That's the price for the chart plotter - correct? What's the cost of installation and then upgrading, or buying, and installing all the instruments you want to run into this Chart plotter?
dj
Wind instruments - B&G wireless vs. B&G wired vs. ????
- Thread starter Cederholm
- Start date
dj
Our equipment choice differences really point to design differences between our two boats and our intended uses. It is the intended use that is the key, you will be traveling far afield and I will be traveling closer to home.
My Sabre is certainly capable of ocean crossings, a number of them have done just that, however it is really designed for coastal cruising and I have equipped it for that purpose. Radar to deal with coastal fog, tank sensors because the tanks are buried and are not easily accessed, AIS because we'll be transiting areas with lots of commercial traffic, the CP because we're often in channels and shoaling areas, and it is helpful when trying to visually locate buoys and channel markers from afar. Had we stayed on Lake Ontario, none of that equipment would be necessary. We had the AIS for a year before we actually saw a boat on the screen.
If there is one take home message from this thread, it is to understand what you need for what you intend to do. Buy the boat and equipment that will do what you want it to do. You'll be happier and have more fun sailing.
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What @dlochner said!!!!!
It seems more and more, there is the perception that all kinds of gadgets are needed to go sailing. It is that - what I consider marketing driven- perception that I strongly reject.
Learning what you really need is a significant learning curve and one that you can only learn by sailing. And I'd suggest try sailing without the gadgets first, then see what you would actually need for how you sail.
dj
I'll second that! Or I guess I'm thirding it.
In one race the crew was so focused on the instruments, and so little focused and sailing the boat, I went below and turned the instruments off. The howling!!!! Unfortunately I'd like to say we sailed away from the instrument laden fleet. Not so. The loudest howler was the Admiral, who was driving at the time and the instruments were quickly restored. But I think I made a point - sort of.
In one race the crew was so focused on the instruments, and so little focused and sailing the boat, I went below and turned the instruments off. The howling!!!! Unfortunately I'd like to say we sailed away from the instrument laden fleet. Not so. The loudest howler was the Admiral, who was driving at the time and the instruments were quickly restored. But I think I made a point - sort of.
A few years ago I entered a long distance race. One of the crew was anxious to drive for a while so I put him on the helm. The wind was very light and a bit shifty. We had a compass course to sail and I told him to sail to the wind not the compass. This well trained ex-Navy NCO diligently sailed the compass course, frequently putting us in irons. After a while I relieved him of his responsibility. He wasn't happy but he was compliant. We're still friends and I'll sail with him again. He made really good sandwiches.
@Cederholm , I bought the Defender 2 display package with wireless wind sensor late last season and haven't installed it yet. I was very interested to see how @Tin Kicker installed it. I was somewhat planning on installing the blue tooth sensor next to the external GPS near the back end of the boat for a clear signal. I may have to reconsider and possibly mount it closer to center of boat and possibly interior. That gives me something to ponder before I complete installation! With some hesitation, I did finally decide on the wireless because I, too, do not want to pull the mast, even though I already have a wind ducer at top (I'm not sure the cable would be compatible or it may have a discontinuity that has been causing problems with my current RM i60 wind display). Also, I noted that Sailing Uma has been using a wireless B&G wind sensor, which has worked flawlessy during a couple-years service including their time spent above the Arctic Circle! They only needed to change their battery when it's time was up. So, I figured it was worth a try.
I think this system will work very well with the Vulcan CP. I had the wired B&G system with a Vulcan 7" CP on my Starwind and the external GPS was a necessary component for the sailing features, plus it added tide information that could be displayed on the CP. I know few of the technical details, but I would say that the external GPS adds far more than simple redundancy to the CP-loaded GPS.
That said, I also purchased a 12" Zeus CP last fall and used it quite happily on its own for awhile. The price for left-over models was ridiculously low. I had a pod that mounted my (previous-owner supplied) Garmin CP and the autopilot control on the angled shelf of the pedestal guard and a separate pod for the 3 RM displays (depth, speed, wind). I've decided to get a new pedestal guard and I'm only going to mount the single pod on the angled shelf. The pod that I purchased with the Zeus is pre-formed to mount the 12" Zeus and 2 displays. I'm going to mount one of my B&G Triton displays on the pod and the wheel pilot control (RM ST6002) for now. If I want to mount more displays, I'll deal with that later on a separate pod. I'm going to mount the 2nd Triton instrument display down below, which is where I've always wanted to have a display at the nav desk. I've got 2 thru-holes for ducers (speed and depth independently and I'm going to have to enlarge one hole for the DST 810. I will probably use the other hole for the existing depth ducer as back-up but I haven't decided where to mount the display.
I think Defender puts together the best packages, and I will always opt for buying those packages as opposed to buying components separately. I believe the package includes a N2K starter package, but you may have to purchase additional networking components depending on the complexity that you need with the displays, CP and tiller steering components you may buy. With respect to all the commentary on sailing with limited instrumentation, of course most of this stuff could be completely unnecessary. But, I like to have it and it's MBMC!
I think this system will work very well with the Vulcan CP. I had the wired B&G system with a Vulcan 7" CP on my Starwind and the external GPS was a necessary component for the sailing features, plus it added tide information that could be displayed on the CP. I know few of the technical details, but I would say that the external GPS adds far more than simple redundancy to the CP-loaded GPS.
