Wireless mast-head instruments

[TiggerToo]

The time will come where we replace the instruments on Tigger.
Masthead wireless technology is beckoning.

Does anyone have experience of their reliability (or not)?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I recently sold a Raymarine mn101 fully functional, and bought a Garmin version with NMEA2000. Both of them are perfectly functional on our boat, which has a 13.5m mast. It must be 15m between the instrument head and the transponder.

 

[Minerva]

We've got the NASA wireless wind for the last three or so seasons. Worked just fine. Would buy again if I were to change boats

 

[Praxinoscope]

Same and Minerva. we have the NASA wireless unit, no complaints.

 

[superheat6k]

For some reason the previous owner of my trawler yacht installed a windex on one of the stub mast spreaders.

I was just wondering where the cable led to when I noticed the tiny solar panel on the upper surface.

This certainly reduced the hassle with the re-working of my mast to tip forwards instead of backwards, indeed I would have binned the Windex entirely as it a complete folly on a power boat, but with the wireless one working perfectly fine I will simply keep it. Seems accurate enough.

 

[[70521]]

I looked at wireless kit and quickly discounted them. Reason was the figures quoted for range, a max of 15 metres and my mast is 12.5 metres - I am pretty sure yours is taller The manufacturer did not state if that was on a dry day or with a nice cloud dumping the contents on the boat, I suspect the former.

Went for Garmin NMEA 2000 in the end and it really is plug and play.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I looked at wireless kit and quickly discounted them. Reason was the figures quoted for range, a max of 15 metres and my mast is 12.5 metres - I am pretty sure yours is taller The manufacturer did not state if that was on a dry day or with a nice cloud dumping the contents on the boat, I suspect the former.

Went for Garmin NMEA 2000 in the end and it really is plug and play.

I’m sure your present one is a peach, but on our experience you needn’t have worried. I was sure the wireless one would work for us as we were replacing a fault free wireless one already.

 

[[70521]]

I’m sure your present one is a peach, but on our experience you needn’t have worried. I was sure the wireless one would work for us as we were replacing a fault free wireless one already.

My ancient Stowe kit was falling apart so had to bite the bullet and replace it. Little difference in cost between wired and wireless kit when I was looking.

I do worry. The Bluetooth on my Victron kit struggles to get five metres and that is only going through a few bits of plywood - OK I don't know the transmitter and receiver power ratings, but suspect that the ones used in masthead kits are to the low end of the scale otherwise Garmin and Raymarine would be saying 100 metres.

In the conditions we were out in last week the seas flattened in minutes. I would hate to think the amount of dB the signal lost due to rain. I quite like to know that there are 30 knots gusting 40 when I am out there. Although the conversation went along the lines, 'It's a tad blowy, can you dump the main'.

At the end of the day we fit kit for our needs, F4 round Lake Solent is one thing F8 in the middle of an ocean is another. Knowing @TiggerToo and some of his plans I would suggest he added wired kit.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We do venture further than the Solent, and though no especial effort, a lot more wind from time to time. But yes, think I’d choose wired for ocean crossing. That ain’t never happennin on our boat.

 

[RupertW]

We have had Tacktick for 13 years, second display and 2nd masttop sensor plus one repair of second mast-top centre. The kit might have been quite old when we got it.

My feelings are very mixed - it works is solar powered so losing electrical power would change nothing. It’s worked up to 70 knots so far and the display is readable day or night - but the angle has to be almost face on in bright sunshine. Later displays give better angles. It just does the simple job and with a little common sense then pairing is not hard. There are two usual horror stories about pairing, one from this forum was particularly despair-ridden and has grown every time I’ve told it.

But with the rest of our kit being Raymarine then although there are adaptors and protocols there is not sub-£1000 way (and even that is not reliable) of getting the wind sensor to talk to the course computer so we will never have wind-angle steering unless I bought a separate wired sensor. Buying a whole integrated system from scratch would be very different.

When we did need to change our sensor and display some years ago I speficically asked them to replace it with a wired system that would talk to the course computer- they specifically didn’t but instead fitted identical replacements.

