Ultrasonic wind masthead transducer

dLj · Sep 30, 2023

I use a Windex. Neither wireless nor ultrasonic.

dj

capta · Sep 30, 2023

dLj said:
I use a Windex. Neither wireless nor ultrasonic.

dj

The problem with my Windex is that it is always pointing to where I want to go. I think it is defective.

dLj · Sep 30, 2023

capta said:
The problem with my Windex is that it is always pointing to where I want to go. I think it is defective.

I'd say so. Mine always points to the apparent wind. Very nicely in fact.

dj

Tally Ho · Sep 30, 2023

ricksoth said:
I am adding a sailing instrument to my boat this winter and have decided on wireless for the masthead unit, but now am pondering "traditional" type units from Garmin or B&G vs ultrasonic units from LCJ Capteurs ( CV7SF2-WINDYPLUG – Wireless ultrasonic wind sensor ) or Calypso (Ultrasonic Portable wind meter).

Would love to get opinions on the reliability of unit brands and whether others have gone wireless and/or ultrasonic.

Thanks.

I have a TacTic wireless device on my O’Day 322….mast height about 40’.

The Tac Tic seems to work fine. I don’t lose the data feed, and it has been working great for the 8 years or so that I have owned the boat (and it was on there a few years before that I think.

My only complaint was I didn’t have a way to connect the data to my Garmin CP or to the RayMarine AP. There were no data connections on the head / display unit. But a very helpful SBO member told me about. TacTic wireless interface, which captures the wireless data from the transducer on the mast, and coverts it to NMEA 0183. From that device, I could get the wind data on my CP and on the AP so it could steer to a wind angle.

I now love the system even more!

I am going to watch this thread, as I am very interested in the ultrasonic devices (I thought Airmar made one)….Are those wireless, or do they need a wire down the mast?

Greg

dLj · Oct 1, 2023

A question I've always had for these units that run a sensor at the mast head with no wiring is how long do the batteries last? Also, how well do those electronics stand up to long term ocean environment exposure?

I made the comment I use a Windex a bit tongue in cheek, although I do use my Windex much more than my electronic mast head sensor. Pretty much the only thing I do use my mast head sensor (it's wired) for is wind speed. I find the electronic unit to be less reliable for apparent wind angle than my Windex. In addition, there is really only one viewing angle for the electronic unit whereas my Windex I can see from anywhere on the boat, including inside my saloon looking straight up the mast from my main saloon hatch.

I guess if I had the unit connected to my phone or a tablet, I could see it anywhere also, but then I need to have another device in my hands when I'm possibly already with my hands full and simply wish to glance up to see my apparent wind. As I'm doing passages with a windvane, the need to look up is not frequent, and when I'm adjusting my windvane to alter course, the visual of the Windex is much better, in my opinion, than the visual of the electronic unit. Both the Windex and the windvane are physical entities that you match. It's a more intuitive alignment than with the electronic system that just has a dial and an indicator....

dj

jssailem · Oct 1, 2023

I have a Davis Firefly windex on the mast. I glance up at it for the occasional confirmation. My primary sensor it the ‘mark1 hairs’ on the back of my neck. Also the mark2 eyeballs are useful monitoring trees, smoke, clouds, water ripples, other vessels etc. to give clues as to the wind on the water. Then setting and trimming sails to take me in the desired direction. Adjusting as the tails tell the story of the wind in the sails. All of these help to conserve battery power. They are powered not by electricity but by food, wine, and or rum which must be kept in ample supply.

dLj · Oct 1, 2023

jssailem said:
I have a Davis Firefly windex on the mast. I glance up at it for the occasional confirmation. My primary sensor it the ‘mark1 hairs’ on the back of my neck. Also the mark2 eyeballs are useful monitoring trees, smoke, clouds, water ripples, other vessels etc. to give clues as to the wind on the water. Then setting and trimming sails to take me in the desired direction. Adjusting as the tails tell the story of the wind in the sails. All of these help to conserve battery power. They are powered not by electricity but by food, wine, and or rum which must be kept in ample supply.

Why the "or" rum? Isn't it food, wine and rum??? All which require ample supply....

dj

Tally Ho · Oct 1, 2023

dLj said:
I use a Windex. Neither wireless nor ultrasonic.

dj

Well, it is wireless! Mine is too

Greg

Hayden Watson · Oct 1, 2023

dLj said:
A question I've always had for these units that run a sensor at the mast head with no wiring is how long do the batteries last? Also, how well do those electronics stand up to long term ocean environment exposure?

I made the comment I use a Windex a bit tongue in cheek, although I do use my Windex much more than my electronic mast head sensor. Pretty much the only thing I do use my mast head sensor (it's wired) for is wind speed. I find the electronic unit to be less reliable for apparent wind angle than my Windex. In addition, there is really only one viewing angle for the electronic unit whereas my Windex I can see from anywhere on the boat, including inside my saloon looking straight up the mast from my main saloon hatch.

