sailboat nmea wind instruments

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

How to modernise your boat on a budget

• Sam Fortescue
• February 10, 2021

Updating your instruments, and the data you can see on them, needn't cost the earth. Sam Fortescue investigates how to upgrade your boat's tech without spending a fortune

Older boats have instruments of varying ages. Getting old to talk to new isn't straightforward. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

All but a hardy bunch of self-confessed minimalist sailors would probably agree that they would like to modernise their boat by adding some extra electronics.

A shiny new multifunction display, perhaps, or an ultrasonic anemometer at the masthead; maybe a digital tank-level sensor or an engine monitor.

As data has expanded, so has its potential to keep you safer at sea.

Electronics are expensive, though, so there is real value in keeping old instruments alongside new additions when you modernise your boat.

If you want to add in up-to-date instruments, you don’t need to replace the whole network. Credit: Alamy

The problem arises because they ‘speak’ different languages: modern equipment uses the newer NMEA 2000 (N2K) data standard, whereas older instruments tend to use the slower NMEA 0183 protocol, SeaTalk or even analogue.

Luckily it can be simple to convert between the two thanks to a range of networking add-ons.

‘Replacing legacy NMEA 0183 instruments with newer NMEA 2000 devices can be a very expensive process, so getting 0183 instruments communicating with N2K devices is a great way of completing your boat’s network,’ confirms Justin Cohen of industry-leading networker Actisense.

‘Many of our customers are end users and boat enthusiasts, with no formal certifications or installer training.’

What is NMEA?

National Marine Electronics Association, and it has long been the global standard for networking marine instruments.

It defines what data a ‘talker’ instrument generates and how it is transferred to other ‘listener’ instruments in electronic ‘sentences’.

Each sentence is designated by five letters — for example GPGLL means the following numbers refer to your latitude and longitude — followed by a string of numbers.

A basic NMEA 2000 backbone kit will include T connectors, cable and power supply – the gear you need to modernise your boat

NMEA’s widely used 0183 protocol, launched in 1983, had a baud rate of 4,800 bits — that is, it could transmit 4,800 noughts and ones each second, equivalent to around 450 characters.

But as instruments have become more numerous on board and more complex, this wasn’t fast enough.

Nor was the one-way street of talkers and listeners in line with modern networking requirements.

What was needed was a protocol that allowed large quantities of data to flow back and forth.

A simple NMEA 2000 network backbone with power supply and three instrument dropdowns. A cable could also extend the length of the backbone

The answer was NMEA 2000, which is based on the principles of a CAN bus — allowing devices to speak to each other without the need of a central computer to manage it.

N2K, as it is often abbreviated, runs at 250kb, which is 50 times faster than its predecessor.

An N2K network consists of a backbone cable running from one end to the other, into which instruments are plugged by means of a T-junction.

Plugs, wires and sockets are usually pre-moulded to eliminate the potential for poor connections.

Modernise your boat: Scenario 1 – New Plotter

Multifunction displays have developed as rapidly as mobile phones, and many no longer offer a legacy NMEA 0183 input.

Garmin’s displays will accept an N0183 signal via the audio port, using a special cable (£35); B&G’s Zeus displays have a similar work-around using an optional video/data cable.

The rest, including Raymarine’s Axiom displays, B&G’s Vulcan and Furuno’s Time Zero Touch range do not accept N0183 inputs at all.

A modern chartplotter can be added to an older network with the right adaptors. Credit: Richard Langdon

In this case, you’ll need to buy a small black box converter that takes your old instrument data in at one end and converts it to N2K.

You’ll wire up this ‘gateway’ to the old instrument on one side and plug it in to the N2K network at the other.

Don’t be put off by the prospect of a ‘network’ on board when you modernise your boat.

Check out YBW’s guide to the best chartplotters available right now

All we’re talking about is a small backbone (simply a single central cable with readymade T-terminals and sections of multicore cable with pre-moulded plugs) into which each of your N2K devices are plugged.

It’s a bit like setting up a hose to water plants in your border – you won’t even need a screwdriver to assemble it.

Most marine electronics brands offer their own NMEA gateway.

New MFDs can combine charting, radar and data display

B&G calls its one the AT10 (£110); Raymarine’s is made by Actisense, called the NGW-1-STNG (£165); and Furuno’s is the NMEA2K2.

There are also plenty of third-party ones, including Digital Yacht’s flexible iKonvert (£138).

If there’s only one N0183 instrument to connect up, then it’s simple.

But when you have several, the task can be harder.

Remember that in a NMEA 0183 system, you can’t just wire all the instruments together, because they don’t coordinate their data signals – it is the equivalent of trying to listen to several radio stations at once.

‘When joining together older NMEA 0183 systems to new NMEA 2000 systems, the most important step is to work out the best place to take the NMEA 0183 data from,’ says Paul Sumpner of Digital Yacht.

In the best-case scenario, the instruments will all belong to the same manufacturer’s range and can already speak to each other via a bus system, like Raymarine’s SeaTalk, Furuno’s NavNet and B&G’s Network.

It means you can take an N0183 output from just one of the instruments and get data from all of the instruments.

When I installed a new Raymarine MFD on my Sadler 34, I got wind, depth, speed and temperature all in one fell swoop by using a SeaTalk to N0183 converter cable from Digital Yacht (£150).

If you replace an old plotter, the new one may speak a different data language. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

You could also use Raymarine’s own SeaTalk to SeaTalkNG converter , which costs £120 and plugs into your N2K network.

It could equally be an older plotter, GPS unit or an AIS receiver/transponder that is already acting as a multiplexer by gathering signals from several sources.

But if you have depth and speed transducers coupled with B&G wind and third-party AIS, then there are only two choices, according to Sumpner.

‘You can either fit a multiplexer to combine the NMEA 0183 data or fit multiple NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 converters.’

A multiplexer such as Actisense’s NDC-4 (£225) can accept N0183 data from up to five sources, which it stores and sequences to a single output.

Quark Elec produces one that will convert the data to N2K protocol and feed that into the network ( QK-A034 , £180).

However, some warn against the multiplexer solution.

‘They can be tricky to install and configure, plus you end up with one NMEA 2000 device that is putting lots of data on to the NMEA 2000 network,’ explains Sumpner.

‘The current preferred solution is to fit multiple NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 converters and have one for the AIS, one for instruments, one for GPS, and so on.

