2021-02-12, 04:19 PM
I'm aware there are at least 2 threads in the forum that deal with this topic: Ultrasonic anemometer and Wind sensors and maybe, this question is out of topic in this forum, but i hope i can get some help.
I have a sailboat with almost no electronics: old Garmin chart plotter and VHF radio, nothing else. Now it has a Raspberry Pi4 with Moitessier HAT 2 and OpenPlotter on it, and a tablet as a screen.
I plan on adding a wind sensor, but i'm having a very hard time on choosing one, because of different factors:
1) Quality. I'm not, nor plan to be, a racer. So when i speak of quality, i don't mean that i need extreme accuracy or speed (of course, reasonable limits apply, since i will like eventually to run autopilot in windvane mode), but instead of the construction quality. I don't want to change it every year. Regarding this topic, i find models ranging from less than 200€ by Davis instruments, to more than 1.5k€ by Raymarine. And honestly, I don't understand the difference.
2) Ease of installation. Let's face it, i'm anything but skilled in this kind of tasks. And I know I would have to learn how to climb the mast, and how to install the wind sensor, so the less i have to learn, the better. In that aspect, options are wired vs wireless connection, and even solar+battery vs wire powered. I would like to find a solar wireless solution if possible, which would limit chances for errors.
3) OpenPlotter friendly. Even though this is the last point, it's obviously a must. Whatever solution i choose, i need it to be ultimately plug to OpenPlotter one way or another. I don't really mind if it already fires SignalK messages, if I need and external controller hardware, or anything in between (ie: NMEA0183 to USB adapter).
So the real question is: Can you help me figure out what wind sensor to buy based on those parameters (or others i might have overlooked).
You'll notice i didn't mention the price. Of course, the cheaper the better, but this is the first modification I do to my boat, and being definitely scared as you can see, I don't want to risk it by sparing a few €.
I have a sailboat with almost no electronics: old Garmin chart plotter and VHF radio, nothing else. Now it has a Raspberry Pi4 with Moitessier HAT 2 and OpenPlotter on it, and a tablet as a screen.
I plan on adding a wind sensor, but i'm having a very hard time on choosing one, because of different factors:
1) Quality. I'm not, nor plan to be, a racer. So when i speak of quality, i don't mean that i need extreme accuracy or speed (of course, reasonable limits apply, since i will like eventually to run autopilot in windvane mode), but instead of the construction quality. I don't want to change it every year. Regarding this topic, i find models ranging from less than 200€ by Davis instruments, to more than 1.5k€ by Raymarine. And honestly, I don't understand the difference.
2) Ease of installation. Let's face it, i'm anything but skilled in this kind of tasks. And I know I would have to learn how to climb the mast, and how to install the wind sensor, so the less i have to learn, the better. In that aspect, options are wired vs wireless connection, and even solar+battery vs wire powered. I would like to find a solar wireless solution if possible, which would limit chances for errors.
3) OpenPlotter friendly. Even though this is the last point, it's obviously a must. Whatever solution i choose, i need it to be ultimately plug to OpenPlotter one way or another. I don't really mind if it already fires SignalK messages, if I need and external controller hardware, or anything in between (ie: NMEA0183 to USB adapter).
So the real question is: Can you help me figure out what wind sensor to buy based on those parameters (or others i might have overlooked).
You'll notice i didn't mention the price. Of course, the cheaper the better, but this is the first modification I do to my boat, and being definitely scared as you can see, I don't want to risk it by sparing a few €.