Wireless wind direction and speed indicators

[Just Me]

Has anyone experience of how reliable these wireless wind instruments are?

Specifically NASA and Raymarine are two that we may purchase (not together!!) but before coughing up several hundreds, it would be good to learn if anyone else has installed them and how reliable they are.

Thanks

Chris

 

[mrangry]

I have the b&g wireless wind unit and no issues

 

[lustyd]

From everything I’ve seen and read people either have had issues or will have issues. The hard part is mounting the unit, not feeding the wire down. Given how much more reliable wires are I’d go wires every time.
I’ve seen countless tales of pairing problems and quite a few battery dead situations, including Uma who were sponsored so had every reason to shine a good light on the product.
Obviously wireless works, they are common these days. Wired works more consistently though, so if you rely on the info go with wires.

 

[Daverw]

Had tacktic set for past 5 years, just about to sort out service for wind head as cups are spinning slow, will change battery at the same time. Only issue we had was loosing signal which eventually tracked down to the mast blocking signal, solved by fitting nmea2k hub in forward cabin as it acts as signal repeater, been good ever since. If I fitted again would probably go wired nmea2k as everything is now 2k

 

[Praxinoscope]

I have used the NASA unit for two seasons which replaced the rather useless Raymarine ST40 wind instrument.
I don’t really like digital displays and really liked the old Raymarine ST60 analogue unit, I had on my previous boat, but having looked at the options of red-wiring the mast or going for a wireless system, I went for the NASA unit, (The price was a major factor), it has performed well over the two seasons and survived 60 kt winds. There is a slight delay 1 or 2 seconds between the sensor and the display so perhaps not the perfect unit if one is heavily into racing, but for cruising and occasional racing it’s not a problem.
I think the display and information and functions that both the Tacktic unit and Raymarine may be better displayed or more extensive, but so are the prices, and I have been happy with the NASA to date.

 

[HenrikH]

Had the Nexus (now Garmin) wireless on the old boat. The rechargable battery failed about yearly. Sometimes, not often, it lost connection. Now I am wired (B&G) see no reason experiment again

 

[rgarside]

I have a TackTick unit. It was fitted about 9 years ago. I replaced the battery about 3 years ago [it could no longer get through a night at that point]. Apart from that it has been trouble-free, and avoided the challenges of routing a cable.

 

[thalassa]

I have a TackTick unit. It was fitted about 9 years ago. I replaced the battery about 3 years ago [it could no longer get through a night at that point]. Apart from that it has been trouble-free, and avoided the challenges of routing a cable.

My experience is exactly the same, apart from two things. The mast length is borderline to the Tacktick specification, so occasionally communication to the mast transducer is lost, but retrieved by turning the display off and on. Also, and this is possibly common to all mast units, the rotor axle has to be cleaned and re-lubricated every four years or so.

 

[Praxinoscope]

My experience is exactly the same, apart from two things. The mast length is borderline to the Tacktick specification, so occasionally communication to the mast transducer is lost, but retrieved by turning the display off and on. Also, and this is possibly common to all mast units, the rotor axle has to be cleaned and re-lubricated every four years or so.

Before fitting the unit of my NASA wireless unit I did a sort of crude range check by holding the unit and walking away from the boat until the signal became unreliable, this equated to about 100’. from the base unit in the boat, so calculated tgat on my 30’ mast there would be no problem at all, this has proved correct.

 

[billyfish]

Remember they have a battery life.

 

[jwilson]

Do you really need a dial to tell you which way the wind is blowing? The only real advantage of any masthead electronic wind instrument (and very very few people ever use this function) is to get an autopilot to "steer to wind" instead of a fixed compass course.

I have a wired Raymarine ST60 one: fitted new in 2005, failed and a new masthead unit I had to fit in about 2012 cost roughly £400, it's still working now. But personally if kitting out a new boat I really doubt I'd bother getting a wind instrument.

 

[billyfish]

As you say , steering to wind , its brilliant, but always worried about ???

 

[Praxinoscope]

Remember they have a battery life.

Not a problem, I drop my mast at the end of the season, so can change it then if needed.

 

[Just Me]

Thank you everyone. I did not know about the Tacktick unit, so a little more research this winter!!

Chris

 

[Praxinoscope]

Do you really need a dial to tell you which way the wind is blowing? The only real advantage of any masthead electronic wind instrument (and very very few people ever use this function) is to get an autopilot to "steer to wind" instead of a fixed compass course.

I have a wired Raymarine ST60 one: fitted new in 2005, failed and a new masthead unit I had to fit in about 2012 cost roughly £400, it's still working now. But personally if kitting out a new boat I really doubt I'd bother getting a wind instrument.

I find the dial on the bulkhead saves me getting a crick in the neck watching the hawk.

 

[Graham376]

I fitted a NASA wireless to replace broken Stowe. Display not as good but acceptable, sometimes extended time, minute or so, to get going after switching on. Cups still attached after around 4 years.

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

I've got a tacktick, it came with the boat. It's mostly ok, display is fine.

Quirks though... When entering the mar menor through a large marina it loses contact and needs to be rebooted - no big deal.

Secondly there's no way to interface it to the other raymarine electronics without another 300 quid gadget, which I haven't got so I miss out on the steering to wind and true wind calcs etc.

Otherwise it works ok. I wouldn't say it's worth a grand though.

 

[Praxinoscope]

#16 thé occasional delay when starting up has never bothered me as the base unit switches on at the same time as all the other instrumentation, which I switch on well before leaving the mooring.
I agree the display is not the best, but at almost half the price of other units I can live with it.

 

[Tranona]

I've got a tactical, it came with the boat. It's mostly ok, display is fine.

Quirks though... When entering the mar menor through a large marina it loses contact and needs to be rebooted - no big deal.

Secondly there's no way to interface it to the other raymarine electronics without another 300 quid gadget, which I haven't got so I miss out on the steering to wind and true wind calcs etc.

Otherwise it works ok. I wouldn't say it's worth a grand though.

The ST2000+ tiller pilot does take NMEA 0183. I am just about to buy one and maybe will add a NASA wind as I found steering to wind quite useful when I had it on another boat. I could also data from my Garmin chart plotter which also has 0183 output for steering to s waypoint, although when I had that facility on my last boat I used it less than steer to wind.

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

The ST2000+ tiller pilot does take NMEA 0183. I am just about to buy one and maybe will add a NASA wind as I found steering to wind quite useful when I had it on another boat. I could also data from my Garmin chart plotter which also has 0183 output for steering to s waypoint, although when I had that facility on my last boat I used it less than steer to wind.

Yeah, does the NASA wind have nmea out? The tacktick doesn't.