Which wind instrument?

[johnphilip]

With the mast taken down for the first time it is an opportunity to spend even more and renew an 18 year old Navman wind instrument (which always under reads the strength) but with which one?
Is the expense of a Raymarine justified? Or is a NASA offering nearly as good? Between these two others such as B&G. or Garmin. Inaccessability of a masthead unit means I want to have reliability but does more money buy it?
The echo sounder has been problematic for a while too, so is it time to get a new set?

 

[Tranona]

Depends on how you intend using it. If you just want a display then it is difficult to justify the premium brands. However if you want to integrate it into you system then NASA has only limited output in NMEA 0183. Just as an example, I have only basic NASA instruments and a stand alone plotter plus an ST 2000 tiller pilot. This accepts 0183 sentences as well as Seatalk so a Nasa would be fine if I wanted to use the sail to wind function.

 

[NormanS]

Ribbon telltales on the shrouds.

 

[noelex]

I have been very happy with our CV7 – ultrasonic unit made by LCJ CAPTEURS. Models are available with NMEA 0183, or 2000 output so they should work with any display.

 

[ctva]

Going for a N2k setup would be worthwhile as you remove miles of cables for a single plug and play backbone which will be able to take any future additional instruments you may add. Especially if your depth sounder needs replaced.

I replaced old Raymaring 0183 stuff with a B&G set up and it like any of the others in N2k is easy and simple to install.

 

[noelex]

Going for a N2k setup would be worthwhile as you remove miles of cables for a single plug and play backbone which will be able to take any future additional instruments you may add. Especially if your depth sounder needs replaced.

I replaced old Raymaring 0183 stuff with a B&G set up and it like any of the others in N2k is easy and simple to install.

One problem to keep in mind with NMEA 2000 wind instruments is that the thinner and more flexible dropper cable cannot be used to the top of the mast, as the length is restricted to 6m. A backbone cable has to be used. This can be done, but the thickness, cost and flexibility of a suitable backbone cable is not ideal.

Some instruments use NMEA 0183 or a proprietary cabling system, but then have a conversion box that can be situated at the base of the mast to convert the signal to NMEA 2000.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

I have had an Autonic nmea unit on my madt for 2 seasons now.
Not issues.
Not stupid money either

 

[johnphilip]

I have had an Autonic nmea unit on my madt for 2 seasons now.
Not issues.
Not stupid money either

Thanks for the suggestion, had a look but it seems you need two displays, one for windspeed one for direction. Also masthead unit apparently supplied with 1m of cable, so a joint at the masthead? not my favourite idea, or have I got it wrong?

 

[bergie]

I have been very happy with our CV7 – ultrasonic unit made by LCJ CAPTEURS. Models are available with NMEA 0183, or 2000 output so they should work with any display.

Seconding the CV7 recommendation. Crows here have a thing for eating plastic, and so most boats with traditional rotating anemometers are missing a cup or two. And actually our analog wind indicator just got eaten last week. Second winter that’s happened. Considering switching to a stainless model instead…

We have the CV7 wired to a Yacht Devices NMEA0183 multiplexer, from which the wind is transmitted via N2K to the B&G instruments, and via SeaTalk1 to the autopilot.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

Thanks for the suggestion, had a look but it seems you need two displays, one for windspeed one for direction. Also masthead unit apparently supplied with 1m of cable, so a joint at the masthead? not my favourite idea, or have I got it wrong?

I use one of these as the display head.
KMR-6 - ONWA Marine Electronics Co. Ltd.
Show wind speed and direction (true & aparent) both graphically and digitally.

The connector at the top of the mast is an advantage as you can remove the sensor. The ln line plug they supply is as good as new after 2 seasons (checked it today).


My old NAVMAN had a continuous cable potted into the sensor. Water got into the cable which killed the whole unit.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thanks for the suggestion, had a look but it seems you need two displays, one for windspeed one for direction. Also masthead unit apparently supplied with 1m of cable, so a joint at the masthead? not my favourite idea, or have I got it wrong?

You do not need two displays. It is also not uncommon the have a "join", easy to seal either version with some self amalgamating tape.

 

[John_Silver]

One problem to keep in mind with NMEA 2000 wind instruments is that the thinner and more flexible dropper cable cannot be used to the top of the mast, as the length is restricted to 6m. A backbone cable has to be used…..

……unless you opt for wireless masthead instruments. Which is the way I went when upgrading from 0183 to 2000. B&G (which is what I fitted) definitely offer wireless. Raymarine own TackTick, the wireless pioneers, so I’d guess they do too. The wind instrument wirelessly connects to a Bluetooth puck mounted on the hatch garage. This links into the N2k backbone which serves the displays, also mounted on the garage.

