Cheap sailing watches
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12786
Printed Date: 04 Jul 25 at 1:34pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Cheap sailing watches
Posted By: piglet
Subject: Cheap sailing watches
Date Posted: 10 Jul 17 at 4:46pm
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This is an old one, but worth updating. Can anyone recommend and post a link to: Any old cheap no-name Chinese Ebay waterproof countdown timer? That works. The last one was slightly crap, strap broke & the case fell in half! Nevertheless I will persevere with this noble quest.
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Replies:
Posted By: Fatboi
Date Posted: 11 Jul 17 at 9:04am
| I got one from Decathlon, was about £10 and works a treat! |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 11 Jul 17 at 10:09am
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I just use a waterproof watch with a stopwatch, about £3 off ebay. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 01 Aug 17 at 4:48pm
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Ebay Chinese watch has arrived. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152600605036 Made by SKMEI who are an established brand in China (apparently) It costs £6.36 delivered all the way from China, is big but not heavy, big display so I can actually read the date, nice wide comfy strap with chunky buckle, AND has a pre-settable countdown timer. Draw backs so far, countdown only bleeps at the end and the LCD viewing angle is poor. See how long it lasts, I've ordered another one for crew who must be obeyed. Fatboi, does your Decathlon ten quid job have a countdown? |
Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 01 Aug 17 at 5:21pm
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Please let us know how it gets on, Piglet? Is the countdown a simple hit and go one - set it to 5 min and start at the prep signal? Or can it be synced at each minute, as ones like the Optimum can? ------------- Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59 |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 01 Aug 17 at 9:59pm
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Will do Peter,
There is no sync function, I havent yet found a watch that does this, maybe a feature unique to Optimum? Tim |
Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 9:11am
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Hi Piglet
tried your link without any luck but SKMEI came up on amazon with lots of different options to sort through. I have two different watches from these people and the service is excellent.http://www.astopwatch.co.uk/products/stopwatchfunctions.asp?page=countdown-stopwatches-76 I use the fast time 11 when race officering and a wrist version when going straight from work to sail. No I don't work for them Regards Gordon ------------- Gordon Phantom 1430 |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 9:36am
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What is it about the word 'sailing' that seems to give them the right to mark stuff up another couple of hundred per cent?
Look at all these watches all similar, all similar price then one is yellow has the word sailing and immediately it's three times the price. http://www.astopwatch.co.uk/products/activity.asp?page=watersports-stopwatches-346" rel="nofollow - here If it's not overpriced sails, overpriced masts and cheap built plastic sold expensive, it's no wonder we struggle to hold onto folk. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 10:02am
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What is it about the word 'sailing' that seems to give them the right to mark stuff up another couple of hundred per cent?
Mainly, I expect, the size of the market. I don't disagree that many of the mark ups are hard to swallow, but once you provide something that is specific to a small market - such as the ability to sync on the 4 minute (or whatever) signal then you are providing something a small market will want, and be prepared to pay for. And because it's a small market, compared say to timers for athletics/running etc, no one else is likely to think it worth challenging you for your excessively healthy margin. And to be fair to the producers at least some is due to having to cover your development costs over a much smaller number of sales. ------------- Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59 |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 11:04am
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The point you are missing is that other 'small' markets, like windsurfing, kitesurfing, and now SUP and lots of other waterspsorts all equally small in fact I'd argue way smaller than sailing yet do enjoy more reasonable pricing. Sailors therefore must be regarded as wealthy fools easily parted with their money, no other reason for it. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 11:18am
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Gordon, The Fast Time 11 looks quite good albeit at 30 quid is over 1/2 the Optimum price.