 

[mrangry]

I have a B&G wireless wind unit on a 16m mast and it works perfectly. I had some initial teething troubles getting it to pair with the base unit, however that was probably more down to me and poor instructions supplied.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We have had Tacktick for 13 years, second display and 2nd masttop sensor plus one repair of second mast-top centre. The kit might have been quite old when we got it.

My feelings are very mixed - it works is solar powered so losing electrical power would change nothing. It’s worked up to 70 knots so far and the display is readable day or night - but the angle has to be almost face on in bright sunshine. Later displays give better angles. It just does the simple job and with a little common sense then pairing is not hard. There are two usual horror stories about pairing, one from this forum was particularly despair-ridden and has grown every time I’ve told it.

But with the rest of our kit being Raymarine then although there are adaptors and protocols there is not sub-£1000 way (and even that is not reliable) of getting the wind sensor to talk to the course computer so we will never have wind-angle steering unless I bought a separate wired sensor. Buying a whole integrated system from scratch would be very different.

When we did need to change our sensor and display some years ago I speficically asked them to replace it with a wired system that would talk to the course computer- they specifically didn’t but instead fitted identical replacements.

I’d have specifically told them to take it off and do as I asked, or specifically not be paid.

 

[RupertW]

I’d have specifically told them to take it off and do as I asked, or specifically not be paid.

I agree but I had made the mistake of having to be away to the next country with just 48 hours checking snags. And the boat wasn’t going to be put back in the water until I had paid for all the work. They fixed most of the other snags - all from the same electrician - all the boatyard work itself was, as it had been before, great quality. A lesson learnt on timing.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Yes. That is a shame. Our new wireless one does indeed talk to our other instruments. True wind readout allows Chiara's owner to nag me about when to reef.

 

[Hermit]

I have a tacktick wind connected via the puck to a STNG network. Fitted lasted winter and works well - much easier than faffing with wires down the mast. This is a 42ft aft cockpit boat - not issues with connectivity (or viewing the screen).

Integrates well with autopilot (steer to wind vane) and displays on axiom plotter.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I have a tacktick wind connected via the puck to a STNG network. Fitted lasted winter and works well - much easier than faffing with wires down the mast. This is a 42ft aft cockpit boat - not issues with connectivity (or viewing the screen).

Integrates well with autopilot (steer to wind vane) and displays on axiom plotter.

We considered the wireless interface, but got such a good price on a Garmin GNX wireless that it was cheaper to do that,and sell the Raymarine, complete with mast craning, than it was to buy the interface. Nowt wrong with having a look at your mast head every so often either, so all good.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I'm replacing much of my electronics at the moment, with the goal that the chartplotter can receive speed-through-the-water and wind direction, getting everything on NMEA 2000.

I can't see any benefit offered by wireless, and would expect wired to be more reliable (in principle, at least, even if it doesn't make any difference in practice).

I did chose the LCJ Capteurs CV7 ultrasonic wind sensor, however, to reduced dependence on mechanical components which may wear.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Before fitting the NASA unit to the mast I wandered around with the mast unit to get an idea of its range, given that it was not a 100% ideal test, it was still paring with the base station in the boat from at least 20 metres.
Certainly no problems at all on our 10m mast even in some severe gales we had during last Winter.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I have a Garmin wireless wind unit, works OK most of the time. Not really any easier to install than a wired one, apart from feeding a cable through the mast, of course. Batteries need replacing every three years or so. If i was fitting one now, i'd fit a wired one.

I've fitted a couple of these, good value and a simple fit, no extra boxes and crap to install, just an NMEA 2000 connection (connects to the end of the backbone) : Wind Sensor 2K | Autonnic

 

[greeny]

I have the tacktick system. Basic system with masthead unit and depth and speed through hull. It works well 99.9% of the time. Very occasionally it loses comms and readouts go all dashes. I have to reset the power and it re establishes itself first time. It doesn't do it very often and has never done it (yet) at a critical moment, when watching depth in shallows. Overall very happy with it but I'm only a small boat and know most of the places I visit pretty well now so the occasional lock up doesn't hurt me. I inherited the system with the boat. If I was starting from scratch I'd probably bite the bullet and run the wires for a conventional system in the mast.