DockStar Smart Thruster Manuale utente

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DockStar

Smart Thruster

Operations Manual

DockStarThrusters.com Page 2 of 15

WELCOME

Thank you for purchasing a Smart Thruster from DockStar. This product was created to improve the safety and

the enjoyment of recreational boating. We hope it gives you years of satisfaction with its simplicity and

effectiveness.

This manual covers the operation of the Smart Thruster once the T-track and stainless tube have been mounted to

the boat. See the “Bow Installation Guide” and the “Stern Installation Guide” on our Manuals page for information

on how to mount your T-track and stainless tube installation kit to your boat.

The Smart Thruster is a simple device, so not much instruction is required. However, please read the instructions

completely to make sure you achieve the safety and enjoyment intended. While the operation of the Smart

Thruster is simple, the piloting of a recreational boat in a tight marina with wind and current is not. We strongly

advise that you practice maneuvering your boat with the aid of the Smart Thruster several times in calm and

uncrowded conditions before moving onto more challenging docking maneuvers. Practice is definitely required to

get the feel of using this aid.

Limitations of Use for DockStar Smart Thruster

We believe this product will greatly add to your boating enjoyment and safety. As with any product, there are some

limitations that must be observed.

The Smart Thruster is intended only for non-commercial recreational pleasure craft for the purpose of low speed

maneuvering assistance in sheltered harbors. The Smart Thruster is suitable for use as a bow thruster on

displacement hulls with top speeds not exceeding 8 knots, and as a stern thruster on all boats with suitable clearance

for raising and lower the thruster on its track. The Smart Thruster is not suitable for mounting to the bow of high

speed boats where the thruster is not able to be raised out of the path of the rushing water. Pontoon boats, for

example, travel at high speed and yet allow for retracting the Smart Thruster above the deck and out of the path of

the water force. This is not possible on most planning V-hull boats.

The use of the Smart Thruster is not a substitute for proper boat handling by the user. The boat should always be

handled in such a way to avoid damaging the boat or other boats and docks. The Smart Thruster can only exert a

finite amount of force (about 65 lbs.). It cannot compensate for excessive boat speed, excessive wind speed, or

excessive currents. Practice the use of the Smart Thruster in light winds and light current until proficient in

coordinating the use of the thruster with the use of the boat’s main propulsion. Problems likely will result if

insufficient practice has been had.

The DockStar Smart Thruster is designed to provide years of reliable service. However, any electro-mechanical

device has failure modes. Always handle the boat such that should a failure with the Smart Thruster occur, you are

able to either proceed with the docking without the Smart Thruster, or can safely abort the docking.

Do not operate the boat at speeds greater than 5 knots with the Smart Thruster deployed. The Smart Thruster is

cantilevered into the water from the above-the-water mounting. Speeds greater than 5 knots put tremendous

pressure on the thruster housing and this force coupled with the cantilevered mounting puts a great deal of torque

on the mounting system. Operation above 5 knots with the thruster deployed may result in failure of the mounting

and damage to the thruster or your boat.

DockStarThrusters.com Page 3 of 15

The DockStar Smart Thruster installation varies from boat to boat. Make sure the Smart Thruster is properly installed

to handle the forces exerted on the Smart Thruster while deployed and while underway. It is the boater’s

responsibility to ensure the integrity of the installation on your boat.

The DockStar Smart Thruster should be mounted such that when the boat is cruising at speed no part of the Smart

Thruster is submerged even temporarily. This may require removing the Smart Thruster from its rail under some

sea conditions. Submersion at speed creates tremendous forces on the Smart Thruster and could lead to damaging

your boat or thruster.

The Smart Thruster is held up out of the water when retracted by the lanyard. Periodically inspect the lanyard

attached to the thruster. Immediately replace any frayed line in the lanyard.

Be careful when deploying the Smart Thruster so as not to let the thruster slide down the rail too fast. Should the

thruster be “dropped” down the rail the impact with the track stop could cause damage to the thruster or the boat.

The supplied battery charger limits its charging current to 4 Amps and is specifically designed to charge LiFePo

batteries. Do not use another charger that supplies more than 4 Amps or one that is not intended for LiFePo batteries.

Never submerge the Smart Thruster’s faceplate. It is splash proof but not suitable for submersion.

Never submerge the Smart Thruster radio transmitter. It is neither splash proof nor waterproof.

Replace the radio transmitter battery every year, or more often if you are a frequent boater. A low transmitter

battery will result in unreliable communication with the Smart Thruster and could create a hazardous situation.

The Smart Thruster has a safety feature that inhibits the motor operation unless the Smart Thruster is deployed. A

sensor inside the Smart Thruster inhibits the motor controller unless a strong magnetic field is sensed. A magnet

assembly is located inside the installation kit’s stainless tube.

