Had my rigger bring down the no-longer-working mast head sender unit for my Standard Horizon wind instrument. Have since learned that there are no repair/replacement options from SH. They're out of the instrument business now. Anyone have experience with the SR Mariner wind unit? It's the only one with a round display unit. Any other "reasonable" recommendations (forget Tack-Tic!)?
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What was wrong with it? Not spinning?
If it was not spinning, try spraying Sailkote lube into the seam, or any opening you can find. It should loosen it up. If it was not sending data, or dead electronically, sorry I won't be able to help.
If it was not spinning, try spraying Sailkote lube into the seam, or any opening you can find. It should loosen it up. If it was not sending data, or dead electronically, sorry I won't be able to help.
Wind Instrument Problem
I have a similar problem with my Data Marine setup. It worked when the boat was on the hard until the yard pulled the mast. I have concluded it's a wiring issue. The only thing I did was disconnect the round connector at the masthead when I rewired the mast. The idiots who chose this connector used a silcone grease on the BRASS contacts. Gold plated contacts should have been used instead. I can call them that after spending 20 years in the aerospace/defense connector industry. You might be able to check the function of the sending unit and the instrument head without it being attached to the masthead provided the cable that runs down the mast and sending unit are still intact. If you don't have another connector at the bottom of the cable run, you can hook the individual wires up directly to the instrument matching the existing color code. Don't lose the color location of each wire on the strip. Make a diagram. If there is a connector on your cable, do not cut it off without knowing you can get a replacement. If it's a solder termination, you can use solder wick and de-solder it to salvage the old one. Otherwise look for a replacement pair with gold plated contacts. I can direct you to some inexpensive ones if needed. If the anemometer still spins, you should get some kind of reading because you've gone directly to the instrument bypassing the mast step connections. It might indicate a bad connection somewhere between the connections at mast step and the instrument head. If you don't get a reading, try going to the mated pair of connectors at the sending unit to see if there is excessive corrosion on the contacts. I found that to be the case on my unit. Lots of green stuff. I tried cleaning mine with electrical contact cleaner. Radio Shack used to carry this spray. CAUTION! I may have created my own problem by not flushing out all the contaminants and if they used a conductive silicone grease, it might have bridged between two contacts and shorted it. I have apparent wind but no wind speed. If you are not dealing with a environmentally sealed connector and you are in a salt water environment, not only will those salt deposits corrode unplated contacts, it will act as a semi-conductor creating an electrical path between contacts. Found this hard the hard way on a very expensive military system that was originally designed for use in a computer room and then used in an outdoor, high humidity enviroment. Bob
I have a similar problem with my Data Marine setup. It worked when the boat was on the hard until the yard pulled the mast. I have concluded it's a wiring issue. The only thing I did was disconnect the round connector at the masthead when I rewired the mast. The idiots who chose this connector used a silcone grease on the BRASS contacts. Gold plated contacts should have been used instead. I can call them that after spending 20 years in the aerospace/defense connector industry. You might be able to check the function of the sending unit and the instrument head without it being attached to the masthead provided the cable that runs down the mast and sending unit are still intact. If you don't have another connector at the bottom of the cable run, you can hook the individual wires up directly to the instrument matching the existing color code. Don't lose the color location of each wire on the strip. Make a diagram. If there is a connector on your cable, do not cut it off without knowing you can get a replacement. If it's a solder termination, you can use solder wick and de-solder it to salvage the old one. Otherwise look for a replacement pair with gold plated contacts. I can direct you to some inexpensive ones if needed. If the anemometer still spins, you should get some kind of reading because you've gone directly to the instrument bypassing the mast step connections. It might indicate a bad connection somewhere between the connections at mast step and the instrument head. If you don't get a reading, try going to the mated pair of connectors at the sending unit to see if there is excessive corrosion on the contacts. I found that to be the case on my unit. Lots of green stuff. I tried cleaning mine with electrical contact cleaner. Radio Shack used to carry this spray. CAUTION! I may have created my own problem by not flushing out all the contaminants and if they used a conductive silicone grease, it might have bridged between two contacts and shorted it. I have apparent wind but no wind speed. If you are not dealing with a environmentally sealed connector and you are in a salt water environment, not only will those salt deposits corrode unplated contacts, it will act as a semi-conductor creating an electrical path between contacts. Found this hard the hard way on a very expensive military system that was originally designed for use in a computer room and then used in an outdoor, high humidity enviroment. Bob
Thanks, guys...
JC: the annemometer and wind vane are held on by small nuts and a washer. I took both units off for cleaning. Apparently one of the two sender magnets has loosened and touchs the pickup head. Filed it down and cleaned up everything with alcohol. Reassembled unit but annemometer still doesn't spin--barely moves in strong breeze. Wind vane would move but was not registering at display unit. Bob: Could be a wiring problem. Can see color of wires at display head but have no way to determine what pins on the mast head unit they connect to as the masthead unit is a molded mounting connector socket assembly with a lock ring on the sender arm. It just plugs in and locks. There's no wiring diagram in the manual as the mast end was a prewired molding as noted above. There is no connection visible at the mast step. Plan to pull the turning block sheeves on port side to gain accest to feel if there's a connector inside. Have telecom background so wiring hardware issues aren't. Haven't tried tracing wiring from display unit to see where it runs yet. After it goes aft through the galley bulkhead into the starboard cockpit locker it disappears and I wasn't looking for it when I put the batteries back in this spring. Will look for it this fall at lay-up. Will look into Data Marine unit too. Steve: Will check out e-bay as a possible source. Have seen SH WS-45 units around but they're out of production too. Thanks for all the suggestions!
JC: the annemometer and wind vane are held on by small nuts and a washer. I took both units off for cleaning. Apparently one of the two sender magnets has loosened and touchs the pickup head. Filed it down and cleaned up everything with alcohol. Reassembled unit but annemometer still doesn't spin--barely moves in strong breeze. Wind vane would move but was not registering at display unit. Bob: Could be a wiring problem. Can see color of wires at display head but have no way to determine what pins on the mast head unit they connect to as the masthead unit is a molded mounting connector socket assembly with a lock ring on the sender arm. It just plugs in and locks. There's no wiring diagram in the manual as the mast end was a prewired molding as noted above. There is no connection visible at the mast step. Plan to pull the turning block sheeves on port side to gain accest to feel if there's a connector inside. Have telecom background so wiring hardware issues aren't. Haven't tried tracing wiring from display unit to see where it runs yet. After it goes aft through the galley bulkhead into the starboard cockpit locker it disappears and I wasn't looking for it when I put the batteries back in this spring. Will look for it this fall at lay-up. Will look into Data Marine unit too. Steve: Will check out e-bay as a possible source. Have seen SH WS-45 units around but they're out of production too. Thanks for all the suggestions!
F
Fredd
SR WIND AWS-4
I have a SR AWS-4 Wind Instrument on my 92 35.5. Its a rugged and simple instrunent. I have had some problems of late, but SRs repair department is one of those copmpanies that goes over the top with service help.My advice is to call Corey Foegle at SRs in Tonawanda NY for honest advice and guidance on what model to choose. Fred M
I have a SR AWS-4 Wind Instrument on my 92 35.5. Its a rugged and simple instrunent. I have had some problems of late, but SRs repair department is one of those copmpanies that goes over the top with service help.My advice is to call Corey Foegle at SRs in Tonawanda NY for honest advice and guidance on what model to choose. Fred M
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