Navman 5600 problem

[santavey]

Unit always used to find satellites within seconds of being switched on.
Perhaps a little longer if switched off for some time.
Now if switched off for a day it can take 30 minutes or longer to find satellites.
Left it running for over a hour once before doing a factory reset.
It still took over 30 mins to find satellites.
On switching on it thinks its back in May 2001 !
Once its found its position turning off and on again within 5 mins position is found within seconds.
Does anyone know if there is an internal battery that maintains/retains the last known position and date etc. I could leave it powered up all the time but its wired in with the instruments and I’m a bit anal about leaving things switched on draining the battery when I don’t need them.
Its works perfectly in all other respects.

 

[philip_stevens]

Yes, there is an internal battery.

Two posts from long ago, one for the 5500 and the other for the 5600

 

[MikeAmorgos850]

NavMan Northstar Parts and Service

Unit always used to find satellites within seconds of being switched on.
Perhaps a little longer if switched off for some time.
Now if switched off for a day it can take 30 minutes or longer to find satellites.
Left it running for over a hour once before doing a factory reset.
It still took over 30 mins to find satellites.
On switching on it thinks its back in May 2001 !
Once its found its position turning off and on again within 5 mins position is found within seconds.
Does anyone know if there is an internal battery that maintains/retains the last known position and date etc. I could leave it powered up all the time but its wired in with the instruments and I’m a bit anal about leaving things switched on draining the battery when I don’t need them.
Its works perfectly in all other respects.

The PDF is a cross reference catalgue for NavMan who are now Northstar
http://www.navmanmarine.net/upload/Marine/catalogs/NVcat06_ROW_EN.pdf
I have a Navman 6600

These people do most of the repairs and servicing for most manufacturers and are most helpful.

If you really have problems try
The Service Centre,
Maritime House,
Ryan Business Centre,
Sandford Lane,
Wareham,
Dorset.
BH20 4DY
Direct Sales Tel: 44 (0) 1929 554503
Fax: 44 (0) 1929 554559
Telephone 44 (0) 1929 554503

http://www.marineelectronicservice.com/On Line Support.htm
http://www.marineelectronicservice.com/
http://www.navmanmarine.net/upload/Marine/catalogs/NVcat06_ROW_EN.pdf

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Sounds Like The Antenna Is Damaged - Exactly The Same Problem As I Had

My Navman Tracker 5600 developed a problem which was identical to yours. The antenna had either dampness or screen damage. By pairing back the damaged screen on the antenna cable (connection to the display) and rebuilding with tin foil I managed to get it working again. However, the fault began to repeat itself (especially the May 2001 date).

I then found that the antenna cable connection within the mushroom antenna housing was stressed and again possible screen damage at the antenna end. After dismantelling the antenna I discovered that it was damp inside with corrosion indications on the circuit board. I tried to solder on a fresh antenna cable connection but the antenna stopped working completely.

I purchased a replacement antenna (low cost ebay item) and it now works perfectly again. I am sure that there is no battery in the unit which appears to be supported by the instructions in the operating manual.

I suspect that the signal was getting corrupted due to screen damage and the Navman could not make sense of the time signal. The cable is susceptible to damage at the antenna end and socket end.

Good luck.

Navman Tracker 5600 Operating Manual

 

[SailBobSquarePants]

It's interesting to see how many people are still using the old Navmans. Mine has not as of yet developed any problems, but knock wood.

Just to be clear, I think the "screen damage" referred to above means the aluminum mesh cable shielding, not the LCD screen. I had to re-read it twice, as I think "screen" is a UK term for it, while the US tends to call it a "shield". As a transplant, I was at first...

 

[Deleted member 36384]

It's interesting to see how many people are still using the old Navmans. Mine has not as of yet developed any problems, but knock wood.

Just to be clear, I think the "screen damage" referred to above means the aluminum mesh cable shielding, not the LCD screen. I had to re-read it twice, as I think "screen" is a UK term for it, while the US tends to call it a "shield". As a transplant, I was at first...

You are correct, I do mean the screen / shield of the antenna cable. The display unit appears to be bomb proof.

 

[santavey]

My Navman Tracker 5600 developed a problem which was identical to yours. The antenna had either dampness or screen damage. By pairing back the damaged screen on the antenna cable (connection to the display) and rebuilding with tin foil I managed to get it working again. However, the fault began to repeat itself (especially the May 2001 date).

I then found that the antenna cable connection within the mushroom antenna housing was stressed and again possible screen damage at the antenna end. After dismantelling the antenna I discovered that it was damp inside with corrosion indications on the circuit board. I tried to solder on a fresh antenna cable connection but the antenna stopped working completely.

I purchased a replacement antenna (low cost ebay item) and it now works perfectly again. I am sure that there is no battery in the unit which appears to be supported by the instructions in the operating manual.

I suspect that the signal was getting corrupted due to screen damage and the Navman could not make sense of the time signal. The cable is susceptible to damage at the antenna end and socket end.

Good luck.

Navman Tracker 5600 Operating Manual

If the cable was damaged or I had water ingress that doesnt explain why it works perfectly well all the time once its found its position.
Best GPS plotter i've used by far and i've used a few. Dont want to abandon it.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

If the cable was damaged or I had water ingress that doesnt explain why it works perfectly well all the time once its found its position.
Best GPS plotter i've used by far and i've used a few. Dont want to abandon it.

Once mine found its position it was OK, including switching off and on again within a few minutes. If switched off overnight it would not find its position for ages. It did show one bar on the Satellite view, then it would go away and another bar would appear. It could be that the dampness was the problem and not the screen / shield. Whatever was the issue became irrelevant as my attempts at repairs made the antenna useless.

The symptoms you describe are identical to what I experienced and after I changed out the antenna the plotter worked as expected. There is no battery in the unit as far as I can tell. I believe it gets its time and date from the GPS signal, much the same as my Garmin eTrex handheld unit.

Perhaps, once they start working with a dodgy antenna they can stabilise the signal enough, or the heat is good enough to make it continue working or whatever.

My advice is to buy a new antenna based on the similarity of your problem to mine.

 

[santavey]

Yep....sounds like I have identical symptoms.
Do you know what sort of connector I need for an external antenna?
MMCX or something like that.
Looked at a few on the net and not sure which is suitable.
Worth trying for a few pounds.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

RG58 Connector

You need an RG58 Connector as it is compatible with the 5 mm diameter coaxial antenna cable: -

http://www.maplin.co.uk/reverse-polarity-sma-male-44015
http://www.maplin.co.uk/rg58-50-ohm-coax-cable-256

If attempting to fix the antenna with new cable you also need special crimping pliers to clamp the connector to the cable which are expensive if its just a one off job. I bought cable and crimpers to try and fix the problem but failed.

So, a GPS antenna with an RG58 male connector should do the job. I would add that this all from memory! However it was such a frustrating fault that I am sure of the details. The Reverse Polarity SMA Male (RG58) will connect to the back of the plotter.

I am not an electronics head, so the term RG58 / SMA mean nothing to me.