The LED light in the On/Off button flashes on and off quickly to indicate the magnetic field is sensed. If this flashing

pattern should be observed at any time when the motor is not deployed, turn off the Smart Thruster and do not use

it until the problem is resolved.

Never place a magnet near the Smart Thruster when it is not deployed. This may allow for accidentally turning the

thruster on.

Prior to deploying the Smart Thruster each time, verify that the Smart Thruster is at least 50% charged by observing

the status LED in the On/Off button. Please refer to the sections below for how to interpret the LED flashing pattern.

Each time the thruster is deployed, verify its operation to both starboard and port prior to entering confined space

or prior to leaving the dock if undocking.

The Smart Thruster’s radio is a modern remote control device certified to FCC requirements. It uses a frequency

band assigned to remote control applications. The FCC keeps this frequency clear by limiting the permissible power

of certified devices. However, it is still possible under some situations for there may be sufficient energy on this

frequency as to interfere with the communication with the Smart Thruster. If you detect communication problems

between the transmitter and the Smart Thruster, retract the thruster and turn it off until the problem can be resolved.

The transmitter can be assigned one of 255 different codes (see the “pairing” instructions below). The Smart Thruster

must be paired with the transmitter as described in this manual prior to use. If the Smart Thruster is responding to

transmissions from some other device, turn off the Smart Thruster. Try selecting a different code and pair the

thruster with the radio transmitter again. If the problem persists, discontinue all use of the Thruster until the problem

can be resolved.

DockStarThrusters.com Page 4 of 15

For convenience, the Smart Thruster can be turned on in a latching manner by pressing the appropriate buttons on

the radio transmitter as described later in this manual. This latching can be turned off by pressing one of the

momentary control buttons on the radio transmitter. This latching is automatically turned off after 30 seconds of

operation if no further button pushing occurs. This is a safety feature in case radio communications between the

transmitter and the Smart Thruster are interrupted after the latching command has been issued. If radio

transmissions are being interfered with, discontinue use of the Smart Thruster.

Prior to using the Smart Thruster after installation, ensure that radio transmissions can be reliably made to the Smart

Thruster with the transmitter at any point on the boat

If the Smart Thruster is dropped onto a hard surface or the faceplate is submerged, discontinue use of the thruster

as internal damage may have occurred that is not apparent from the outside. Use of a damaged thruster is not safe.

Do not use the Smart Thruster if one of the propellers is damaged.

Do not deploy or operate the thruster in close proximity to people swimming in the water or sitting on the dock. The

spinning propeller could hurt them.

Please contact DockStar at DockStarThrusters@gmail.com if you have any questions about the safe operation of your

thruster.

The Smart Thruster is controlled by a wireless transmitter manufactured by Linx Technologies, one of the USA’s

leading wireless equipment manufacturers. The transmitter is certified by Linx Technologies to meet FCC

requirements for a radio transmitter. The user does not need a license to operate this device. However, the user

should be aware of the limitations in using radio transmitters in North America mentioned above (i.e. that radio

interference can happen and the user should be prepared in case the Smart Thruster frequency is interfered with).

The FCC has provided the following statement pertaining to the use of wireless equipment that we are required to

include in our manual. It is a generic statement to be published by the suppliers of radio equipment including

equipment used in residential homes, so it is not specific to marine applications:

INSTRUCTION TO THE USER

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules and Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s).

Operation of this device is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired

operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15

of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed

and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,

there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause

harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on,

the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio / TV technician for help.

The user is cautioned that changes and modifications made to the equipment without the approval of manufacturer

could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radioexempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorisée

aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage

radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.

DockStarThrusters.com Page 5 of 15

Safety Considerations Employed in the Design of the Smart Thruster

The impetus for founding DockStar LLC was to improve boating safety and enjoyment while docking. Safety has

been an important consideration in the development of the Smart Thruster since the very beginning. The product

makes boating safer by giving more maneuverability to the boater. This maneuverability can eliminate the need for

jumping off the boat onto the dock with mooring lines in hand to secure the boat before it drifts away (a common

scene at any marina). It also eliminates the need for running on the boat to hurriedly get the lines ashore. In

addition, more maneuverability greatly reduces the risk of running into another boat or the dock in tight conditions

such as in a typical marina.

It is also important the product itself be safe to use. This section discusses the Smart Thruster features that have

been designed in to make it a safe product.

