Cordless Anemometer / Wind Vane

[LeytonC]

Hi has anyone used one of these? are they any good?

Quite fancy 1 for my boat. seems a good price as well!.

 

[rickp]

I've no experience of that instrument, but having an enclosed helm on a high windage boat (thought the keel helps), I did get a windex. I think it depends on what you want it to tell you - do you want to see the apparent windspeed (that which you'd experience if you stood on the deck)? Or do you want to know what the wind is doing once the vector of your direction & speed is removed (that which you'd be exeperiencing if you were stationary).

If you want the first, then a standlone instrument is fine. If its the second, it needs to be able to get other information via NMEA. I'm more interested in the second, although once at low speed they're pretty similar, and thats a very keen price for a windex /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Rick

 

[Gludy]

I use a wind vane integrated into my system but as rRck says, if you want to measure wind speed and do not have the system connected to know boat heading and speed then the reading is meaningless ... you could only ever get a reading when standing still, so I see little point in having a hand held one.

 

[trev]

I would find it a more of 'another gadget' than of real practical use on a motor boat - just as easy to look at flags and sea state.

 

[Gludy]

I can understand that.
I use it to learn from, more of a long term educational thing than any immediate practical use.

 

[LeytonC]

Thanks people, i had not really thought about the real/apparent wind - to be honest i only really want wind speed to help with moving around (slow speed handling) or planning to move to sea, because i cannot see the sea state from sharpness.

Not only that it does look quite cool, so i may well get one. If i do i will post findings...

 

[Gludy]

On the integrated kit - slow speed handling is done with a graphic of the boat and an arrow shwoing how the wind is blowing on it and at what speed - very handy.