B&G Triton Instruments all failed together

[Norman_E]

I have an NMEA 2000 system which includes 3 B&G Triton displays 1 Garmin GMI 10 display and a B&G Vulcan 7 chartplotter. During a rough sail this afternoon the chartplotter stopped working. I switched it off and back on and it seemed OK but in trying to scroll the display to measure distance to a passage between islands I brought up some sort of menu, I touched the screen to try and get rid of it and the screen went dark. A few seconds later all three Triton screens went dark. The Tritons are still working but almost impossible to read with no backlighting. Tonight when it gets nearly dark I plan to see if the menus are readable, but I have already tried pressing the enter key for 3 seconds then the up arrow to increase the brightness level, without success.

Next plan is to disconnect the plotter to see if the Triton displays return to normal.

Has anyone else experienced this or have any idea what else I can do? Last resort is to remove a Triton from the helm, and replace it with the working Garmin GMI 10, but that is not very easy as the Garmin needs a separate power supply, and fits a smaller hole than the existing cutout for the Triton.

 

[Norman_E]

Problem Solved.

It seems that the plotter acts as a master instrument to the three Tritons. Somehow I had switched it to Night mode, which switched the Tritons as well, but in Night mode the plotter was set to level 2 brightness, which made everything far too dim to see. In lower light I could see to reset one Triton, then did the others and, with some difficulty, the plotter.

 

[vyv_cox]

Problem Solved.

It seems that the plotter acts as a master instrument to the three Tritons. Somehow I had switched it to Night mode, which switched the Tritons as well, but in Night mode the plotter was set to level 2 brightness, which made everything far too dim to see. In lower light I could see to reset one Triton, then did the others and, with some difficulty, the plotter.

I had a very similar experience this year. We were thrown off our berth after returning from dinner at a taverna as it seemed we were on the coastguard berth. It was just going dark and we were faced with a 2.5 mile trip to an anchorage in another bay. I switched my Zeus2 (at the chart table) to night mode and was unable to see anything on the cockpit instruments. It is such a long time since I changed anything on the instruments that I could not remember how to increase the brightness. When I finally worked it out I had changed several settings that need the manual to reset the following morning.

 

[pagoda]

I had a very similar experience this year. We were thrown off our berth after returning from dinner at a taverna as it seemed we were on the coastguard berth. It was just going dark and we were faced with a 2.5 mile trip to an anchorage in another bay. I switched my Zeus2 (at the chart table) to night mode and was unable to see anything on the cockpit instruments. It is such a long time since I changed anything on the instruments that I could not remember how to increase the brightness. When I finally worked it out I had changed several settings that need the manual to reset the following morning.

This has happened with our Vulcan 9. Night mode in bright sunlight without warning. Very disconcerting. We resorted to correcting the issue under a very dark bath towel. Subsequently discovered that 3 presses on the on/off button brings up the setup screen where you can restore normal brightness service. I think is can be as simple as brushing against the screen, accidentally nudging the device into night mode or standby without the person doing it realizing what they have done. It doesn't happen often but it's a PITA when it does..

 

[Norman_E]

So I am probably not alone in thinking that its a dumb feature, particularly as the plotter dimmed the Tritons so that I could not even see the depth reading. We were being thrown about in a 30 knot wind and 2.5 meter waves when it happened.

 

[Ningaloo]

Happens to me a couple of times every season.
Bad software design.
I think that the control to change night mode and brightness should always be shown with full brightness to overcome this.
Or have the system restart in full brightness.

 

[prv]

I can’t comment on the ease of accidentally engaging it on B&G instruments since I don’t have any, but night mode isn’t “a dumb feature”. It’s essential to get the brightness down to a level that’s effectively invisible in bright daylight, otherwise a cockpit full of bright screens will ruin your ability to keep a lookout at night.

Your first paragraph, juxtaposed with the thread title, did make me chuckle though.

Pete

 

[LittleSister]

I can’t comment on the ease of accidentally engaging it on B&G instruments since I don’t have any, but night mode isn’t “a dumb feature”.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that night mode itself is a dumb feature, but just that it's far too easy to accidentally switch it on, and too difficult to switch it off in daylight.

I have had a related problem with my little Standard Horizon plotter, simply by forgetting to increase the brightness before I switch it off at night, then when I switch on again in daylight I can't see the screen to increase the brightness. Fortunately (?) I've now made that mistake enough times to have worked out how to extricate myself from the pickle; it doesn't control any other instruments, so I still have depth, speed etc.; and it doesn't have a touch screen so it's much less prone to accidental switching of this or any other feature.

 

[Norman_E]

Correct, its the ease of turning night mode on and the fact that once turned on in daylight you cannot see the screen menus and turn it off again that is dumb. To turn it on accidentally all that is needed is a downward swipe on the screen followed by touching the wrong icon. Arranging for a simple switch off and restart to reinstate normal brightness would be a good idea. For me the Vulcan remains a good choice as it is the only 7 inch screen plotter that fits the small space I have at the helm.