Installing Garmin gWind System

[britinusa]

Task: Install Garmin gWind Wireless Transducer at the mast head, install WSI, GND10 and GMI20 instrument at the helm, install Garmin NMEA 2000 network to connect everything to the Garmin GPS 741xs

Step 1: Make sure I have everything I need.
Did that. I built the system from all the components at home so I'm certain I have the bit and pieces needed.

Step 2: Test the system on the boat.
Basically I'm going to rebuild the system on the boat with the gWind transducer on the deck (after letting it charge up in the Sun)

Step 3: Mount the gWind Transducer on the mast head.
This will be the first time I've been up the mast. So not sure what I'm going to find.

Found this pic in the forum


Is that what I can expect at the masthead - a sheet of plastic?

I have to secure the transducer mounting plate on the masthead facing forwards.
FYI, the wireless transducer is quite large! The 'pole' is about 18" long.

Any suggestions on how to attach the mounting bracket to the masthead?

Thanks.

Paul

[SPembleton]

I just the exact job this spring.  741xs, NMEA2000, gWind. I did not install a GMI 10. I read wind info off the 741xs.  Whatnwas your reasoning for a seperate readout?

When i installed, I just drilled holes in top plate, put in plastic anchors and then screwed the mounting bracket into the top of the mast. Your picture doesnt show it well, but there is room to install the mounting plate in front on the anchor light.  You then put the transducer into the mounting bracket and it extends forward of the mast.  Everything has held up fine.

I did run into one big problem.  My gWind would work fine for about 45 minutes and then quit.  If I turned off the instruments, left off for about 30 minutes, then restarted, it would work for another 45 minutes and stop.  Garmin admitted that they had problems with some of these units. They sent me another complete unit (via West Marine).  The new unit was just reinstalled earlier this week. I have not had a chance to get out yet to test.

Learning: Before installing on the mast, run it on the deck for about an hour to make sure you have one of the good ones!  I like to minimize the number of times i go up my mast.

[Noah]

You used "plastic anchors"? I would have drilled and tapped masthead top plate and used SS fasteners with Tefgel.

[Craig Illman]

My 1991, hull #1150 certainly wasn't plastic at the masthead, but aluminum.

[britinusa]

Getting there.

Setup the system at home, transducer outside on a pole and NMEA network in the kitchen, then powered it up using a 12v converter left over from old electronics equipment.

Was able to put the transducer on the mast head. That was fun Here's a link to my blog with pics and a 360 video from up there.

Connected the network and instrument loosely on the boat, the system works great. I did not have to fiddle about with the orientation of the WSI box.

Then started on the prep for the new instrument shelf at the helm.

The Garmin 741xs was mounted too close to the compass. We had over 5 degrees of deviation between when the GPS was in it's mount compared to the GPS being removed. So I'm moving it further forwards away from the compass.

That means I have to modify the wiring layout as they are too short to reach. The good news is that there is plenty of slack cable down below in the aft berth area. I had to remove the silicone caulk bungs that kept the cockpit core dry, replacing them with BlueSea Cable Clamps.

Hope to have that work completed Saturday Morning.

Then time to install the NMEA network.

This is a fun project despite the blistered fingers from climbing the mast and the several pounds of dripping sweat working on the cockpit floor to fix the cables.

Paul

[Noah]

I would investigate having the compass "swung" magnets adjusted/corrected to remove that 5 degrees error first, before rewiring/relocationg systems.

[britinusa]

Noah, I had thought about that, but it's co-incidental as I want to move the Garmin Echo sounder from it's current position so that it's not hidden by the wheel and the new GMI20 also is to be mounted at the helm, so a new instrument platform is my way to go.

When this job is complete, I'll be able to remove the original 'POD' that currently holds Standard Horizon wind and speed gauges.

Plan is to put a 3/4" Starboard shelf in front of the pedestal guard and make it look priddy, with the 741xs GPS, GMI20 and Garmin echo sounder all easily reached without having to risk putting our hands through the wheel spokes, and an LED puck light under the shelf to illuminate the Cockpit Table.

Paul

[Noah]

Send some photos when completed. As my instruments were very old when I bought my boat, I splurged on all new and went with a 12 in. Zeus multifunction display,modifying the pedestal guard so Navpod doesn't block my view.

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Paul,
You might consider something like the picture I will try to send. It allows you to rotate the chart plotter to see it from front or back. This was on a friends boat that I crewed on bringing his boat from La Paz, Mexico back to San Diego.
It worked very well.

[britinusa]

Small snag (pun intended)

Trying to remove the obsolete cables that are fed from the aft cabin up through the pedestal.

I cannot see how the compass should be removed in order to remove them.

I could just cut them off at the side of the pedestal but am concerned they could get tangled with the wheel chain.

Any ideas on how to get below the compass?

[Stu Jackson]

Take the little black piece at the forward top off, then just twist it.

[Roc]

Hi Paul,
I went to your blog and looked at the pictures of you going up the mast.  I noticed you used the bag that came with the mastclimber as the tool caddy (they advertise using the bag for that).  I have the same mast climber and find that tethering the bag to me as I climb is a nuisance and makes it difficult to grab the tools (they all fall into the bottom, black bag, hard to see inside and find what you need 50 feet in the air).   What I do is use a Husky tool caddy (HD), send it up at the top of the mast using a spare halyard with all the tools I expect to need.  I tether each tool to the bag handle so if it slips out of my hand, it doesn't go crashing down on the deck and into the water.  The caddy has compartments so you can arrange the tools making them easy to see and grab.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-9-in-Utility-Sack-GP-43880N13/204356018

[britinusa]

Roc, I concur, the bag held plenty of stuff including my Portable Electric Drill, Drill Pack, Electric Screwdriver, driver pack, and the transducer base plus a few other tools. But reaching down into it when hanging off the seat belt was a bit of a pain, and it was a touchy feely thing to find anything.

I had a buddy on deck and he was a huge help sending up other tools as required, including a bottle of water.

I only lost one wrench, not going to go dive for it! Pretty sure it's stainless so unable to retrieve with a magnet.

Could not get the original wind transucer base off the top of the masthead, so mounted the new one astern of the old. Just broke off the old transducer pole and the majic bit on the end. I'll dig out the wire at the bottom of the mast and trace it to depower it. Old wire is another wire I need to remove from the pedestal.

Stu, are you referring to the compass light housing when you refer to the 'little black piece' ??

Paul

[Stu Jackson]

Stu, are you referring to the compass light housing when you refer to the 'little black piece' ??

Paul,

Yes.  I thought one needed to unscrew that first, but one doesn't if the wires are long enough.  Better to do that first, just in case.

Nice job on being "up there" --- we've always found that a line from up to down is priceless for getting other stuff up.    We use the thin line you can buy in 50 foot bulk from WM, that we use all over the boat for other little things to come in quite handy for that.

[britinusa]

50' line...exactly.