That said, I also purchased a 12" Zeus CP last fall and used it quite happily on its own for awhile. The price for left-over models was ridiculously low. I had a pod that mounted my (previous-owner supplied) Garmin CP and the autopilot control on the angled shelf of the pedestal guard and a separate pod for the 3 RM displays (depth, speed, wind). I've decided to get a new pedestal guard and I'm only going to mount the single pod on the angled shelf. The pod that I purchased with the Zeus is pre-formed to mount the 12" Zeus and 2 displays. I'm going to mount one of my B&G Triton displays on the pod and the wheel pilot control (RM ST6002) for now. If I want to mount more displays, I'll deal with that later on a separate pod. I'm going to mount the 2nd Triton instrument display down below, which is where I've always wanted to have a display at the nav desk. I've got 2 thru-holes for ducers (speed and depth independently and I'm going to have to enlarge one hole for the DST 810. I will probably use the other hole for the existing depth ducer as back-up but I haven't decided where to mount the display.
I think Defender puts together the best packages, and I will always opt for buying those packages as opposed to buying components separately. I believe the package includes a N2K starter package, but you may have to purchase additional networking components depending on the complexity that you need with the displays, CP and tiller steering components you may buy. With respect to all the commentary on sailing with limited instrumentation, of course most of this stuff could be completely unnecessary. But, I like to have it and it's MBMC!
The B&G blue tooth mushrooms are pretty powerful. I have one for the remote on the AP. It is mounted in a locker in the V berth. When standing at the helm the remote works well with the fob in my pocket and the BT receiver about 30 feet away with 2 bulkheads between us.
To get a sense of how well it will work. Connect the BT receiver to the network and have someone carry the wind sensor and walk away from the boat. At some point the signal will be lost and that will tell you the range of the receiver. If the distance to the wind sensor is greater than the mast height the sensor should work.
To get a sense of how well it will work. Connect the BT receiver to the network and have someone carry the wind sensor and walk away from the boat. At some point the signal will be lost and that will tell you the range of the receiver. If the distance to the wind sensor is greater than the mast height the sensor should work.
Great post, thanks! …now where do I find a left-over B&G CP?@Cederholm , I bought the Defender 2 display package with wireless wind sensor late last season and haven't installed it yet. I was very interested to see how @Tin Kicker installed it. I was somewhat planning on installing the blue tooth sensor next to the external GPS near the back end of the boat for a clear signal. I may have to reconsider and possibly mount it closer to center of boat and possibly interior. That gives me something to ponder before I complete installation! With some hesitation, I did finally decide on the wireless because I, too, do not want to pull the mast, even though I already have a wind ducer at top (I'm not sure the cable would be compatible or it may have a discontinuity that has been causing problems with my current RM i60 wind display). Also, I noted that Sailing Uma has been using a wireless B&G wind sensor, which has worked flawlessy during a couple-years service including their time spent above the Arctic Circle! They only needed to change their battery when it's time was up. So, I figured it was worth a try.
I think this system will work very well with the Vulcan CP. I had the wired B&G system with a Vulcan 7" CP on my Starwind and the external GPS was a necessary component for the sailing features, plus it added tide information that could be displayed on the CP. I know few of the technical details, but I would say that the external GPS adds far more than simple redundancy to the CP-loaded GPS.
That said, I also purchased a 12" Zeus CP last fall and used it quite happily on its own for awhile. The price for left-over models was ridiculously low. I had a pod that mounted my (previous-owner supplied) Garmin CP and the autopilot control on the angled shelf of the pedestal guard and a separate pod for the 3 RM displays (depth, speed, wind). I've decided to get a new pedestal guard and I'm only going to mount the single pod on the angled shelf. The pod that I purchased with the Zeus is pre-formed to mount the 12" Zeus and 2 displays. I'm going to mount one of my B&G Triton displays on the pod and the wheel pilot control (RM ST6002) for now. If I want to mount more displays, I'll deal with that later on a separate pod. I'm going to mount the 2nd Triton instrument display down below, which is where I've always wanted to have a display at the nav desk. I've got 2 thru-holes for ducers (speed and depth independently and I'm going to have to enlarge one hole for the DST 810. I will probably use the other hole for the existing depth ducer as back-up but I haven't decided where to mount the display.
I think Defender puts together the best packages, and I will always opt for buying those packages as opposed to buying components separately. I believe the package includes a N2K starter package, but you may have to purchase additional networking components depending on the complexity that you need with the displays, CP and tiller steering components you may buy. With respect to all the commentary on sailing with limited instrumentation, of course most of this stuff could be completely unnecessary. But, I like to have it and it's MBMC!
Defender had quite a few last summer. The Zeus3 I purchased as labeled as "Remanufactured". It was basically half price and I see that they still have one left (there were about 10 left when I purchased mine). I would have happily paid about the same price for Vulcan if I didn't buy the Zeus. They have almost identical functionality. The Zeus has superior optical and speed qualities, I believe. The largest difference between the 2 in my opinion is that Vulcan is purely touchscreen and Zeus is both touchscreen and knob control. I tend to favor the knob control, especially when conditions make touchscreen more difficult.
You probably won't have as much selection and the Vulcans were ridiculously economical as well. There may not be a better opportunity until they upgrade their models again. I had some trepidation about the "remanufactured" label but it came boxed up and looking completely brand new and so far so good ....
Dalliance had no wind instrument or auto helm until two years ago. I just sailed, since 1998, with the windex at the top of the mast.
The big electronics upgrade for me was adding, in 2021, a Ray Marine EV-100 auto helm and i70 system wind instrument with tri-data through-hull, which actually gives me redundant speed and depth info now, but that’s useful. I couldn’t bare to part with my cool vintage analog knot meter and it allows me to show more pieces of wind data on the single electronic display.
Day sailing solo most of the time, the auto-helm makes such a huge difference that I don’t know why I didn’t add that years ago. I really enjoy seeing the wind data, but it is only a numerical confirmation of what I am sensing.
Last summer when the wind instrument went dead for a few days (Turned out to be just a loose ground wire screw in the waterproof connector at the mast base.), I was surprised by how frustrated and insecure it made me feel not to have that data. It’s really kind of addictive.
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