All Stations All Stations, Navman Depth Alert

[Becky]

We bought a Navman depth thingy last year along with the whole set of instruments, all of which except the depth gauge have been OK. But the depth gauge read double on certain water depths, such that we couldn't trust the thing. So it went back for 'repairs'. This amounted to a software update, as the problem was known to Navman. The repaired unit still gave problems, so I took it back and exchanged it for a new one. The Swindlery has just phoned to say that after checking the serial numbers, the new one is probably the same.
Has anyone else had this problem? Or have your depths read accurately? We came out of Cherbourg two weeks ago, in fog, and the thing read the entrance as 28 m insted of 14m. It cahnged back in time for us to realise that it was wrong.
There has been a recent post about the actual worth of depth gauges, but for me it is an important piece of equipment, especially in fog.

 

[Talbot]

personally I use the depth guage in tandem with my chart plotter to confirm the accuracy of the GPS position, and a double depth reading would wory me more than a little. I have Silva instruments, and they read fine except for depths (below the guage) less than 0.7m, where they seem to go haywire! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[cliff]

Why are you getting involved with a swindlery?
Contact Navman direct and explain the problem. I have only had a couple of occasions to have to go back to Navman but in both instances I received prompt, courteous service at no cost to me except the phone call. Both cases involved a suspected dodgy wind instrument which was some 18 months old. The head was sent to them for checking / servicing / certification and returned free of charge. Problem persisted - new cable and mast head unit offered FOC to eliminate the problem or at least determine the cause (would probably had to pay for the cable / mast head unit if needed but did not get to that stage as fault was traced to defective dri-plug on the deck giving an intermittent fault. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Go on talk nice to the chaps at Navman - you know it makes sense! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
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“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity”
Skype id:cliffillupo

 

[snowleopard]

We used to get that sort of thing all the time in the old days of rotating neon depth sounders, the thing gave an echo at the actual depth, then picked up a second echo which had bounced off the surface and gone down again. In shallow water with a hard bottom you could sometimes get as many as 4 multiples of the depth. The solution in those days was to turn down the gain control. If your problem persists and there is no software option to adjust the gain the solution may turn out to be as simple as a couple of extra layers of antifoul over the transducer! Reducing the gain would reduce the maximum depth it can read but that's a lot less critical.

 

[FullCircle]

Becky,
I have just ripped out the depth head to send back to Navman for a 'software upgrade' as the nice people advised me by e-mail (after about a week).
The office is in Southampton or near.
I am very pi55ed off that I spend a fortune on buying it and having it lovingly installed professionally, only to have to be dissassembling Binnacles, cutting tiewraps and moving bits of conduit 2 weeks later.
I also have had trouble with the Wind head speed signal underreading at higher windspeeds. Having come fom a diet of Basic NASA and Silva kit, swooned at Raymarine prices, I thought Navman (with Plastimo backing) would be good.

If they knew this kit to be defective why couldn't they issue a recall notice? After all, I have hassled both MES (who sold me the kit)and Burnham Yacht Harbour Staff as they failed to get a working installation for me and spent extra hours working on it all, so it has cost everyone.

As an East Coaster who tells the time on depth contours, I will think twice before venturing with them again.

And if only someone could get my JRC1800 GPS to talk to the Silva S15, I will be in ecstasy.


Jim

 

[pappaecho]

I have a lump of lead here which is probably 100 years old and is used to establish the accuracy of said depth sounders, which on most bottoms are pretty good.
When the power goes off, the lead still works

 

[FullCircle]

Luddite!!!!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I also have a spanner tied to a long bit knotted string. Most of my previously enjoyed boats had duff engines and duff batteries........

But when you buy 200 quids worth of the latest gizzy-whizzies there ought to be a caveat that says it will work, even when new.

 

[Guest]

Totally agree ...

Navman has received previously good reports ... so its natural to assume that good use will be got from electrickery ...

But its not always the case .... it works other way as well ... Being a cheapskate who doesn't like to spend too much ... I looked at twin uinits ... Depth and speed. Liked Nasa - had plenty of stuff before and all worked as it said on the box. This time I found the Mini Echopilot twin ... at significantly cheaper than anything else ... BUT and this is quite a long while ago - on furms - I was advised that it was not very good, was apt to errors, you get what you pay for etc. etc. Still being the cheapskate I am - I paid for it, fitted it and its been absolutely marvelous.

So it can happen both ways ... good stuff being duff ..... then its back to dealer first - if no joy then a call to manufacturer / supplier .... normally all gets fixed ... well normally - there are exceptions ....

I hope it all gets sorted .... I know what E. Coast can be like if you don't know your depth ..... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[FullCircle]

Re: Totally agree ...

Nigel,
I only just sold my battery powered roundy roundy NASA echo sounder which was 20 years old at least. It still worked. I have always been in the habit of buying old rubbish and fixing it, and if I read you right, you do much the same.
As I said, on the new boat, I have lashed out more on electronics than I paid for my previous entire boat!
I like to have equipment that is very linked to my safety to work first time everytime. Depth sounder technology has been around for a very long while, and therefore is mature.
As a design and develoment engineer, I hope that they went through a complete design cycle to bring this product to market, including use of Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA). It seems not.
It is shocking to me that a product can come to market with such a fault in the 'software'. Worse is that they have made no visible attempt to recall the units, hoping to catch them by users complaining. I suppose they will mitigate that by claiming that this fault only doubles the depth not halves it, and even then the display bounces between the two.
How can I trust this unit potentially with my life if I have no confidence in the operation? All this means is that I will give it a long set of trials before venturing into the '12 inches below the keel' that is our normal mode round here.

I am still very much in a huff over this one! The wind instrument issues don't mean a thing, as I still have telltales and hairs on my neck.....

Jim


Jim

 

[coca2005]

Good afternoon Becky, I have seen you are having problems with your Navman product please call or mail my work address. p.david@plastimo.co.uk

 

[Guest]

Re: Totally agree ...

I am with you on this ...

As to old gear .... I normally cadge old gear from others - as it is amazing how many upgrade or replace gear and old is still working fine. I liked the old wirly wirly LED Echo jobs ... OK they were hard to read if sunlight fell on them etc. but you had all sorts of indications with them that digi jobs don't have unless you go for Fish-finders ....

Being a Bilge keeler - I 'ditch-crawl' as well and usually have a schedule to keep - so need to know accurately ....

I see that Plastimo have come in on this thread and that is commendable - keep us posted !!

Good Luck