System 6.9

Community DIY endless shuttle powered by battery or hard-wired. Open software. Big-box builds. Size the motor and pack for your use case.

Mission

System 6.9 is a community project: open-source software plus builds from materials you can get online or at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, Lowe’s, Menards, and similar. The center of gravity is community and community development — not a finished commercial tow product.

Each builder has their own use case. Motor size and battery pack (or hard-wired supply) are chosen by that use case — we do not ship a one-size powertrain.

One-liner

DIY endless shuttle for the community — one architecture, many surfaces. Water (foil/skim), backyard snow, sled uphill, skate tow, and more. You size the motor and pack for your use. We publish the software and sell the awkward bits (control board, Dyneema, traveler hardware). Use at your own risk.

Use cases

Same endless loop. Different accessories, mounts, and speed presets.

Use	Setup notes	Height / speed bias
Foil / skim (water)	Shore A-frames; floating Dyneema	Low tow ~0.8–1.5 m · foil soft / skim faster
Backyard snowboard	Hill or flat-to-slope chord; return tow to top	Low–mid · soft start
Uphill sled tow	Steeper chord; stronger tension; kids/adults	Low handle; slow presets; EOR critical
Skateboard tow	Parking lot / empty street / private pavement	Low tow; soft ramp; short span OK
Wakeskate / wakesurf-style	Same water frames	Low
Grass / dirt “summer sled”	Dry hillside practice	Low; expect abrasion on line
Ski / snowboard park return	Side hit or backyard feature return	Same as snow uphill
Training / rehab pull	Very low speed presets	Softest ramp
Cargo / gear shuttle	Non-human: coolers, tools across a cut	Own-risk; different carrier
Photo / camera dolly	Slow constant speed along a lane	Smooth speed mode

Foil / skim Snow Sled uphill Skate tow Training Cargo

Weak fits (don’t lead with these): high big-air wake (wants tall towers), full-size cable parks, public ski-area lifts (certification world).

What we sell

Control box — hardware brain only (MCU, power-stage interface, pack input path, E-stop, remote bay, weather enclosure). No motor or pack inside.
Accessories — Dyneema loop kits, capstan/drum, carrier + handle, return idler, tension pack, A-frame/mount kits, fairleads and anchors.
Lifestyle — apparel, stickers, caps, lake-day merch. Funds the community.

What we don’t sell

Motors (e.g. BLDC 80100-class)
ESCs (e.g. VESC-class)
Batteries and chargers (e.g. 12–14S high-C packs)
Remotes (community-supported options)

You source and size these for your use case. Compatible BOM lives on GitHub; community can PR alternatives.

Software

Shuttle firmware — open source, free to download and flash from GitHub
Docs + CAD — open (license finalize at repo launch)
Community — issues and PRs improve soft start, turn points, end-of-run, dual-site presets
Warranty on code — none. Use at your own risk. Not a certified tow system.

Architecture

One motor · endless loop · reverse = return. Drive A-frame holds the control box and user powertrain; return A-frame holds the idler and tension.

[DRIVE A-FRAME]                         [RETURN A-FRAME]
 System 6.9 control box                  Idler on sliding carriage
 + user motor (keyed → capstan)          2× springs + 2× ratchet straps
 + user pack / hard-wired                hard stops
        \                                   /
         \════ endless Dyneema ════════════/
                    │
              carrier → handle → rider

Coming soon

Prototype first. Contribute if you want to help with builds, kits, docs, and community work — signup is on the home splash.

Software free on GitHub. Parts from big-box and online — plus kits for control boards, Dyneema, and traveler hardware you can’t get at the big box. Community first. Use at your own risk.