Raymarine ST60 instruments ..

[ParaHandy]

About a year ago I fitted ST60 wind, depth, speed, multi and graphic kit and recently replaced the ST4000 autopilot with the ST4000+. All are interconnected with the raymarine bus.

Until recently, all was well. However since I fitted a Sterling battery charger (which must be coincidence and is only my perception) two months ago the following has happened:
a) the sea temperature displayed by the speed instrument shows rubbish but the same rubbish data output onto the bus is a different value, but also rubbish, when displayed on other instruments ... obviously garbage in, garbage out!
b) the wind linearisation is "lost" requiring recalibration after 3 or 4 hours use

The only reason I have for mentioning the Sterling charger is a) the faults are all analogue eg sensitive to voltage and b) that it outputs just under 15 volts (and does) for its initial charge phase for led-acid batteries and although Raymarine say the kit's good for 16 volts in their blurbs, the actual manual says 15v max.

Can anyone help? .. please?

 

[nimbusgb]

What happens if you don't turn the charger on? Do you only get this gigo ( garbage in garbage out ) when connected to shore power? Does an engine run cause similar problems?

If it only happens when the charger is on then you have a place to start. If not then you know where *not* to start and can discount the charger or its voltage output.

Loosing calibration sounds suspect since as far as I can tell the instruments store calibration in non-volotile memory ( survives total power disconnect )

This kind of flaky operation could just as easily be low voltage, have you checked the seatalk bus voltage? AFAIK the bus is only good for 150 ma supply. Is the new Autopilot working OK? Have you introduced a ground loop or got a partially connected wire on the autopilot connectors.

 

[ParaHandy]

No, charger is off and boat's at sea when the calibration fails and the sea temperature error is permanent.

The current supply ought not to be a problem, I think, because the graphic st60 is at the end of the line and I checked its voltage display when the calibration failed and it was 12.5v and that's correct. I'm assuming that the supply would drop if the current draw was too high ...

The autopilot works at all times.

Thanks for your thoughts. I assumed the linear data inside the wind st60 was in non-volatile memory and ought not to be lost but something's causing it to go awry.

 

[steve_cronin]

I'm losing faith in ST60 by the nautical mile.

My log doesn't work at all. My Sea Temp is also miles out (although it is of course adjustable in the set-up) and the data being fed to the ST40 Wind repeater at the chart table always registers 90 degrees out on the wind direction. No doubt it's all water ingress related but with the extremes of temperature, UV and humidity they experience, perhaps that isn't too surprising.

Steve Cronin

 

[nimbusgb]

Stumped me mate, looks like a return to Raymarine for your wind instrument at least.

 

[awyatybw]

Ours are mostly ST50 series but I think that the comments are still relevant....

The temp sensor on our tridata was dead (useless data) when we got the boat. A common problem, apparently. (Helpful person at Raymarine Support gave us details of measurements to take to verify that the sensor was indeed dead.)

Our wind instrument started behaving strangely, rather like yours. Certainly direction on display head significantly different from that on SeaTalk bus, which meant wind-related functions of autopilot impared or useless (auto-tack). I think that a power-spike may have been the root cause of the problems, although I cannot remember what the original source of this spike was. I would not have expected 16V to be a problem ... but what do I know? Had to replace ours with new ST60 as old intrument BER.

I'm not sure this helps much, but a similar experience to yours. Overall, I have been very happy with the Raymarine set of stuff. It is by no means perfect but seems to have been more reliable (and, in general, repairable/serviceable) than what I have seen and heard about from friends etc. who have other makes of gear.

Alan.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I know its not much help, but we have a Sterling charger (and alternator regulator) and an almost identical ST60 system, and we have no problems at all. The system doesn't usually lose its caibration either. I wonder if you have disturbed something when you put the charger in, or is it just a coincidence?

 

[Finnsailing]

Had problems with my ST40 Instruments after I antifouled the boat. No speed or depth . Bought a new transducer and connected it to display and nothing . Sent unit back and got a letter back saying nothing wrong . Hm ... Bought new TACKTICK units and fitted them to the old transducer and speed wheel and IT WORKED first time so you tell me where the gremlins live ... I would love to know .. I checked all the wiring etc . Not that difficult only a small boat but did not fancy being at sea with no depth .

 

[hightech]

A 10K resistor connected instead of the temp sensor to the unit shpuld give 25 deg C. if it stops floating then your transducer is knacked. If it still floats then the unit is knacked. The temp sensor is an invers resistance, low resistance high temp, high resistance low temp.

red = 5V
black = 0V
green = speed pulses
othe two wires/connections are the temp sensor.