Raymarine & fisher panda.

[ccscott49]

Does anybody know if there is a raymarine agent or technician in Gouvia, Corfu? My autopilot has quit working and I need to get it fixed.
Also a fischer panda agaent or technician will also be required, low output from Genny.

 

[gruntle]

A friend of mine finally got his fischer panda generator fixed by the agent in cirfu, after a lot of grief in Uk, France and Italy. Well, fixed for a while, anyway. Can't give you any details about the bloke, but fischer panda themselves should be able to furnish you with a phone number. He definitely exists anyway.

 

[Monique]

Regarding your autopilot. Depending on how old your boat, the connections below the instruments corrode.

Here is what I did: cut and splice all the pieces at the binnacle. Presto, no more problem.

I will be gone for the next 2 weeks and if still trouble free, I will place a electrical shrink wrap around each connection and make the fix permanent.

GL

 

[ccscott49]

Regarding your autopilot. Depending on how old your boat, the connections below the instruments corrode.

Here is what I did: cut and splice all the pieces at the binnacle. Presto, no more problem.

I will be gone for the next 2 weeks and if still trouble free, I will place a electrical shrink wrap around each connection and make the fix permanent.

GL

Thanks, for that, but the autopilot has only been in a month and I dont have a binnacle.
I've checked all I can for connections etc, but just no voltage coming out of the computer to the solenoids on my pump, so must be something internal in computer or control head. Gonna need an electronics chappie with knowledge of these autopilots.

 

[ccscott49]

A friend of mine finally got his fischer panda generator fixed by the agent in cirfu, after a lot of grief in Uk, France and Italy. Well, fixed for a while, anyway. Can't give you any details about the bloke, but fischer panda themselves should be able to furnish you with a phone number. He definitely exists anyway.

I'll try and trace the agent in Corfu, but had no luck thus far. Will continue my search, when I return from work. Thanks for your help, always appreciated.

 

[mocruising]

Spiro the fridge 6945999772 he is the FP agent and has done work on mine. Autopilot 6976704838 paniotis he installed my second autopilot and is very good.

 

[KellysEye]

Raymarine have supplied a number of computers that fail anytime from out of the box to three months. I assume it's under guarantee, might be worth calling them to check it's the computer and send it back - they usually send you a new one.

Don't know how many hours you have on the FP but 3,000 rpm generators are lifed for 450 to 550 hours. With repairs they can last 1,000 hours but better to buy a 1500 rpm generat rather than pay repair costs. 1500's are lifed for 8,000 hours.

 

[ccscott49]

Raymarine have supplied a number of computers that fail anytime from out of the box to three months. I assume it's under guarantee, might be worth calling them to check it's the computer and send it back - they usually send you a new one.

Don't know how many hours you have on the FP but 3,000 rpm generators are lifed for 450 to 550 hours. With repairs they can last 1,000 hours but better to buy a 1500 rpm generat rather than pay repair costs. 1500's are lifed for 8,000 hours.

450-550 hours??? thats 2 hours a day for 250 days? or 2 hours every two days for 500 days? Not a lot of cruising in one of those then! Definitely not a liveaboard unit, I woinder if FP publish that in their blurb!
Definitely looking at a replacement 1500 rpm one, but they are expensive, will see if this one can be repaired first. Cheaply! Still maybe go foir a 1500 rpm one, and keep it as a backup genny.

 

[ccscott49]

Spiro the fridge 6945999772 he is the FP agent and has done work on mine. Autopilot 6976704838 paniotis he installed my second autopilot and is very good.

Excellent, Thanks for that!!! Arrived safely by the way!

Colin.

 

[jtill]

Raymarine have supplied a number of computers that fail anytime from out of the box to three months. I assume it's under guarantee, might be worth calling them to check it's the computer and send it back - they usually send you a new one.

Don't know how many hours you have on the FP but 3,000 rpm generators are lifed for 450 to 550 hours. With repairs they can last 1,000 hours but better to buy a 1500 rpm generat rather than pay repair costs. 1500's are lifed for 8,000 hours.

This is not accurate companies who manufacture generators that run at 3600 rpm use high speed diesel engines that are built for long life. While your oil changes might be a little more frequent you can still get 8000 hours out of these engines.

Jeff Till
Fischer Panda USA
www.fischerpanda.com

 

[jtill]

450-550 hours??? thats 2 hours a day for 250 days? or 2 hours every two days for 500 days? Not a lot of cruising in one of those then! Definitely not a liveaboard unit, I woinder if FP publish that in their blurb!
Definitely looking at a replacement 1500 rpm one, but they are expensive, will see if this one can be repaired first. Cheaply! Still maybe go foir a 1500 rpm one, and keep it as a backup genny.