This way the NMEA 2000 network structure is more defined and devices can choose which data source to use, rather than be forced to use everything from the multiplexer.’

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Getting data from NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 via a gateway device is straightforward

It is rare to damage a NMEA 0183 instrument by incorrectly wiring the data terminals.

However, make sure that you respect the polarity and always connect NMEA Out on the talker unit to NMEA In on the listener – never in to in!

Modernise you boat: Scenario 2 – New transducers and sensors

Not so long ago, most transducers and sensors used analogue signals to send their data to a dedicated display.

That option is still available through Nasa Marine’s budget range of instruments and through Raymarine’s current i60 display, although the preferred option is to run transducer signals into an iTC-5 black box that feeds it directly into the N2K network.

The same is true for other sensors and transducers.

B&G’s wireless masthead unit sends bluetooth signals to a base station connected to the NMEA 2000 network

If you wanted to install an ultrasonic speed sensor, such as Airmar’s UST800 (£1,135), it should fit the same through-hull as your traditional paddlewheel.

You then run the wire from the transducer into a black box which puts out the depth data in N2K format.

So you would need to create a small N2K network, even if the aim was simply to convert that data back into NMEA 0183 using a NMEA gateway.

AIS units are usually N2K, but often also offer a NMEA 0183 output.

Because of the volume of data, they use a faster version of NMEA 0183 that runs at 38,400 baud, not 4,800.

Make sure that any listeners attached to the AIS are either expecting the data at this rate, or put a multiplexer or buffer in-between the two — to ensure the whole network operates at 4,800 baud.

Nasa’s anemometer generates NMEA 0183 data directly.

Data displayed on your phone via a WiFi gateway

You can run its output straight to a NMEA multiplexer or another instrument with N0183 input.

From there, the wind data gets flashed around the network or sent to your smart device, according to your set-up.

Modernise your boat: Scenario 3 – New Display

A common addition to an older electronics network is a new repeater display, perhaps in the cockpit or at the chart table.

It is far cheaper than a more powerful MFD, but you will very likely face many of the same issues with connectivity.

New instrument displays like B&G’s Triton2 and Raymarine’s i70s will invariably use the more recent N2K standard, so to view speed or depth data from your old instruments you will need to convert it from N0183 to N2K, using one of the gateway devices mentioned in Scenario 1.

To replace old or worn instrument displays, you may need an adaptor, but can save money by using one unit to display a range of data. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

If there are multiple N0183 instruments, you may also need to add a multiplexer.

Once again, you are effectively creating a mini N2K network on your boat in order to use the display.

At its simplest, that means installing a short length of backbone with a T-piece node for the new display, another node bringing power in from the battery and a third node connecting the NMEA converter.

The benefit of this construction is that the network can easily be expanded in the future with new instruments.

Ben Holdsworth of marine electronics installer Greenham Regis says it is simple to build the network, but cautions against creating too many connections between different instrument groups.

A professional installation. Taken logically, connecting old and new electronics via adaptors needn’t be complicated

‘Sometimes it’s easy to get yourself stuck in a data loop,’ he says.

‘For instance, if you have an N2K chartplotter and you want to delete a waypoint, that goes into the N2K network and across the converter to the 0183 network. But if you have SeaTalk connected as well, you can find that you never actually manage to delete that waypoint. By the time you’ve deleted it, it comes back onto the plotter via a different loop.’

This was the case in a recent job Greenham Regis did on a Swan, where the technicians found there simply wasn’t a sensible way to keep one of the old displays in the system.

If the prospect of a network makes you blanch, then you could consider another option.

Adaptors between N2K, NO183 and AIS are the key to this mixed network

French manufacturer NKE offers a Multigraphic display that can accept a single NMEA 0183 input.

Although these displays are designed to work with NKE’s own suite of more race-oriented sensors on their own proprietary TopLine bus, they will work perfectly well with older instruments.

It is not a cheap option, though, as these capable displays cost around €1,700.

When you modernise your boat, you might find that some chartplotters will work with nothing more than a power supply, but work better with network data

If it is only simple data that you want to display, then Nasa Marine’s multifunction repeater (£289) could be the answer.

Note that it doesn’t let you customise pages or set alarms, just toggle through key navigation data.

Modernise your boat: Scenario 4 -Batteries, tanks and engines

Most sailors are well accustomed to the navigational data available from their instruments.

But recent developments have produced devices capable of generating a lot of data relating to critical onboard systems, including batteries, tanks and engines.

Imagine early warning of the engine overheating, water in the bilge rising or knowing exactly how much fuel is left, visible on your instruments?

This information could make the difference between calling out the lifeboat and making it safely home.

Modern engines often come with NMEA outputs for a range of services. Credit: Graham Snook

Bigger or more modern engines already produce digital data, which they typically share with the engine display panel.

Volvo Penta’s entire range even includes an N2K output, ready for hooking up to your instrument network.

But even a relatively simple engine like the Beta Marine 30 in my Sadler can be tapped for data.

As it is, the engine senses coolant temperature, oil pressure and revs which it displays on the tachometer, and in the form of alarms that are triggered when pressure drops or temperatures rise.

By replacing these simple on-off sensors with a resistive type sensor, it is possible to constantly measure these engine parameters.

Your engine manufacturer or dealer will be able to recommend sensors compatible with your specific model.

Exhaust alarms can alert you before your engine overheats

The challenge then is to turn the electrical signals from the senders into NMEA data.

For this, you need a special unit such as Actisense’s EMU (£387.61) or the Alba-Combi (€399).

Because they are designed to accept inputs from commonly used marine senders, there is little programming required.

You just need to connect up the wires from the oil and temperature sensors to the resistive inputs, then plug the other end of the unit into your N2K network.

As with previous scenarios, this network could be a new MFD or cockpit display, or it could be simple — just power, the engine monitor unit and then a NMEA WiFi gateway to get the data onto a phone (more below).

Another option would be to install a dedicated VeeThree display for engine data (£1,019.70).

This unit has a harness on the back that you connect up to the sender wires for older non-electronic engines, or to the J1939 CAN bus for newer engines.

With its N2K output, this device serves the double purpose of displaying your engine and tank data, then sharing it around the network.

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Tank sensors work in much the same way as the engine senders.

If you have existing sensors, they are likely to be resistive types which can simply be wired up to the resistance terminals on your EMU or Alba Combi, although you will have to connect a laptop to the EMU in order to calibrate for your tank.

