WIND SYSTEM CHOICE

[1st Sail]

It's time to consider a wind system. I'm considering the following:

TACKTICk T033- wireless, easy to install, considering locating on a separate mast mount pole attached to mast arch.
? what is your opinion on locating at stern of boat in wash of main sail

RAYMARINE st40 or ST60- mount top of mast, need to find old post of potentiometer located at mast base to compensate for mast rotation. I recall an old post from yrs. ago but could not find it. Could be mounted at stern on mast arch as well.

I have a Lowrance chart plotter and plan to integrate.

Thanks for all our input

currently have a set of wind tells. Just want to be able to evaluate wind speed with SOG and use for fine tuning my sailing skills.

[jschrade]

Putting this on the stern is not going to be a very good solution when sailing (the reason you want it I suspect). For a weather station while anchored, it would be more effective.

Since the mast rotates, this makes it complicated and I am not sure how this is worked out. In my past military life, I worked with synchros and resolvers and it's not pretty and I have serious reservations with the "potentiometer" solution. One solution would be to pass a rod through the center of the mast to the top that is secured to ensure that it would maintain a stationary azimuth by rotating inside the mast and mount your sensors to it.

I have some skepticism as to how effective the rotating mast is on the 26M. It just flops from one side to the other and the angle does not appear to be all that effective in relation to the apparent wind. If it were like the rig I have seen on a Hobie 18 where you could control the rotation to line it up with the apparent wind, that may be more valuable. It sure made a difference when trimming that boat. There was a thread where someone had rigged controls for the mast rotation on a 26M.

Even simpler, would be to mount the instruments off the bow which has its drawbacks also. You really want your wind sensors on top of the mast.

I agree that having wind instruments would be really helpful but short of securing the mast rotation, I don't see a good solution. I have given some serious consideration to securing mast rotation and putting wind sensors on top of the mast.

Jim

[Currie]

A simple way to find out if the down-wash from the main is a problem for a stern-mount, is to try it out with a simple Davis windex and see if trimming the main disturbs it. Scores of sailors cross oceans with servo-pendulum windvane steering that is always mounted on the stern. They steer the boat just fine.

~Bob

[jschrade]

A simple way to find out if the down-wash from the main is a problem for a stern-mount, is to try it out with a simple Davis windex and see if trimming the main disturbs it. Scores of sailors cross oceans with servo-pendulum windvane steering that is always mounted on the stern. They steer the boat just fine.

~Bob

The Weather Vane systems mentioned are not meant to measure wind or direction. They are meant to maintain a relative heading to the wind or in other words steer the boat. I would be impressed to see one of those on a 26M!!!!!

Jim

[Scott]

I had a ST 40 tied into an auto pilot and loved it. Trouble free for years.

[Highlander]

My ST-40 is mounted on my arch offthe stern
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 010006.jpg

J

[Hamin' X]

RAYMARINE st40 or ST60- mount top of mast, need to find old post of potentiometer located at mast base to compensate for mast rotation. I recall an old post from yrs. ago but could not find it. Could be mounted at stern on mast arch as well.

Here is the relevant post that you were looking for. Dan also has a link to his mod that is located in the Mac Mods section:

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 0&#p147036

Third item up when searching for the word "potentiometer"

~Rich

[1st Sail]

Thanks again to all for your comments. i forgot the potentiometer required the additional code and processor board.

Looks like it will be mounted to the mast arch for the first install.

[The Mutt]

I had a ST 40 tied into an auto pilot and loved it. Trouble free for years.

I agree ... the ST 40 made life a lot easier after I got use to having it.

Glenn

[1st Sail]

Is anyone familiar with the TackTick t033 wireless wind system?
More $
wireless installation (transmitter), display is hard wired
color dispay
I've never seen, used, or sailed with an electronic wind system. I'm curious if there is any difference with regard to the display data.
I trailer sail and will mount a quick disconnect pole to the arch for travel.

As always thanks for your valuable inpu.

