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Old 17-01-2021, 11:34   #16
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Quote:
Originally Posted by seandepagnier View Post
wireless

1) needs wire anyway for power
2) will have latency to autopilot degrading steering performance unless it has a special receiver, ie: not bluetooth/wifi to your phone.

If it has a solar panel and battery this is weight aloft where you don't want, and difficult to maintain, as well as the strong potential to run out of power if there is no sun for days on end.
Have old TackTick...
- NO wired power needed at masthead
- not heavier unit (at masthead) than other brands
- purchased in 2011... lives in BC (Yes, cloudy BC) and still functioning [emoji1696]
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Old 17-01-2021, 11:43   #17
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Quote:
Originally Posted by seandepagnier View Post
wireless

1) needs wire anyway for power
2) will have latency to autopilot degrading steering performance unless it has a special receiver, ie: not bluetooth/wifi to your phone.

If it has a solar panel and battery this is weight aloft where you don't want, and difficult to maintain, as well as the strong potential to run out of power if there is no sun for days on end.
My Tacktick has a small solar panel and battery. I'm sure it adds maybe 50 grams to the whole package. Hardly a weight issue... I can't comment on the autopilot issue as I don't have it tied in. There is a definite lag of about a second or two between wind direction change and it showing up on my cockpit display (which is also wireless, and run from a small integrated solar panel).

Not trying to sell this at all, but it works great most of the time. If I was installing a new system I would definitely look to wireless. This technology is well developed now. In fact, I'm inclined to view wires as increasingly obsolete -- much like in business and home networking.
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Old 17-01-2021, 11:53   #18
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

I did not read all replies admittedly. I would hazard a guess that wireless might protect you from lightning coming down a wire. I have a cheap weather station mounted 70' from the house. Works like a charm after 3 years. It could be a throw away @ about $150.
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Old 17-01-2021, 12:08   #19
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Latecomer: If the mast is horizontal now is the time to pull a wire. Figure out a way to do it. You sure don't want to wait until it is vertical.

You don't say the size of the boat - that always helps. At some point you are going to step it. Be ready with everything you need and have the rigger set it on saw horses before stepping. It is also a good time for an inspection while it's down.
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Old 17-01-2021, 12:57   #20
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

I decided to go hard wired after reading reviews and knowing how wireless performs at our plant. I would be careful with Garman. Because the range specified was so close to my mast height I called tech support. Below is a record of my call:

"Get this, I reached out to Garmin tech support to confirm the max 50’ mast height and they actually told me that the wireless broadcast limit is 50 feet. I explained that that is quite different from a max mast height of 50 feet (trigonometry) They agreed and told me they were going to open a “case” with marketing."

Don't know if they ever corrected their specification.

Steve
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Old 17-01-2021, 14:21   #21
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Hello. Sadly, we echo every one of holtjp’s comments. (“Sadly”?…because we strongly support Canadian innovation).
From 2012 to the present, we haven’t had a trouble-free season, in spite of doing everything in our power to make things right, at our end.
Finally, we purchased OpenWind, from Germany, and our problems ended: precise, meticulous engineering, with second-to-none support (this included a custom re-configuration of their IOS app, tailored exactly to our needs). Never had a better customer experience.
Best of luck in your choices.
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Old 17-01-2021, 14:28   #22
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

I used to have a TackTick some years ago. It disconnected when the boom was between masthead and device. I would definitely go wired !


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Old 17-01-2021, 14:33   #23
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

We installed a sailtimer wireless in Tallin, ES about 5 years ago on a 41’6 Morgan OI. Mounted on the spreader which wasn’t too high up. Device never worked properly and repeated calls for support always placed blame on the user. The specs looked great on paper but you had to stand up on the aft cabin and hold the IPad over your head to get it to connect. My arms got tired too quickly to get any use out of it. We scrapped it the next time I went up the mast. A real POS.
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Old 17-01-2021, 15:14   #24
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Do not know this unit, however, installed a NASA wireless unit 3 years ago, still works flawlessly.
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Old 17-01-2021, 17:54   #25
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Quote:
Originally Posted by sv_pelagia View Post
Have old TackTick...
- NO wired power needed at masthead
- not heavier unit (at masthead) than other brands
- purchased in 2011... lives in BC (Yes, cloudy BC) and still functioning [emoji1696]
We have a Tack Tick system (now owned by Raymarine) that I purchased over 12 years ago - still going strong on our 58-foot mast (after replacing the wind indicator battery for $70 after 11 years). The solar-powered instruments have their original batteries still. Sometimes I get a dropped signal but lasts only a few seconds. Depth, Speed, Wind, and fluxgate all interact with tons of info on VMG, water temp and so on..... - So far love the convenience of taking the instruments down below anytime I want and can add more too-
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Old 17-01-2021, 18:07   #26
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Check out wireless Clipper from nasamarine.com.
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Old 17-01-2021, 22:57   #27
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

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Originally Posted by smac999 View Post
Get wired.

The few Garmin wirekess ones I have seen never worked past 20’ or so. And were replaced with wired.
If there is line of sigh, they should work to 200´. My distance is about 70'. I think many installations are incorrect, with the mast blocking the signal from the transponder to the instrument.
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Old 19-01-2021, 07:06   #28
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

Hi Latecomer, it depend how tick is your wallet, I did find a unit HY-WDC2E on Alibaba at us $139.00 + shipping of course it is a wire unit. I am a fan of OpenCPN and looking at the moment to integrate an Ultrasonic wind SP/DIR. As well you could spend lot more money to get the same data on product like Calypso, Airmar, DavisPro, LCJ Capteurs, Openwind...etc. I suppose you could replace the MCU in the unit for an ESP module and here you have your Wifi or BLE. Good luck for your project. Here are some interesting URL to look at:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...673b151a019Ijo

https://faire-ca-soi-meme.fr/domotiq...ction-du-vent/
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Old 22-01-2021, 06:49   #29
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

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Originally Posted by Latecomer View Post
Ahoy!

Greetings to all..

I'm currently in the market for wireless masthead wind instrument after jigging around with my 50yr old Keyon AW-100..incidently, I have replaced the masthead wiring inside the mast but decided to go wireless, partially due to time constraint, and also because the mast is no longer in a convenient position for me to work on it - mast is now secured horizontally across the top of cabin for transport.

Based on the foregoing, I have decided to explore the wireless option, and I just stumbled across "Sailtimer", however, like most of the other wireless wind instruments on the market, it is very pricey.

Here is a link to the wireless masthead "Sailtimer" wind instrument:

https://electroeshop.com/index.php?r...duct_id=730525


Question: Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this particular unit or in general with the wireless wind instruments?? If so, I will be more than happy to hear about.
I have a B&G wireless on top of a 65ft mast, and the Bluetooth receiver at the rear of my bimini. Easy 55ft apart. No problems whatsoever, to my amazement.
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Old 22-01-2021, 07:16   #30
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Re: wireless masthead wind instrument

I have an old TackTic that came with a boat I bought in 2016.
It is solar powered and took a while to get used to leaving the cover off so the batteries could charge and sometimes it stops working because of lack of charge.
But has worked well and still going strong.
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