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Yooper Criminal
Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 City: Marquette
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Posted: Jun 07, 2005 6:54 am Post subject: The correct way to build a ballast system |
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After a couple of years of reading posts on homemade ballast systems, and a couple of different attempts at it, I'm pretty confident that I have arrived at the best way to do it. The answer is: Download by Rival
http://www.rivalindustry.com/download.htm
Very fast, very reliable, low power draw and very reasonably priced. Really, by the time you buy all the parts, tubing, wiring, pumps, switches, etc. you aren't saving a ton over just buying Rival's complete system. If you want the best turnkey system on the market, Rival has it.
However, this is a DIY forum, so I'm going to share my system, which is obviously based on the principles of the Rival system. |
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Yooper Criminal
Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 City: Marquette
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slappie Criminal
Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 55
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Posted: Jul 06, 2005 11:27 am Post subject: |
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Where did you get the Contura switch covers with the custom lettering on them?
I need one for a mute button for my stereo.
I've got the switch but the one I have has a cover that says "Depth Sounder" on it and not Mute. Not a big deal, but I'm trying to mute the stereo, not the depth sounder |
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holiday13 Soul Rider
Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Posts: 325 City: Flemington
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Posted: Jul 07, 2005 8:08 am Post subject: |
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Yooper, Thanks for the links, I have been looking for that gate valve and honestly never thought RV. Just ordered mine. Thanks again! |
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Jay Dutton Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 1059 City: Park City, UT
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Posted: Jul 26, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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How do you get those aerators to prime to empty? Do you have the bags on top of them? I'm looking to redo my system as my Simer pump is slow as balls. |
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AndyDeeJay Outlaw
Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Posts: 239 City: Belfast
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Posted: Jul 27, 2005 3:52 am Post subject: |
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how slow are balls? _________________ Wakeboarding is so Kool in Ireland! |
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re re Addict
Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 723
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Posted: Jul 27, 2005 4:10 am Post subject: |
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Jay Dutton, As long as the water level in your sacs is higher than the pumps, they will prime just fine. I have an identical setup in my boat, except for the gate valve and I use the $18 Attwood 750s from Walmart. _________________ PS- this is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated.
http://www.fairtax.org <---Learn it, love it, call your Congressman. We'll all be better off. |
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410fortune Soul Rider
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 314 City: Morrison
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Posted: Jul 28, 2005 7:25 am Post subject: |
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I think you have too much extra room in your boat
Setup looks really nice. |
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Sinkoumn Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 1706 City: Side Lake, MN - Long Beach, CA
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Posted: Jul 28, 2005 10:49 am Post subject: |
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I made mine out of my three fat sacs, and two regular ballast pumps (a 750, and 1750gph), and ~$30 worth of tubing and random stuff like two fill/emtpy buttons. works perfect. _________________ Neuston Boards
Nautiques |
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southshoresledder Criminal
Joined: 21 Aug 2005 Posts: 75 City: meyers
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Posted: Aug 21, 2005 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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bro i printed this out forsure... what was the estimated price on all that... good work... |
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Yooper Criminal
Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 City: Marquette
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Posted: Aug 22, 2005 8:17 am Post subject: |
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It wasn't all that cheap, but I tell ya..... it works freakin' great! No complaints whatsoever. My 2 1/2 yr. old daughter turned on one of my pumps while the boat was in the garage. I'm not sure exactly how long it ran, but it was hours. No problems. Didn't hurt the pump or drain the battery. |
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actiondcpd Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 1088 City: San Diego
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Posted: Aug 22, 2005 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Yooper, Looks pretty nice. Can you show some additional pictures of your check valves installed? Have you tried the spring check valves or are the swing the only way to go? One thing I think that is the biggest PITA with ballast systems is fittings for everything! |
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Yooper Criminal
Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 City: Marquette
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Posted: Aug 23, 2005 4:22 am Post subject: |
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One of my biggest goals with this system was minimal resistance. The spring check valves add resistance. Plus, the vent tube needs to be able to vent with just a small amount of air coming out. The spring check wouldn't open in that situation. The swing checks are definitely the way to go. Here are some more pictures. I used bilge pump tubing for the empty and vent to avoid the possibility of kinking. |
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actiondcpd Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 1088 City: San Diego
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Posted: Aug 23, 2005 8:36 am Post subject: |
