Raymarine E series plotter continually rebooting

Angele

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I have a pair of networked E series plotters from the mid "noughties" (the ones that superseded the C series to become the first ones that could function as a network). The one by the chart table is the "master", with the chart card inserted, and the one at the helm is the "slave".

Sailing home yesterday, I started getting a warning from the helm plotter that no master was detected and did I want it to take over. Went below to see that the plotter by the chart table was in the process of a reboot. When it had turned back on it appeared to have done a complete reset - units changed back to feet and Fahrenheit, annoying key bleep back on and, for a few moments before it read the chart info, displaying the default chart of somewhere in the US. It then turned off again a few moments later and proceeded to do the whole factory reset once more. This became continuous. In the end, I had no choice but to remove the charts from the faulty plotter and insert it into the one at the helm and make that "master", and just leave the chart table one turned off.

I had to turn the engine on briefly when back in the Solent (as the wind had died) so thought I would try again - in case it was a battery voltage problem (shouldn't be because the domestics were well charged).

I'm going to get an expert to come and take a look. But, before I do, has anyone on here got any idea what the problem might be?

(I didn't get round to dismounting the panel to check leads, power to chart plotter, etc, as to do so whilst sailing in the Solent in Cowes Week would have been daft, and I didn't have time when back on the berth to start taking everything apart).
 
Thanks guys for your thoughts.

It certainly isn't a problem with updating to new firmware. I have decided a while ago to avoid any updates, since everything was working fine. And I don't think a button trapped under the front panel is a problem either.

A former Raymarine employee, who has gone freelance, is taking a look in the morning. I'll let you know if he solves the problem.
 
Good news! The engineer has reported all is now well.

The power to the plotter was fine, but the display was continually crashing at 3 min intervals. His diagnosis was that the plotter had written something to its memory that it didn't like. It needed a complete factory reset. That would delete all my waypoints and tracks, so he downloaded them before performing the task. Then uploaded them again afterwards. It has now been on for 15 minutes without crashing and is playing nicely with the slave in the cockpit. ;)

I'll be getting a bill for 1.5 hours of labour. Could I have done it myself? Probably, but it would surely have taken me much longer - time that I can now spend sailing instead.

To quote a certain credit card's slogan "priceless".
 
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