TACKTICK or NEXUS Wireless Wind Instruments

I am considering the purchase of one these products, leaning toward the TackTick because of the thousands of units they have sold.

Does anyone on our list have one of these products on their boat or have had experience with it?

Someone on this list stated that they had solar problems.

Nexus is a problem for me because it seems no one wants to stock it in the USA. Primarily used in Europe.

Thanks for your input

Go with the Raymarine ST-60. We've had them for 2 years on our 35, MK III and they're as good as it gets.
John Wressell

I considered the TackTick product as I am thinking of replacing my older Autohelm instruments next season. The TackTicks appear to be @ double the cost and a little research turned up enough people with issues that I was turned off. It depends on what your application is. If you have a pure race boat, need to be concerned about weight, etc. Need to move the instruments around, then they might be a good idea. On a cruising boat where the instruments get installed in one location and thats the end of it I don't see how TackTick has any advantage. RT

Wouldn't put Tactic on anything bigger than a Hobie. Just don't seem to hold together. St60+ is the standard.

Nexus instruments are available at a variety of locations

If you get stymied on finding the nexus let me know back channel.

I have installed and used nexus on boats from 20 feet to 120 feet with no issues, great products, what I use on my own boats. Highly recommend to anyone with any size boat. The operation, the data supplied, and the robust build of the nexus, far exceeds Raymarine.

Guy

Nexus Support

Hi,

A couple of weeks ago I helped a friend install a full complement of new Nexus sailing instruments on his boat in Virgin Gorda. We had some questions on the NEMA 183 I/P connections from the GPS to the Nexus Server as well as the NEMA 183 supported versions.
I sent emails on two occasions to Comnav Marine Support in Canada as well as the Nexus home site Support. I set the return receipt on and got a confirmation both times that the emails were received. I have not received any support information.
On numerous occasions I have worked with Raymarine and have always gotten very good, prompt answers. On one occasion they sent me a new free GPS antenna. I had foolishly broken the original during installation.

There is nothing wrong with Raymarine. Maybe they are or should be the standard.

We are planning to take off for the western Caribbean and then South in early January. I hope everything Nexus is working.

Thanks for listening,
Bob

I've no opinion on Nexus as I have had little experience with the product. I can say that ComNav is only 10 mi. from my shop in Richmond and I have a great relationship with Satish there (head technician). He has been very helpful over the years with questions like "what colour wires do I hook up from this 24 yr. old Benmar drive unit to this new autopilot motor controller!" I started 15 yrs. ago installing ComNav pilots but now mostly do Raymarine. Satish has a wealth of knowledge and is a great resource. Funny that Nexus instruments are almost a non entity in our market given that we are in ComNav's area code. BTW... just did a Com Nav Compilot on a 57' Tollycraft and a Krogen 42. Wish it had been a Raymarine as I am fielding a lot of 'confused customer' calls from the owners. (Easier is better?)

Best support is through the dealer that you bought them from

Contact me back channel for any of the Nexus questions that you have, your dealer where your friend bought them should have been the first contact.

The Nexus stuff is the best that there is. Sorry that you have not gotten a good response from them. I always call and get intimidate answers as a dealer though, so it may be different. I support my customers as all the dealers are supposed to.

I have had entirely different experiences with Raymarine, and no longer carry their products, I couldn't make any money with the number of bad units that they shipped, and as I was on their dealer list, I ended up doing a lot of warantee work for people that had purchased on the net, and Raymarine's warantee payment system meant that I could have made more money flipping burgers than dealing in their stuff.

Glad to hear that your experience with them was different.

Guy

I agree that Raymarine has a pretty lousy warranty compensation scenario! Try doing it in Canada where there is a third party company that represents Raymarine nationwide! And they're unionized! (lol) In Vancouver however, Raymarine is the only one that has maintained a full service warranty centre. Simrad/ Kongsberg is in Seattle, Furuno- Seattle... and the beat goes on. This product has been good to us and our clients so it's hard to knock it. Btw, our group is now the largest stocking/ certified installation dealer in Western Canada so by volume Raymarine (with a few exceptions)has been pretty good. I sure agree with you Guy, about those 'individuals' who expect you to bleed for them with their internet sourced products! Have you spoken with Satish at ComNAv? He actually designs some of the stuff. Don't know about the Nexus platform because I believe ComNav acquired that from another Mfr. (Silva, Autonav? I dunno) If you speak to him, say hi from his 'Scottish Brother!'
Kampai! G.

Nexus Support

Hi Guy,

Thanks for the offer to help. I sent you an email via the email address I found on your web site. If there is a better one please let me know.

Thanks again,
Bob