Motor Safety Inhibit: The Smart Thruster produces a fair amount of thrust. To make sure this power is not

released at the wrong time the Smart Thruster incorporates a safety interlock scheme that prevents the motors from

being turned on unless fully deployed into the water. This is accomplished by fitting a special magnet assembly into

the stainless T-track and stainless tube assembly that the Smart Thruster is mounted to. The Smart Thruster has a

magnetic sensor that inhibits operation of the motors unless this strong magnetic field is sensed. This inhibit function

is executed in two ways. First, the software constantly monitors the magnetic sensor and inhibits the motor control

software unless the sensor indicates the thruster is deployed. Secondly, the motor driver hardware is inhibited

directly by the magnetic sensor signal. When the thruster is fully deployed and the motors are armed the Smart

Thruster’s status LED flashes a pattern to let the boater know it is armed and fully deployed.

Battery Isolation: The internal 12 volt LifePo batteries are capable of producing 100 amps of current. The electrical

contacts of the battery must be accessible to the battery charger during charging. To improve safety, the battery

contacts are isolated from the recharger port by a relay. This relay prevents any current flow unless the charger is

plugged in. When the recharger is plugged into this port the Smart Thruster’s microcomputer detects the presence

of the charger by monitoring the input voltage. When the charger is detected, the relay is turned on allowing the

charger current to flow into the batteries. The charger itself has circuitry that prevents it from recharging the

batteries too fast. In addition, the Smart Thruster has a self-resetting fuse device that will open up the circuit if

excess current is detected.

Motor Current limit: The motor controller constantly monitors the current supplied to the motors from the battery.

If an over-current situation occurs, the motor controller immediately turns off current to the motor. This protects

the motor from damage, but it also prevents excess current draw on the batteries. The batteries employed in the

Smart Thruster are LifePo technology, which is one of the safest lithium battery chemistries available. It is possible

to directly short these batteries out without any fire risk (unlike many lithium technologies). Still, to be safe, the

current drain from the batteries is limited by the Smart Thruster’s electronics as a double safety.

Battery over-voltage protection: During charging the Smart Thruster microcomputer is constantly monitoring

each individual battery cell. If an over-voltage condition is detected, the charging is stopped and the Smart Charger

discharges the offending cell until it is safely within normal limits. This not only prevents excessive heat buildup in

the battery cell, it also protects the life and reliability of the battery.

Battery under-voltage protection: During motor operation the motors draw considerable current from the

batteries (although well below their rated 100 amp capability). Should this high current draw result in a battery cell

being drained excessively, the Smart Thruster microcomputer will suspend motor operation. This again prevents

excessive heat in the affected cell, it also protects the life and reliability of the battery.

DockStarThrusters.com Page 6 of 15

Radio Communications Integrity: The Smart Thruster radio transmitter is manufactured by one of the leading

U.S. wireless device manufacturers, Linx Technologies of Oregon. The Smart Thruster incorporates Linx’ matching

receiver module for a very robust wireless connection. As with all wireless devices, the radio frequency can be

jammed. The FCC prevents this situation by limiting the transmitted power of all devices on this frequency to a very

low energy level. Still, it is technically possible for the Smart Thruster to experience interference and temporarily

lose connectivity with the transmitter. Although this situation has never been detected in all of DockStar’s testing,

some safety features were added to address this situation. First, the Linx Technologies transmitter and receiver must

be paired together using a matching code scheme. Any transmission received that does not have the proper code is

ignored. Second, the Smart Thruster microcontroller will not acknowledge a valid code command until it has been

received consecutively several times. This further limits the chance of a spurious signal commanding the Smart

Thruster. Lastly, the latching commands of the Smart Thruster are automatically turned off after 30 seconds unless

retriggered by the user. This is in case radio interference happens to interfere with the user’s command to turn the

thruster off. Fortunately, modern wireless control technology is very robust. These safeguards are just additional

safety measures taken by DockStar.

Mounting Hardware: The cost of creating custom components can be high. Furthermore, proving the safety and

reliability of custom components can be a lengthy process. To avoid these challenges, DockStar made a decision

early on not to rely on custom components for mounting the Smart Thruster. Instead, a T-track manufactured by

respected marine equipment manufacturer, Schaefer Marine, was chosen as the primary mechanical interface to the

Smart Thruster. This is mounted to a standard stainless steel tube, also common in the marine industry. This

allowed the use of standard marine grade rail mounting hardware. This not only gives the end-customer a large

assortment of mounting fixtures, it also allows DockStar to benefit from the years of production quality behind these

components. The Smart Thruster installation kits are supplied with fixtures from Suncor Marine located in

Massachusetts.

DockStarThrusters.com Page 7 of 15

Smart Thruster Operation

Thanks for reading the preceding important information. We are now ready to talk more specifically about how to

operate the Smart Thruster.