This is not accurate we use high speed diesel engines. You can get about 8000 hrs out of these engines. Same goes for our competitors who also use high speed diesel engines.

If you're having problems feel free to email me at jtill (at) fischerpanda.com

Jeff Till
Fischer Panda USA

 

[KellysEye]

>450-550 hours??? thats 2 hours a day for 250 days? or 2 hours every two days for 500 days? Not a lot of cruising in one of those then!

Yes you are right. 3000's are designed for weekend sailors who are mainly on shore power but need a generator for (say) four weeks holiday every year away from base.

The other issue with FP (they may have changed this) was/is they use dissimilar metals and the corrosion issues are well documented - search the net for FP and the vitriol there is amazing.

FP and others certainly don't mention it but all marine kit is designed for weekend sailors, hence the massive amount of maintenance you need to do if cruising 24x7. If you want to know what's going to break then just look at the service packs in chandlers, it's seriously depressing.

 

[Tradewinds]

>450-550 hours??? thats 2 hours a day for 250 days? or 2 hours every two days for 500 days? Not a lot of cruising in one of those then!

Yes you are right. 3000's are designed for weekend sailors who are mainly on shore power but need a generator for (say) four weeks holiday every year away from base.

The other issue with FP (they may have changed this) was/is they use dissimilar metals and the corrosion issues are well documented - search the net for FP and the vitriol there is amazing.

FP and others certainly don't mention it but all marine kit is designed for weekend sailors, hence the massive amount of maintenance you need to do if cruising 24x7. If you want to know what's going to break then just look at the service packs in chandlers, it's seriously depressing.

I'd agree with you 100% on this.

My FP was sold for scrap value - I spent £100s & £100s trying to keep the thing going - saw the light in the end & got shut. And I wasn't the only one.

 

[ccscott49]

I'd agree with you 100% on this.

My FP was sold for scrap value - I spent £100s & £100s trying to keep the thing going - saw the light in the end & got shut. And I wasn't the only one.

I've already spent 1000's ands 1000's, so bite the bullet time and get it repaired if poss, cheapely and then use it for emergency duties, got a quote for a 1500 rpm one form UCS in Brixham, for 4750 plus VAT, have to get a few more quotes!! But they look well made!

 

[Tradewinds]

I've already spent 1000's ands 1000's, so bite the bullet time and get it repaired if poss, cheapely and then use it for emergency duties, got a quote for a 1500 rpm one form UCS in Brixham, for 4750 plus VAT, have to get a few more quotes!! But they look well made!

It wasn't so much spending the money that got to me but the time wasted & passages delayed waiting for spares & repairs.

It was a relief to no longer have to bother about the bl**dy thing.

 

[ccscott49]

It wasn't so much spending the money that got to me but the time wasted & passages delayed waiting for spares & repairs.

It was a relief to no longer have to bother about the bl**dy thing.

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean and I've had enough, so getting quotes for a 6-7 kw, 1500 rpm set. Even 5kw would do. Any tips?

 

[Tradewinds]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean and I've had enough, so getting quotes for a 6-7 kw, 1500 rpm set. Even 5kw would do. Any tips?

Sorry no. I didn't have room for a bigger 2 cylinder slow-running gennie so didn't do any research.

Onan & Northern Lights were often mentioned but that was back in the late 90s.

Good luck with it all.

 

[Davy_S]

Does anybody know if there is a raymarine agent or technician in Gouvia, Corfu? My autopilot has quit working and I need to get it fixed.
Also a fischer panda agaent or technician will also be required, low output from Genny.

Colin, I have just heard from a friend who has left gouvia, last week, he was hit by lightning a few weeks ago and had repairs done to his raymarine equipment. He says the agent for Raymarine is in one of the offices in the Marina, he reports good service, but I cannot be more specific at the mo.
But defo Raymarine agent at Gouvia.

 

[ccscott49]

Colin, I have just heard from a friend who has left gouvia, last week, he was hit by lightning a few weeks ago and had repairs done to his raymarine equipment. He says the agent for Raymarine is in one of the offices in the Marina, he reports good service, but I cannot be more specific at the mo.
But defo Raymarine agent at Gouvia.

Great thanks for that info. I will be back there end of next week, I will get investigating, then! If I get it repaired soonish it will help, Genny is needed also, but for this year it can wait until winter, when I have more time and more money. It puts out enough to charge my batteries, so it will do for now. But I have made up my mind, its a 1500 rpm set for me!