A basic installation
So the installation is basic, just place the small sensor where you want on your boat. This ease of installation will be highly sought after by coaches to install them on their following boats, or for a race committee that can precisely wet a starting line perpendicular to the wind.
In addition, this weather vane is completely waterproof to IPX8. Thus even installed at the masthead of a dinghy that can capsize, it is safe. The absence of wires and the need for an external power supply also makes it suitable for all small boats that do not have a battery on board or that regularly dismantle and cannot be bothered by an electrical wire in the mast.
Wide enough autonomy
Of course, the question arises as to the autonomy of this small device. The manufacturer announces two operating modes. A standby mode when the windvane is not activated and does not send back information. In this case, the battery has a battery life of 1 year. In "measurement" mode, the autonomy drops to 30 days. But fortunately the solar panel must be able to recharge as soon as it is exposed to light. We don't often sail 30 days in a row at night!
Multiple sensors
The Calypso vane has an ultrasonic sensor. Without any moving parts, this sensor is not fragile. In addition to wind direction and speed, this sensor also transmits temperature and has a gyroscope and accelerometer. This information is invaluable in correcting wind direction and strength.
A Bluetooth BLE
The information is read on a mobile phone (tablet or smartphoe) connected to the windvane via Bluetooth. This is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) which is very energy efficient. The range between the mobile and the windvane is a maximum of 50 m. The connection does not break even if you are in the cabin. To avoid any problems, especially when sailing in a fleet, the windvane can only be coupled to one mobile at a time. Your neighbour will not be able to access your wind information!
A free application
For data reading, Calypso offers a free application to download on your mobile (iOS and Android). This application gives the strength and direction of the wind, but also allows you to configure and calibrate the equipment. Other software packages are also able to display information from the weather vane (Vaavud, iRegatta, eStela, SailRacer, Weather4D 2.0), a list that may be extended soon.
Wired or wireless?
If we present you the wireless model with a Bluetooth connection that is most suitable for small boats, the Calypso weather vane is also available in a wired version. In this case it always connects via Bluetooth, but can also be connected to a NMEA 183 network.
The Calypso weather vane is distributed for the navy by Navicom at the public price of ?499.