Does it have the Sync function? My SKMEI has 1213 stamped on the case, here it is on their own website: https://www.skmei-watch.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=722 On Ebay try No. 232138320502 or 152600605036 or search terms 'SKMEI Sport Military Countdown' |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 11:32am
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iGRF,
Touring caravan market exactly the same, much larger market than sailing. For instance a ballcock for water bottle from caravan dealership £40 local plumbers merchant same item £8 Got Optimum watch and Decathlon one, Optimum watch will not stop beeping the minutes, drives you bonkers, will not reprogram. Decathlon watch I have doesn't synch. |
Posted By: ian.r.mcdonald
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 1:03pm
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look at the very sizeable cycling market, call some sunglasses " cycling" and the price goes up fourfold. Ok the supp!ier doesnt have to pay Cav or Sagan to wear them, but buy them as safety glasses very much cheaper.
at least the sailing watch people have some specific features required which does mean sales units are relatively small |
Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 1:37pm
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GRF The features on a couple of there sailing watches include all sorts of things like gps and starting apps so a lot more for your money but in general agree. Although some of the rally navigator watches are more but then again may have specific stuff that makes them more complicated. ------------- Gordon Phantom 1430 |
Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 1:42pm
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Piglet That link works, not sure I want a calorie counter or pedometer though! other than that looks very good for the money. Cheers Gordon
------------- Gordon Phantom 1430 |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 3:04pm
You must be looking at the wrong one. Pedometer would have been useful at NSSA regatta to see how many times I went backwards & forwards to the trailer/van.
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Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 3:19pm
I am sure its mentioned as part of the function list. what a horrible thought a watch that tells you how many calories in everything you eat or worse drink and then tells you how few steps you have done to burn it off.
------------- Gordon Phantom 1430 |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 11:00pm
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I forgot, I ordered one of those from the first post whilst I was waiting in the chippy last night, I need it whilst my Optimum time is back being repaired yet again. Now strange as it may seem I don't mind having paid 80 quid for the optimum one, I've had good service from them, every battery change and resulting issues like blank screen or full reset when I push the start button. It's a Brit company, ok they spec and buy from the far east probably but they probably also employ locals which is an element of their margin. But that yellow thing in the ad, that's just pure opportunistic bullsh*t, no such reason other than thinking we're all stupid. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 02 Aug 17 at 11:03pm
Like Pets, call it a dog gate for the bottom of the stairs and it's immediately twice the price of the same thing packaged as a child gate. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: ttc546
Date Posted: 03 Aug 17 at 1:45pm
And Doggy Poo bags. Baby nappy bags from Sainsburys - pack of 200 for about £1.50 - and nicely perfumed. Pets At Home poo bags - much less quantity and 4 times the price. They are both the same product and in fact the Sainsburys ones are better quality and errrmmmm thicker .... (saves putting yer fingers thru it accidentally ....)
------------- |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 03 Aug 17 at 1:58pm
That's disgusting, so glad I havent got a dog, or a small child come to that. I suppose with dogs you don't have to drive them all over the country.
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Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 03 Aug 17 at 5:20pm
| Now that's what you call drifting a post, from cheap sailing watches to Dog pooh. |
Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 03 Aug 17 at 10:14pm
Forum creep is a well known phenomenon but I agree that is pretty impressive.......  ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 03 Aug 17 at 10:35pm
| As an aside, what happens to contents of dog waste bins ? |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 9:41am
Recycled into that special woodlike material they use to build Solo's? ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 9:55am
| And back to sailing lol |
Posted By: didlydon
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 10:34am
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Has anyone mentioned Casio? I've had one...oooooo.....must be for about 12 years now. Very good. I think it cost about £25 back then ------------- Vareo 365 |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 11:28am
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We've gone through bucket loads of the Casios. The good ones were 20 quid and had a canvas strap but have been discontinued. The ones with the moon/tide predictor had resin straps that split quite quickly. But they did have a countdown with minute then 10s warning bleeps, just so every else on the startline knew how long. Also I can't read the date on the Casios anymore. Might as well book my trip to Switzerland now.
