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PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:00 pm 
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A Keeper… I am not sure about this particular part# but RAM does make stainless 'Marine" versions of most bases and joints. You have to look for them.

You get powder coated alum bodies and stainless hardware. Those don't last forever, either.


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:20 pm 
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chrisj wrote:
My RAM ball "universal joint" is still rocking after two years and showing no signs of breaking down. Slight surface corrosion of the aluminium nut and bolt, but nothing substantial.

Image

I'd forgotten about your Ram mod Chris. Looks good.
Now I've experienced "tendon" connections though I'm keen to develop them further.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:55 pm 
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I haven't heard anything yet on the cable tendon break. The "Worlds" finish tomorrow so I guess things will be back to normal next week.
Meantime I've been busy on V2 of the modified tiller knob which is much more compact.
I'd like to see Hobie come up with a redesigned knob assembly so that it takes a standard tiller extension universal/tendon.
Something like (though obviously much better than) this:
Image

The universal on the left is a Riley and on the right is a Ronstan
Image

Both fit:
Image
Image

So, Hobie engineers, how about it?
Do-able do you think?
:wink:
Lots of info on replacement universal tendons here:
http://www.apsltd.com/c-287-replacementuniversals.aspx


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 1:34 am 
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I like it! :D


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:32 am 
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UPDATE
Hobie replaced the entire hiking stick under warranty as I thought they would.
It seems identical to the one I broke so time will tell whether the break was a one off or if the stainless cable tendon is problematic.
As no-one else has reported any cable breaks it may have been an anomaly?
Aside from the chance of the cable breaking I still don't like how the tiller knob has to be removed each time you fit the hiking stick. So I went ahead and made a couple of other hiking sticks using the tendons I had previously purchased.
Top -Hobie hiking stick,
Middle -aluminium tube stick with golf club grip
Lower -cut down carbon fibre fishing rod
Image


Left -fishing rod with Riley tendon, secured with self tappers and heat shrink. (38mm chair tip slides over knob to lock tendon)
Middle -aluminium tube with Ronstan tendon secured with S/S pin and heat shrink (all as supplied in Ronstan kit)
Both of these are easy to replace in the field.
Right -Hobie stick with S/S cable tendon and brake (?) hose secured with rivet making field replacement difficult. As Hobie replaced the entire stick I'm guessing there is no spare part for the S/S cable?
Image


I added some glue-lined heatshrink for strength to the tiller knob mod mentioned earlier in this post
Image
Image


My favorite stick on the TI is the fishing rod.
It is easy to fit/remove:
-slide tendon into tiller knob
Image

-lower 38mm chair leg tip over tiller knob to lock it in place
Image

This stick is so light it remains suspended, making it easy to grab or leave in place if the wind dies and you have to pedal from the back seat. You can steer without having to remove it
Image


On the AI which gets a lot of use as a kayak I prefer the 'bolt on' Ronstan base tiller knob
Image

Whilst it looks a bit bulky it's actually quite comfortable to hold
Image


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:49 am 
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Thanks for the reference to this forum, Stringy. I can see there's much more to a hiking stick than I thought.

I do like your fishing rod design. I guess I'll pause and do some shopping before I order or build anything.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:40 pm 
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Chris, can you post a full picture of what you have attached to the tiller? Where do you sit that you need the extension?


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:09 am 
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Chris detailed his ram tiller mod here:
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=41310


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:15 am 
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Great development, Stringy. I think you have given Hobie enough "fodder" to come up with a Gen II hiking stick. Good work and your pictures are great!

Keith

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 11:47 am 
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I have been forwarding comments to engineering. My concern about stiff tendons is the twist load they cause the steering handles and cranks... and the tiller pops out of your hand if you relax your grip.

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:57 pm 
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mmiller wrote:
I have been forwarding comments to engineering. My concern about stiff tendons is the twist load they cause the steering handles and cranks... and the tiller pops out of your hand if you relax your grip.

Matt, so it looks like the functionality of Chrisj's elegant solution is what is required?

Image

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:18 am 
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Pretty sweet actually. Maybe replace the handle with a ball for full rotational movement.

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Hobie Cat USA
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 12:00 am 
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Chekika wrote:
Great development, Stringy. I think you have given Hobie enough "fodder" to come up with a Gen II hiking stick. Good work and your pictures are great!

Keith

Thanks Keith. I hope Hobie do come up with a more reliable tendon (or ball!!) and that you don't have to remove the knob to fit it.


mmiller wrote:
I have been forwarding comments to engineering. My concern about stiff tendons is the twist load they cause the steering handles and cranks... and the tiller pops out of your hand if you relax your grip.

Thanks Matt. It's good to know why Hobie didn't go with already proven materials like the tendons. I can see that they do add a twisting load to the handle, though it's proved reliable so far. Certainly more reliable than Hobie's cable tendon!
It doesn't seem to be a lot of extra twisting load and I've had no handle issue as yet. The fishing rod weighs 110 grams and the aluminium golf handled stick 170 grams. Hobie's stick comes in at around 280 grams.

I note that adding the tiller knob increases the twisting load on the handle as well.

Chrisj's clever Ram ball mod which replaces the tiller knob with a Ram ball solves the hassle of having to remove the tiller knob to fit the hiking stick, and would not add as much twisting load as a tendon. 8)
The only negatives I see are extra bulk and maybe weight?


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 6:58 pm 
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stringy wrote:
Chrisj's clever Ram ball mod which replaces the tiller knob with a Ram ball solves the hassle of having to remove the tiller knob to fit the hiking stick, and would not add as much twisting load as a tendon. 8)
The only negatives I see are extra bulk and maybe weight?

Just noticed your post Stringy. The fitting for my tiller extension weighs 95gm and the 12.7x1.6mm SS tube weighs 320gm (I cut it to 750mm length - it weighs 430gm/metre). So total is 415gm.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:05 pm 
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Update ...and change of mind. :oops:

Apologies Hobie!

After breaking the Hobie hiking stick early on I tried a lot of alternatives but I am back with Hobie's stick again and have had no problems with the replacement stick. As no one else has reported problems, I must have just got a dud cable. It has proved reliable in the last 18 months of use. I like that the cable is more flexible than the normal tendon type hiking sticks used by Lasers etc that I was experimenting with and I'd have to agree with Matt's concern over the tendons being too stiff.

The Hobie stick can be laid parallel with the hull, handle towards the stern and there is enough flexibility to steer from the rear seat when the wind drops, without disconnecting the stick from the forward handle. That's a big plus over the tendon sticks I was adapting.
I'd still like to see the cable being easily replaceable though. Replacing the whole stick seems like overkill. Get rid of the rivet, replace it with a screw and provide a separate part for the cable ...please!


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