An alternative option is to use a specialist N2K tank adapter that allows you to plug your tank sensor directly into the N2K network.

Analogue signals can be converted to NMEA 2000 to make it accessible on your instruments. Credit: Ian Roman

Maretron offers one for a fairly steep £295. Yacht Devices charges £128 for its YDTA which will work with standard N2K fittings and with Raymarine’s SeaTalkNG. Maretron also offers an N2K monitor (£310) which can be used to show bilge pump use and could provide warning of a leak.

And Yacht Devices offers a range of handy N2K modules which simply plug into your network.

These include a digital barometer, humidity sensor and thermometer, as well as an exhaust temperature sensor (£125) that can measure up to 800°C.

Top NMEA mistakes

Here are the top mistakes to avoid when you modernise your boat

• Older AIS uses a faster version of NMEA 0183, operating at 38,400 baud. The only way to integrate it into a standard NMEA system is using a multiplexer.
• Connect NMEA Out on the talker unit to NMEA In on the listener.
• Garmin refers to NMEA negative as ‘battery negative’.
• You may need to adjust the settings of older NMEA instruments in order to switch on the NMEA 0183 output.
• N2K backbones must have a blanking plug to correctly terminate each end of the backbone cable, otherwise it won’t work.

Making use of the data

Now that you’re generating all this data, you’ll naturally want to get it onto a phone or tablet, where you can view it from anywhere on board.

The simplest solution if you have a modern multifunction display is to use the MFD’s built-in WiFi.

Check the maker’s instructions on how to switch on the WiFi function, which may require you to give the network a name and a password.

WiFi data opens up a vast array of apps on your tablet

Then use your smart device to connect to that WiFi network, just as you would at home.

Remember that the phone or tablet won’t be able to access the internet through the WiFi connection with the MFD, unless you have separately set that up.

There are limitations to this, however, as Ben Holdsworth explains: ‘You can only use the manufacturer’s own app to view data,’ he says.

‘It can simply repeat the screen of the plotter — that’s all it really allows you to do, which is great, because you can create waypoints and turn the radar on and off. You can be tucked up in the saloon, keeping an eye on things.’

Garmin’s app is called ActiveCaptain, and includes everything from charting to autohelm control.

NMEAremote is one of the many apps that turns your tablets into an MFD

Raymarine has two apps that simply mirror the screen of the MFD, along with whatever data happens to be displayed, while its new RayControl app for tablets is more versatile.

B&G’s app, called Link, gives you control of most of your MFD’s functions from the phone or tablet.

If you really want to liberate your data, then you need a dedicated NMEA WiFi bridge.

‘It pulls the data off the system and broadcasts it out,’ says Holdsworth. ‘You open whatever app you want, to view the data.’

This is very different to your home router, so dispel any notions of using your old TalkTalk box.

Actisense’s W2K-1 makes all your data available to your phone or tablet

Another reason to use this approach would be if your MFD uses its WiFi channel for connecting to a radar or camera.

There are many such WiFi devices available and if you have even a small N2K network then it is simple: just plug the WiFi gateway into your backbone and away it goes.

As power runs down the backbone, there is no need for a separate connection to the battery.

Products include Digital Yacht’s NavLink2 (£210) and Actisense’s W2K-1 (£185).

If your network runs on older NMEA 0183, then the installation can be a little more complex.

You can use NMEA data on a huge range of apps via a WiFi server

Just as in Scenario 1, you should first determine how many instruments need to get their data onto WiFi.

If it’s just one, then you’re in luck: simply wire in a NMEA to a WiFi gateway like Digital Yacht’s WLN10 Smart (£150).

More instruments mean more complexity and, if they don’t daisy-chain together (like Raymarine SeaTalk or B&G’s old Network units), then you will need a multiplexer to combine all the talkers’ outputs into one data stream.

This will then feed smoothly into the WiFi gateway, and thence, onto your phone or tablet.

Some products combine the multiplexer and WiFi function in one box, such as Quark-Elec’s QK-A031 (£100.80) which has inputs for three NMEA 0183 signals and one SeaTalk (Raymarine’s networking standard).

Digital Yacht produces another such unit called the WLN30 Smart (£210), which can take up to three different instrument inputs.

To view the data on your phone or tablet, you need a suitable app first.

There are literally hundreds to choose from, all with slightly different functions ranging from charting to data logging, as you can see from the short selection below.

If you specifically want an instrument-style display with none of the distraction of chart overlays and weather forecasts, NMEAremote (£14) looks good, supports a really wide range of NMEA sentences and can be heavily customised.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, simply connect your phone to your new WiFi network in the usual way, and away you go.

Note: Some WiFi bridges, including the Garmin GNT10, will only share data with their own proprietary apps.

Apps for instrument viewers

• NMEASail , £9.99
• Boat Instruments , £6.99
• iRegatta Pro , £19.99
• Marine Instrument Display , £8.99
• NMEAremote , £13.99
• SeaNav NP , £20.49

Setting alarms

The volume of data generated by a connected system can be overwhelming, so you need quick and easy ways of sifting it for information that is mission critical.

First of all, spend time with your new MFD or data display to customise the pages of information that you want to look at.

Set up a page that combines your new engine data, for example, alongside boat speed.

Creating visible and audible alarms for certain parameters is a good use of all this data

Another one could focus on wind angles and VMG, with a third with relevant GPS information — bearing and range to the next waypoint, plus boat speed and speed over the ground.

Next, set up alarms that will warn you of a potentially dangerous situation.

Every manufacturer does this in a slightly different way.

Almost every parameter can be given a trigger value, and you can then decide how that alarm is presented.

Does it sound an alert that you have to clear?

That could be useful for an elevated engine temperature, shallow depth or when the true wind gusts above your normal reefing point.

Add an exhaust alarm to preempt the engine overheating

Perhaps just a warning on screen is necessary when the battery voltage drops below 50% or if you lose GPS connectivity for a second.

Apps can be just as good with alarms if you pick the right one.

NMEAremote, for instance, is very flexible and lets you determine exactly how it notifies you of any given situation.

Remember that electronics are no more than an aid to good seamanship.

After the novelty of your new MFD has subsided, there’s still the same need to carry a hand-bearing compass, keep an eye on fuel levels and conduct regular engine checks.

It’s also worth maintaining a secondary, separate GPS system — perhaps keeping your old unit and maintaining the old NMEA wiring in place, albeit unattached, so that you could quickly hook it up to your instruments in an emergency.