I guess if I had the unit connected to my phone or a tablet, I could see it anywhere also, but then I need to have another device in my hands when I'm possibly already with my hands full and simply wish to glance up to see my apparent wind. As I'm doing passages with a windvane, the need to look up is not frequent, and when I'm adjusting my windvane to alter course, the visual of the Windex is much better, in my opinion, than the visual of the electronic unit. Both the Windex and the windvane are physical entities that you match. It's a more intuitive alignment than with the electronic system that just has a dial and an indicator....

dj

I have my autopilot interfaced to my G-wind and in many cases, the AP steers the boat better on the vane than it does on heading.

jssailem · Oct 1, 2023

The perceived advantage of the wireless is that you don’t have the pain of running another wire through the mast. The challenge is that the wireless requires a power source and you may have to climb the mast multiple times to service this wirelessly system. I’d submit the wire being a onetime activity is worth the aggravation.

It is a boat and the owner has to decide on the acceptable compromise.

Hayden Watson · Oct 1, 2023

ricksoth said:
Hayden, is your G-wind wired or wireless?

Wired. The wirless version says that it is good to 40' and my mast is 42'. I have heard from some other C30 owners that have the wireless that it works most of the time which would be fine except that I wanted to be able to steer to wind and a drop-out, would cause the AP to lose heading.

dLj · Oct 1, 2023

Hayden Watson said:
I have my autopilot interfaced to my G-wind and in many cases, the AP steers the boat better on the vane than it does on heading.

So you are running your electric autopilot off wind direction. I've had autopilots that can do that although my current autopilot I do not think has an input that accepts a wind input. Plus my current electronic wind indicator probably doesn't have a usable output either. It would be a notable amount of boat bucks to create that entire system. An expense I don't see any need for. Of course, we are sailing different regimes.

To sail to wind, I use my windvane. It does not steer as close to a wind direction as your setup will I'm sure, but our needs are different. You'd be hard pressed (likely) to run your setup nonstop for several weeks as well as my setup can...

dj

dLj · Oct 1, 2023

I wonder if having a RADAR unit mounted mid mast if the signal could be interrupted. Anybody have experience?

dj

Hayden Watson · Oct 1, 2023

dLj said:
So you are running your electric autopilot off wind direction. I've had autopilots that can do that although my current autopilot I do not think has an input that accepts a wind input. Plus my current electronic wind indicator probably doesn't have a usable output either. It would be a notable amount of boat bucks to create that entire system. An expense I don't see any need for. Of course, we are sailing different regimes.

To sail to wind, I use my windvane. It does not steer as close to a wind direction as your setup will I'm sure, but our needs are different. You'd be hard pressed (likely) to run your setup nonstop for several weeks as well as my setup can...

dj

Very true. I am not crossing oceans with my setup. For my sailing in the Salish Sea, it is really handy because the setup is the press of a button. My AP is a Raymarine EV-1 wheel pilot, and my plotter and wind are Garmin. The AP runs on the SeaTalk-NG network and the plotter and wind both use NMEA 2000 but I have the connector chord that lets them both play nice together. With this setup, the AP will steer to heading, appearent wind and plotter route. It should be able to also steer to true wind which would be much better for off the wind conditions, but I cannot figure out how to get that info from the G-wind.

dLj · Oct 1, 2023

Hayden Watson said:
Very true. I am not crossing oceans with my setup. For my sailing in the Salish Sea, it is really handy because the setup is the press of a button. My AP is a Raymarine EV-1 wheel pilot, and my plotter and wind are Garmin. The AP runs on the SeaTalk-NG network and the plotter and wind both use NMEA 2000 but I have the connector chord that lets them both play nice together. With this setup, the AP will steer to heading, appearent wind and plotter route. It should be able to also steer to true wind which would be much better for off the wind conditions, but I cannot figure out how to get that info from the G-wind.

Great setup for costal cruising, especially where you are sailing.

dj

Tally Ho · Oct 1, 2023

My Tac Tic wireless transducer has a small solar patch on it, but I have never had to replace a battery or have it fail In the 8 years I have owned Tally Ho.

1 year, while retrieving the transducer from the top of the mast in the fall, I dropped it in the lake. Sank 15 feet or so in the water. My son dove in and retrieved it. The dang thing just kept working ! Fresh water, not salty.

The display is wired to 12 volts.

I find having the AP steer to a wind angle to be a critical solo-sailor tool. Raising or lowering the sail is much easier if you can point the boat into the wind and have the AP hold you there. I use it all the way that way. When I first got Tally Ho, the AP was not connected to wind, so I was quite frustrated with the system. Mine is a mix of Garmin CP, Raymarine AP and Tac Tic wireless wind. Through some help from a SBO member, I got a Tac Tic wireless interface (used) and got wind info to the AP and to my CP using NMEA 0183.

So it can be done and doesn’t have to cost a fortune. I am very happy with my cobbled together system for now…when something bites the dust, I may have to get a new system. But for now, it all works And talks to each other.

TacTic is now owned by RayMarine.

Greg

dLj · Oct 1, 2023

I've never had a problem with using an autopilot that does not point to wind but only a compass course to single hand. Never even felt it would be a "nice to have"....

Now, having an autopilot that controlled by wind for near shore sailing, that's a different issue.

dj

Ultrasonic wind masthead transducer

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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