Leo Carrillo Sensor

fradge · Joined: 21 Nov 1993 Posts: 13 Location: Secos

The Leo Carrillo Sensor is over rating the wind. Has anyone noticed this or is it just me?

jp5 · Joined: 19 May 1998 Posts: 3394 Location: OnUr6

yes, it seems to read high.

kbshred · Joined: 15 Dec 1995 Posts: 18

Definitely - I usually figure I can sail at 17. Now it seems like I need to wait for it to read 19 or even 20 before it looks solid. Got suckered out there twice last week - hard to not to head out there with an 18 avg. reading. Anyone there today?? - Was the sailing solid at 18-19 in the PM??

FredBGG · Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Posts: 725

I went up to the sensor and compared the reading with two hand held meters that I've had checked.

The sensor is reading spot on.

I checked the sensor when the wind was 7mph to a maximum or 11mph over about a 40 minute time span.

I was kiting Sunday and the wind was not that good low down, better with the kite a bit higher, also weak on the inside.

Cheers

Fred

kbshred · Joined: 15 Dec 1995 Posts: 18

I know it became sailable on Wednesday - by 23 I should hope so and I saw some of you guys on the camera. My question to anyone there is how was it earlier when it was reading a steady 17-18 (around 4PM-5PM or so) - thats usually sailable but has not been lately - kitable sure, sailable not so much. Any sailers there yesterday have any info?? Also - was it good 5.0 or better sailing when it was reading 23 later on?

Thanks

sharkasm · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 149

windfind · Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901

Thanks for the Leo reports. We have been getting reports that the sensor is reading high and is broken. However when a sensor breaks it typically either stops reading or reads very low. (typically, when things break they do not spin faster) I suspect that the recent warm water is causing the wind to be very up and down and to lift from the water. So it is stronger at the sensor tower (or at high kites) than at the surface. Yesterday late and today should be a good test of that theory. Please let me know if the sensor seems significantly off today, Thursday July 12. On-site reports really help us learn how to forecast so keep them up.

mike@iwindsurf.com

sharkasm · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 149

tony · Joined: 05 May 1994 Posts: 77

I'm not convinced that the sensor is reading any different this season than last. Last season it started reading about 2mph higher than previously (I think the old WindTalker was replaced by a newer model sometime late 2005 or early 2006). I don't know which readings are more accurate. Also I agree with the person who commented on the direction being off. I don't think this sensor ever reports the wind as West whereas the old one used to. I don't know the details of how the direction sensor works, but it might be a missing segment rather than a rotational shift.

capetonian · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 1196 Location: Florida

I sailed at Leo Carillo yesterday 7/13/07 from 6 pm to 7.30 pm with a 7.0 Ezzy wave. I was nicely powered. I weigh 200 lb, and prefer to sail nicely powered to over powered. The wind was very light on the inside as usual. Quite a distance out, I am guessing over 1 mile out, there was a windline where the wind was a lot stronger and the chop a lot bigger - large breaking white caps. I was almost overpowered once in this windline.
I would guess the sensor is accurate. I can't speak to the accuracy of the direction as I haven't been sailing at Leo Carillo long enough to know.