SailTimer News



4th Generation Now Shipping

SailTimer Wind Instrument™

The wireless, solar-powered SailTimer Wind Instrument™ had an upgrade this summer to our unique molding process.  All the electronics are in the tail, which is encapsulated in an amazingly thin clear plastic, to prevent condensation and leaks.  Starting this month, Wind Instruments shipping out also have a new axle design, for the 4th-generation model.

SailTimer Inc. made the first masthead anemometer that could transmit to mobile devices back in 2012, and continues to have the most mature and innovative device with this new 4th generation.  The SailTimer Wind Instrument has a built-in digital compass, making it the only masthead anemometer that works with rotating masts.   It is the only masthead anemometer that can be raised up the mast from deck level. It is the only one that is submersible for use on dinghy sailboats. It is the only masthead anemometer with wind cups designed for sailboats, so they maintain equal accuracy when sailing along heeled over.  At $350 US it has the lowest price by far of any masthead anemometer on the market.  It is also the first and only masthead anemometer with crowd-sourcing, so you can share wind conditions on your boat with others and plan tacking routes with live wind maps.  We are not changing the name for the 4th generation, but to signify the new version, a special limited edition has been made with a black circuit board in the tail section (shown above). 


 

iKommunicate now works with SailTimer iOS app
Signal K is a new open-source server platform for marine electronics.  Proprietary formats like NMEA 2000 require licenses and up-front fees, which may act as a barrier to entry for innovative new products from small companies, and drives up your retail prices.  One of the first hardware products to use Signal K is the iKommunicate gateway from Digital Yacht. It can receive and convert between NMEA 2000, 0183 and Signal K.  The SailTimer app can learn polar plots and calculate optimal tacking routes for your boat.  In Input > Setup > Onboard Network, the app can now receive wind data using wifi if you have an anemometer wired to the iKommunicate.


SailTimer Mini-Server™ Coming Soon
The SailTimer Mini-Server™ is finished its final testing now, and the first production run is being molded and readied for shipment in October, which is coming up fast.  Basically, the Mini-Server lets you (a) connect the wireless Wind Instrument to your wired electronics, or (b) transmit data from your wired electronics to mobile apps.  We have kept this new product low-key because we didn't want to promote it prematurely.  There will be an official launch announcement, photos and Owner's Manual in the next newsletter.  This is a rare moment where there are still some Mini-Servers available for pre-ordering (US$350) from the first production run.  Features: 

● The Mini-Server can receive Bluetooth 4 LE transmissions from the wireless SailTimer Wind Instrument, and send the wind data on wires to other marine electronics using NMEA 0183 (or a converter to NMEA 2000). 
● It can retransmit wind data on wifi to any device with a web browser. 
● If you have a wired anemometer, the tcpip wifi in the Mini-Server offers a way to connect the old wired world to mobile apps and crowd-sourcing live wind maps online.  
● The Mini-Server will connect to your main wifi network, so you don't need to switch between two wifi networks. 
● It is opto-isolated, so it doesn't contribute to galvanic corrosion and affect your zincs. 
● If you have internet access from marina wifi, when you are at home or office you can check wind conditions at your boat. That has never been possible before.


Update on Wind Instrument Shipping
With the recent mid-year update to our molding process complete, we are catching up on worldwide pre-orders as quickly as possible.  We continue to scale up our manufacturing, although getting inventory aligned with worldwide demand is a challenge even for the big companies.  For example, Amazon's Kindle:  "The original batch sold out in hours...the company spent months getting a replacement.  When a new batch of Kindles arrived the following fall, Bezos appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, and that blew out the supply once again" (from the book The Everything Store). 

The SailTimer Wind Instrument has been continuously selling out since it started shipping at the beginning of this year.  Just as the free SailTimer app offers better sailing functions than expensive GPS chartplotters, the wireless, solar-powered SailTimer Wind Instrument is disrupting standard masthead anemometers with its low price and innovations.  So we are in growth mode and have a major expansion underway to build up inventory for sailors worldwide. 

The estimated timeframe for new orders is shown on the order page 24/7.  Existing pre-orders will obviously be faster than that.  We love to get technical questions, but it is not practical for us to respond to email about worldwide shipping times on individual packages.  We can't estimate that with any degree of accuracy, and individual correspondence about future shipping times takes our expert personnel away from technical support.  Don't worry, we email a tracking number when the package is sent, and send all orders by FedEx.  We have excellent shipping rates with FedEx because of our volumes.


Factory Seconds 

We often have a small number of Wind Instruments on hand with minor blemishes.  Everything works perfectly and the warranty is still the same, they just have a slight cosmetic issue.  If you have pre-ordered but prefer to get a factory second right away, you can request a factory second here. If there are any available we will send one right out to you and email a FedEx tracking number.  If none are currently available, we'll hold your email in case one comes available soon.


 




The new AirGap Axle™

The axle in the new 4th-generation Wind Instrument is precision-machined to improve performance for cup rotation in the lightest air movement. It reduces friction and sound with the wind cups, and requires less maintenance and lubrication. 

Existing owners can also upgrade their Wind Instrument by ordering the AirGap axle for just $16 from the accessories page.


 

 

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