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Posted By: didlydon
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 11:48am
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Hahaha! Yep, I forgot to mention I replaced the strap with a natty yoof "Animal" fabric / velcro job, but despite regularly getting wacked around & abused every Sunday it's still going strong & on the original battery. I'd buy another when it does pack up. ------------- Vareo 365 |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 11:58am
| Still got a Casio from 80's just a digital watch though, still works, my first watch. |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 12:20pm
Deep landfill I believe. My understanding is that its classed as hazardous waste. |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 04 Aug 17 at 1:09pm
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A truck full turns over on motorway, that would be some conversation.
Gaffer, you will laugh when I tell you. |
Posted By: deadrock
Date Posted: 05 Aug 17 at 12:26am
| The Ronstan Clear-start works fine for me. Reliable so far; too chunky for everyday wear though. |
Posted By: Do Different
Date Posted: 05 Aug 17 at 8:02am
| I simply use an analogue watch with a coloured sweep second hand. For me it's more intuitive to read than numbers and can "sync" with a glance, no need to press buttons or risk of missed presses. |
Posted By: deadrock
Date Posted: 05 Aug 17 at 10:27am
| The last thing I want to do in the last ten seconds or so is to look down at a watch-face. During the final minute the Ronstan has a long beep every ten seconds, with an every-second count-down for the last 15. This leaves me free to concentrate on my positioning. |
Posted By: transient
Date Posted: 05 Aug 17 at 10:29am
......buying a cheap replacement strap for one today as it happens......casio seapathfinder that is.
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Posted By: jaydub
Date Posted: 05 Aug 17 at 2:03pm
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Not a fan of the Seapathfinder as the screen is small and my ageing eyes can't cope with it. Having said that, the better half in the front end of the boat finds it perfectly adequate. Horses for courses. Cheap watch for her let's me indulge in the greater functionality of the Optimum, although I will probably give a Ronstan Clearstart a go when I need to replace my current Optimum watches.
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Posted By: transient
Date Posted: 05 Aug 17 at 5:22pm
Know what you mean, my eyes can still just about cope with it but no doubt it won't be long. My better half in the front uses one like a fob watch as one half of her strap has busted.
....anyway cheap replacement strap found and fitted. £3.95 at a local jewelers. 0504 Strap width is 16mm  |
Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 9:36am
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Only problem with the Casio or Timex for me is I can no longer read them! Getting older is crappy, after 3 races in a good breeze at Downs SC I ache this morning.
------------- Gordon Phantom 1430 |
Posted By: deadrock
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 10:12am
| The Sea-Pathfinder is well-nigh indestructible. I have two (one bought as a backup, never necessary), but now I need my specs to read the dial, so they're no longer any use to me for sailing. And the sound signal sequence is rubbish (though audible) and there's no sync function. All factors which led me to the Ronstan, which has BIG numbers. As an experiment I put clear plastic tape over the dial to minimise scratches, and this seems to be working. Has anyone got feedback on the Gill watch? |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 11:34am
Apart from the rubbish resin strap the case broke where the strap pin locates on mine. The Ronstan Clearstart looks nice, but at 60 odd quid, is it a cheap sailing watch? 1st weekend out with the SKMEI, stair rod rain squall & capsize saturday, loads of spray & 2 starts yesterday, verdict: still on my wrist and still works.
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Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 2:42pm
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The day I first read this post, think I was in the chippy but it reminded me I needed to sort my Optimum timer which has been playing up and I ordered one of these cheap Chinese watches, the next day I sent my Optimum time watch back.
Heard nothing from the cheap Chinese thing, but today my Optimum time watch is back all clean, shiney almost like new and everything working again, no charge. That I guess is the difference between a local Brit based company albeit building out East and some cheap Chinese web scam that might or might not ship some time this century. I can find no fault with Optimum they've always been probably the best purchasing experience I've had in dinghy world. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 2:50pm
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Did you not pay the extra for 'delivery via teleport machine?' I buy a lot of stuff for work from Ebay direct from China, drill bits etc. etc. Usually 2-3 weeks. Most Ebay problems I've had are with UK suppliers, one bloke still owes me 50 wing nuts!