Propeller Installation: The Smart Thruster

is shipped without the propellers mounted to

reduce the risk of damage during shipping. The

propellers can be mounted without the use of

tools other than the plastic sprocket wrench

provided.

The propeller kit bag contains small parts. Do

not open it where the parts can be lost if

dropped. For example, do not assemble the

props on the dock where small parts tend to

jump into the water!

The propeller kit bag contains two propellers,

one socket wrench, and two small plastic bags.

The two small bags each contain a prop-nut and

a sheer pin. Be sure to locate the sheer pins

and not lose them. They are small parts and

can be easily missed.

Each drive shaft has a hole through it for

inserting the sheer pin. Insert a sheer pin into

each drive shaft and rotate the shaft so that the

pin is horizontal. This keeps it from falling out

for the next step. Make sure the sheer pin is

centered on the shaft.

There is a slot in the back of the propeller. The

sheer pin slides into this slot when the propeller

is slid onto the drive shaft. The slot in the

propeller needs to be aligned with the sheer pin

as the propeller is slid onto the shaft.

When the propeller is properly aligned and the sheer pin is properly engaged into

the propeller’s rear slot it will look like the picture on the far right. Also, spinning

the propeller will turn the motor shaft which can be observed sticking out the

middle of the prop. The motor resistance can also be felt when turning the

propeller.

Be sure to notice the

small sheer pins

Slot for sheer pin

DockStarThrusters.com Page 8 of 15

After confirming that

the sheer pin is

properly seated in the

propeller’s rear slot,

apply some thread lock

to the shaft and hand

screw in the propeller

nut. Using the sprocket

wrench, tighten the

propeller nut firmly.

Let the thread lock dry

thoroughly before

submerging the

propellers in the water.

When properly installed the propellers should look like the one on the right. There

should be about a 3/16” gap between the larger diameter of the motor and the

propeller hub. There should be no play in the propeller and you should feel a

slight resistance from the motors when you spin the propeller.

DockStarThrusters.com Page 9 of 15

Battery Replacement: The integrity of the transmitter’s signal is important so it just makes sense to always use

a fresh battery. Plan on replacing the battery every year, or more frequently if you are an active boater. The

transmitter uses a standard CR2032 battery. Please refer to Figure 1 for replacing the battery. The battery cover is

a little sticky. The end of the cover lifts straight up as shown by the red arrow. Also, like all plastics, this case gets

brittle when cold so do not open the battery cover when it is cold.

Figure 1: Battery access and replacement.

DockStarThrusters.com Page 10 of 15

Paring Transmitter to Smart Thruster: The next step is to pair your transmitter with your thruster. Your thruster

comes with a transmitter that is already paired with your thruster. The two are configured together to be a BOW

thruster by default. If you want to configure your thruster as a STERN thruster you have to pair it again to configure

it appropriately. If you have both a stern thruster and a bow thruster, you can pair both transmitters to operate

both devices.

Pairing is accomplished by doing the following:

1. Plug the “pairing plug” (shown to the right) into the battery charger jack

of the thruster to be paired.

2. Turn on the thruster

3. Observe that the pairing blinking pattern on the blue LED is correct (See

table 1 later in this document)

4. To pair and configure your thruster as a BOW thruster, press and hold

one of the four bow control buttons for 15 seconds.

5. To pair and configure your thruster as a STERN thruster, press and hold

one of the four stern control buttons for 15 seconds.

6. Sometime in the 15 second period, the LED blinking pattern will switch

from the pairing blinking pattern to solid on. At this point, the unit is

properly paired and configured.

7. You can verify you have connection by releasing the button. The LED

should go off. Press any bow button if configured as BOW, or any stern

button if configured as STERN, and the light will go back on until that

button is released.

8. Only one pairing cycle can be performed during one power

up cycle. To pair the thruster to a different code, turn off

the thruster and then turned it back on.

9. To pair and configure a second transmitter to the same

thruster, you must change the code switches on the second

transmitter to match the code switches on the first

transmitter. See Figure 3. Only switches A0 through A7 are

used. Switches A8 and A9 MUST always be left in the right

position (“ON”). Look very carefully at the switch pattern in

the first transmitter already configured. Now match that

pattern on the second transmitter. A magnifying glass

comes in handy here. If the codes do not match, only the

last transmitter paired will control that thruster.

10. To pair and configure the transmitters to a second thruster,

repeat steps 1 through 7 using one of the transmitters (with their codes already matched). You should

configure one of the thrusters to be the BOW thruster and the other one to be the STERN thruster.

Figure 2: Pairing Plug

Figure 3: Code Switches

Figure 2: Pairing Plug

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