Dave

[frede]

I think if you install an ST-40 on the mast arch, the sails will interfere with the reading. Why not mount it on the bow pulpit? That’s where I’m thinking of putting mine. I know it’s not really high enough but it should be close.

[mastreb]

I'm getting a Maretron WSO100 and mounting it on the stern. The rotating mast so complicates mast mounting that there's no easy solution. Stern mounting will give accurate readings except when the wind is dead ahead, and frankly it's pretty easy to tell when you're in irons anyway so I'm not worried about it. Any "useful wind" will be accurate from the stern because the sails are leeward of the wind under any normal circumstance. I decided not to mount on the bow pulpit because I want accurate running wind readings more than I want accurate close hauled wind readings (and the cabling is vastly simpler).

I'm going with the Maretron because I trailer all the time and I don't want to de-mount and re-mount. Solid state with no moving parts is a must. It does not come with a display head but its compatible with my Garmin 421s so that's not necessary for me.

You didn't mention which chartplotter you have by model, but if it's a newer Lowrance with NMEA 2000, you won't need a separate display head unit for wind--it will display automatically as one of you dashboard pages.

This solution is $500, which is as inexpensive as I've found. I hear that the WSO100 may be a little delicate, but as long as I don't drop the mast on it it'll be fine

[March]

Yes, I have just acquired the Tacktick 030. Haven't installed it yet, but played with in in the backyard. The transmitter tunes to the display and locks on it. It still transmits from a distance of 30 feet or more, so I plan to install it at the top of the mast. That should pose no problem, right before you raise the mast. The vane has to be calibrated by sailing into the wind. As for the windspeed indicator, it seems fairly accurate.
I don't think that the rotating mast is going to interfere with the readings. As you motor into the wind, the vane is going to point parallel to the hull. To my mind, the wind direction is going to be relative to the hull rather than the mast.
There is a setting to compensate for the relative/actual wind, maybe you could use that to offset the rotating mast, if need be.

[jschrade]

I'm getting a Maretron WSO100 and mounting it on the stern. The rotating mast so complicates mast mounting that there's no easy solution. Stern mounting will give accurate readings except when the wind is dead ahead, and frankly it's pretty easy to tell when you're in irons anyway so I'm not worried about it. Any "useful wind" will be accurate from the stern because the sails are leeward of the wind under any normal circumstance. I decided not to mount on the bow pulpit because I want accurate running wind readings more than I want accurate close hauled wind readings (and the cabling is vastly simpler).

I'm going with the Maretron because I trailer all the time and I don't want to de-mount and re-mount. Solid state with no moving parts is a must. It does not come with a display head but its compatible with my Garmin 421s so that's not necessary for me.

You didn't mention which chartplotter you have by model, but if it's a newer Lowrance with NMEA 2000, you won't need a separate display head unit for wind--it will display automatically as one of you dashboard pages.

This solution is $500, which is as inexpensive as I've found. I hear that the WSO100 may be a little delicate, but as long as I don't drop the mast on it it'll be fine

Not to rain on your parade but ... it will not be accurate from the stern. These are installed on top of the mast for good reason, there's no obstructions and you get a reading of the wind 30 some feet in the air which is different than what you are reading on the deck.

Some cassette tape or flies on the shrouds is all you need. Cassette/8 track tape - free - well if you grew up in that era and have a case of useless tapes. I have some nice flies I purchased at West Marine for $30.

If you just absolutely must have the cool wind gauges, like the big boats, then fix your mast to stationary and mount the wireless one on top.

Jim

[Clemo]

I have a Nexus wireless unit on the masthead of my X.

If I had am M I would be very tempted to try fixing the mast to stop it rotating so that I could fit a rear stay.

I'm sure that the lift you get by tensioning the forestay would far exceed the benefit from the rotation.

But to return to the wind instrument. I take the unit off for transport and storage and have to keep it in direct sunlight.

It has a solar panel to keep the battery charged, and if the battery goes flat the unit has to be reinitialised with the readout.

'n finally, my unit has a through hull log as well and I wouldn't sail without them.

Tks
C ya.