High quality wind instrument

[John Williams]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Id suggest an ultrasonic wind sensor , no moving parts, these are arguably the technology leaders https://lcjcapteurs.com/en/girouette...7-windyplug-2/

We have an Airmar ultrasonic transducer on the top of the mast. Ours gives us wind speed and direction and air temp. It has been very reliable and no moving parts. There are various models to choose from.

[Plumbean]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Works with and is adaptable to just about any instrument set up and yes even available in Windyplug form.


Customer service is knowledgable and excellent.


https://lcjcapteurs.com/en/categorie...ing-sailboats/

YMMV. Not my experience, as detailed in the other active thread about wind transducers.

[wingssail]

I find these reports interesting. Several (including Chinese) brands of sonic wind transducers. They have no moving parts and they don't cost much.

Some output data to other devices over nmea200 or other protocols. Some have displays, others depend on your cell phones to display the data.

Then there are the Garmin's, Raymarine's, Silva's and such. Good reports on most of them.

I'm impressed.

But the OP asked about "High quality". What qualifies as "high quality"?

In my opinion most, if not all of these, are inexpensive serviceable units made of plastic. I didn't see many with Ip67 water proofing. Several of them have accuracy +-03 degrees. Displays are missing or cheap. Mounting brackets are mostly a joke. How many Force 9 storms will they weather?

To my way of thinking they may be OK products and will serve the purpose to an extant. But "High quality"? Not by a long shot.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Plumbean

YMMV. Not my experience, as detailed in the other active thread about wind transducers.

Not subjective at all. Extensive troubleshooting from a far and no quibble replacement carriage included.

[Plumbean]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Not subjective at all. Extensive troubleshooting from a far and no quibble replacement carriage included.

I don't recall suggesting anywhere that you were being subjective, all I said was you may have had a different experience. Here are the facts about mine:

1. Unit started failing after about a year. I did not realize, however, that the wind transducer was the problem and spent time chasing other issues (boat speed sensor and electronic compass).

2. By the time I pulled the unit off the mast head, it was just past 2 years from purchase. There were bits of deteriorated plastic coming off all of the sensor points.

3. LCJ Capteurs confirmed that they had QA/QC issues with a batch of these instruments.

4. The offered solution was that I could buy a new one at a slight discount, which amounted to a total cost of over $900.

That is not what I consider to be standing behind your product or good business practices. From a purely legal standpoint, they are perfectly within their rights to do what they did since I did not contact them until a few months after the warranty expired, but that does not mean it is the right way to treat your customers. Hence, YMMV.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Id suggest an ultrasonic wind sensor , no moving parts, these are arguably the technology leaders https://lcjcapteurs.com/en/girouette...7-windyplug-2/

Shopping for a wind instrument for son in law.

Ultrasonic strongly preferred due to lots of birds in the area and potential damage to the old spinning type. But he also has a problem running a wire to where it would mount so also prefers wireless.

Unless I'm missing it I don't see a wireless version of the LCJ Capteurs nor any other ultrasonic for that matter.

Anyone know of a wireless ultrasonic?

[dan104]

I have Tack-Tick (wireless with a small solar collector built in). The wireless protocol is prop but there is a net drop to either 183 or 2000.



Myself I have a mix set of sensors and instruments that talk SeaTalk, 183, etc. I use OpenPlotter and Signal K on raspberry Pi to link all them together as well as build instrument displays, integration of systems (My OpenCpn controls the SeaTalk Autopilot with out any effort on my part).


I did this by building a wired and wireless network on the boat with off the shelf router and bridging components (ex. 183 to USB $10).


My Tack-Tick mast mounted has been up there for at least 7 years without being touched (should not say that .. don't anger boat gods).

