Clipper Marine Instruments

[Sailing steve]

Need a new combined speed and depth gauge asap.

Any comments about or experiences with the Clipper Duet?

 

[ridgy]

Not a duet but I have a full set of clipper instruments. On my previous boats it was all Target. I don't really understand why people pay the money for b+g, raymarine etc. I get that they look nice etc and integrated with their highly expensive plotter

I would have a duet in a heartbeat if that filled the need.

 

[LittleSister]

I have had a Clipper Duet (and individual depth and speed on another boat) and they performed very satisfactorily.

I have also found NASA great for spares and advice if needed. They also provide a repairs service, with reportedly very reasonable charges, though I've not needed to use it myself.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

And you can't fault NASA's after sales support. They repaired my out-of-warranty depthsounder FOC+postage.

 

[Kwik Decision]

Note that the NASA Duet will only work with the NASA transducers, not with those you (may) already have, so you will need to fit these and run cables. There has been much discussion about how to fit the NASA log paddlewheel through-hull fitting, which are worth a read. For example here:

Thread 'What NASA say about installing their paddle wheel through-hull'

2 Sep 2021

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" We don’t know about CT1 but if it isn’t silicone based we would not recommend using it. We had specialist advice and have used silicone sealant since the early 80’s. It will not damage the fittings or hull.

You can use a proprietary body filler to glass the skin fitting in afterwards."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So this is advice going back nearly four decades...

CT1 is only 18 years old, contains no solvents or isocyanates and is specifically recommended for bonding plastics. My understanding is it is not PU, it is a 'hybrid polymer', but I am prepared to be...

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[Refueler]

Note that the NASA Duet will only work with the NASA transducers, not with those you (may) already have, so you will need to fit these and run cables.

Sorry but that is not strictly true ... it may have been for your gear - but I have used Echopilot ... Seafarer ... as well as standard Airmar depth transducers - as Nasa Depth uses the standard pulse rate ...

The Speed transducer is a different diameter to various other brands but again I have had success across brands as long as the plug is correct ....

To OP ... the Nasa gear is good enough ... it may lack the integration aspects of more expensive gear - but then not everyone wants that.

 

[potentillaCO32]

Need a new combined speed and depth gauge asap.

Any comments about or experiences with the Clipper Duet?

i had one in my mgc27 and it worked perfectly. I have bought the non paddle wheel electronic transducer thingy one for my contessa 32 refit. I have also bought the clipper wind speed/direction instrument. As someone else said I can't justify another 1k on top for b&g or similar.

I have an emtrak AIS transceiver and will use a tablet for chartplotter. Having depth aand SOG integrated into the chartplotter doesn't add a lot for me.

 

[Refueler]

Integration ? Nasa gear now has option on some of it with 0183 connectivity ... no longer are they only separate units ... but you need to check specs when buying as to whether NMEA or not.
As to N2K ... no idea ...

 

[Daydream believer]

I would not bother with NASA again, I had wind log depth compas and a gps repeater and they all failed due to moisture in the displays, the wind unit is cheap & nasty as the bearing breaks down quite quickly
Yes NASA replace parts quickly but should not have to if they worked
The wind unit in our club has to be changed at regular intervals as well
I have had Echopilot- useles
Simrad changed after 4-5 years
Now on raymarine , displays are clear and they work, you pays your money

 

[[164147]]

As above all Nasa instruments are cheaply made and their depth transducers are very basic.

 

[alahol2]

Only ever had speed and depth but never had a problem with transducers nor displays.

 

[Minerva]

I would not bother with NASA again, I had wind log depth compas and a gps repeater and they all failed due to moisture in the displays, the wind unit is cheap & nasty as the bearing breaks down quite quickly
Yes NASA replace parts quickly but should not have to if they worked
The wind unit in our club has to be changed at regular intervals as well
I have had Echopilot- useles
Simrad changed after 4-5 years
Now on raymarine , displays are clear and they work, you pays your money

Our nasa clipper displays are in a pod above the companionway / under the Sprayhood. They are now old enough to vote! 16ish years on and still working just fine. Replace the Stowe wind unit for clipper wind 5(?) seasons ago and still working just on original cups.

not sure you can ask for much more imo.

 

[KevinV]

The Clipper range aren't top of the line, but neither is the cost. Not sexy, but very functional.

Aftersales is brilliant - they answer the phone, know what they're talking about, and can supply everything down to the smallest part.

The only issue I have is alignment of the paddle wheel has to be "just so" - it always seems to need a jiggle after refitting. A known issue, which can be avoided with the non-paddlewheel log, definitely on my shopping list.

 

[Graham376]

As our Stowe instruments packed up over the years, replaced with Clipper - log, depth, gps repeater and wireless wind. They do what I want at reasonable price, not interested in integration.

 

[fredrussell]

I would not bother with NASA again, I had wind log depth compas and a gps repeater and they all failed due to moisture in the displays…

Must admit my NASA depth has a bit of condensation inside the screen occasionally, but has never missed a beat and gives a very reliable depth reading with transducer just stuck to inside of hull with sikaflex.