Modernise your boat: Case Study – Hunter Channel 245

After buying a used Hunter Channel 245, new owner Nick Meadow undertook an electronics upgrade with Garmin authorised installer Knight Marine in Port Solent.

The boat had an old Raymarine C80 chartplotter, a VHF and a small Raymarine i40 instrument for depth and speed.

He decided to install a new GPSmap 922, as it supported radar.

‘Plus, the Active Captain Helm feature would give me control of the screen via my smartphone,’ Meadow said.

The chartplotter, with its ‘umbilical’ cables so it can be moved

This was paired with a GMR Fantom 18 radar. ‘While Garmin’s entry level GMR 18HD+ would have been enough for my needs, target tracking and power usage were of utmost importance,’ he continued.

‘So I chose the solid-state Fantom 18 for its Motionscope Doppler-effect target tracking, and its ability to lock-on to up to 20 MARPA targets to track their relative positions, giving closest point of approach and time to closest point of approach.’

Also on the list was a gWind wireless wind transducer, an AIS 800 black box unit and a Fusion Apollo for music and FM radio.

The new MFD and instruments on deck. You can get seek professional help to modernise your boat

He kept the old i40 for speed and depth to avoid replacing the transducer.

Sam Fortescue is a freelance marine journalist and former magazine editor who sails a Sadler 34, which has taken his family from the Caribbean to the Baltic

‘We didn’t want to lift out the boat,’ said Paul Knight, MD of Knight Marine.

‘We bought a Seatalk to SeaTalk NG converter and put new N2K connectors to bridge it into the system.’

All the new wiring was hidden away.

‘We had to have the headlinings down at one point, and the floor up to hide the cables,’ Knight added.

‘In the heads, we had to make a box up to cover the back of the plotter displays, which we covered in vinyl.’

The owner also wanted the option to mount the chartplotter at the helm or on the companionway, so Knight created an ‘umbilical’ containing the network and power cables with plenty of give.

The radar was mounted on a tower on the transom, and is easily removed when not in use. www.knightmarine.co.uk

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    A solar powered wind measurement instrument

OpenWind measures: AWA / AWS, compass and pitch / roll. In addition to that, our application calculates COG, SOG, VMG, AWD, TWA, TWD, TWS and rotating mast angle compensation.

  Broadcast  signal  

Only one device can connect to the OpenWind instrument at a time, which will be able to send data back and calibrate the sensors. However, multiple devices can read broadcast signal simultaneously.

With the OpenWind broadcast signal you and your crew will be able to read the wind data on a smartphone, tablet, smartwatch and NMEAkit™ simultaneously.

Depending on the device, Broadcast reading may not be possible. We recommend recent models of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches.

  Signal  range  

OpenWind uses Bluetooth 4.2 which has a maximum range of 50 meters when the signal is unobstructed.  The Bluetooth antenna is oriented downward from the device, yielding better range if mounted higher on the vessel.  Older smartphone models and hard cases will reduce the effective connectivity range . 

  Polar  diagram  

  NMEAkit™  device  

  Carbon extender  

  One device. Multiple applications.  

Pair with a multifunctional application that measures wind speed, wind direction as well as pitch & roll and heading information.

It is the OpenWind main Application with a more complex interface. It displays AWS, AWA, AWD, COG, SOG, VMG, TWS, TWA, TWS, pitch, roll, compass, bluetooth and battery information. It includes a map with OpenSea Map Overlay and can also compensate mast rotation. This application can run in the background and send the wind data via UPD in NMEA0183 sentences to third party applications.

WindLogger  App  

For iOS only, the WindLogger   app can read the data via UDP  from the OpenWind App in the background. It  can do average data readings from the last 30, 60 or 120 minutes from AWS, TWS and SOG. It also gives you maximum readings from TWS,  AWS and SOG. It is possible to export the logged data in CSV format (AWA, AWS, TWA, TWS, COG, SOG, Yaw, Pitch, Roll).

NMEAkit App  

The NMEAkit application allows you to calibrate the mast° position and activate mast rotation compensation. It also allows calibration of the wind direction, pitch and roll from the OpenWind device. The application displays if the NMEAkit is connected or reading broadcast signal from OpenWind. It also displays AWA, AWS, pitch, roll and yaw readings from the OpenWind device.

WindTrainer  App

The WindTrainer App connects directly to OpenWind via Bluetooth, it does not require the OpenWind App to be running in the Background.  This app plots the magnetic wind direction and wind speed to a graph.  It is a simplified version of the WindLogger app, designed for trainers and race officers.

MacOs  App  

Requires macOS 11 or later and a Mac with the Apple M1 chip. This application allows you to connect your OpenWind device directly to your Mac! Send OpenWind data via UDP to third party applications such as OpenCPN.

Smartwatch compatible

You can find the OpenWind application for Smartwatch in the iOS AppStore, Google play store, Samsung Galaxy Store and Garmin Connect IQ Store

Find out more about the technology behind OpenWind

• Uncategorized

NMEA 2000 Wind Sensors: Promise That’s Partially Fulfilled

• By Ben Ellison
• Updated: September 16, 2009

wind sensors 368

Alas, my latest boat, Gizmo, doesn’t sail, but this 37-foot Down East-style motor vessel is a corker for testing electronics. Its overbuilt and highly accessible antenna mast easily accommodated a rack of five NMEA 2000 wind sensors. I manipulated the rack to simulate the complex motion at a real sailboat’s masthead while I monitored the instrument and multifunction displays showing the output of those sensors. It was a cat-herding exercise for sure, but I learned a lot about the gear’s similarities and differences. I also saw at least partially fulfilled the NMEA 2000 promise of easy installation and unlimited data sharing that I described in “Into the Nitty-Gritty of NMEA 2000” (July 2009; go to www.cruisingworld.com/0909ellison to read the article online).

This testing wasn’t precise enough to detect small performance differences between the sensors; I think a high-end wind tunnel and a programmable multi-ram motion simulator are required to do that comparison properly. But watching five sensors simultaneously register apparent-wind speeds all within a knot or two and measure wind angles relative to the bow to within a few degrees suggested that there wasn’t a dog in the bunch. And the test venue included the very light conditions-under 5 knots-in which I’ve personally found a wind sensor most valuable, even sail enhancing (if the instrumented boat is up to ghosting in zephyrs).

