Raymarine C70 key backlighting?

[prv]

Crossing over to Beaulieu after the fireworks, I was doing steering and traffic avoidance while my mate Chris was navigating using the plotter. It's the first time we've really used it at night, as last year it was still down in the saloon and rarely used, and we haven't done much night sailing this year. Anyway, being unfamiliar with the buttons, he was really struggling to select marks and give me the light characters to check (a proper chart would have been much easier, but I'd lazily not got one out for such a short and familiar trip). The problem was that the buttons were not illuminated, and I'm sure they should be.

When I turn the plotter on, the buttons light up for a few seconds, then part-way through the bootup sequence they turn off, as if some config value has just been read and obeyed. They also give a brief flash when turning off. So I think the hardware is ok, but the backlighting has been turned off in the preferences somewhere. However, once we were anchored on Friday night I couldn't find the right setting anywhere in the menus, and google wasn't much help either - mostly I just find instructions about what key to press to adjust the screen backlighting.

Any ideas?

Pete

 

[pvb]

I don't think you can change the preferences. As I recall from my old C120, the buttons aren't illuminated when the display is at full brilliance, but they become progressively illuminated as the display is dimmed to the midpoint of its range, then grow dimmer again as the display's brightness is further reduced.

 

[prv]

I don't think you can change the preferences. As I recall from my old C120, the buttons aren't illuminated when the display is at full brilliance, but they become progressively illuminated as the display is dimmed to the midpoint of its range, then grow dimmer again as the display's brightness is further reduced.

Ah, that's interesting. Once we were anchored, I think we may have had it on the daylight setting (I selected that ready for the morning, then the flash of the buttons as it switched off meant we turned it back on to investigate). I'm not sure what was selected while we were underway as Chris turned it on and adjusted it.

I will have to have another play. Thanks for the hint.

Pete

 

[David2452]

From memory the night setting will softly illuminate the buttons, assuming a C Classic that is.

 

[prv]

From memory the night setting will softly illuminate the buttons, assuming a C Classic that is.

Well, that's what I expected, but Chris said he couldn't see them.

Mind you, I wonder if he left it on day palette and just turned the backlighting way down?

Pete

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Press the red power button briefly and the backlight adjustment will appear. Turn the big knob to the left to set the desired level, press the power button again to save the setting. As you turn the backlight down the buttons become illuminated. An additional benefit if you are under sail is reduced power consumption. Our plotter is below in a fairly dark cabin so I usually turn down the backlight anyway.

 

[Elessar]

between ken and PVB they have provided the full and correct answer. Power button/knob to adjust, and no lit keys at either extremes of screen brightness, only in the middle.

 

[prv]

between ken and PVB they have provided the full and correct answer. Power button/knob to adjust, and no lit keys at either extremes of screen brightness, only in the middle.

PVB provided the crucial info about how the button illumination behaves. Afraid Ken's well-meaning post was somewhat superfluous, as I already knew how to adjust the screen backlight.

Pete

 

[pvb]

PVB provided the crucial info about how the button illumination behaves. Afraid Ken's well-meaning post was somewhat superfluous, as I already knew how to adjust the screen backlight.

Happy to help. But I wonder how long it's going to take me to find my way around the quirks of the Garmin plotter on my new boat?

 

[Elessar]

Happy to help. But I wonder how long it's going to take me to find my way around the quirks of the Garmin plotter on my new boat?

I'm sure you will. JFM on the mobo forum does massive amounts of research into every last detail of his multi million pound boats when he has them built, and he always specifies Garmin. When I take out a Garmin equipped boat I always feel handicapped as I don't know them as well as my Raymarine. But JFM wouldn't spec it unless it was VERY good, so I'm sure it's all about familiarity.

 

[pvb]

I'm sure you will. JFM on the mobo forum does massive amounts of research into every last detail of his multi million pound boats when he has them built, and he always specifies Garmin. When I take out a Garmin equipped boat I always feel handicapped as I don't know them as well as my Raymarine. But JFM wouldn't spec it unless it was VERY good, so I'm sure it's all about familiarity.

Yes, I'm sure familiarity is the secret. But I've never had Garmin kit. I had my old Raymarine C120 for 8 years, and could work it with my eyes closed (if you know what I mean).

 

[prv]

I had my old Raymarine C120 for 8 years, and could work it with my eyes closed (if you know what I mean).

I'm still pressing the wrong button and cursing the thing quite a lot of the time, so I'm glad familiarity comes eventually

I know what you mean though, as I'm very used to the old Garmin 128 (basic GPS from the mid-90s), so much so that I trawled eBay for one to put on our new boat last year

Pete

 

[pvb]

I can (almost) beat that - I found my old Garmin 45 when I was emptying the old boat prior to sale. I dug it out of the shed the other day, put new batteries in, and had to leave it in the garden for about 24 hours before it finally found a fix! So it's now going on the new boat as a back-up GPS.

 

[David2452]

Happy to help. But I wonder how long it's going to take me to find my way around the quirks of the Garmin plotter on my new boat?

At least you probably won't have to worry about the dimming, most of the G MFDs have light sensing and dim automatically, though you can override it.

 

[pvb]

At least you probably won't have to worry about the dimming, most of the G MFDs have light sensing and dim automatically, though you can override it.

I think I'm probably more worried about being able to see it in bright daylight!