Moin zusammen,
wir haben in unserem Segelverein eine ältere Beleuchtungsanlage mit vier unabhängig schalt- und dimmbaren Lichtgruppen. Gesteuert wird das Ganze momentan über eine alte Berker-Funkfernbedienung, die langsam den Geist aufgibt. Ersatz ist nur noch gebraucht und ziemlich teuer zu bekommen.
Verbaut sind laut den Geräten u. a. INSTA instatunk-UniversalDimmer EB 576500, offenbar Berker/INSTA Funkbus mit 433,42 MHz. Fotos hänge ich an.
Ich würde die vorhandenen Dimmer gerne weiterverwenden und die Steuerung auf Home Assistant umstellen. Ziel wäre eine möglichst simple und stabile Lösung für den Vereinsbetrieb, z. B. Home Assistant Green + geeigneter Funkadapter und ein kleines, fest an der Wand montiertes Tablet mit einer einfachen Oberfläche zur Bedienung der vier Lichtgruppen.
Wichtig wären vor allem Zuverlässigkeit, wenig Wartungsaufwand und eine wirklich einfache Bedienung. Cloud oder irgendwelche unnötigen Smart-Home-Spielereien brauchen wir nicht.
Hat jemand Erfahrung damit, Berker/INSTA Funkbus in Home Assistant einzubinden bzw. die 433,42-MHz-Signale der vorhandenen Fernbedienung nachzubilden? Und welche Hardware würdet ihr für einen möglichst unkomplizierten und stabilen Betrieb empfehlen?

Hey everyone,

I’m looking into the maintenance of my traveler cars and blocks, and I’m having a hard time justifying the pricing of McLube / Harken OneDrop. Paying around $25 for a tiny 14.7ml (0.5 oz) bottle feels wild. It’s hard to believe that a marine company developed a completely unique chemical formula from scratch for this. I strongly suspect they just buy a massive industrial IBC container of a standard commercial lubricant every few years and re-bottle it into these tiny pinpoint dispensers.

Does anyone know the actual chemical breakdown of OneDrop, or what industrial product it actually is? Is it just a highly refined mineral oil, or a low-viscosity fluorinated oil (like a Krytox/PFPE variant)?

Also, I have a few specific questions about how it works:

1. What exactly does OneDrop do that a thorough freshwater flush doesn’t? I know it says it "conditions" the bearing surface and repels salt, but chemically, what is happening?
2. Is the Teflon/PTFE spray myth true? I’ve read on some forums that using dry PTFE sprays (like regular Sailkote) inside ball bearing blocks can actually backfire. The theory is that it makes the surface of the plastic balls (Torlon/Delrin) or the races so slick that the balls stop rolling and start skidding/sliding under load. This supposedly causes flat spots, increases friction, and destroys the bearings faster. Is that why OneDrop exists?
3. What are you guys using as a budget-friendly alternative? Is there an industrial lubricant (maybe from the manufacturing or plastics industry) that serves the exact same purpose without the "marine markup"?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, chemical insights, or what DIY alternatives you use to keep your hardware running smoothly without breaking the bank. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking at buying a used **Garmin Quatix 7**, but unfortunately two of the buttons are no longer working.
I know that the Quatix 7 is basically a Fenix 7 with marine features, but I couldn’t find any Quatix-specific repair videos.
I’ve watched several Fenix 7 repair videos, and at first glance it looked like the button assembly might simply be removable and replaceable without soldering. However, after doing some more research, I’ve found conflicting information. Some people say the tactile microswitch has to be desoldered and replaced, while others mention replacement button modules.
So I’m wondering:

\- Has anyone here actually repaired a **Quatix 7** button?
\- Is the internal button construction identical to the **Fenix 7**?
\- Can the entire button module be swapped without soldering, or does replacing a failed button always require desoldering the microswitch?
\- If you’ve done the repair yourself, how difficult was it and what parts did you use?

I’d really appreciate any photos, repair experiences or links to good guides before deciding whether buying this watch is worth the risk.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking at buying a used Garmin Quatix 7, but unfortunately two of the buttons are no longer working.
I know that the Quatix 7 is basically a Fenix 7 with marine features, but I couldn’t find any Quatix-specific repair videos.
I’ve watched several Fenix 7 repair videos, and at first glance it looked like the button assembly might simply be removable and replaceable without soldering. However, after doing some more research, I’ve found conflicting information. Some people say the tactile microswitch has to be desoldered and replaced, while others mention replacement button modules.
So I’m wondering:

- Has anyone here actually repaired a Quatix 7 button?
- Is the internal button construction identical to the Fenix 7?
- Can the entire button module be swapped without soldering, or does replacing a failed button always require desoldering the microswitch?
- If you’ve done the repair yourself, how difficult was it and what parts did you use?

I’d really appreciate any photos, repair experiences or links to good guides before deciding whether buying this watch is worth the risk.
Thanks!

I have an older Secabo C60IV cutter (around 2015, LAPOS 1) and I’m trying to get it working on modern macOS with Inkcut.

My setup

• MacBook Pro 13" (2018)
• macOS 15.7.5
• CalDigit USB hub/dock
• Secabo C60IV
• USB-A to USB-B connection

Current progress

I managed to:

• install Homebrew
• install Inkcut via pipx
• install PyQt5 and pycups
• get Inkcut launching correctly

The cutter is detected by macOS:

• appears in System Information as:
  • Manufacturer: SAGACNC
  • Product: SAGA Cutter Plotter
• appears in lpinfo -v
• can also be added as a printer in macOS

Communication seems partially working

This is the strange part:

When I send a job from Inkcut:

• the cutter reacts briefly
• it “wakes up” / hums / twitches slightly
• so there is definitely some communication

But:

• no carriage movement
• no vinyl feed
• no actual cutting

Inkcut settings tried

• Connection type: Printer
• Protocol: HPGL
• Tried serial connection before, but macOS never exposed a usable /dev/cu.* device for the cutter
• Printer transport currently works “better” than serial
• Tried jobs from both Inkcut and Inkscape export
• No actual motion yet

Questions

1. What driver/profile works best for a Secabo C60IV in Inkcut?
2. Is generic HPGL correct for this model?
3. Are there compatible cutter profiles I should try?
   • Redsail?
   • Refine?
   • Creation PCut?
   • Roland PNC?
4. Does “Pad commands with line feed” need to be enabled?
5. Has anyone successfully used an older Secabo cutter on recent macOS versions?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi! I have a friend who has a I believe quattix 4 (?) I am fascinated by it. I have an applewatch 5 or so, but I rarely use it for sailing as it was laggy.

What would be a good option to look out for when looking for a second hand Garmin that can do all the sailing related stuff? Doesn’t have to be top notch.

I know nothing about Garmin watches.