Trim Tabs. QL's or Lencos

[Chimo]

HI Myles

Not on the same boat, just the F & B tinny but after PW fitted the QLs he reported he lost a Kn and i think that was with them up ie not engaged.

IMHO I believe the Lencos have more going for them as you get no extra drag, the boat is made longer by them and as they are installed some mms up the transom they only level or affect the bow when you activate them. Also no hydraulic fluid and you dont need the fancy lights as you can feel where they are quite easily. If you get lost, two seconds and they are both fully up and just reset them.

I used mine on my Vag yesterday on a 48Nm run sitting on about 24Kn most of the time and both attributes came into play ie used one to level the boat and then tapped them both to push the bow down to make it work thru the wakes due to the holiday crowds.

Anyhow good luck with you choice, which ever way you go with it.

Cheers
Chimo

[ozlongboarder]

Hi Myles, yes I do know the angle you are talking about now I dont know if it has any effect on performance or not...some how I doubt it.

Chimo, my QL's are mounted above the hull height on the transom so there is no drag unless they are engaged.

All trim tabs effect the bow and fix any listing and most likely lift the stern slightly.

When you engage either the QL tabs or Lenco style tabs they are both hanging down below the surface of the hull thats how they work......logic says the QL's will create drag but the Lenco's will just defelect the water but until someone tests the same boat with the QL tabs and the traditional style tabs at various speeds its just owners opinions on what works best.

I dont look at the lighst on my panel to see whats happening, its just a feel thing.

[Smithy]

It is simple physics that all types will create drag and all types will create a downwards force. If there was science guru out there I am sure they could easily come up with a whole pile of force vectors in a diagram to prove it and the QLs would be equal to the Bennet/Lenco etc. type.

[Greg P]

QLs are above the bottom of the hull when retracted. If webster lost a knot with them retracted then some idiot installed them incorrectly. All boats will loose speed when any trim tab is deployed. My Sportfish had M80s - same deal, more drag, more hull in the water = less speed @ same rpm.

I wouldn't go back to bennets after having QLs but I would go with bennets before lencos.

I had some water get into the harness on my QLs that gave it a few problems but the diagnostic system on the QL s isolated the harness very quickly and Volvo were great with warranty even though it was out of period by a month - just replaced the complete system.

[Midnight]

Gday,
Thanks for the replies.
Chimo, I was keen on the Lenco's as a mate of mine has them on his 23 Formula and has no trouble with them at all(and he is hard on gear!) and they perform well. And as you have said, more planing surface etc

I had written the QL's off after the Volvo man at last years boat show couldnt convince me that they were a better alternative.
I do understand how the Volvo tabs work but have remained sceptical about the about of drag they would produce. I know Volvo say they produce less drag then a conventional tab, but they would say that of course and they have never backed it up with any numbers, ever??

Really the only reason I am looking at the QL's again is people saying that they are happy with them and the off chance that Volvo have got it right haha
They do go against the grain with their design, but it is a changing world and not all new technologies are bad.

Capt Bill Billson has the QL's on Viking 2 and he likes them and they have been problem free also. I am going to se how they work on Viking 2 in a cupla weeks and see if that sways me one way or another.

The other factor will be the fitting problems with the QL's as Ozlongboarder described re the engine beds

Thanks everyone for the replies,

Cheers,
Myles

[ozbee]

the lencos are great as long as you are willing to wait 8 weeks plus for a part and still waiting

[Midnight]

Thanks Ozbee, been hearing that a bit lately....

Cheers

[Chimo]

Hi ozbee

As you know I have lencos and have had for about 5 yrs.
I went the simple way and have no lights or auto-off when the key is turned off by the way. I was told when I got them if you cannot operate them without indicator lights maybe you should rethink boating as a pasttime.

So what problems might I expect and when should I expect them?

Thanks

Cheers
Chimo

[ozbee]

the lencos are fine its just the bloody switch control unit the back of the switch has a coating of silastic over it / in the middle of the switch back there is a plug /push on connection it is held onto the back computer board with spot pins the size of a needle/ the wiring harness hangs off it and in time lets go. guaranteed about a month out of warranty. there in demand which makes them so hard to get. very common problemn. troubles there about one third the price of a complete new unit.

you have to set a boat up thats user friendly while yourself may be fine but as theres no way of knowing the rate or postion a novice may get himself into trouble

[Chimo]

Hi ozbe

How longs the warranty?

Do all of them have the same computer board on the back or just the ones with the light display and the auto lift up feature?

I suppose mine are out now after 5 yrs anyway.

I dont think its all that hard for anyone to work out the position of tabs.
If your not sure they take about 2 seconds (well mine do) from full down to full up just lift them up and reset them by tapping the switch to reset their position to achieve the outcome you want.

Its like learning as you drive your boat, tentatively at first while you get familiar with it, what the trim on the motor does and surely thats not going to kill you with or without watching the trim guage if you have one?

Cheers
Chimo

[ozbee]

the switch and indicator are the one unit hence the wait . having the gbr up here zooming around in and out you go from following to side on etc rather quickly in places and you rather have your eye on the chart plotter . one side on mine retracts at a different speed than the other also . you do tab a lot up here for vertical fall so the lights are handy with the short chop so there is more than one combination of settings you can set in relation to downard trim and hull straightness so they are handy as you can set it to the best fuel economy also. mine are only 18 mths old when fitted with the new boat and iam sure i could operarte them with my eyes closed but i dont see that i should be out there boddgy up a couple of up and down switches when there own product should do the job.

[Chimo]

So it sounds like they are two totally different switch set ups.

One just a straight switch that I have and the other with the extra gismos that you have.

Think I'm glad that I took the advice from Seafarer when mine were fitted, to not worry about the lights etc.

Hope your bits turn up soon for you.

Cheers
Chimo

[ozbee]

other than that they are a good tab and will hold you well even when you have to back right off in speed on a big wave which i think gives the advantage over the drop type.

[Chimo]

Agreed

Cheers
Chimo

[ozscott]

I dont have either but will weigh in with my 2 bobs worth...I have the Bennett sport tabs - ie plates that extend out from the hull like Chimo's Lencos. I noticed a huge difference with them in Moreton Bay and I put that down to both more bow lift and stern drop when I want it but also increased, in a practical sense, water line length...also given their angle there is probably a little fulcrum action going on also from the very rear of the plate and reducing running forward. You dont get that with the vertical type like the Volvos.

Cheers