on plane, I would just barely raise the drive and the bow would start bouncing. Now I can trim way up. The bow bouncing is gone, I can now stay on plane down to 15 MPH, zero wander at no wake zones, and I have more use of the trim.

The only thing is top speed is more or less unchanged. Maybe slightly reduced. My wife and myself were able to hit 52-53 and with 4 people, 49 MPH, per GPS. Just by myself with the tabs, I hit 51 MPH.

The instructions say I should see a 2-3 MPH increase in top speed.

The other thing I need to mess with is trimming to much. If I am cruising along at say, 40, and I trim until the prop slips, then back it down to a "sweet" spot, it almost feels like I'm loosing steering. Like the drive is too far out of the water. If I trim down a little more, I get all my steering back.

Maybe the 80 lb actuators are too strong? I'll give them a call this morning and see what they say.

Anyway, I love them. A lot of products have claims that are far from true. These honestly do exactly what they say. It's a whole different boat now.

Steve

Re: Smart Tabs
 

We told ya!!! :wink_thumbup:

That's a pretty snug installation with those trailer bunks!

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It is, and I was worried about it, but it works! The guide on the trailer keeps the tabs away from the bunks.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Congrats! The 60's probably wont be strong enough for your 202. My install didn't show a speed increase either ( i actually may have dropped 1-2mph) but i installed them for the other benefits which far outweigh the speed issue.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I know it has been 4 or 5 years since you were talking about this, but I just bought a 2001 diablo and what I am experiencing is trying to trim the boat up at high speed to reach my top speed and the boat starts to porpous. I have been recommended to try the smart tabs, but I was hoping to hear from someone first hand if it helps. your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff B.

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Hey Steve,
Which smart tabs did you buy. I bought a 2001 diablo 180 and I am experiencing the bow jumping when I try to raise the trim at high speeds. It sounds like these completly fixed your problem. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
Jeff

Re: Smart Tabs
 

I have a 2001 Diablo 180 with the 3.0L. Buy the smart tab sx's you won't regret it. They changed the whole characteristics of my boat. No left to right swerving when cruising through no wake zones, no fighting for plane, or making passengers move around. I also noticed better acceleration, and my boat stays on plane at lower speeds, much lower. I was also able to go back to my 14x19 vs my 14x17. I had went with the 17 to help get out of the hole, no need for it now unless tubing or skiing. I also saved gas....I don't know the exact numbers... but I know we were able to almost squeeze an extra day out of the tank.

Sorry if anything sounds like giberish. I'm trying to post from my android phone.

Good luck,
Nick

Re: Smart Tabs
 

Thanks Nick, That was really helpfull. I have to look at my specs, because I don't remember. Is the 3.0L the 4 cylinder with 135 hp. I know my boat is a 4 cylinder with 135 hp. Also is smart tab the brand name? If not, what brand name are youres? Sorry for all of the questions, just trying to make sure I get the right thing.