Reliability of NASA MARINE electronics

GrahamM376

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I wouldn't buy any Nasa product with moving parts! Have you considered the Autonnic NMEA wind transducer? £259 from JG Tech - http://jgtech.com/shop9.htm

£259 is just for the masthead transducer - no display. NASA is £315 for wireless transducer + display and, being an idle old git, don't have to P1ss about with wires down the mast and under headlinings:)
 
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Saraband

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from personal experience I wouldn't touch their wind instruments where the masthead transducer is just not fit for purpose, however I have found the log and depth units ultra reliable with very clear displays.
 

pvb

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£259 is just for the masthead transducer - no display. NASA is £315 for wireless transducer + display and, being an idle old git, don't have to P1ss about with wires down the mast and under headlinings:)

Sure, but couldn't you feed NMEA wind data into your plotter, autopilot, etc? Or buy a cheap display? You may be an idle old git, but you'll have to "P1ss about" lots of times going up the mast to repair the broken Nasa bits.
 

ghostlymoron

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I've had both NASA and Raymarine wind instruments and of the two NASA have lasted better. It's not an instrument that I would fit myself but they came with the boats.
Raymarine logs have proved more reliable than NASA however.
 

JumbleDuck

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My boat came with a NASA Navtex, which never showed more than gibberish, though the display, including contrast control, worked perfectly. I sent it back to them for testing, by arrangement, and was told that while the receiver worked fine, I owed them £89 for a new display, as the new one had failed the instant they switched it on and they had already replaced it.

Yeah, right.

I left them to whistle for their money and I will never, ever have any of their stuff on any boat I own again.
 
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nemodreams

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The wind speed rotor is a joke - I have seen better made things in Christmas crackers.

I thought the nasa vhf dsc was good - untill someone tried to switch it off on the squelch - which spun the knob on its stalk ! My Raymarine stuff has been faultless !
 

Sandy

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I wonder if the date of purchase had anything to do with it?

Anyway as it was your first post welcome to the forum.

ALL of my NASA kit has worked faultlessly for years and years. Their technical support is fantastic and they are always happy to answer odd technical questions that I throw their way.

I wonder if any other company would give you free return to base warranty postage?
 

Sandy

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Well they certainly didn't with my new gear, and if your kit has worked so faultlessly how come you know their technical support so well ?! :)
I was doing some alterations and wanted to talk my plans through with them, as an engineer I ask lots of questions. I did some electronics as part of my first degree and needed to "brush up" my understanding :D
 

JumbleDuck

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I was doing some alterations and wanted to talk my plans through with them, as an engineer I ask lots of questions. I did some electronics as part of my first degree and needed to "brush up" my understanding :D

How about the free warranty postage? Which, by the way, is pretty standard, I think.
 

Porthandbuoy

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My Clipper Duet depth display failed and was repaired by Nasa, out of warranty but at an acceptable price.

The 40 year old Nasa Stingray log still works (just recommissioned that as I can now read SOG on the Duet).

My equally ancient whirling LED depth display still works, though that's in the shed if anyone wants it.

Nasa kit? Great value for money I'd say.
 

underdog

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I have Nasa duet speed and depth, BM1 compact battery monitor, and for the last two years Wireless wind. All have worked without problems except for the paddle wheel on the log fouling, for which Nasa can hardly be blamed!
The wireless wind direction indicator is surprisingly accurate and saves me getting a crick in the neck looking at the Hawk. Wind speed I find particularly useful on a beat to enable me to ensure that the boat is performing as close to her polar targets.
 

Barty47

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In my experience (as with most things in life) it’s a case of getting what you pay for. Ok, the Nasa instruments may not last as long as some other brands, BUT: they are a fraction of the price!
 

S/Y Cormoran

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I perfectly agree but in my case the new depth sounder did not function out of the box & after returning it for repair it worked for 2 weeks before failing again. Even if you accept that NASA products are not top of the range, this level of failure is unacceptable. NASA insisted that I pay all the shipping costs even in the face of this appalling reliability. Will I buy their products again, I don’t think so!
 

MountainGoat

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In my experience (as with most things in life) it’s a case of getting what you pay for. Ok, the Nasa instruments may not last as long as some other brands, BUT: they are a fraction of the price!

Just had a quick Google. NASA Clipper depth with transducer: £163
Raymarine i40 depth with transducer; £266

In this case the fraction is about 2/3. Will the Raymarine system last more than a third longer? Quite probably, and it will also, with the right bits and pieces, network with other bits and pieces including 3rd party chart plotters, which the NASA one won’t.

I think it’s false economy.
 
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