vtjc

Neat looking boat. I like boats with dark colors on the bottom of the hull. Any pics of it up on plane?

http://orlando.mastercraft.com/ was my first result searching Google for ‘Orlando Mastercraft.'

Congrats on the boat, it looks beautiful!

http://orlando.mastercraft.com/ lists

ACTION WATER SPORTS ORLANDO

Orlando,FL 32804

Sales: +1 (863) 588-7288

Horton thanks for doing these reviews!

I don’t think this video is comparable to a parsed written review. This video seems to be more free form; some comments about the ski, follow up to feedback on the written review and discussions with Denali staff. A better comparison may be made with a video in which your following a script.

I think either way people like your thoughtful comments on the products. The delivery method video or text likely maters less than what you say.

These two threads on the MasterCraft forum cover the Prostar hull information well and early Zero Off years"

MasterCraft Skier/ProStar/ProStar 190: A History (1968-2009)

MC Zero Off 05-09 Thread

"The full explanation requires a little rewind to understand....

2005 - Indmar's MCX goes drive by wire in the 197. Perfect Pass develops a system that interfaces with the ECM/DBW system through the standard Indmar ECM.

2006 -The world of speed control is stable. DBW is prevalent in some more MC boats. PP 6.5ng is the norm, still with the Indmar ECM.

2007 - Zero Off appears on the scene - in bed with CC. A few 2007 Tournament Team 197's are out there with dual installs of PP6.5ng and Zero Off. These boats have an E-controls ECM instead of the standard Indmar ECM. ZO can only talk to the E-Controls ECM. PP finds a way to make their box talk to an E-Controls ECM for the side by side install. If both are turned on at once - ZO has priority. These few TT boats have the E-controls ECM with multiple plugs for PP and ZO. The PP master module and the ZO head unit talk directly to this ECM.

Early 2008 -The world of speed control and tournament skiing is about to be turned upside down by this ZO/PP deal. To make matters worse, ZO and PP are battling over the patent for the GPS differential speed control technology that makes ZO work. PP releases StarGazer. MC releases the 08' TT 197. All 100 boats will have dual installs via the same E-controls multiplug ECM. MC is not allowed to physically install the ZO head into the TT 197 dash, due to some sort of licensing or marketing agreement, probably due to the CC/ZO relationship. TT drivers must do the install themselves. No biggy, takes 5 minutes. Production MCX's still have the standard ECM that cannot talk to ZO. CC promo boats will mostly be ZO. Malibu is in the dark - without the ability to do a ZO install.

Summer 2008 - PP and ZO reach an agreement. ZO gets all OEM drive by wire speed control business starting with the 09' model year. Skiers are complaining about early versions of ZO. Diehard perfect pass skiers are flipped out because they can't even upgrade their boats to ZO to practice. The only time they see it is at tournaments or upgrade for 50-60K with a new DBW boat. StarGazer has it's own set of issues. The forums are alive with arguments and bad info.

July 2009 - MC ramps up for 2009 production. All OEM speed control installs for the 197 will be ZO in 2009. All 2009 Indmar ECM's will be E-Controls. PP works with Medallion to integrate wakeboard pro into the VDIG for the 09' model year. MC and ZO offer a huge rebate for those electing it in the 214 or 197. 

So this leaves us with the answer to your question John. If you wanted to put a stand alone StarGazer system in your 214, it would not be capable of talking to the new E-Controls ECM. It is a stand-alone ECM that does not have the multi-port capability that the 2007 and 2008 TT boats had. 

So how can PP work from within the VDIG? Simple - the wakeboard pro software that is in the VDIG resides in the Medallion MMDC. It is a 'middle-man' between the interface and the ECM. An interpreter of sorts. It is unfortunately an interpreter that will forever only know one language - wakeboard pro."

@joel_fuel_sndr_mfr thanks for engaging directly with skiers.

Could part of the problem be that many of these boats are partially filled using gas cans while they remain on the water? For example, If the boat was last fully filled with E10 or ethanol free gas, then run empty and filled from gas cans containing fuel with the other concentration of ethanol (E10 to ethanol free or ethanol free to E10) which would change the capacitance of the fuel and how the gauge reads. These partial fills would not be large enough to activate the Full Detection stinger, to trigger a recalibration for the change in fuel capacitance. I live on a small public lake; the ski boats live on lifts all season. They only time they are fully filled with fuel is when they are on a trailer for another reason.

I am not affiliated with this boat, and don't know Gekko's but I maybe what you’re looking for:

06 Gekko

@303Skier That 08 196 in CO went for $20k, I was the second highest bidder: ebay link

@shansen345 I agree I had a 99 SportStar with 350/5.7L with 310HP it was a rocket. I still enjoy sking behind a friends 98 SportStar with an LT-1. That 95-97 Prostar hull with a 6L would be very powerful and fast.

I have used battery powered lights on my aluminum boat for a few years. Bow Battery Lights

Stern Light

Link

I have no connection to this boat.

Ritter, Odin and Rumor. Rumor is the pup and doesn't even know he lives close to a lake yet, is been frozen through his puppyhood.

I added a heater and h/c shower to my last boat a 99 MC SportStar. I mounted the shower on the starboard side near the stern. My former ski partner and I would disagree which we preferred the heater or shower. I find the shower is helpful in spring to warm up after cold water and heater is nice in fall to keep crew warm. Many newer heater installs have one vent towards the windshield to ask as a defroster. I will likely add both to my next boat when I buy one.

I saw a post on another forum years ago, where the guy used the pump from the shower to quickly winterize the engine and heater for the quick cold weather prep during the shoulder seasons.

@Svxwilson I am about the same size 5’11” 200 lbs and 34” waist, I have short legs 30” inseam. I find the large Assault fits well and when it’s cold I ski with a thin fleece under the suit on top.

I cherish my O'Neill Assault Hybrid Drysuit since it enables me to enjoyably extend the ski season. I am disappointed to hear that it has been discontinued. I prefer the neoprene lower to a suit with a baggy lower.

Appear to be some on SIA.

I owned a 99 SportStar CB with 5.7L TBI Chevy 1:1 trans from 2004-11. A friend and a MasterCraft fan bought a ’98 SportStar with an LT1, since he liked mine so much. I still ski behind the ’98 fairly often. I agree with swc5150 they have a great wake. However, they do ride higher and roll allot during turning. The tracking especially with just a driver(how we often ski) isn’t great. One benefit to the taller boat is for keeping young kids or others aboard. The SportStar’s have simpler interiors then the 95-97 ProStars. The 5.7L Chevy TBI is a solid and serviceable powertrain, the 5.0L was the base motor in ’98 only. This thread mastercraft.com/teamtalk/showthread.php?t=14622 covers the hull and its variants very thoroughly.

I plan to seek out a CC TSC 1-3 hull when I am ready to buy another boat. I think this will help my wife and others with driving the course with better tracking. I look forward to a hull with the sporty driving feel a closed bow ski boat should have.

I think open bow SportStars and Prostar 195's would make great affordable crossover boats.

similar thread: ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/13696/check-list-for-buying-a-used-boat

Great Checklist: tylerskiclub.com/usedboat.html