The biggest difference marking the wind systems tested is in the abilities and styles of their associated instrument displays, which range from traditional dedicated dials through limited gray-scale graphics and on into the new world of full-color all-in-ones. But thanks to NMEA 2000, indecisive sailors needn’t fret. Regardless of the sensors used, you could conceivably have some FI50 instruments from Furuno (www.furunousa.com) in your cockpit, perhaps because their power-efficient OLED screens work well in a wide variety of light conditions, and an ST70 from Raymarine (www.raymarine.com) at the nav station, perhaps largely to display all sorts of other N2K info when you’re not sailing (and/or because it can bridge in non-N2K data from Raymarine sensors that your boat may already have; see below, “Old School to New,” ). Multifunction displays also get to plug and play-with onboard computers truly joining soon-and thus the possible data/display combinations, and happy endings, are endless.

However, please note this serious caveat with regard to mixing N2K sensors and displays. Although the protocol includes optional, and rudimentary, facilities for standardizing basic calibrations, very few manufacturers so far have implemented them. Thus, if you must, say, apply an offset adjustment to your new GWS 10 wind vane from Garmin (www.garmin.com) because it somehow didn’t get mounted dead on the bow, you’ll need a Garmin GMI 10 instrument or one of the company’s N2K-enabled multifunction displays to enter the correction. The good news is that calibration values generally reside inside the relevant sensor and, thus, are broadcast to everything on the network. But note the fudge word “generally”: Furuno instruments and multifunction displays, for instance, can apply some calibrations to any brand of sensor, which is useful except that the resulting calibrated values only show up on Furuno gear. In addition, some calibrations, such as dampening, are generally local to a specific display and aren’t stored in the dampened sensor. See what I meant about herding cats?

Along similar lines, it may be important to match the brand of your multifunction display to the brand of your N2K sensors and instruments so you can easily update all their firmware. Download the update to your home or office PC, copy it to a memory card, then stick the card into the display and, voila, the multifunction display and any familial device on the network can get new features (or fixes for bugs). Simple sensors and such dedicated displays as wind needles rarely need or get updating, but the new all-in-one instruments are quite a different story. The Garmin GMI 10, for instance, could barely display a faux wind gauge when it first came out last year, but now it has the most feature-rich wind screens of the lot. It can chart multiple wind data points, its user-defined closehauled dial can automatically become a downwind dial when you bear off, and its interface makes it pie simple to customize these and other screens or, say, choose between water (paddle) speed or ground (GPS) speed for True Wind calculations; it can even pick which of five wind sensors you want it to listen to. I’m aware that the latter situation isn’t the usual (then again, so were my harbor mates, though that’s a tale for another day), but some belt-and-suspenders cruisers like the idea of redundant sensors, and they’ll be pleased to find their choices clearly listed by brand and model names.

Let’s note, though, an obvious twist to this N2K update game: With new software, the Raymarine ST70 or the DSM250 from Maretron (www.maretron.com) may be able any day now to display even snazzier wind screens. Moreover, the abilities of these small, high-resolution screens and the factors involved in choosing one go well beyond wind; any standard data on the network can be illustrated and/or used in calculations. To date, I’ve seen such screen goodies as graphed depth (to indicate bottom trend), fuel flow and speed combined into real-time miles-per-gallon, and a handy time alarm function cheerfully represented as an old-time wind-up-clock icon. I found myself imagining handsome anchor-alarm graphics or a screen showing my boat’s nav-light status, blown bulbs included-all of which is possible. In fact, and though it may further complicate shopping choices, it strikes me as reasonable these days to expect your boat screens to be not only informative but also stylish, even fun, and to improve with age.

None of which is meant to slight the more traditional-looking N2K instruments developed by Furuno and Simrad (www.simradyachtingusa.com). There’s arguably no better wind sensor-to-sailor interface than those smooth-moving motor-driven needles, and besides, these gauge families aren’t as old-fashioned as they may appear. Even the dedicated dials can tap the N2K backbone for the data needed to calculate various true-wind values or for proprietary commands to, say, coordinate back lighting among same-brand instrument clusters. And Simrad’s IS20 Graphic Multifunction is actually an all-in-one unit that’s able to page through eight customizable screens and even strip chart data points or sketch-chart a go-to-waypoint.

Similarly, Furuno’s multi- and single-line digital displays can put up data you may never have seen on a “sailing” instrument before, like Beaufort Scale wind speeds or engine rpm. However, those segmented screens can’t do dot graphics and can barely explicate setup and calibration menus (unless the manual is in hand). On the other hand, they’re stunningly crisp and legible even in bright sunlight, all while purportedly using the least power of the group. (I now can precisely measures device loads; go to www.panbo.com to read my blog reporting the loads for these wind sensors.)

In fact, I saw many screen-readability differences among the tested instruments. For instance, the Garmin GMI 10-the only sensor that uses its own 12-volt power cable instead of what’s available over the N2K backbone-is wonderfully bright in muted sunlight and belowdecks conditions, but it isn’t transflective. By comparison, the otherwise dimmer but transflective ST70 starts to shine in direct sunshine. In other words, it’s worth some effort to view instruments of interest in the sort of ambient-light conditions in which they’ll actually function, including the dark of night; boat shows, show rooms, and photographs can all be deceiving.

Significant differences exist in the design and construction of the wind sensors themselves, if not in their observed output. Garmin’s whirlygig screws directly to your masthead, which may be inconvenient if you pull the stick every winter, while Simrad’s and Furuno’s each has a slick ski-binding-like mounting bracket. But the Garmin is straight-up NMEA 2000 and reports atmospheric pressure and air temperature; an adaptor cable is needed to network the Simrad to anything but other SimNet gear; Furuno’s vane must actually cable to its wind instrument before its data even joins an N2K network.

Then there are the ultrasonic sensors, the WSO100 from Maretron and the PB200 from Airmar (www.airmar.com), which use no moving parts. (For an explanation, see Tony Bessinger’s “Wind Speed with No Moving Parts,” a sidebar to “Sailing into the Future,” in CW’s March 2009 issue.) While the designation “PB” in the Airmar model stands for “Power Boat,” this high-end multisensor can to some extent feel its own motion and correct its wind data to compensate for its use on a sailboat. Airmar is hesitant to claim that this works well 60 feet up in a serious seaway-hence the PB designation-but at least one sailing tester who weighs in frequently at my blog (reachable via www.panbo.com ) is very impressed. Panbo offers lots of info and opinion regarding the subjects discussed here, but be forewarned that some digging is required.