 

[noelex]

……unless you opt for wireless masthead instruments. Which is the way I went when upgrading from 0183 to 2000. B&G (which is what I fitted) definitely offer wireless. Raymarine own TackTick, the wireless pioneers, so I’d guess they do too. The wind instrument wirelessly connects to a Bluetooth puck mounted on the hatch garage. This links into the N2k backbone which serves the displays, also mounted on the garage.

This is obviously the easiest to install. LCJ Capteurs also offer a wireless model, with a small solar panel providing power. Unfortunately, its refresh rate is slower and therefore the performance a little worse. I presume this is to reduce the electrical consumption so the solar panel and battery can keep up.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I have been very happy with our CV7 – ultrasonic unit made by LCJ CAPTEURS. Models are available with NMEA 0183, or 2000 output so they should work with any display.

View attachment 167478

I concluded this is the best.

I don't believe LCJ make an actual NMEA 2000 model, but supply their "WindyPlug" NMEA 2000 adaptor as an option.

The CV7 is NMEA 0183 and that's the cable that runs down the mast - the WindyPlug connects to your NMEA 2000 backbone wherever you want it, and you connect CV7's NMEA 0183 to that. I.E. you don't have to worry about the NMEA 2000 backbone length mentioned by another poster.

The WindyPlug also includes a barometric sensor, which is cute because your chartplotter will show a barometric graph for the last day or so.

I am moving all my transducers and instruments from old Autohelm / Seatalk1 to NMEA 2000 / SeatalkNG, which turned out to be quite a financial commitment. But once you've got NMEA 2000 in your boat it becomes easy to add things - a Raymarine i70 or B&G Triton is not restricted to wind or wind and depth, it can display anything that's on the network; it has a page which acts as AIS "radar", for example. If you were to buy just a wind sensor and an i70 (or Triton) then you could probably connect to your existing chartplotter, you could add an NMEA 2000 depth sensor at a later date and then that would connect to the network and now depth would be an option on the existing displays.

But you shouldn't listen to me because I just stopped counting the cost when I realised how hideously expensive the "proper job" of upgrading electronics was going to be, and carried on regardless.

 

[Sandy]

With the mast taken down for the first time it is an opportunity to spend even more and renew an 18 year old Navman wind instrument (which always under reads the strength) but with which one?
Is the expense of a Raymarine justified? Or is a NASA offering nearly as good? Between these two others such as B&G. or Garmin. Inaccessability of a masthead unit means I want to have reliability but does more money buy it?
The echo sounder has been problematic for a while too, so is it time to get a new set?

A few years ago I replaced my aging Stowe kit with Garmin purely because the boat had a Garmin Chart plotter and I could run everything back to it. When the RADAR went FUBAR I plugged in a Garmin RADAR.

Given the number of posts about a) the reliability of Raymarine and b) the lack of customer service I would avoid the company with a long spinnaker pole.

Whatever you select I would avoid wireless as it is usually working at the limits of its range and rain reduces range even further.

 

[ghostlymoron2]

Ribbon telltales on the shrouds.

The only reason I can see for networking the wind is if you wish your autopilot to follow wind direction.

 

[John_Silver]

Whatever you select I would avoid wireless as it is usually working at the limits of its range and rain reduces range even further.

So far so good (3 years post install) with the wireless B&G. Rain or shine. Spanish summers or East Coast winters and the Biscay transits between. The installation manual recommends a max mast height of 30m / 98’……..

 

[tjbrace]

Another vote LCJ Capteurs CV7 . Fit and forget so far, no moving parts.

 

[PaulRainbow]

One problem to keep in mind with NMEA 2000 wind instruments is that the thinner and more flexible dropper cable cannot be used to the top of the mast, as the length is restricted to 6m. A backbone cable has to be used. This can be done, but the thickness, cost and flexibility of a suitable backbone cable is not ideal.

This is incorrect. Whilst there is a limit on the length of drop cables the longer cabling used for the backbone is the same cable. The only exception to this is for very large installations, where the backbone cables should be bigger, this does not apply to the typical leisure yacht and certainly would not be required for a masthead wind unit.

 

[ctva]

One problem to keep in mind with NMEA 2000 wind instruments is that the thinner and more flexible dropper cable cannot be used to the top of the mast, as the length is restricted to 6m. A backbone cable has to be used. This can be done, but the thickness, cost and flexibility of a suitable backbone cable is not ideal.

Some instruments use NMEA 0183 or a proprietary cabling system, but then have a conversion box that can be situated at the base of the mast to convert the signal to NMEA 2000.

Generally all sailing boat n2k setups have the wind mast head unit as the end of the backbone, and as the op indicated that was his required instrument, this was implied.
N2k to 0183 units are not cheap unless you have a specific old Instrument you want to keep.