FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Micro Compass

Q. 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.

Q. 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. 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. Battery hours indicated at power up is affected by temperature!
Ensure solar cell is at right angles to the midday sun. In the UK, for example, set the unit so the solar cell faces due south and is tilted upwards at 45 degrees
Urgent charging for a weekend race. 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.

Q. Will my class allow the Tacktick products?
Please see our web site list of Classes for the latest on your class.

Q. My Micro Compass is not giving me correct readings?
Is the compass mounted in a clean area i.e. no other magnetic items. (A glass ball compass, any steel, instruments with dials etc.) There is no compensation or setup facility in the Micro Compass as it is designed primerliy for the small boat market where it will be mounted in a clear area.

Q. Can I buy a discontinued product?
No. It is not possible to purchase discontinued products directly from Tacktick. However, there is often a second hand market for such items. The main reason for a product to be discontinued is that it has been superseeded by a new improved version. For example, the Race Compass (T001) which was superseeded by the new improved Micro Compass (T060).

Q. Does my Tacktick Micro Compass float?
Yes.

Q. 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.

Q. 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.

Q. What do I do if my Tacktick is broken?
If you have either returned the warranty slip or have proof of purchase the units are guaranteed for two years. Please register the fault and description from the link here to our Customer Support Form, otherwise return the unit to your nearest stockist or directly to Tacktick in the UK.
Outside of the warranty period a charge will be made for service which varies depending on the age of the unit. As all Tacktick products are sealed they are not repaired but are replaced with new. Benefits to the end user of using this system is that all failures are dealt with quickly and that customers receive up to date instruments with a new warranty.

Q. Can I use the Micro Compass for navigation?
A. 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.

Q. Will my Tacktick work at night?
Yes it will but there is no backlight facility on the Micro Compass so an external light source will be necessary. The Race Master has a backlight (3 levels) to assist in night sailing.

Q. 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.

Q. Can my Tacktick be used in the southern hemisphere?
Yes and there is no set up required.

Q. Is my Tacktick waterproof ?
Yes, all Tacktick products are waterproof. Submersible to 10 Meters although the Micro Compass will float.

Q. 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

Q. Where can I buy Tacktick products?
Tacktick has distributors around the world so most good Chandlers / Retailers should hold stock. Please take a look at our web site Where to Buy section to see who is our distributor and dealers in your country.