Wind indicator

[Jim Lucas]

My old wind indicator looks to have finally failed. Wind direction is good but wind speed doesn't work and I'm told the parts and/or repairs are not available. So, I'm looking at upgrading. My boat tech is recommending an Airmar 120 WX weather station as it will plug right into my backbone and gives me all sorts of info on the Garmin, including barometric, temp, etc. in addition wind speed and direction.
However, this unit looks like it gets mounted at cabin height or possibly at radar height - not mast top. It seems to me that I want wind speed and direction readings for mast height and this unit is more suited to a power vessel?? Beyond that, these things are not cheap!

Anybody have some recommendations on what I need/should go to? 
Thanks,
Jim

[waughoo]

Raymarine (and I suspect others) have wireless choices to avoid messing with the wire in the mast.  I agree that the airmar sensor would be neat for all the other data, but would not be suitable for sailing data due to its mounting limitations.

[Jim Lucas]

This is what I'm thinking as the wind speed at masthead is more important than at water level. The other data is a nice to have but not as important to me now and on my budget..

[KWKloeber]

Jim what kind/make WS is your old one?

[Jim Lucas]

I'm not at the boat right now but it's an older Raymarine. I've upgraded the rest of the nav equipment to Garmin (really like) but never changed out the wind indicator or autopilot yet. Thinking I should go with a new Garmin wireless GNX wind pack.

[LogoFreak]

Jim, I have the Raymarine wireless wind indicator and I have a love/hate relationship with it. Raymarine says it should be rock solid but I experience constant disconnections and need to restart the unit several times. When it works it's great... a dock neighbour has the wireless unit from Garmin you mention, same experience as mine. If I drop my mast again I'm going wired.

[Ron Hill]

Jim : I'd stick with wired.  I had a dock-mate with a wireless wind indicator that spent a lot of time at the top of the mast getting it re-repaired/reinstalled.  It was at no cost to him, just the many trips up to the top!!

A thought

[csimmerling]

I installed a B&G WS310 ( last year and have had no troubke at all. It plugs into my NMEA2k and connects to my raymarine axiom head unit. Works great.

[WTunnessen]

I have the Raymarine wireless wind indicator/speed system.  My experience has been mixed. For the first 5 or so years it work great. Then the wind direction indicator started being consistently off for a couple of years, finally this year (@ year 8?) it failed completely.  To Raymarine's credit, it took a week door to door to get it repaired. They replaced the transmitter for around $400 which is less than a new unit. Now it works great.  But if / when I pull the mast some day, I would consider replacing it with a wired one if it starts to act up again.

[krafty81]

I have the Raymarine wireless wind indicator/speed system.  My experience has been mixed. For the first 5 or so years it work great. Then the wind direction indicator started being consistently off for a couple of years, finally this year (@ year 8?) it failed completely.  To Raymarine's credit, it took a week door to door to get it repaired. They replaced the transmitter for around $400 which is less than a new unit. Now it works great.  But if / when I pull the mast some day, I would consider replacing it with a wired one if it starts to act up again.

Looking at the T120. How is it working now?

[krafty81]

The wind bird on my "new to me" boat does not work. Previous owners said it never did talk to the Raymarine C97. Pulled it off and it is a wireless. I am going with a wired Raymarine now. The rigger is having problems getting the new wire down the mast. Any tips from those who have done it before?

[Ron Hill]

Krafty : You have just asked the guy that installed a wired Data Marine wind on the top - with the mast in place (UP).
I wrote an extensive Mainsheet tech note article. Essentially we ran a 14gage stiff wire thru the mast cap, into the conduit and out the bottom. Still working today!!   

A few thoughts

[krafty81]

Krafty : You have just asked the guy that installed a wired Data Marine wind on the top - with the mast in place (UP).
I wrote an extensive Mainsheet tech note article. Essentially we ran a 14gage stiff wire thru the mast cap, into the conduit and out the bottom. Still working today!!   

A few thoughts

Thanks. The rigger I used is the best around. He everything in the mast is jammed or broken. No power to the anchor light, coax for VHF is now broken or kinked and no way to run the Raymarine wire down. He says I need to take the mast down. Bummer for me.

[Jon W]

If you're going to pull the mast to replace wiring and coax, consider everything you want to do on the mast and do it all now. Example new standing rigging, remove corrosion and repaint, LED spreader lights, radar, wind transducer, windex, LED tri-color with anchor light, new VHF antennae, add a second conduit run and check that the original conduit run is still properly fastened to the inside of the mast. Due to age the conduit sometimes comes loose and you'll get a banging inside the mast at anchor.

[krafty81]

If you're going to pull the mast to replace wiring and coax, consider everything you want to do on the mast and do it all now. Example new standing rigging, remove corrosion and repaint, LED spreader lights, radar, wind transducer, windex, LED tri-color with anchor light, new VHF antennae, add a second conduit run and check that the original conduit run is still properly fastened to the inside of the mast. Due to age the conduit sometimes comes loose and you'll get a banging inside the mast at anchor.

Thanks. Yes new VHF, new wiring for LED anchor light. Taking a hard look at rigging and may replace.