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Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 3:09pm
Wing Nuts 
dare i even ask.. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 4:08pm
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Sad to say I have had 3 Op watches and all have died very quickly compared to my Timex I used for years. Regards Gordon
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Posted By: maxibuddah
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 4:46pm
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My Casio pathfinder has been going on for about 10 years now. Same strap but the buttons allowing for adjustment stopped working ages ago. Mysteriously started working again this weekend so it's like new. Beeps enough to let me know what's going on. Top watch for the money. I couldn't contemplate spending £60+ for occasional sailing use, it's just too much money to count down from five minutes. ------------- Everything I say is my opinion, honest |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 6:39pm
You should send them back for refurb see what happens you might be pleasantly surprised, they have the most excellent customer service. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: deadrock
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 8:30pm
| It's NBG if the watch goes AWOL leaving you to sit on the start-line trying to remember how to count down from 60. I bought an Optimum - once: sending it back under guarantee for a second time didn't do it for me. Never again! |
Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 9:50pm
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I know a lot of people seem to have had problems with Optimum, from reading here and elsewhere. But I have to say the only problem I've ever had was thinking I'd lost mine and buying another. I've had the 2 for years now and always found them to do the job really well. I used to use a fairly standard Casio - not a Pathfinder - but I remember capsizing trying to read the digits before the start. Never again - the Optimum digit size makes life so much easier! ------------- Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59 |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 10:00pm
| Noticed the poor viewing angle on the SKMEI tonight whilst trying to sneek a look at the time without getting caught by the Yoga teacher. |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 07 Aug 17 at 10:18pm
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Only issue I have with my Optimum, it will not program, it bleeps last 5 seconds of every minute, had it for years, this is only issue, I have been told it is stuck on 'eventing' ??? presumably something to do with Horses.
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Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 08 Aug 17 at 3:18pm
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Better than the Sea Pathfinder (in my opinion): Casio W-94-8A No longer a UK model sadly but available on Ebay Ex Belgium for £25 Does all the countdown bleeps but not the Optimum style Sync function. I've had a few of them but the date on the screen seems to have got too tiny.
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Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 14 Aug 17 at 1:00pm
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Well my SKMEI 6 quid chinese watch showed up today and will be bunged in the van as a back up in case the cold and wet get to the Optimum again this winter.
As cheap crap watches go, I've got to say this one is businesslike enough, nothing flash, simple movement, obviously with no yotti specific stuff but it would work OK in count up mode and it's got instructions in English came in a genuine tin box with a handy window in the top, so for not much more than the price of a pint it's an OK back up. I have a bit of a watch fetish, went through a period of buying all those crap things that flick up as you're browsing none of which still work. I also had to try and use the regatta timer app on the apple watch which I have got to say is the worse piece of app design work short of grindr I've ever come across, useless, it just goes to back ground within 30 secs and you spend ages trying to flick your wrist to light it up, hopeless app which could be so much better. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 14 Aug 17 at 4:49pm
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That's probably an apple imposed limitation, the battery life of an original Apple Watch(™) is down to a few hours if you are constantly lighting up the display as my Ballet Teacher wife discovered. Her hand gestures while teaching were activating the display every few seconds (as shown by the diagnostic the 'Genius' ran on it) and eating the charge in 5-6 hours. He told us it was the 'wrist raise' response that was reducing battery life bout I suspect the power needed to drive the display is at least as much to blame. He told us to turn it off the and battery life has been fine since. ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 14 Aug 17 at 6:56pm
