Wind indicator

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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
Jim Lucas
1999 MKII #1431, M35B, TR/FK 
"Calypso"
Sailing the PNW
Royal Victoria Yacht Club
Victoria, BC Canada

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.
Alex - Seattle, WA
91 mk1.5 #1120
Std rig w/wing keel
Universal M35
Belafonte

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..
Jim Lucas
1999 MKII #1431, M35B, TR/FK 
"Calypso"
Sailing the PNW
Royal Victoria Yacht Club
Victoria, BC Canada

KWKloeber

Jim what kind/make WS is your old one?
Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.
Explore.  Dream.  Discover.   -Mark Twain

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.
Jim Lucas
1999 MKII #1431, M35B, TR/FK 
"Calypso"
Sailing the PNW
Royal Victoria Yacht Club
Victoria, BC Canada

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.
Antoni - Vancouver BC
1992 Catalina 34 Tall rig fin keel mk 1.5 "Polonaise"
Hull number 1179

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
Ron, Apache #788

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.
"Natterling", #148 1986 mk 1 fin keel std rig, Port Jefferson, NY

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.
Gaulois #579 C34 Tall Rig - CYC West River, MD