MGresty
New Member
I use a Lowrance HDS chart plotter+Navionics Platinum+ primarily to drive my Lowrance AIS and DCS radio. Both having worked well for a year or so.
Just before making a nighttime crossing of the Golfe du Lion (force 7 gusting to 8) I inadvertently switched off the 12v supply to the plotter without powering down. On returning power I found the plotter screen to be frozen and could not be recovered by turning off and on. Thinking that I should do a 'reset' I resorted to the Lowrance handbook which informed me that the reset instructions were to be obtained over the internet, which was unavailable: hardly surprising. Subsequently, I found that removing the Navionics SD card regained the AIS function of the plotter. All this was difficult with a 2 man crew sailing in a gale. The cause of the freezing was that the SD card had been corrupted and was unreadable in any plotter. There were no unusual electrical events around the time of this incident.
The crash left me not knowing whether the AIS was still working and whether the feed to the DCS would function in an emergency.
ON returning to the UK I returned the SD card to Navionics for investigation who simply stated that it was unreadable and could have been corrupted by the power loss to the Lowrance. Lowrance state that the power loss could (perhaps should would be a better term) not have corrupted the charts but are willing to test the chart plotter, which is unfortunately still mounted in my yacht in the Sth of France.
Although I have a separate chart plotter on deck and back up GPSs and yes, charts, so navigation was not impaired, the major hazard to navigation was the potential loss of the AIS in notoriously difficult waters with heavy, fast fishing boat traffic. Replacement of the SD card also cost me Euro300!
I would welcome any feedback on the general reliability of the system I describe and hearing of similar experiences. Needles to say both Lowrance and Navionics say this is the first they have heard of such happenings.
MGresty
Just before making a nighttime crossing of the Golfe du Lion (force 7 gusting to 8) I inadvertently switched off the 12v supply to the plotter without powering down. On returning power I found the plotter screen to be frozen and could not be recovered by turning off and on. Thinking that I should do a 'reset' I resorted to the Lowrance handbook which informed me that the reset instructions were to be obtained over the internet, which was unavailable: hardly surprising. Subsequently, I found that removing the Navionics SD card regained the AIS function of the plotter. All this was difficult with a 2 man crew sailing in a gale. The cause of the freezing was that the SD card had been corrupted and was unreadable in any plotter. There were no unusual electrical events around the time of this incident.
The crash left me not knowing whether the AIS was still working and whether the feed to the DCS would function in an emergency.
ON returning to the UK I returned the SD card to Navionics for investigation who simply stated that it was unreadable and could have been corrupted by the power loss to the Lowrance. Lowrance state that the power loss could (perhaps should would be a better term) not have corrupted the charts but are willing to test the chart plotter, which is unfortunately still mounted in my yacht in the Sth of France.
Although I have a separate chart plotter on deck and back up GPSs and yes, charts, so navigation was not impaired, the major hazard to navigation was the potential loss of the AIS in notoriously difficult waters with heavy, fast fishing boat traffic. Replacement of the SD card also cost me Euro300!
I would welcome any feedback on the general reliability of the system I describe and hearing of similar experiences. Needles to say both Lowrance and Navionics say this is the first they have heard of such happenings.
MGresty
