Maretron vs. Airmar Ultrasonic Wind

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by xymotic

I hope you don't mind if I hijack for a minute but I hav a related question that hopefully you'll indulge. I have a steel boat, so what's worse? putting the rate gyro in the middle of a steel box, or up high on the mast?

What a question! I don't know. But by all accounts, works badly at the masthead.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by sbrin

Dockhead, I appreciate all of the research you have done with your instruments, but, as someone who is going to install a set of B&G Tritons this spring to replace my old Signets - system 1000. etc (which, by the way are still going strong) I am intrigued by your choice of the ultrasonic sensors for speed and direction. If they are so much better, why aren't the big instrument makers using them?

Regards,

Steven

A good question! Inertia, perhaps? Furuno sells the Airmar under it's own name, but warns not to use it for sail steering! Despite its much better performance.

[DeepFrz]

Originally Posted by xymotic
I hope you don't mind if I hijack for a minute but I hav a related question that hopefully you'll indulge. I have a steel boat, so what's worse? putting the rate gyro in the middle of a steel box, or up high on the mast?

You might get an answer for that question at the Metal Boat Society.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

Apparently UK prices must be a bunch different than here in the US. The CV7-C is shown as €779.00. That is for an NMEA 0183 instrument that measures wind speed and direction, but not humidity or barometric pressure. To make it N2K compatible an interface box must be installed below, which adds pressure - price not stated. I do like the lightweight, compact sensor with carbon fiber mount, but without N2K and the other sensors included it is priced far too high for the US market.

The Maretron WSO100 is available for $615 in at least one store, and includes N2K and humidity/pressure. The new Airmar 110-RH is comparable, and for $779.95 (presumably list price). The US market is safe.

Greg

Well, at less than double the cost of the Maretron, specifically designed for sailing, with a carbon mount, and much higher performance, I don' think it would be overpriced. But that's a European full list price including VAT, so not apples to apples. In Europe, that's less than the cost of the Airmar. I think it looks really good. Has no one tried one of these?

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

What a question! I don't know. But by all accounts, works badly at the masthead.

Yeah I was thinking of getting the airmar as a backup, maybe put it on the arch but it is pretty expensive for that. So I think I'm settled on the maretron.

have you decided which display it's going to go to in the cockpit?

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

You might get an answer for that question at the Metal Boat Society.

Yeah, but you gotta be a member to post to the forum and I keep meaning to but haven't got round to it

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by xymotic

Yeah I was thinking of getting the airmar as a backup, maybe put it on the arch but it is pretty expensive for that. So I think I'm settled on the maretron.

have you decided which display it's going to go to in the cockpit?

I think satellite compasses were made for this application!

Yes, in cockpit keeping it simple - non-touchscreen Zeus Z8, 4 Tritons T41's, pilot control pad.

[Saltyhog]

@Dockhead -- Any followup? I'm planning a similar installation and I'm trying to decide on the best ultrasonic wind sensor. Which one did you ultimately decide on and are you happy with it? FWIW, I think the LCJ Capteurs is a nice looking solution, it's just not available in the US at this point. Very small, light, and low power! And specifically designed as a sailboat wind instrument.
-Tom

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Saltyhog

@Dockhead -- Any followup? I'm planning a similar installation and I'm trying to decide on the best ultrasonic wind sensor. Which one did you ultimately decide on and are you happy with it? FWIW, I think the LCJ Capteurs is a nice looking solution, it's just not available in the US at this point. Very small, light, and low power! And specifically designed as a sailboat wind instrument.
-Tom

I'm pretty sure he got the Maretron just like I and others did. For the masthead it is the best N2K choice I think.

It works really good. I'm looking at a Maretron display right now and see Wind over ground direction and speed, heat index, outside temperature, outside humidity, barometer and dewpoint all because of this lovely sensor. GPS (also Maretron) adds Waning Gibbous moon, 06:18 sunrise, 18:30 sunset

good stuff

[Saltyhog]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I'm pretty sure he got the Maretron just like I and others did. For the masthead it is the best N2K choice I think.

