Autohelm ST50 Plus Fault Finding - Internal Battery?

nortada

nortada

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Am I in the right place to ask this question? If not - sorry - please redirect me.

My Autohelm ST50 Plus Nav system is showing what can best be described as an internal power problem.

Switching on after a protracted period of none use, I am requested to re-enter the CodeLock. This done after a short period the system comes up as normal. Provided I switch the system on every couple of weeks these systems do not reappear but leave it longer and it is back to square one.

My question, does the system have an internal (memory) battery? If so, where is it and is it easy to source and replace?
 
I believe it does have an internal battery. You'd need to take the display apart to find it. Can't see why it couldn't be replaced.
 
Will the code lock stay off if you just turn it off? I don't think the theft of individual deck instruments was ever a big problem (they dropped the feature on all subsequent models AFAIK), and even if it were then a set of 20-year-old ST50s are no longer a particularly attractive target.

Pete
 
No battery in that thing. Only in the GPS mushrooms to speed up the satellite finding. Trawl ebay for a old new one.
 
jfkal said:
No battery in that thing. Only in the GPS mushrooms to speed up the satellite finding. Trawl ebay for a old new one.
Click to expand...

Why not change the battery in the Raymarine GPS mushroom assuming its similar to mine? Did mine last Summer - CR2032. Raymarine certainly don't make it easy but it is possible and for the sake of £2 you get another 7 or 8 years usage.

Older ones need a bit of soldering as well but still not insurmountable.

Richard
 
Again many thanks to all for all the great advice.

System is still powering up but every time calls for the Code, which is accepted and the captions come up for each screen but getting no data so it looks like a progressively failing internal battery.
 
Hmm, why not turn the security feature off for good. No one would risk prison for an ols ST50 instrument I would assume.......
 
Following a bit of research and fault finding, disconnected the GPS feed to the Sea Talk and normal operation of all of the other systems returned so it would appear that the GPS mushroom is duff.

In addition, I have established that this system doesn't have any batteries.

So now I have to source a new GPS compatible with this 15 old Sea Talk System.

Any thoughts?
 
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nortada said:
Following a bit of research and fault finding, disconnected the GPS feed to the Sea Talk and normal operation of all of the other systems returned so it would appear that the GPS mushroom is duff.

In addition, I have established that this system doesn't have any batteries.

So now I have to source a new GPS compatible with this 15 old Sea Talk System.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

We don't know what your system comprises, but if you need a SeaTalk input, you'll need to buy a RayStar GPS. If you can input GPS data by NMEA, there are many cheaper GPS receivers.
 
RichardS said:
Why not change the battery in the Raymarine GPS mushroom assuming its similar to mine? Did mine last Summer - CR2032. Raymarine certainly don't make it easy but it is possible and for the sake of £2 you get another 7 or 8 years usage.

Older ones need a bit of soldering as well but still not insurmountable.

Richard
Click to expand...

First of all, I would like to register my thanks to Richard, in open forum, for all of his research and technical advice for which I am truely indebted (this forum at it's best) and yes, I will try a replacement CR 2032 lithium battery.

Suspect I could be in for a bit of soldering and only too aware of the problems with heat and semi-conductors, is there a product (glue) on the market with good electrical conductive qualities, which could resolve any potential heat problems?

However, only recently back in the UK and fearing the worst, l contacted Raymarine and received the following message.

From the picture of your manual the GPS antenna you have is not a Raystar but a ST50 GPS unit.

As there are no parts for any ST50 product, you would have to replace it with a RS130 + Converter. The pack number containing all parts is T70133.

Please note this antenna has not been tested with a system of your age. From feedback from customers it does work fine, but there has been no official testing so there may be spurious issues. There has not been a direct compatible antenna manufactured for over a decade.

Before laying out about £200 to purchase a RS 130 and converter I would appreciate any feedback from folk who have gone down this route and any problems encountered.

Additionally, from my fault finding experience I deduce that all of the GPS processing is done within the RS130 Antenna Unit and the solution fed into the SeaTalk network so my initial problem (no GPS readout but once the GPS antenna is isolated, all of the SeaTalk functions operate normally) must originate in the antenna unit rather than the display units (of which I have 2 - one at the Nav-station the other on the binnacle). Again I would appreciate any learned thoughts.

It is at moments like this that keeping a boat in remoter parts of the world loses some of its attractions!
 
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