| My SKMEI had a tiny bit of mist in the face yesterday, gone today though. |
Posted By: Andre01
Date Posted: 14 Sep 17 at 5:22pm
| I'm putting a "digital kitchen timer / egg timer"in a water proof iPhone 7 holder. £6 for "kitchen timer" and £6 for water proof case from amazon. Plan to wrap lanyard around mast under boom. With 5 people who sail in the household I won't be paying for 5 watches at £50 a go. Funny thing is the "digital egg timer" is the same size as the "optimum" big yellow watch but is 10 times cheaper. |
Posted By: fab100
Date Posted: 14 Sep 17 at 5:30pm
I want one now...  ------------- http://clubsailor.co.uk/wp/club-sailor-from-back-to-front/" rel="nofollow - Great book for Club Sailors here |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 14 Sep 17 at 10:27pm
Respect |
Posted By: MerlinMags
Date Posted: 15 Sep 17 at 10:04am
It seems like a great idea. Is it readable from any angle, and with the sun glinting off the phone case? |
Posted By: Eisvogel
Date Posted: 15 Sep 17 at 10:07am
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The main issue I have with that (and the cheap watch, which I also tried), is the lack of sync; it's quite hard to catch the initial 5 min signal, and if you can't sync you're always out by 10 secs or so. Do others find that a problem too? ------------- Enterprise 20361 (Eisvogel), Laser 102727 (Halcyon), Laser 121986 |
Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 15 Sep 17 at 10:10am
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I just tend to reset at the next gun and know I am a minute out.
------------- Gordon Phantom 1430 |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 15 Sep 17 at 11:16am
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Set egg timer to 4 mins. This comes 60s after the 5 min so you can prepare yourself.
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Posted By: Andre01
Date Posted: 15 Sep 17 at 11:44am
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Posted By: Andre01
Date Posted: 15 Sep 17 at 11:48am
| As above: wrapped around mast under boom |
Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 15 Sep 17 at 4:45pm
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I guess Andre01 does as I do and sets the countdown timer to, say, 5 mins then runs it down one or two seconds to allow time to start it if you just miss the 5 min gun. It's pretty easy to count seconds for a couple of seconds and you won't be more than say half a second out which is close enough for me. I have an Optimum Time so I can fine tune it using the sync feature if I miss by more but two secs is usually enough. The real problems arise if you don't hear the gun....... ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: MerlinMags
Date Posted: 19 Sep 17 at 9:39am
| ...or when the gun fires and you're in the middle of a tack. |
Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 19 Sep 17 at 9:42am
Exactly  ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 19 Sep 17 at 9:50am
Just a thought, no need for an expensive case for a 'pound shop' egg timer when a small 'ziploc' plastic bag will work just as well (at a couple of pence each). I'd probably back it up with some gaffa over the seal and also tape it to the boat. At those prices I can afford a couple on each boat and a couple of spares in the car....... The bags (in a larger size) are probably good as an extra line of defence for those supposedly 'waterproof' devices like my GPS and VHF radio which (two of each) haven't lived up to the claim......... ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: piglet
Date Posted: 09 Oct 17 at 11:11am
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Club colleague running persuit race from beach yesterday using his Optimum when the thing died half way through starting sequence! Being as I had just synched my Chinese jobby to his, I just thrust it into his hands to carry on.
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Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 14 Oct 17 at 8:51am
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For more expensive kit, Decathlon have a waterproof phone case for £5.99. It is made of sturdy vinyl and has triple seals. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/watertight-phone-pouch-id_8362002.html" rel="nofollow - https://www.decathlon.co.uk/watertight-phone-pouch-id_8362002.html ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 29 Nov 17 at 10:10am
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Well it's come that time when I think I might need my back up cheapo watch so went to fish it out of the watch drawer... Sure enough, like all the other watches in the graveyard of time and timekepers.. it's dead, so that was good then, don't think other than when it came out of the parcel I ever got to actually check the time on it..
Meanwhile reliable as ever my once again refurbed Optimum soldiers on looking like a brand new watch, don't know wether they just get fed up with me returning it year after year and put a new one in the box or they just cleaned it, but I guess it'll do another winter season ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |