Nasa Wind Masthead Unit (photo)

[Shiver Metimbers]

I am going up my mast tomorrow to remove the Nasa Wind Masthead Unit. The unit will be sent back to Nasa Marine for repair as the spindle for the wind cup assembly has sheared off. Can anyone tell me if the cable can be disconnected at the masthead unit or will I have to disconnect below and pull the cable through the mast? Thanks in advance.

 

[rivonia]

I am going up my mast tomorrow to remove the Nasa Wind Masthead Unit. The unit will be sent back to Nasa Marine for repair as the spindle for the wind cup assembly has sheared off. Can anyone tell me if the cable can be disconnected at the masthead unit or will I have to disconnect below and pull the cable through the mast? Thanks in advance.

Hi, the people at NASA are very helpfull. My unit the same as yours has gone back to them for repair/overhaul. They told me to cut the wire at the top of the mast close to the unit. They are going to put new connectors on AND a new cable. Hope this helps.

Ask them by e-mail I did.

Peter

 

[webcraft]

I've araldited a new spindle into ours twice now. Am going to have to get a new unit next time I suspect.

When you say they are putting a new cable on, do you mean a full-length cable to go down the mast all the way to the readout, or a short length to join to the existing cable that you have cut the end off of?

- W

 

[jpthegp]

On my first outing the cup and spindle blew away - rather than buying a replacement and aralditing it at the masthead, I bought a complete new unit (masthead and base unit) as the latest model has NMEA output for the autopilot. Havn't tried it yet, but all wired up.
The new unit has a plug and socket - ideal. I'm sending the old unit for refurbishment, then will ebay or put it in the for sale forum to offset costs. Cutting the cable at the top will mean that while the new masthead has a plug, the old wire will not have a socket so you'll have to pull through any new wire attached to a new socket. But once done, any future probs means only a quick disconnect after removing the recommended self-amalgramating tape, so all worth it.
Have a nice climb!

 

[webcraft]

.
Why can't you just fit a socket to the old cable?

- W

 

[rivonia]

I've araldited a new spindle into ours twice now. Am going to have to get a new unit next time I suspect.

When you say they are putting a new cable on, do you mean a full-length cable to go down the mast all the way to the readout, or a short length to join to the existing cable that you have cut the end off of?

- W

They said a new cable to go down all the way the lenght of the mast. The reason being that once it was cut they were going to put a new jointing piece on so I said how do i fix the old cable to it, Hence new cable. Did you e-mail them with all the questions or better still telephone. No scrub that e-mails better you have it in writing.

Peter

 

[Amulet]

will I have to disconnect below and pull the cable through the mast?

'fraid the answer is probably "yes". The mast head units on sale today have a plug and are white. The mast head unit that I have (7 years old) connects straight to the cable and is black. (I think I have got this right - it may be that the colour change and plug may not have appeared at the same time.) Yours looks black.

I just took down mine a week ago because it was under-reading hugely. Sent it cable and all to NASA. They have mended it for £15 including postage. I think it's about £100 for a new one.

They win on being helpful.

Course you could cut it and splice it later (dangling from the mast).

 

[Hardley]

Much easier said than done, I tried doing this, tried it with two expensive plugs, the wires are so small that they break with any pressure being put on them, never did work.
For £24 Nasa serviced/repaired mast head unit, supplied new cable, complete with two plugs ( I paided much more than that for the plugs I tried to fit into the cable), can now leave cable in mast and just remove masthead unit each winter

 

[Bodach na mara]

Much easier said than done, I tried doing this, tried it with two expensive plugs, the wires are so small that they break with any pressure being put on them, never did work.
For £24 Nasa serviced/repaired mast head unit, supplied new cable, complete with two plugs ( I paided much more than that for the plugs I tried to fit into the cable), can now leave cable in mast and just remove masthead unit each winter

That sounds like a good deal Hardley. Mine is a white plastic unit and I had the problem that the plug fitted to the end of the cable would not go through the mast. There is no plug at the top. Since I have fitted it I have had endless problems with bad connections where I joined the cable. As has been said, the wires are very thin and weak.

There is no way that anyone could refit the unit to the mast while up in a chair unless there is a plug and even then it may be difficult.

 

[Hardley]

My problem was getting the cable out of the mast each winter, had to take the mast heal off (mast lowered of course) remove a shreeve and then remove the mast head shreeves to get the cable out.
Now I will be able to leave the cable in the mast, and just remove the mast head unit.
Just have to make sure the two plugs are water tight, I intend fitting them under the VHF ariel arm, that should give them some protection from the weather.
My Nasa unit must now be about 12 years old and I had a lot of trouble with it in the first year and was a critic of Nasa products,
But I must say they have improved in recent years, I now think that they are good value for the money that they cost.