Wireless wind instrument

E

eddystone

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 Aug 2013
Messages
1,936
Location
North West Devon
Visit site
Plan to have the mast down whilst laid up and I though would be opportunity to fit wind instrument which I haven't got (other than windex). Not really sure I need it but comes under not essential but nice category. Looking at Raymarine i60 but can get for similar price the Raymarine ex Ticktack one where the display is solar powered and the link to the mast head is wireless. I would go for the NASA but I need a super robust windvane unit because it will get perched on on my mooring - mainly crows.

Is the Raymarine/Ticktack solar/wireless set-up reliable?
 
I bought a b&g wireless unit but cannot get it to pair with the base receiver no mater how many times I try.
 
Had the raymarine tacktick wireless wind for the last 4 years, works well and the only issue I’ve had was signal strength at first, this appeared to be the mast blocking the line of site between the wind head and the display. It sometimes lost for short periods the signal. Rather than move the display we fitted the nmea2k hub and this was fitted in front cabin and it acts as a repeater and gives the data to system
 
eddystone said:
Is the Raymarine/Ticktack solar/wireless set-up reliable?
Click to expand...

Not as reliable as a wired connection. Also note that, when the rechargeable batteries in the masthead unit need replacing, someone's got to go up the mast a couple of times - not something I like doing!
 
I have a Garmin wireless masthead unit. Was a pain to get it setup, sometimes it just refuses to work, but might work if i switch it off and on a few times. Battery life is about three years, at which point i have to pay someone to go up the mast.

Purchased as much as anything to see how well they work, as various customers asked about wireless, will not recommend it to anyone. I'd go with a wired unit, especially as you are taking the mast down anyway.

Do you have anything that can display NMEA data, there are masthead units that will work with any NMEA0183 or NMEA2000 displays that can display wind data.
 
To be completely hones, if I was to start again I would go the wired NMEA 2k route, but as we had the depth log and wind and nmea 0183 interface to much was invested
 
mrangry said:
I bought a b&g wireless unit but cannot get it to pair with the base receiver no mater how many times I try.
Click to expand...
You need to have the masthead unit pretty well touching the receiver during the pair process and within 30 seconds of putting battery in. Recent customer said instructions did not make that clear.
Also leave the masthead unit in daylight for a few hours first to ensure fully charged (not forgetting to put battery in of course!).
 
MikeCC said:
You need to have the masthead unit pretty well touching the receiver during the pair process and within 30 seconds of putting battery in. Recent customer said instructions did not make that clear.
Also leave the masthead unit in daylight for a few hours first to ensure fully charged (not forgetting to put battery in of course!).
Click to expand...
Yes I tred that too but nothing. A real nuisance as most of it wired and now have to re package to send back to supplier.
 
I installed a B&G wireless system this year. It's worked well so far and the masthead unit feels robust. Mr Angry is not alone in having had Bluetooth linking issues and there are good descriptions on the internet for how best to get the system paired (no other Bluetooth sources nearby, fully charged battery, correct sequence for switching on and putting battery in etc.). I was fortunate and had no problems. It's early days but so far, so good.........
 
We have had a Tacktick for 10 years. The main hassle has been I can’t work out how to integrate it at all to the Raymarine autopilot course computer so it can steer to the wind. As a standalone it is fine but the arrow is not nearly as clear to see in salt spray and sunshine as a modern high colour digital display or an analogue arrow.
 
Bit of research with marine electronics retailers indicates NASA wireless unit has fewer problems than Tacktic; not really willing to pay £800-900 for something that doesn't link to anything else so NASA it is. As I understand it the masthead unit recharges from the inbuilt solar panel like the Tacktic compass on our flying Fifteen. And at NASA prices its not a tragedy if it doesn't always work.
 
eddystone said:
Bit of research with marine electronics retailers indicates NASA wireless unit has fewer problems than Tacktic; not really willing to pay £800-900 for something that doesn't link to anything else so NASA it is. As I understand it the masthead unit recharges from the inbuilt solar panel like the Tacktic compass on our flying Fifteen. And at NASA prices its not a tragedy if it doesn't always work.
Click to expand...

Remember that it has a battery with a finite life - probably only 2-3 years. When the battery wears out, it's necessary to go up the mast to replace it. Unless you're very nimble, it would mean two trips up the mast.

As your mast is down, why not fit a nice reliable wired system? It would be cheaper and would probably last much longer without needing attention.
 
pvb said:
Remember that it has a battery with a finite life - probably only 2-3 years. When the battery wears out, it's necessary to go up the mast to replace it. Unless you're very nimble, it would mean two trips up the mast.

As your mast is down, why not fit a nice reliable wired system? It would be cheaper and would probably last much longer without needing attention.
Click to expand...
It’s actually more like 15 years for us for the first battery set and 5 so far for the next. But I would also go got a wired system if starting from scratch.
 
The battery in the Tacktic tactical compass lasts the life of the instrument - in fact they can't be replaced as far as I know. Also I don't like wires - bad connections very difficult to trace and finding routes for new wires in a boat with a continuous moulded headlining not always easy. The receiver unit has a battery that needs replacing but that will be at the chart table. The connections to the display in the cockpit can follow an existing route for a redundant echopilot/repeater. Ease of fitting is very high on my list of priorities as I find electrics challenging.
 
OTOH, if it were Bluetooth rather than wireless that would be a complete no no. Re. battery life, if I was still till able to sail a yacht in 15 years I would be quite chilled about a non working wind instrument
 
eddystone said:
The battery in the Tacktic tactical compass lasts the life of the instrument - in fact they can't be replaced as far as I know. Also I don't like wires - bad connections very difficult to trace and finding routes for new wires in a boat with a continuous moulded headlining not always easy. The receiver unit has a battery that needs replacing but that will be at the chart table. The connections to the display in the cockpit can follow an existing route for a redundant echopilot/repeater. Ease of fitting is very high on my list of priorities as I find electrics challenging.
Click to expand...

Not for the first time, I've got exactly that kit on our S32. It was installed by the previous owner and works faultlessly after 7 seasons and no battery changes. I wish I could say the same about the DST800 transducer that came as part of the original kit, which failed intermittently over three seasons.
 
eddystone said:
The battery in the Tacktic tactical compass lasts the life of the instrument - in fact they can't be replaced as far as I know. Also I don't like wires - bad connections very difficult to trace and finding routes for new wires in a boat with a continuous moulded headlining not always easy. The receiver unit has a battery that needs replacing but that will be at the chart table. The connections to the display in the cockpit can follow an existing route for a redundant echopilot/repeater. Ease of fitting is very high on my list of priorities as I find electrics challenging.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I thought you were planning to get a wireless wind instrument, not a tactical compass. The Raymarine wireless wind transducer does have a battery which will need replacing; the battery costs about £60 and Raymarine have these instructions - https://seamarknunn.com/acatalog/2050281.pdf
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top