Wireless Instruments

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I am off to the Southampton Boat Show next week and an item that is high on the shopping list is wireless instruments, wind and water (depth, speed).

I'd be interested in hearing from anybody who has them and their experiences with them.

Thanks

Sandy
 
Why? Installing a cable is easy, and it's a one-off exercise. Wireless masthead units have batteries which require replacing from time to time, requiring a trip up the mast. I'd rather stay at sea level!
 
pvb said:
Why? Installing a cable is easy, and it's a one-off exercise. Wireless masthead units have batteries which require replacing from time to time, requiring a trip up the mast. I'd rather stay at sea level!
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Simples, I am replacing the instrumentation and it is an option that I want to explore.

Do you not go up the mast to do a rigging check?
 
Sandy said:
Simples, I am replacing the instrumentation and it is an option that I want to explore.

Do you not go up the mast to do a rigging check?
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No, I never go up the mast. I have the rigging checked every 10 years or so by a professional rigger, they know what to look for.

Garmin suggest that their wireless masthead units need a battery replacement every 3 years. Paying someone one to do that would be seriously expensive, and it certainly isn't anything I'd do on a DIY basis. Ordinary wired instruments are incredibly reliable, why introduce unnecessary complexity?
 
The Garmin gWind wireless used to transmit to a Wsi box, which sent the data to another black box, the GND10, which connected to the N2K network. Wind data was then available on any N2K device that could show wind data, most plotters, GMI10s, GMI20s etc etc.

The new model of gWind doesn't have the Wsi or GND10, but it will only pair with Garmin GPSMap plotters (not echoMap) or the GNX20 wind instrument. Once paired with the appropriate instrument the data is available on the N2K network. IMO, Garmin have messed this up, should have stuck with standard N2K equipment.

The wired gWind will connect to the N2K network and will show wind data on the GPSMap, echoMap, GMI10, GMI20, GNX20 etc.

PVB is correct about the battery needing to be replaced every three years. The battery costs about £20 and is only a 2 minute job, once you've got someone to the top of the mast. The wireless connection has a range of 15m, in ideal conditions and other wireless equipment could potentially interfere with it. The masthead unit has to sit flat on its bracket, which should be at the top of the mast, same as the wired one, so consider that if you have stuff like a tricolour at the masthead.

I tend to agree with PVB that wired is best and have said so before. However, i recently bought a wireless one, but i'm having issues with it, long story, will post again when it's resolved.

I would not consider wireless depth, so easy to run a cable. Not sure what other equipment you're planning Sandy, but i'd be thinking about a wired N2K network.
 
pvb said:
Paying someone one to do that would be seriously expensive
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Not that I’m a fan of wireless instruments, but this ain’t necessarily so. I’ve needed a couple of quick masthead jobs doing, for one the local rigger charged £20 to climb (not even be winched, the rope was just a safety precaution - the man’s a monkey!) the mast, for the other I took it to Lallows in Cowes who charged me £30 to use their cherry picker for half an hour.

Pete
 
pvb said:
Why? Installing a cable is easy, and it's a one-off exercise. Wireless masthead units have batteries which require replacing from time to time, requiring a trip up the mast. I'd rather stay at sea level!
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I thought that wireless instruments had a small built-in solar panel these days? The batteries would still need changing but possibly only every 10 years and my wired MHU only lasted that long anyway.

I'll try and find a link.

https://www.nasamarine.com/product/wireless-wind-masthead-unit-data-box/

Richard
 
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PaulRainbow said:
I tend to agree with PVB that wired is best and have said so before. However, i recently bought a wireless one, but i'm having issues with it, long story, will post again when it's resolved.

I would not consider wireless depth, so easy to run a cable. Not sure what other equipment you're planning Sandy, but i'd be thinking about a wired N2K network.
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Thanks Paul its this sort of information I am after. Knowing somebody is having issues with it, especially somebody who does a lot of marine electronics, is extremely useful.
 
I installed the NASA wireless wind kit a couple of years ago and like it a lot. It's one less cable down the mast and one less set of junctions to corrode. So far so good. All other instrumentation is wired but this not such a problem since no mast or make/break connections involved.
David Morgan
 
Had the tactic (now raymarine) stuff on the race boat for 11 years or so. Battery not an issue, replaced one masthead unit when it gave out this year, wasn't a battery issue, was the bearings in the spinner I think. One base unit replaced this year too, that was battery. Replacing the masthead unit took less than 5 min at the masthead, it's one grub screw. Probably easier than if it was a wired instrument.

Based on our experience I wouldn't rule out wireless if they otherwise suit your needs.
 
We also had TacTic (now Raymarine) on a previous boat and it worked well enough. It was installed when we bought the boat new and we did not keep the boat long enough to be able to comment on battery life, but I had no reason to believe that it would be as little as three years. To some extent, it probably depends on your pattern of sailing - in the summer, the weather is warm which improves battery performance and the days are long with plenty of bright sunshine to charge the battery. In the winter, the weather is cold which reduces battery performance and the days are short which reduced charging input. If you are primarily a summer sailor, then you should have no problems; if you do a lot of winter sailing, then you may notice the reduced charge life.
 
maby said:
We also had TacTic (now Raymarine) on a previous boat and it worked well enough. It was installed when we bought the boat new and we did not keep the boat long enough to be able to comment on battery life, but I had no reason to believe that it would be as little as three years. To some extent, it probably depends on your pattern of sailing - in the summer, the weather is warm which improves battery performance and the days are long with plenty of bright sunshine to charge the battery. In the winter, the weather is cold which reduces battery performance and the days are short which reduced charging input. If you are primarily a summer sailor, then you should have no problems; if you do a lot of winter sailing, then you may notice the reduced charge life.
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The main issue being discussed regarding battery life relates to the mast head unit.T hat will be transmitting to the receiver 24/7, whether you're sailing or not.
 
PaulRainbow said:
The main issue being discussed regarding battery life relates to the mast head unit.T hat will be transmitting to the receiver 24/7, whether you're sailing or not.
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I don't believe so - the communication between the mast head and base station is two way - on TacTic, at least - I believe that the mast head unit goes into a low-power receive only mode when it it not hearing the base station.
 
maby said:
I don't believe so - the communication between the mast head and base station is two way - on TacTic, at least - I believe that the mast head unit goes into a low-power receive only mode when it it not hearing the base station.
Click to expand...

Echoes my understanding.
 
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