25 September 2008

Garmin broadens instrument range with ‘super smooth’ Wind Sensor

Garmin is introducing its first wind sensor for its marine networking range of instruments. The GWS 10 Wind Sensor is a modern new wind vane that not only monitors wind speed and direction but also provides barometric pressure and air temperature data – in effect, a mini weather station suitable for sailing boats and power craft.

What’s more, its fast, 10Hz wind direction output creates the smoothest graphical needle movement on the market, making the GWS 10 Wind Sensor ideal for those who need to interpret wind shifts quickly and accurately.

Designed to be linked to Garmin’s GMI 10 Marine Instrument Display and other NMEA 2000 multi-function displays, including any Garmin Marine Network Chart Plotter with a NMEA 2000 port, the GWS 10 Wind Sensor is a ‘smart’ transducer that is easily integrated into the NMEA 2000 data bus.  Also, when linked to the GMI 10, it will graphically track wind speed and angle, barometric pressure and temperature, enabling the user to view trends over a variable time base.

Highly accurate at low and high wind speeds, GWS 10 can precisely monitor winds from zephyrs to hurricanes. It provides the essential data of apparent wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature which, when combined with other sensors and a GMI 10 instrument display, can be used to calculate true wind angle and speed, wind VMG (boat speed made good to windward), tack heading, pressure trend and tidal set and drift.

The GWS 10 Sensor has an external, waterproof connection at the masthead to ease installation. The NMEA 2000 backbone cable is lead directly to the GWS10 and preserves the NMEA 2000 bus should the sensor be removed from the system. Whenever the NMEA 2000 system is operational, the GWS10 provides wind and weather data throughout the network.

Other sensors in the Garmin Marine Networking series include fuel sensors, NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183 intelliducers (depth transducers) and the GPS17X high sensitivity receiver/antenna.

Technical details
Wind speed range: 0 – 99 knots
Input voltage: 9 – 16 Volts

Recommended Retail Price
GWS 10 - £449.99 including VAT
GMI 10 - £399.99 including VAT
Garmin ‘bundle’ of GWS 10 and GMI 10 - £799.99 including VAT

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