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Yooper, Aren't those swing check valves only for horizonal use only? It looks like your vent is not kept horizontal. DOes it still function correctly? |
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Yooper Criminal
Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 City: Marquette
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Posted: Aug 23, 2005 9:40 am Post subject: |
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They can be horizontal or vertical. The valve in there is simply a hinged "flap" that swings open in one direction and is pushed shut in the other. |
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southshoresledder Criminal
Joined: 21 Aug 2005 Posts: 75 City: meyers
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Posted: Aug 23, 2005 11:47 am Post subject: |
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nice system... how much was that to do? |
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85sn2001 Outlaw
Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal
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Posted: Aug 29, 2005 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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Any reason why you didn't use the Rule #207f 2000 gph pumps? Just wondering because I'm thinking about the same thing except with the 2000 gph pump. |
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Yooper Criminal
Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 City: Marquette
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Posted: Aug 30, 2005 5:37 am Post subject: |
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I don't think those were available at the time. I wouldn't mind upgrading at some point. |
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Juice75 Outlaw
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 218 City: Austin
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Posted: Sep 19, 2005 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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Yooper, nice setup! When you use the swing valves, do the sacs still fill to capacity? Or does it start to overflow before they fill all the way up? _________________ "You know what those things can do? Suck the paint off your house and give your family a permanent orange afro." |
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Yooper Criminal
Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 City: Marquette
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Posted: Sep 20, 2005 6:18 am Post subject: |
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They fill all the way. The through hulls are higher than the vent hole on the sack. |
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klaw81 Newbie
Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 City: Queensland, Australia
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Posted: Oct 05, 2005 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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We've recently installed a very similar system in our Matrix Sorrento (DD ski/wake boat similar size as Malibu Response) without the benefit of your excellent diagrams.
Our system has been set up without pumps for the "fill" operation, instead relying on the boat's forward motion to scoop up water and push it into the sacks, and controlled by a pair of irrigation solenoids. We're using the same pickup the factory installed for the motor cooling system (looks almost identical to the one in the Rival setup) and located beside the gearbox. We've run into a brick wall though: our thru-hull pickup doesn't seem to take in water except while the boat is stationary. In fact, it seems to have a mild vacuum at speed.
Have we just picked a bad spot to install the pickup, or is a special kind of pickup required for this sort of thing? I'm told ski-race boats use this sort of system for ballast in choppy water (makes the wash smoother for the skier apparently) but I can't imagine how the pickup doesn't suck up water by the bucketful.
Any ideas anyone? At the moment, it seems we just have an extra hole in our boat! |
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Beaver Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 21 Dec 2004 Posts: 1236 City: Nanaimo
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Posted: Oct 21, 2005 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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Probaly a stupid question but what are the check valves for? |
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dburke Criminal
Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 54 City: Reston
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Posted: Feb 27, 2006 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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Ive never drilled holes in the boat before so Im going to ask, what kind of drill bit do you use. When you drill these 1 1/4 " holes do you have a special bit?
Has anyone used the drain hole as the water source? Is the hole big enough?
Thanks. |
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DLS Outlaw
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 128 City: Modesto
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Posted: Feb 27, 2006 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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Get a uni bit ,mask the area with tape and go for it. _________________ let's ride! |
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Wakeboarder3780 Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1334 City: Wausau
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Posted: Aug 11, 2010 7:10 am Post subject: |
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was the purpose of the gate valve safety stop in the event of a leak or was there another purpose? _________________ Today is a chance to become a greater person than the person we were the day before. |
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NKCrider Wakeboarder.com Freak
Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2644 City: NKC
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Posted: Aug 11, 2010 11:02 am Post subject: |
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HOLY THREAD REVIVAL _________________ Lanexa VA |
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Waketheyeast Newbie
Joined: 07 Feb 2011 Posts: 3
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Posted: Feb 07, 2011 10:22 am Post subject: thread from the grave |
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Wakeboarder3780 wrote: | was the purpose of the gate valve safety stop in the event of a leak or was there another purpose? |
This diagram shows how the ballast system should be done. The only valve is for safety in case you want to shut the water off. |
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