NASA new product

[VicS]

Thanks for pointing that out! So isn't the direction arrow the direction of the wind?

Yes and if it's the same as the standard Clipper wind display you have a choice of pointer styles.


The wind speed on the standard one can be set to KTS, MPH or m/s. Maybe this does the same...... It says bottom RH corner that its in KTS in the picture

 

[lw395]

Away mon!! You can eyeball the pointer to 5 degrees or better and is 1 degree really needed

When racing, we use the apparent wind display as a reference. The difference between 13 and 15 degrees is very very big.
Even cruising, it's nice to be able to tell the new helmsman 'try around 14 degrees apparent'.

OTOH, I'm happy sailing dinghies with just a compass.
It depends what you expect from the thing.
On some boats, I'm happy to just use the windspeed, it's good to have an indication of how windy it's going to feel when you head up from a run to close hauled.
Price vs Benefit and all that.

I can't see much benefit in a device to tell me roughly where the wind is unless I'm below decks.

 

[pvb]

The Nasa product is only accurate to +/- 3 degrees.

 

[GHA]

The Nasa product is only accurate to +/- 3 degrees.

A very quick google didn't come up with any accuracy figures for the competition, anyone know?

 

[Eyore]

Mine has been fine for 3 years now

Ok I may have exaggerated, I actually got about 6 months out of it , then again Its my own fault for not buying something decent in the first place.

 

[[3889]]

The blurb says 60 segments - " Exceptionally large and clear display with 60 segments for full 360 degree direction indication." so 6 degree chunks or as PVB says, +/- 3 deg. Not really good enough even for cruising, IMO.

 

[Gwylan]

Now we need a YAPP project to listen to the masthead and talk to the existing display units. Or is that not going to happen?

 

[Lurch]

( Now we need a YAPP project to listen to the masthead and talk to the existing display units. Or is that not going to happen? )

That comes with the product.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I don't geddit. Do you mean you just look at the instrument? What about feeling how your boat is going and tweaking the sails to max the speed?

The blurb says 60 segments - " Exceptionally large and clear display with 60 segments for full 360 degree direction indication." so 6 degree chunks or as PVB says, +/- 3 deg. Not really good enough even for cruising, IMO.

 

[Alfie168]

In my experience NASA stuff is pretty reliable and good value...unless it has moving parts. Nuff said.

Does that include electrons?...

Tim

 

[GHA]

The blurb says 60 segments - " Exceptionally large and clear display with 60 segments for full 360 degree direction indication." so 6 degree chunks or as PVB says, +/- 3 deg. Not really good enough even for cruising, IMO.

Have you ever used one?

 

[VicS]

The blurb says 60 segments - " Exceptionally large and clear display with 60 segments for full 360 degree direction indication." so 6 degree chunks or as PVB says, +/- 3 deg. Not really good enough even for cruising, IMO.

So you expect your crew to be able to steer to that accuracy and to be able follow wind direction fluctuations of as little as 3 degrees, or tweak the sails continuously to accommodate them.

I guess you wear out more crew than you will wind direction indicators.

 

[Vara]

Well I use the tacktik offering, which would appear to work on the same principle with similar accuracy levels, and find it more than adequate for my cruising requirements.

 

[duncan99210]

I've always been somewhat worried by people who give courses in terms anything like "314 magnetic". There has yet to be a helmsman who can steer a course that precise in anything but a flat calm. In addition, any apparent wind will never remain constant enough to worry about accuracy of better than +/- 3 degrees. Just think about the effect of the boats fore and aft motion for a second on the apparent wind before taking into a count side to side.

As far as I'm concerned the real purpose of a masthead instrument is stop you having to peer into the sun to gauge the apparent wind or at night. The accuracy provided by any wind indicator is good enough for that.

 

[pcatterall]

So you expect your crew to be able to steer to that accuracy and to be able follow wind direction fluctuations of as little as 3 degrees, or tweak the sails continuously to accommodate them.

I guess you wear out more crew than you will wind direction indicators.

+1

 

[simonfraser]

my autohelm does not complain when steering to wind

the initial NASA wind gear was too unreliable, i finished mounting it on a pole at the stern for 'easy' servicing.

 

[Richard10002]

The only Nasa stuff i have ever bought is a BM 2 6 weeks ago.
Impressed with it ( so far )

Bought my BM2 about 2+ years ago. Hasnt missed a beat!

 

[macd]

Does that include electrons?...

The electrons continued to move vigorously, particularly along the phone line to NASA.

 

[Joker]

NASA do some splendid stuff, but they do let themselves down when it comes to presentation. Most of their displays look if they were knocked up by a six year old. They should employ someone who is more skilled in the marketing side of things - as it is, they are spoiling the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar.

 

[Seajet]

It doesn't matter how accurately a helmsperson can steer, I for one would want accurate info as an aid to aim for, otherwise there would be increasing slop in the system, like an indifferent person on the helm coupled with worn rudder / tiller / wheel mountings.

I only used an original Clipper system when I was given one in an act of mistaken kindness, it was a disaster with the lot failing at 11 months, different people at NASA telling me it was the masthead or display then their refusing to honour the guarantee !

That was years ago and I understand their warranty set-up is better now, has to be as I imagine it's their busiest department...

I get much better wind direction results with wool telltales on the shrouds and a Windex ( lit by a masthead light when required ); for windspeed I just go by how happy or frightened I am.