Finally, you might want to know about a soon-to-materialize NMEA 2000 initiative, the Third Party Gateway, that, I think, will put the cherry on the sundae for marine electronics users. During these wind-system tests, I used a Maretron USB100 gateway to pass N2K data to various charting programs on my boat’s laptop. When compared with the lash up of teensy wires and NMEA 0183 multiplexors that I’d previously needed, this arrangement was easy to set up and it worked better, but it wasn’t the promise of NMEA 2000 fulfilled. In truth, the USB 100 is translating N2K data into the older 0183 networking language, and it’s doing that because the cost of developing and certifying NMEA 2000 software has been prohibitive. The Third Party Gateway is meant to change that situation significantly, and in a year or so, developers should be able to market true N2K-to-PC gateways along with software that takes full advantage of the available data. If all goes well, consumers should see interesting sailing-performance programs, weather-data collectors, and maybe even a utility program for precisely comparing the output of five wind sensors. From this perspective, NMEA 2000’s prospects look delicious.

Old School to New

A question many sailors are asking is whether they can integrate a NMEA 2000 wind sensor or display with existing gear. The answer is “maybe.” Raymarine has been particularly innovative in this respect. Its ST70 display has SeaTalk ports in both regular style and NG (standing, in Raymarine speak, for “Next Generation,” that is, NMEA 2000) and can translate the older SeaTalk data language into NG/N2K. Hence, if you run a SeaTalk cable from an already installed ST60 system to an ST70, you’ll have a colorful new repeater for wind and other data on the system. And once connected to an N2K backbone, the same ST70 can broadcast the translated data to other NMEA 2000 displays, regardless of the brand. Raymarine also offers Wind, Speed, and Depth pods that convert the outputs of its many existing sensors into STNG/N2K format, and thus can be tied into an STNG/N2K backbone wherever that’s most convenient.

Meanwhile Simrad offers the AT10, a small and inexpensive NMEA 2000/0183 translator that’s become popular with professional marine-electronics installers. Its data-conversion abilities are limited, but wind, depth, heading, speed, and go-to-waypoint are included, and it translates both ways. It could, say, share wind info from your new N2K instrument to your non-N2K plotter or help that new instrument calculate True Wind with heading info from your existing autopilot.

Furuno has introduced the IF-NMEA2K1, a high-end and highly customizable 2000/0183 converter, and Actisense (www.actisense.com) is about to ship the compact but able NGW-1. I plan to test both, and my hope is to see, for instance, wind data from a wireless Tacktick vane appearing on all the N2K displays and N2K depth and heading info registering on Tacktick’s wireless displays. Actisense, along with Maretron, is at work on the Third Party Gateways that may one day let your NMEA 2000 wind and other data work for you in wondrous ways. B.E.

Ben Ellison, who maintains the popular marine electronics website Panbo.com, is Cruising World’s electronics editor.

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Technical Specifications

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Accessories and Spare Parts

20 Metre Wind V2 Extension cable

20 metre 3 wire extension cable to suit the Clipper, Target and Cruiser V2 Wind mast head units. Fitted with 3 way wire trap terminal block.

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Wireless Wind Masthead Unit & Data Box

The wireless masthead transmitter outputs NMEA 0183 wind speed and direction data via its paired receiver box. It is powered by an internal battery which is charged from ambient light using a small solar panel. A few dull days will not affect performance. When fully charged, it is capable of two thousand hours of full operation in total darkness. The masthead transmitter sends data wirelessly to the base unit, which is powered by the vessel’s 12 Volt supply, the base unit receives wind speed and direction data from the masthead transmitter and sends it to a Clipper Wind display or any other compatible NMEA display unit.

• Wireless wind speed and direction data to any compatible NMEA display
• Easy installation with mast in place – no wires to run down
• Simple masthead alignment through base unit
• Light mast unit weight – 190 grams

Clipper Tactical Wind System (Apparent and True)

A high performance instrument system that shows almost instantaneous changes of wind speed and direction.

In demanding conditions, where high performance is essential, the Clipper Tactical wind system is the ideal choice. With ten updates every second it responds very quickly to the changes in wind speed and direction, which occur during tricky manoeuvres. The sensor is supplied complete with a mast mounting kit, 20 metres of light weight cable and all necessary electrical connectors to complete the installation. The output data is in the NMEA 0183 format and can be used to drive any compatible display that utilises the MWV sentence.

Clipper Wind System V2 (Apparent)

The Clipper Wind system shares the same 110mm square case as its sister instruments in the Clipper range. the display is exceptionally large and clear, with 60 segments for full 360 degree direction indication. Windspeed is shown in knots, M.P.H. or Metres/second. The pointer style is selectable, from the single segment shown above, to multi segments for greater clarity or a ‘windex’ style indicator. The masthead unit directly outputs NMEA 0183 output sentence MWV and is supplied with 20 metres of cable.

Clipper Wind system is supplied complete with Display unit, masthead unit with cable and mounting blocks.

Tactical Wind Mast Sensor (without 20m cable)

Tactical wind mast sensor supplied without the 20 metre mast cable

Supplied as standard to Clipper, Target and Cruiser V2 wind systems.

• NMEA 0183 4800 Baud data sentence MWV – update rate = 10 per second
• Wind speed 0 to 99.9 Kts
• Wind direction 0 to 360 degrees
• Supply voltage nominal 12 Volts
• Wind sensor supply current 9mA

NOTE – This 3 wire NMEA mast unit is not compatible with earlier 5 wire analogue Clipper, Target or Cruiser wind systems.

Clipper Wireless Wind (True)

The Clipper wireless wind is supplied with a wireless masthead transmitter, a base unit and a Clipper True Wind display unit. The wireless masthead transmitter is powered by an internal battery which is charged from ambient light using a small solar panel. A few dull days will not affect performance. When fully charged, it is capable of two thousand hours of full operation in total darkness. The masthead transmitter sends data wirelessly to the base unit, which is powered by the vessel’s 12 Volt supply, the base unit receives wind speed and direction data from the masthead transmitter and sends it to the display.

The Clipper True Wind display is in the industry standard 110mm square case. Exceptionally large and clear display with 60 segments for full 360 degree direction indication. The display shows apparent wind speed and direction and, when connected to a log or GPS, it can also show true wind speed and direction.

