Weems & Plath Unveils World's First Ultrasonic Wind Sensor & LED Navigation Light - Eye On Annapolis

Weems & Plath unveiled their latest addition to the OGM Series of LED Navigation Lights at this year’s Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show – the world’s first ultrasonic wind sensor/LED TriColor/LED Anchor light combination, aptly named BRIGHTWind.

This unique, state-of-the-art pairing combines the ultra-low-powered, non-mechanical wind sensor (created by Spanish manufacturer, Calypso Instruments) with Weems & Plath’s powerful, yet energy efficient, LX TriColor/Anchor LED Navigation Light with Strobe and Photodiode (#LXTA-SP).

This exceptional combination was designed exclusively for sailors seeking unparalleled simplicity, safety and precision on the water. BRIGHTWind will provide wind speed and direction data to any NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 display (with converter).

“The top of a mast is a small yet extremely valuable piece of real estate on a sailboat. By bringing the navigation light and wind sensor together as one unit, we’re not only reducing the footprint that’s required to mount these two vital pieces of equipment, but we’re also consolidating the wiring within the mast,” said Michael Flanagan, President & CEO of Weems & Plath. “It was a logical step to combine our acclaimed navigation light with Calypso’s innovative wind sensor.”

Unlike many traditional wind sensors on the market, BRIGHTWind features no bearings or mechanical parts which typically wear out over time and can degrade performance. This non-mechanical operation makes it perfectly suited for long-term, outdoor use in all conditions.

In place of mechanical parts, the wind sensor uses four ultrasonic transducers that measure how fast it takes for sound waves to travel back and forth between each transducer. The speed with which the sound waves travel is used by the sensor to determine the wind speed and direction. BRIGHTWind‘s Calypso-made anemometer can measure up to 100 mph and provide full directional data with accurate measurements not subject to mechanical friction.

And while the standard data output for BrightWind is NMEA 0183 (typical of most mast-top wind sensor units), a converter can be purchased separately to convert the output for use with any NMEA 2000 network.

But it’s not just the wind sensor that makes BRIGHTWind a must-have for savvy sailors: the offshore-proven LX TriColor/Anchor LED Navigation Light (LXTA-SP) is one of Weems & Plath’s most popular navigation lights in the OGM series, thanks to its rugged durability, automatic day-night control, strobe function, and exceeding brightness. The light is highly regarded by riggers, as well as coastal and offshore sailors.

While the LXTA light is USCG-approved at two nautical miles for sailboats up to 65 feet in length, its actual brightness exceeds that distance, while using less than 20% of the power of comparable incandescents. When the light is used in tandem with the wind sensor, the power consumption is only 0.35 Amps at 12V DC.

BRIGHTWind overall construction is also impressive because it’s built using military-grade anodized aluminum and a UV-resistant acrylic lens to ensure that it can withstand the test of time, even in the harshest ocean environments.

Each BRIGHTWind wind sensor/LED navigation light is hand-built and tested at Weems & Plath’s production facility and headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland, and comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty on the light and a two-year warranty on the wind sensor.

For more information, please visit www.Weems-Plath.com/BRIGHTWind