NASA Clipper kit - is it really any good?

[carrswood]

Morning all,

I need to fit a new speed/log, depth and wind gauge to a 32' cruiser.
My preference would be Raymarine ST60 plus -but your looking at approx £980 min

NASA Clipper can offer the same bundle at approx £350

Thats obviously a massive saving. The NASA gear has been around for a while - so they must have developed it to be reasonably reliable by now ??

Or is it budget kit which is not wholly reliable?
I'd welcome your honest views - as I don't want to fit rubbish

 

[Gwylan]

Our experience of a full set of NASA has been favourable. Does what it says on the box and does not break the bank.
There are differing opinions on the longevity of the wind instrument - we fitted a new one 3 seasons ago and it still seems to be fine.

Also from, experience, wonder why you are bothering with the log? We put one in because the hole was there, but it really is not necessary and does not mean too much with a GPS fitted.
Also we have to remove it regularly to displace the barnacles that see it as somewhere to hide.

 

[PLEIAS]

I have a clipper Wind on my boat which was there when i bought the boat 5 years ago and it's been reliable so far.Have also the older Target log and depth kits also reliable but let's face it it would be a lot better to buy a gps - fishfinder combination - that way no need to drill holes on the boat or run cables so if i were you thats what i would do.Also try to find a wind system which is wireless not that i have anything against the older systems but why complicate matters? Happy sailing.

 

[jbweston]

I haven't any experience of the sailing instruments but their Clipper Navtex and electronic barograph are excellent bits of kit. I've had them for several years on my old boat. They just work and they were easy to d-i-y fit. I have just specified them both on my new boat to go alongside the Raymarine sailing instruments the builders have already installed.

Do bear in mind they aren't waterproof. Mine are fitted by the chart table.

 

[morgandlm]

Nasa Instruments

There's been a lot written about this before. My experience of NASA masthead wind speed kit has not been good. In my opinion it is just not fit for purpose although I recognise that others have had better results. The speed log and depth indicator instruments have performed well though.
Morgan

 

[Humblebee]

NASA Clipper depth sounder

I've used their depth sounder for years and find it fine. No complaints at all.

 

[JimC]

I have found all the NASA Clipper instruments to be good and reliable except for the wind instrument masthead unit, and I believe this has now been improved.

 

[Alcyone]

We had a gps repeater, wind, depth and speed log when we bought the boat. The depth sounder would often freak out, especially in the turbid waters off Cardiff. Wind didn't work, log, intermittent.

Replaced wind masthead unit. worked for 2 weeks, then stopped. Replaced log paddle wheel, same. Depth sounder, still iffy.

My opinion? Junk kit.

I had lowrance and Garmin sounders as well, at various points, and they are great.

Clipper gps repeater is fine.

 

[Tiercel]

We have had a clipper log/depth, wind and GPS repeater on the boat for about 4 years. They all functioned well initially and through 2 years of liveaboard cruising. However in march 2008 the wind cups dropped off. These were replaced at low cost (£12.00 if I remember correctly).

We then left the boat for 6 months out in the Aegean and on our return found that the cups and their spindle had come off. This meant we had to spend a further £105 to buy a complete new masthead unit even though the wind direction indicator worked fine. Talking to others out here it would appear that this is a regular occurrence.

The log and depth have worked just fine although the log does need occasional re-calibration (a fairly simple task).

The GPS repeater is an excellent piece of kit.

 

[asteven221]

Used NASA Clipper kit on several boats without any problems.

 

[Spuddy]

Put in a NASA depth which was OK for a couple of months then said it wasn't getting signal from transducer. I was off on a trip so put in replacement of same model and has been fine since. My thinking was that electronics nowadays is all solid state and should be reliable so faulty model might have iffy connection somewhere. I'll have the back off it and check this winter. But, errm, it should have been fault free in the first place shouldn't it.

 

[Colvic Watson]

Most irritating thing about the wind unit is having to cut the cable to get it up the mast and then join it again. They know 90% of their customers will need to do this but they still supply it with a great big plug on one end and the transducer on the other.

 

[NPMR]

Combined log and depth sounder. Worked for 10 years, with a couple of paddle replacements for log. Navtex - 1 x aerial replaced in 8 years. Battery monitor. No problems.

Parts and advice quick and easy. Can only speak as we find.

 

[rhumlady]

Wind, Duet and GPS repeater all worked very well. We had the display on the Duet go on us and a phone call to NASA got that sorted by return of post. Just with in the warranty period but 9 years of service for the price is good value as far as I am concerned.

 

[Sy-Revolution]

I fitted wind, speed and depth this year. Wind has been very temperamental, often reading way under, as if the spindle gets stuck. Depth has been fine, speed reads and works ok but the screen has started to fail. It's figures have started going black when they shouldn't. Badly described sorry.

I like the big displays and the price but if I was doing the job again I'd have gone for something better.

 

[affinite]

My experience of NASA kit ...

Navtext - great
GPS repeater - great
SW Radio - nice toy
Wind - **** unless you enjoy regular trips up the mast to replace cups or complete unit.
LEM - bit flimsy ... designed by Joahn Noakes and made out of egg boxes and tin foil

 

[Mudplugger]

NASA instruments

Most irritating thing about the wind unit is having to cut the cable to get it up the mast and then join it again. They know 90% of their customers will need to do this but they still supply it with a great big plug on one end and the transducer on the other.

Not so on current models I believe....Have run Wind, Log, E/Sounder,Bat.Monitor,C/H meter,GPS Repeater,and repeaters for the last couple of years...4k miles no problems! and not had any problems with water penetration on the 4 repeaters @ the Helm. As far as I am concerned, good value for money!

 

[freespiritdavid]

I had Nasa Target wind, log, depth on my last boat 10yrs no probs. Then fitted new Clipper units to my new boat with no problems in 9yrs use so far. I keep the impellor maintained with vasaline for lube and ground chilli pepper mixed with vasaline in the paddle wheel impellor as a antifoul. Works fine for me. Head readouts are outside with no problems. With that sort of service I cannot complain

 

[Avocet]

I have a Nasa Clipper depth and log (two separate instruments). To be honest, they've been better than the Raymarine ones they replaced! The Raymarine instruments kept misting up. The Nasa units are fine. The covers are a bit cheap and nasty, but they do the job.

 

[Koeketiene]

Had a Clipper windex on previous boat - failed twice, don't bother a third time.
Log good - till it fouled (no brand is immune)

On previous and current boat:
Echosounder and GPS repeater -> as good as gold