Nasa Clipper Wind & Raymarine ST1000+

[MikeFloutier]

I like your idea of switching the navigator off when tinkering with the wind transducer connections; it might even be good to disconnect the navigator from the autopilot temporarily.

Then, the first thing to check is that the blue NMEA 0183 - wire on the tp32 is connected to the negative battery wire that goes to the NASA wind. It is this connection that forms the circuit allowing the data current to flow from the NASA to the tp32.

Also, can't remember if you already mentioned this but, apparently, you can calibrate the NASA unit by fixing the direction sensor in the straight ahead position and then just shorting the data wire to ground (i.e. Battery negative on the NASA supply). Having said that, if the tp32 is anything like my Raymarine st2000, you're not interested in the absolute wind direction, only the shifts, so I can't really see any point in calibrating the NASA kit.

 

[MikeFloutier]

DazedSkipper, hopefully you got you Clipper Wind working ok with your Simrad. I recently finished my st2000 installation. Had a great 2 day cruise, singlehanded, where the setup worked perfectly, was able to go below with confidence close-reaching in strong winds. Makes for restful heavy weather sailing.

Regarding the connections, I recently trialled the Track function on the st2000. Initially it wouldn't work as the st2000 wasn't receiving data from the plotter, even though I had both wires "correctly" connected. In the end I followed someone's advice just to jump the 0v (battery ground, common, whatever) to the NMEA 0183 minus. All was well and after re-doing the st2000 heading alignment (to the boat compass) it would happily follow my GPS track to within 0.2m.

I'd suggest jumping your Simrad's NMEA 0183 minus to the unit's 0v (usually the blue wire). Sounds crazy but it seems to work, somehow makes a circuit for the data voltages.

Getting back to the OP issue regarding communication between NASA Clipper wind and st1000, the issue is that NASA puts out the correct NMEA 0183 sentence MWV but the st1000/2000 will only understand an obsolete VWR sentence. Raymarine used to sell a converter (not sure why they didn't update the firmware in the units - well maybe I am) but not any more.

The best workaround now (unless you're pretty competent with Arduino, and a cool diy'er) is to buy a standard multiplexer at
http://brookhouseonline.com/nmeamux_ext.htm . You can program it to translate the MWV sentences to VWR and they will pre-load a routine to do this for you at no extra charge. Cost is around £160 plus postage (from NZ I think). A lot cheaper than a Raymarine i60 wind pack at £750 min

 

[MikeFloutier]

Ok, just come across a cheaper workaround assuming you have an st1000 or st2000 but don't have the NASA Clipper Wind sensor yet. (I.e. Like me)

And you're not in a hurry, i.e. Order now for installation over the winter.

1. Get the Peet Bros PRO wind vane - http://www.meteo-shopping.fr/Statio...e-Pro-12-metres-de-cable-WSF-10030P-Peet-Bros, and

2. An NMEA 0183 anemometer converter - https://www.tindie.com/products/tkuehn/nmea-anemometer-using-peet-bros-pro-wind-vane/

Looks like it may be nearly £100 cheaper than the NASA/Brookhouse combo but you have to wait for the guy who's building the converters to get back from his holidays in September and catch up with his backlog.

I've reserved my place in the queue and will wait and see

 

[MikeFloutier]

I kept searching on eBay and eventually found a Raymarine E85001 which translates NMEA0183 into SeaTalk. Installed it today and was rewarded with the NASA Clipper Wind talking nicely with the Raymarine ST2000. Next job is to connect the Clipper to my Garmin GPS550s chart plotter so I can get wind speed and direction on screen.

The Clipper wind transducer was £99 from CactusNav and the E85001 £100 btw, a big saving!