It works really good. I'm looking at a Maretron display right now and see Wind over ground direction and speed, heat index, outside temperature, outside humidity, barometer and dewpoint all because of this lovely sensor. GPS (also Maretron) adds Waning Gibbous moon, 06:18 sunrise, 18:30 sunset

good stuff

Thanks! That's pretty much the same conclusion I've come to. In fact, I think I will likely get the Maretron wind sensor and the display as well and mount it at the Nav station. I'll use it for monitoring weather, tank levels, etc. Seems like it's a pretty useful and configurable display. The LCJ Capteurs CV7 sensor does look like it might be promising, but they don't have sales distribution in the US at this point, at least that I can find.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I'm pretty sure he got the Maretron just like I and others did. For the masthead it is the best N2K choice I think.

It works really good. I'm looking at a Maretron display right now and see Wind over ground direction and speed, heat index, outside temperature, outside humidity, barometer and dewpoint all because of this lovely sensor. GPS (also Maretron) adds Waning Gibbous moon, 06:18 sunrise, 18:30 sunset

good stuff

Correct. I bought the WSO-100 as I became firmly convinced that the gyro-stabilized compass in the Airmar is useless in my application (or any sailboat application). Besides that, the WSO-100 is much larger in diameter than the Airmar, with wider spread ultrasonic sensors. This gives at least the theoretical chance that it will be more accurate than the Airmar.

I just installed the mount today on the masthead truck . Yesterday I successfully pulled the rather thick and stiff N2K cable up to the masthead , with surprisingly little trouble.

I have installed a Maretron DSM250 display at my nav table, where it shares space with a B&G Zeus Z8 and a B&G Triton. The expensive DSM250 is not a good value for the money (you can buy a Simrad NSS7 plotter for almost the same money), but as Nick said, it has some terrific functions. ESPECIALLY the weather screen, which is the one which will be active when I am at anchor, to have a complete picture of the weather as I'm planning passages or wondering whether the anchor will hold .

I did leave the old Raymarine wind transducer at the masthead, connected to the old ST60 display on my scuttle. I like having a backup of this instrument. I could bridge the data to the N2K network via a Seatalk converter, but I don't think I'll bother.

[s/v Jedi]

The Maretron displays are not as "spiff" looking as many other that have entered the market lately. The very best feature they have however is the alarms that can be programmed. Anything can be programmed, from cross-track to tank level to fuel consumption rate

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The Maretron displays are not as "spiff" looking as many other that have entered the market lately. The very best feature they have however is the alarms that can be programmed. Anything can be programmed, from cross-track to tank level to fuel consumption rate

Indeed. Overpriced and with a clunky low-res screen.

But if you have a lot of Maretron devices on the network, it's hard to get by without it.

I bought Maretron fuel flow sensors, temperature sensors (one box does 4 sensors), a Yanmar harness to put RPM, oil pressure, water temp, and charge voltage onto the network, and the WSO100. All of this data is ideally displayed on the DSM250.

But the best screen of all is the weather screen (which unfortunately is not configurable). How often at anchor trying to plan a passage have I wanted to have all this data at a glance; how often have I heard the wind kick up and wondered whether a nor'easter was brewing, or not. The WSO gives outside temp, barometric pressure, and humidity, besides obviously AWS and AWA. The DSM250 will take heading data and compute Ground Wind, which is what you need for passage planning. And show it on one screen with moon phase, sunrise, sunset, and showing a wind rose and barograph graph. Yes, this is really good!

Now just to finish installing it all! Today I got one of the two N2K networks up and running -- wired the power supply and hooked up all the devices. Since the mast is down, I have the WSO100 tied to a granny bar.

Tomorrow I'll install the radar box and gyrocompass and start installing all the devices in the engine room.

[s/v Jedi]

Tell me about that Yanmar harness...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Tell me about that Yanmar harness...

Ekh, it's very simple. Interposes itself between the engine and your regular instrument panel, with the Yanmar standard harness plugs.

Here it is: Maretron : Marine Electronic Instruments

Don't anything but money!