[areddon]

I have used a Windsonic ultrasound transducer for 9 years. It has been well used and abused and works flawlessly. It is a "scientific" quality instrument used in remote weather stations and on remote bouys. It is bullet proof with no moving parts and great construction. Output format is very flexible and programmable to integrate with any non-proprietary system. I use NMEA 0183 to a multiplexer which sends wind sentences to autopilot and navigation. I also use as a direct NMEA input to cockpit display. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

[rls8r]

For those who recommend the AIRMAR ultrasonic instrument ... I read in the owner's manual:

"CAUTION: The WeatherStation Instrument must be installed upright and vertical, not tilted to one side. It must be level and plumb. If the WeatherStation Instrument is tilted from the horizontal plane, it may introduce errors in the compass and wind readings."

Also, I see the following in some of the commercial advertising for the system:

"Aimed at powerboats that require awareness of wind strength and direction, this sensor combines ultrasonic wind sensors together with air temperature and barometric pressure sensors."

Have you experienced any problems/errors when the boat is listing - which, at least for me, seems to be the normal state of affairs when I'm sailing.

Would this be a caveat for any ultrasonic sensor?

[areddon]

I have not seen any issues with significant heel.

I am definitely no expert, but I would guess that when the instrument is significantly tipped due to heeling it may only capture the component of the apparent wind that is parallel to its base, but that seems inherent in any 2-d method to measure wind.

The cups on a traditional anemometer spin in a plane (2-d) which is only horizontal when the mast is vertical and must be affected somewhat by heel in the same way as a 2-d ultrasonic might be. If one turned a cup-style anemometer on its side and pointed its top into the wind, there would be no component of the wind in the measurement/rotational plane of the instrument..
A force 4 wind would register as zero, theoretically. Then as one tilted the plane of the instrument closer to horizontal it seems one would see a number closer to the actual apparent wind.

Seems like the heeling effect is neglected by most of us, but I would love to hear from someone who actually knows what the effect is.

[col50]

Originally Posted by rls8r

For those who recommend the AIRMAR ultrasonic instrument ... I read in the owner's manual:

"CAUTION: The WeatherStation Instrument must be installed upright and vertical, not tilted to one side. It must be level and plumb. If the WeatherStation Instrument is tilted from the horizontal plane, it may introduce errors in the compass and wind readings."

Also, I see the following in some of the commercial advertising for the system:

"Aimed at powerboats that require awareness of wind strength and direction, this sensor combines ultrasonic wind sensors together with air temperature and barometric pressure sensors."

Have you experienced any problems/errors when the boat is listing - which, at least for me, seems to be the normal state of affairs when I'm sailing.

Would this be a caveat for any ultrasonic sensor?

I don't see how that sensor could be accurate when tilted; with all the resulting turbulence caused by its own structure.

[Slovak]

Consider separating the two decisions: the instrument, and the display. Depending on your requirements and future equipment plans, those may very well be sourced from 2 different manufacturers. Very related discussion in my prior response about the LCJ CV7 ultrasonic anemometer

[VENTS]

Originally Posted by Plumbean

I don't recall suggesting anywhere that you were being subjective, all I said was you may have had a different experience. Here are the facts about mine:

1. Unit started failing after about a year. I did not realize, however, that the wind transducer was the problem and spent time chasing other issues (boat speed sensor and electronic compass).

2. By the time I pulled the unit off the mast head, it was just past 2 years from purchase. There were bits of deteriorated plastic coming off all of the sensor points.

3. LCJ Capteurs confirmed that they had QA/QC issues with a batch of these instruments.

4. The offered solution was that I could buy a new one at a slight discount, which amounted to a total cost of over $900.

That is not what I consider to be standing behind your product or good business practices. From a purely legal standpoint, they are perfectly within their rights to do what they did since I did not contact them until a few months after the warranty expired, but that does not mean it is the right way to treat your customers. Hence, YMMV.

Dear sir,
First of all, on behalf of LCJ Capteurs, we apologize for the inconvenience you might have experienced.
Our technology has been approved for over 20 years with the CV3F range and for 15 years with the CV7 range.There are tens of thousands of our ultrasonic wind sensors that have been installed around the world.
As we have very few annual returns, we would appreciate if you could contact us directly so wan can figure out the causes of what you mentioned in your comment.
Many thanks.