tack button or +1 +10 ?

[seandepagnier]

Hello Sean,
Glad to see you are back, just to give my two cents I agree on the following:
- multiple keys pressing should be avoided, moreover if you have to keep pressing for a given time to trigger tacking. If the two keys are next one to another you might press them by accident, if not you would need two hands. Not convenient.

More people want the two buttons to tack than not so far...     The keys will be right next to each other but with space and possible to press and hold with the first 2 fingers .  

- one key to enter "tacking mode" for a given time around 5s to press +1 or +10 would be fine. If "something" could blink and/or bip while the tacking mode is ON that would be great.

The tinypilot can, but the typical RF 433mhz remote has no receiver, it only transmits.    The LCD display does display "tacking"

- as said in a previous thread I will personally never use an automated jibe function, I am using +10 keys and will probably stick to that

That is fine of course.

- as per +1/+10 slow/fast tacking i don't know...in my opinion tacking should always be as quick as possible for a given boat so i would stick to the current configuration (tacking speed in °/s I believe) (i.e. a heavy boat with a large genoa will require "slow" tacking whereas a lighter boat with self tacking genoa would allow faster tacking)

For example, in protected waters with good boat speed, a slower tack,  because you gain more ground upwind without overshooting, but in rougher waters, a faster tack may be needed so that the boat does not loose too much speed and fail to make it through the wind.   It depends on momentum, sea state,  sails.   Even how much you feel like working the sheets.

I am thinking now..   If you press and hold +1/+10   or press tack button (if you program one)  it enters "tacking"   In this state, you can increase/decrease tack speed using +1 and +10 and see the speed displayed on the screen, the next tack will use the previous tack speed.    pressing either -1 or -10 would abort the tack.    Does this seem reasonable?

Should it use +1 and -1 to adjust tack speed?   or?

I'm really trying to get all the logic sorted.   Everyone seems to have different opinions so I want to make it suitable for many different users and how they want it.   Basic functions should work without multiple button presses, but for tacking I think its ok if the two buttons are next to each other and you have to hold them for 2 seconds. Some advanced function or shortcut can use multiple buttons too if enabled, but it will be possible to disable this if it occurs by accident and is not desired.

Basically... every boat is different, but tacking in different conditions and different sails can require completely different technique to avoid either failing to tack,  or overshooting and loosing speed/ground, and the autopilot is not really so smart or aware of it.   Having different profiles will help (tacking, servo and gains will all be changed with a single profile change)   but even still being able to adjust tacking speed seems useful.   On many boats, it will just not always be possible to tack with the autopilot such as going against steep waves, because it doesn't have the full range of movement of the rudder and will fail to come through the wind.

I have attached my planned control interface (for use near the LCD display)     There is not a tack button but the buttons are too large to press both buttons with a single finger, but should be possible to press both together easily for most users using 2 fingers on one hand.    I could alternately make a version with a tack button but not sure it is preferred from the feedback here.    Changing the profile could be done through the menu, since this is typically done with changing conditions or changing course.     Holding menu and pressing another button could provide a shortcut to get into a specific menu such as adjusting the profile, gains, or going to the information screen.

Thanks for the feedback.