NASA Wind Masthead Unit - Any positive experiences?

[pvb]

The Stowe masthead unit on my last boat was 24 years old and still working fine, although I did replace the bearings about 10 years ago. If Stowe could achieve that level of reliability and durability back in the 80s, why can't Nasa do it now?

 

[Tintin]

The Stowe masthead unit on my last boat was 24 years old and still working fine, although I did replace the bearings about 10 years ago. If Stowe could achieve that level of reliability and durability back in the 80s, why can't Nasa do it now?

Why should they have to? They are built to a price that is significantly less than B&G, Raymarine and all the others. And yet their performance is good, they last ok, and they have great support.

The real question is why you expect a small successful British manufacturer to deliver a product at a nice price with features that you don't expect foreign manufacturers to reach?

And why at every opportunity you denigrate and criticise them for not meeting the high standards you don't expect of others?

 

[Eyore]

My Nasa wind unit worked brilliantly for a few months since when its been driving me mad. Never again will anything NASA be fitted to any boat I own.:disgust:

 

[pvb]

Why should they have to? They are built to a price that is significantly less than B&G, Raymarine and all the others. And yet their performance is good, they last ok, and they have great support.

The real question is why you expect a small successful British manufacturer to deliver a product at a nice price with features that you don't expect foreign manufacturers to reach?

And why at every opportunity you denigrate and criticise them for not meeting the high standards you don't expect of others?

Materials science is so much better today than 30 years ago, as is the level of manufacturing precision. A wind transducer is essentially a very simple device, and there's no reason why a small British manufacturer shouldn't be capable of making a good one. Yet these forums consistently tell of Nasa wind unit failures.

I think Nasa equipment is rather poor in design and manufacturing terms. That's merely my opinion, and I thought that I was allowed to post opinions in a public forum, not just opinions you'd agree with.

 

[NUTMEG]

A NASA MHU came fitted to my first boat, worked fine for years. I have just a new NASA wind instrument to my 'new to me' boat. Only been up there a short while but no issues at all. Nice bit of kit imho.

 

[Seajet]

I am thankful to NASA instruments for forcibly reminding me, even if by an expensive and irritating process, that I can tell the wind strength by how happy or frightened I am, and the direction by the masthead windex, even better the telltale tufts of wool on the shrouds at eye level...

 

[yachtorion]

I am thankful to NASA instruments for forcibly reminding me, even if by an expensive and irritating process, that I can tell the wind strength by how happy or frightened I am, and the direction by the masthead windex, even better the telltale tufts of wool on the shrouds at eye level...

The dinghy racer in me has got to agree that the best instrument for telling wind direction when close hauled is those few bits of wool...

Overall though this thread has given me the peace of mind to buy the NASA kit. So I will. My mileage may vary. Thanks all.

 

[Tintin]

......That's merely my opinion, and I thought that I was allowed to post opinions in a public forum, not just opinions you'd agree with.

Of course dear boy, but I do not have to agree with you either.

 

[pvb]

Of course dear boy, but I do not have to agree with you either.

If you just want to argue with someone, pick someone like Vonasi.

 

[doug748]

Amen.


I go back a long way with NASA.

The Radiofix Mk 5 with prismatic compass was - complete tripe, even by the standards of late Jacobean electronics

I have had a few Navtex sets all of which did the job but were let down by dodgy aerials. A forumite on here said "why not put the aerial below decks" which I have now done, great tip.

The NASA AIS Radar kicked up a real storm on these pages because of it's provocative name. In my view a superb bit of kit, still being knocked out now, virtually unchanged, ten years on.


Anyroad, the real point of my message is to say that I have had a Raymarine ST40 wind thingy for ten years and the cups only needed replacing this year. The Rotavecta whizzer is very simple verging on the miraculous and is available in the same cost frame as the NASA unit. The display in not very good but it may be no worse than the NASA. It might be worth consideration.

 

[Redshank Evo26]

I have had a NASA wind instrument fitted to Redshank since I bought her 8 years ago. I have had to replace the cups once, but they were only about £15 from memory and quite easy to do. I am perfectly happy with NASA kit, it does the job at a fraction of the price of many makes. I find the angle it represents perfectly adequate for steering up wind, when for some reason I cant see the tell tails, and we are usually racing.

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

There was a post on here a few years ago where someone modified the Nasa MHU with a metal spindle. Might be worth a search as he posted a fairly comprehensive description of the modification.
I had a Nasa unit on a previous boat. Had the usual issue with the wind cups blowing away after a year or so. Frustrating!

That would be me. My previous boat had one when I bought her. The cup arrangement fell off within my first year of ownership. When she was lifted out and mast unstepped, I bought a replacement cup set, but on examination of the masthead unit I found that the spindle had also disappeared. Due to the mast being down, it was easy to dismantle the unit and ascertain the length of spindle required. Being in the business of supply to the tattooing piercing industry, it occurred to me that the perfect replacement spindle would be a Titanium or 316 stainless steel barbell, of the type used for tongue piercings. They come in diameters of 1.0 , 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.4mm and lengths of between 6 and 40mm. I can't at this point remember what size I used, but when I did the repair I Loctited the threads. It was still in place and working perfectly when I sold the boat 5 years later. Anyone contemplating this modification should enquire on here for the dimensions, someone is bound to have a broken one in their shed, or alternatively ask at their local friendly piercing studio for a selection of barbells, one of each size, on a sale-or -return basis before venturing up the mast. Glad you remembered the existence of my previous post.
P.S. Same boat also came with a NASA GPS repeater which never presented any problems.

 

[robmcg]

That would be me. My previous boat had one when I bought her. The cup arrangement fell off within my first year of ownership. When she was lifted out and mast unstepped, I bought a replacement cup set, but on examination of the masthead unit I found that the spindle had also disappeared. Due to the mast being down, it was easy to dismantle the unit and ascertain the length of spindle required. Being in the business of supply to the tattooing piercing industry, it occurred to me that the perfect replacement spindle would be a Titanium or 316 stainless steel barbell, of the type used for tongue piercings. They come in diameters of 1.0 , 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.4mm and lengths of between 6 and 40mm. I can't at this point remember what size I used, but when I did the repair I Loctited the threads. It was still in place and working perfectly when I sold the boat 5 years later. Anyone contemplating this modification should enquire on here for the dimensions, someone is bound to have a broken one in their shed, or alternatively ask at their local friendly piercing studio for a selection of barbells, one of each size, on a sale-or -return basis before venturing up the mast. Glad you remembered the existence of my previous post.
P.S. Same boat also came with a NASA GPS repeater which never presented any problems.

It was a memorable post! I remember thinking it was a clever solution to the main weakness of the MHU. :encouragement:

 

[Amulet]

My NASA wind did 8 years with one replacement of the cups and one replacement of the spindle. No real problems. Accidental damage to the masthead unit meant I replaced the whole thing two years ago. Still going fine. I have a full house of NASA equipment and wouldn't be willing to spend enough to get as comprehensive electronics from a posh vendor. A few minor problems have been resolved by a quick call to NASA, with the person answering the phone actually able to answer the questions. A mate of mine upgraded to B&G from NASA for all his kit, and has reported nothing but problems since. His gets quite heated with an "All that NASA stuff I sold to a pal is still working fine" moan from time to time. So if you buy NASA don't expect it to work for ten years without attention. I assume that if you go more upmarket you'll get better reliability, but you will find someone who has problems with even the most expensive of equipment.