LCJ Capteurs ultrasonic wind sensor

[svrevelations]

Has anybody used the CV7 ultra sonic wind sensor from LCJ Capteurs: CV7 - LCJ Capteurs

I am tired of buying a new mechanical wind sensor every couple of years!

[muttskie]

I had considered one during my recent electronics upgrade, but the connectivity issues dissuaded me.
I ended up using a Maretron WSO100. It has perform flawlessly. I highly recommend it.

[svrevelations]

Originally Posted by muttskie

I had considered one during my recent electronics upgrade, but the connectivity issues dissuaded me.
I ended up using a Maretron WSO100. It has perform flawlessly. I highly recommend it.

Would you kindly elaborate on the connectivity issues?

[muttskie]

Originally Posted by Revelations

Would you kindly elaborate on the connectivity issues?

My recollection is that the LCJ unit required a proprietary CanBus interface to connect to a NMEA 2000 network, which I have throughout my boat. The NMEA2000 network interfaces the various sensors throughout the vessel. Wind, air temperature, air pressure, depth, water temperature, vessel speed through the water, etc., data are all sent via the NMEA2000 network to the various instruments and displays aboard.

The LCJ unit did not, at the time, have NMEA2000 connectivity. It required an undesirable and expensive interface to connect it's CanBus system to a NMEA2000 network.

The Maretron WSO100 is NMEA2000 certified, and a known high quality wind/pressure/temperature sensor. It's only downside, in my opinion, is it's lack of a standard mast-top mounting system. One has to fabricate their own mount. An annoying, though not insurmountable, requirement.

I hope this helps.

[svrevelations]

Originally Posted by muttskie

My recollection is that the LCJ unit required a proprietary CanBus interface to connect to a NMEA 2000 network, which I have throughout my boat. The NMEA2000 network interfaces the various sensors throughout the vessel. Wind, air temperature, air pressure, depth, water temperature, vessel speed through the water, etc., data are all sent via the NMEA2000 network to the various instruments and displays aboard.

The LCJ unit did not, at the time, have NMEA2000 connectivity. It required an undesirable and expensive interface to connect it's CanBus system to a NMEA2000 network.

The Maretron WSO100 is NMEA2000 certified, and a known high quality wind/pressure/temperature sensor. It's only downside, in my opinion, is it's lack of a standard mast-top mounting system. One has to fabricate their own mount. An annoying, though not insurmountable, requirement.

I hope this helps.

Indeed - thank you!

[fallingeggs]

Originally Posted by muttskie

It's only downside, in my opinion, is it's lack of a standard mast-top mounting system. One has to fabricate their own mount. An annoying, though not insurmountable, requirement.

Have any pics of your mount? I have been contemplating this for a while with the same unit.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[muttskie]

Originally Posted by fallingeggs

Have any pics of your mount? I have been contemplating this for a while with the same unit.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

I had my mount made by a metal fabricating shop. It's thick wall aluminum tube, bent and welded to a base plate ( for conventional mounting to the top mast plate ). The other end is threaded to accept the WSO100 female thread mount base. Then powder coated.

Expensive, though.

I also needed to cut a small slot in the lower portion of the tube in the upper end of the straight portion, and slightly into the bend, to facilitate the routing of the NMEA2000 cable, which made the connection to the WSO100 easy. The cable comes through the mast top plate and up through the tube, to the sensor.

Hard to see in the boat pic, but gives you an idea of the result.



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[Dockhead]

If you use the search facility, you'll see other mounts for the WSO100, including mine.

Mine is just a Glomex stainless antenna mount socket bolted to the masthead truck, with a long threaded alu pipe in it, and the N2K cable threaded through it.

It works great. I've used it now for more than 3 years and more than 10,000 miles and it has been flawless.

HOWEVER -- the LCJ Capteurs sensors are much smaller and lighter -- very important on the masthead -- and are designed as sailing instruments (the WSO100 is a weather instrument). I like the looks of them very much. I don't think there is any connection problem anymore, since they introduced the plug-and-play N2K adapter: WINDYPLUG - LCJ Capteurs

I haven't actually used one, but the LCJ Capteurs sensor looks to me to be superior to the WSO100 in several ways. I would take a harder look.

[nauticalnomad]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

If you use the search facility, you'll see other mounts for the WSO100, including mine.

Mine is just a Glomex stainless antenna mount socket bolted to the masthead truck, with a long threaded alu pipe in it, and the N2K cable threaded through it.

It works great. I've used it now for more than 3 years and more than 10,000 miles and it has been flawless.

HOWEVER -- the LCJ Capteurs sensors are much smaller and lighter -- very important on the masthead -- and are designed as sailing instruments (the WSO100 is a weather instrument). I like the looks of them very much. I don't think there is any connection problem anymore, since they introduced the plug-and-play N2K adapter: WINDYPLUG - LCJ Capteurs

I haven't actually used one, but the LCJ Capteurs sensor looks to me to be superior to the WSO100 in several ways. I would take a harder look.

I have installed one last year.. I only have it connected to the autopilot so it holds a wind angle. Apparantly i can hook it to other stuff thats compatible and get wind readouts etc. Im yet to do this. But it works so far so good. I did think my garmin head unit for my AP would display the info but it wont.
I have not connected it to my chartplotter.
Best thing is no wurly cups to fall off the masthead.