Raymarine ST60 Wind problems

[Sailfree]

Switch on instruments and wind instrument works fine - then sometime between 10min and a few hours it stops working. Display then just shows 3 horizontal dashes and wind arrow pointing straight up.

I assume this means its still getting power or is it backfed from the seatalk links?

I have had masthead unit off a number of times and connection has contralube 550 grease (for electrical connections). All connections look OK.

Had Raymarine agent replace cable in mast.

Of course immediately I do something it switches on OK but then fails sometime later.

I suspect a bad connection but thought masthead unit/mast cable the most likely cause.

I know the approx. voltages to look for on cables at mast base (sine waves) but short of sitting there with a meter for an hour or two to see whether I loose the voltage on each individual cable and another person monitoring if instrument goes off I am out of ideas. Problem is that once it stops working it will not reboot without being switched off and on again.

Raymarine service agent has looked at it a few times and of course its always working when he looks at it - his conclusion replace the lot!

Hoping for inspired wisdom from the Forum otherwise I was intending to return head unit to Raymarine for checking when I return to the UK. If no fix then trace cable through boat and replace that one!

Any other ideas? Its frustrating as I am sure once the problem is identified it will be obvious.

 

[jwilson]

Had exactly the same intermittent --- this spring: kit 8-9 years old and all cabling appeared fine after checking connections at mast base and instrument head. Local Raymarine agent tested masthead unit and declared it faulty. Swapped it and no further trouble since, except for the cost of the new unit. As I bought a new unit no charge for the testing.

I still have the old one, and some ebay sellers appear to sell replacement circuit boards for the masthead units, though Raymarine themselves say not fixable.

Personally I would not have bothered to fix, as I don't sail looking at dials, but the boat gets chartered out as well, and I like everything to work as it should.

 

[han34]

When the display on my depth inst failed the depth was still displayed on the plotter and radar, so I was fairly sure it was the display. Do you have other instruments that display the wind, I have a SH,180 that displays wind, depth from the nmea from the Raymarine. Not sure if this helps you but may give some ideas. Or swap the instrument with a neighbouring and friendly boat, takes no time to swap over.

 

[jwilson]

When the display on my depth inst failed the depth was still displayed on the plotter and radar, so I was fairly sure it was the display. Do you have other instruments that display the wind, I have a SH,180 that displays wind, depth from the nmea from the Raymarine. Not sure if this helps you but may give some ideas. Or swap the instrument with a neighbouring and friendly boat, takes no time to swap over.

Agreed, when mine went --- on the depth display the same --- showed on the autopilot head and the graphic multi display if set to show wind, so was not just the wind display unit.

 

[Sailfree]

Not checked voltages yet at mast base but instrument now no longer works at display position and wind vector does not appear on chartplotter. Before complete failure there was a high pitched audible hum from instrument display.

Do Raymarine service ST60 display units or will I need to upgrade to a non matching instrument?

If it is the instrument are mast head units identical between models?

 

[Sailfree]

All voltages at mast base seem in right range so suspect display unit gone have e mailed Raymarine support to see if they will service a 10yr old ST60.