Not a chance.

The A/C was installed less than 3 years ago by PO. Airflow is great (excellent ducting), through-hull locations are great, everything works perfectly, and I used it all summer. Why would I rip it all out and move it and all the ducting somewhere else?

Paddlewheel speed is obsolete technology, needs constant maintenance, and often gives questionable readings even when it's maintained. My only reason for wanting it is the wind transducer wants it for true wind speed and direction while underway - and those values are as unreliable as the STW readings.

If there is no way for the wind instrument to accept SOG instead of STW (and that's not proven yet, since someone said there may be a setting), then I will send apparent wind (and all other SeaTalk information) to my tablet chartplotter by WiFi and have software calculate true wind. I already have all the electronics to do this (brought them over from my prior boat), I just need time in the offseason to do it.

It would have been nice if I could figure a way to have my wind control head accept SOG instead of STW, but if I can't then I'll do it a different way.

I may have a chance to confirm using SOG v. STW on a Garmin chartplotter today.

Seeing reliable STW and SOG gives you good data on currents.

Hi Dave, I do realize that comparing STW and SOG can get useful information if STW is reliable. But having moved from the 2-3 kt currents of the Delaware River to the Chesapeake, the currents are too low for me to care much at this point. (I know that will eventually change.)

As for the Garmin chartplotter, my very old 2010 model does not display wind data, so even if I could convert wind data from SeaTalk to NMEA0183 on a wire, it would not help me. However, your information could be helpful if I want to consider a future upgrade to a newer Garmin model.

For now, my Garmin chartplotter is my foul weather backup. In dry conditions, my primary chartplotter is OpenCPN on a windows tablet, nicely mounted at the top of my binnacle. And once I have my SeaTalk-Wifi converter installed, it will give a very nice comprehensive display of all my current nav data. But ultimately a purpose-built chartplotter display is the more bulletproof solution.

If you want more accurate true wind data for your "boat" then add an ultrasonic speed log.

Using SOG gets you ground-wind data not true wind data for your boat, which is moving through water. I don't know of any ST-60 or ST-60+ wind instruments that can read SOG sentences unless a software update happened that I missed. ST-60's use STW (speed log (if well calibrated), COG (usually the flux gate (if well calibrated) and Apparent wind to attempt to calculate true.

If you really want "true wind" on a boat.... Good luck... It's a rough guide at best...

Ultrasonic speed log?
I'm having a similar set of issues. ST60+, ST6000+ and a 3210.
Even with a new paddlewheel I was getting poor true wind readings

To me, it's not worth investing any significant money. It is worth some effort to adjust my current hardware to extract the most information possible.

There are other things that are much more important right now (such as reliable shifting of my transmission), so this one's down the list for the offseason...if then.

Yes Airmar makes an Ultrasonic speed log called the CS4500 and it is available for all brands. This is not a new prodcut just one that you don't hear much about because they are pricey, about $700.00 - 750.00 just for a plastic transducer (P17). While not inexpensive they work really well, are more accurate & remain more accurate than a paddle wheel. They require virtually no maintenance.

They also offer a converter box to get it over to NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2K but the Raymarine ITC-5 can also convert the analog signal as well as wind, depth/temp, rudder and flux gate to NMEA 2K.

Thanks...but no thanks!
I just recently blew my wad on some electrical. ;-)
Tapped out!

Just add this set up last month and was $635 with plastic housing about $100 more for bronze housing, it works great and I had one one my old boat and it worked for 6 years while I had it and is still working today.