• Light mast unit weight – 190 grams

Target Wind Speed & Direction V2 (Apparent)

All instruments in the Target Range come complete with sensors or transducers as appropriate and all necessary fittings. They are designed to run on 12v supply, but due to the very low power consumption there is no reason why they cannot run off dry batteries. They provides accurate readings for owners of sailing craft and powerboats alike. Designed for long term maintenance-free performance, the Target Wind Speed and Direction instrument is robust in manufacture and simple in operation. Initial set-up aligns the boats head with the wind indicator, so the masthead unit can be mounted in any convenient location and is not bound to fore-aft mounting.

NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 Compliant converter (Wind)

The product consists of a translator box which inputs the NMEA 0183 wind data sentence MWV. It translates the 0183 data into NMEA 2000 compliant wind data for connection via a ‘micro-c’ connector directly into an existing NMEA 2000 network.

Product video showing the system connected to a NASA Marine mast unit and Garmin GMI 20 NMEA 2000 repeater

USER MANUAL

Tactical Wind Mast Sensor (NMEA 0183 Output)

A high performance system that sends NMEA wind speed and direction data 10 times a second.

In demanding conditions, where high performance is essential, the Clipper Tactical wind mast sensor is the ideal choice. With ten updates every second it responds very quickly to the changes in wind speed and direction, which occur during tricky manoeuvres. The sensor is supplied complete with a mast mounting kit, 20 metres of light weight cable and all necessary electrical connectors to complete the installation. The output data is in the NMEA 0183 format and can be used to drive any compatible display that utilises the MWV sentence. Supplied as standard to Clipper, Target and Cruiser V2 wind systems.

NOTE – This 3 wire NMEA mast unit is not compatible with earlier 5 wire analogue Clipper, Target or Cruiser wind systems. The earlier analogue mast sensor is available on the spare parts page .

• Mast transmitter supplied with 20 metres of cable

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• Marine Electronics

A NMEA 2000-and Beyond-Survival Guide

NMEA 2000 (aka NMEA 2K or N2K) is the communication standard replacing NMEA 0183. It is a technical standard (IEC 61162-3) used for connecting marine sensors and display units within a boat. The major differences from NMEA 0183:

• NMEA 2K operates at 250 kilobits-per-second, about 100 times faster than the 4,800 baud of NMEA 0183.
• NMEA 2K networks are created by attaching sensors/instruments and displays to a central backbone cable. The backbone cable provides 12-volt power to most instruments as well as carries data all NMEA 2K sensors and displays connected to the backbone can share.
• NMEA 2K is intended to be plug-and-play. Ideally any NMEA 2K instruments plugged the backbone cable should play nicely with all the other displays and instruments. But note that several proprietary versions (Raymarines SeaTalk NG, Simrads Simnet) use physical connectors that might require adapters to interconnect. NMEA 0183 instruments can also be connected to a backbone through an adapter.
• NMEA 2K also uses the Controller Area Network Bus (CAN Bus) originally developed for on-road vehicles and engines, so engine information (such as fuel consumption, temp, oil pressure) can be transmitted and displayed on the system.
• NMEA 2K is bi-directional, or more accurately, multi-directional. There is no NMEA 0183 talker/listener distinction. Since all instruments can send data on the backbone, the multi-functional display is ideal for the system-you can display info from any or all instruments.

The current downsides of NMEA 2K are twofold. First is cost. The compatible instruments are newer and more expensive than older instruments, the cabling is pricey, and the network invites adding many more sensors than you might otherwise consider. Running the cables through an older boat will also be time-consuming and challenging.

Second, if there is a significant problem with the NMEA 2K backbone in a fully NMEA 2K boat-say a crimp and a broken wire, or even a damaged terminator or loose or dirty connector-every instrument depending on the backbone can stop working. We much prefer a system with some redundancy and back-up in it-if an NMEA 0183 instrument, like your speedo or windmeter, quits communicating to your multi-function display or radar through a multiplexer, it will still work on its own.

Further in the future is the still-being-developed NMEA OneNet, also called NMEA on IP (IP being internet protocol). Its a standard for sending data by ethernet cable which will be even faster than NMEA 2K (up to 40,000 times faster), and provide greater bandwidth. Fortunately, OneNet will not replace NMEA 2K but complement it. OneNet will likely open the door for more computer-crossover applications, but it will be several years before OneNet equipment for sailboats will be readily available.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Hi Darrel, well it has been a few years… Maybe an article on OneNet revisited…? I understand the cons it’s the pros I like such as MFD/OneNet Radar and any other signal I want in one place. I have room on my binnacle for a 10″ MFD. Maybe with your connections pressure some OEMs to more accurately predict how many years before we can see plug-n-play equipment…? Fair Winds, -David

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WND100 Wind Sensor

From: £ 354.00

“Rugged and Cost Effective NMEA0183 or NMEA 2000 Wind Transducer”

• Description
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KEY FEATURES

Wind Transducers have a tough life, experiencing extreme weather, constant movement and the occassional seagull. Therefore it is no surprise that they can often fail. With this in mind, our WND100 marine wind sensor features an ultra tough design with UV and salt resistant plastics, Igildur™ bearings for exceptional life and corrosion resistance. Data transmission is via a super-thin 20m digital cable providing fast update NMEA0183 ($WIMWV) data. Therefore allowing maximum compatibility with legacy instrument systems and multi-function displays.

The WND100 Wind Sensor with NMEA 2000 version includes the Digital Yacht  iKonvert NMEA 2000 gateway. This therefore allows an easy and flexible install of the NMEA 2000 without the need for cumbersome drop cables. It allows an easy and thin 20m cable to be run from the WND100 to the nearest point on the NMEA 2000 backbone. Thus allowing the iKonvert to connect to it.

