Experience with Actisense NGW-1 Gateway?

[Carefree Sailor]

I'm in the process of installing a new NMEA 2000 chart plotter and transducer (all in one: depth, speed, temperature) but will continue to use my old NMEA 0183 wind instruments. In an effort to be able to read my wind device information on my chart plotter, I'm considering installing the Actisense gateway for wind info to interface with the NMEA 2000 backbone. If you have experience with the Actisense gateway, I would be interested in your response. The literature that I've read makes it sound pretty straightforward without any problems. Is this actually the case?

 

[Guy Stevens]

What is your existing wind instrument model?

What is your existing wind instrument make and model? There are a couple of companies that make some nice products for their own systems in this space.

Also are you planning on adding AIS, if so then you could offset the cost of the ais by getting a vesper marine ais, which has a built in nema 0183 <--> nmea 2000 and also sends both combined out over wifi. I installed one of these and was pretty skeptical about it to begin with, but it really does work well. (Although it may be a budget breaker if you go this route) http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|2028691|2028908&id=2135822

Guy

 

[Christian Williams]

At random, regarding AIS transponders: here is another pickle to add to the brine, especially if the new chartplotter is in the cockpit. .

How big will your screen be? For me, a smallish (5") screen on the binnacle makes poor use of the AIS transponder, just because of the zoom level issues.

I find that a dedicated IAS screen at the nav station below decks, with an alarm, is more practical. There you can ponder Closest Point of Approach, plan crossing the shipping lanes, and be on the radio with a conflict in the peace and quiet of the cabin. Removes the glare and distraction of the cockpit.

For that use, there's the Vesper 850 or the next model up, with wi-fi.

I guess we all use these things our own way. But an AIS transponder provides a lot of information to be digested, and I have really appreciated the nav station location.