If you have an existing wind transducer that has failed or you want to add wind data to a multi-function display (MFD). You should consider if our marine wind sensor WND100, before splashing out on an expensive complete wind system from one of the bigger brands. Check if the WND100 can be connected up to your existing displays. This will not only save yourself significant money, but also install a transducer that will take whatever mother nature has to throw at it.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Ultra tough marine wind sensor.
• Igildur™ bearings for exceptional life and corrosion resistance
• UV, Salt water and high impact resistant plastics
• 12/24v DC operation with minimal power consumption
• Super thin 20m Mast Head cable
• Industry standard NMEA0183 Output for maximum compatibility
• NMEA 2000 version is supplied with iKonvert (NMEA2000-NMEA0183 converter) allowing easy and flexible NMEA 2000 installation
• $WIMWV sentence output at 5Hz (configurable)

WND100 Quick Start Guide V2 01 Pdf

• WND100 windsensor
• 20m (66ft) NMEA 0183 cable
• NMEA 2000 version is supplied with iKonvert

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GPS160 NMEA 0183

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HSC100 COMPASS SENSOR

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WND100 Wind Sensor

From: $ 459.95

“Rugged and Cost Effective NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 Wind Transducer”

• Description
• Additional information
• Manual and Downloads
• what inside box

KEY FEATURES

Wind Transducers have a tough life, experiencing extreme weather, constant movement and the occassional seagull. Therefore it is no surprise that they can often fail. With this in mind, our WND100 marine wind sensor features an ultra tough design with UV and salt resistant plastics, Igildur™ bearings for exceptional life and corrosion resistance. Data transmission is via a super-thin 20m digital cable providing fast update NMEA0183 ($WIMWV) data. Therefore allowing maximum compatibility with legacy instrument systems and multi-function displays.

The WND100 Wind Sensor with NMEA 2000 version includes the Digital Yacht iKonvert NMEA 2000 gateway. This therefore allows an easy and flexible install of the NMEA 2000 without the need for cumbersome drop cables. It allows an easy and thin 66ft cable to be run from the WND100 to the nearest point on the NMEA 2000 backbone. Thus allowing the iKonvert to connect to it.

If you have an existing wind transducer that has failed or you want to add wind data to a multi-function display (MFD). You should consider if our marine wind sensor WND100, before splashing out on an expensive complete wind system from one of the bigger brands. Check if the WND100 can be connected up to your existing displays. This will not only save yourself significant money, but also install a transducer that will take whatever mother nature has to throw at it.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Ultra tough marine wind sensor.
• Igildur™ bearings for exceptional life and corrosion resistance
• UV, Salt water and high impact resistant plastics
• 12/24v DC operation with minimal power consumption
• Super thin 20m Mast Head cable
• Industry standard NMEA0183 Output for maximum compatibility
• NMEA 2000 version is supplied with iKonvert (NMEA2000-NMEA0183 converter) allowing easy and flexible NMEA 2000 installation
• $WIMWV sentence output at 5Hz (configurable)

WND100 Quick Start Guide V2 01 Pdf

• WND100 windsensor
• 20m (66ft) NMEA 0183 cable
• NMEA 2000 version is supplied with iKonvert

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SailTimer Wind Instrument ™

With replaceable battery, wireless and solar-powered. designed for sailboats: remains equally accurate when heeling over., comes with all mounting hardware needed. for boats of all sizes. works with lots of great android/ios apps. or use air link™ (below) for nmea wiring to chartplotter/mfd. you can even raise it on a halyard without lowering or climbing the mast, innovations in this new model:  carbon-fiber pointer arm to reduce weight, with battery inside the nose cone for counter-balance. new injection-molded tail. ceramic miniature ball bearings to prevent corrosion. transmission range of 280 feet (85m) for even the tallest masts..

Innovations & Technical Specs

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SailTimer Air Link ™

Connects wireless and wired devices..

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Reference ID: c423752e-1cfd-11ef-b629-d1c5d26cb385

Powered by PerimeterX , Inc.

The Sailing Expert application supports navigation, helps sailors to keep their logbook accurate and up-to-date, keep maintenance log for different boats.

The device's sensors are used to fill the log (location, COG, SOG, temperature, pressure). If a WiFi NMEA provider is available the boat sensors will be used instead.

Supported NMEA Sentences:

• GGA, GLL, GNS, RMC - Positioning
• HDG, HDM, HDT, VHW - Heading
• VBW, VHW, VTG - Course, speed
• VLW - Trip log
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Nexus (Silva) Wind Data Instrument- Is this NMEA Compatible?

• Thread starter damoses1
• Start date Nov 14, 2010
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

I just picked up a Raymarine C70 Multifunctional Display, and wanted to know if it were possible for me to connect my Nexus CLASSIC wind data instruments to my C70 display. I would like to see: depth, windspeed, wind direction, boat speed, and water temperature. Does anyone know if the "nexus network" is compatible with NMEA-0183? If so, I would love to see a schematic to know how to make the units share the data from the sensors. Here is the installation manual, but it doesn't mention anything about NMEA 0183: http://www.chicagomarineelectronics.com/Nexus Manuals pdf/Nexus Wind Data.pdf Any input would be appreciated!  

Attachments

A few thoughts Damoses1, I did a quick RTFM and my first guess would be use the black ground wire and the yellow wire connected to the back of the control head. But there is a statement on page 33 "For most PC-applications, the full duplex interface (Art. No. 21248), will be a very useful tool for monitoring real time data, to edit and store Waypoints to PC-file or to Server and/or to the Nexus GPS. The interface 7: SPECIFICATIONS 34 is supplied with a cable for connection from PC to the Server or Nexus instruments and/or the Nexus GPS. A 9-pole D-sub connector is connected to the RS232 port on the PC. " Or you could get the cable they mention "21248 Nexus FD interface. PC interface with 1 m (3.3 ft) cable. Includes a 3½”disc. with software for waypoint editing and a data bus manager and NMEA interface."  

Oops, Actually, I spoke without thinking. The wires from the wind instrument are most likely a differential signal and not NMEA. But at this link http://www.nexusmarine.se/upload/marine/marine/manuals/21646-1.pdf they refer to a Nexus Multi-Center that does interface to the GPS and autpopilot on page 9.  

rpwillia said: Actually, I spoke without thinking. The wires from the wind instrument are most likely a differential signal and not NMEA. Click to expand

Re: Nexus (Silva) Wind Data Instrument- Is this NMEA Compati I don't think you're going to talk to that instrument directly. I don't know much about Nexus classic, but the instruments and server on the NX2 network communicate (via RS-422 if memory serves me) using their own protocol. And in that network the wind instrument doesn't ouput NEMA directly. The "server" and the GPS Navigator will communicate using NEMA though. They claim the FDX network protocol is public, but I haven't seen it anywhere as yet. But to communicate with any "foreign" device you'd need to build a translator to read the NX network, send NEMA, or whatever protocol you would need. Development time considered, it would be cheaper in the long run to upgrade to an NX2 system. Then in addition to your C70 you could also run the NX Race software.  

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