Raymarine ST60 WindTransducer craziness

MagicalArmchair

MagicalArmchair

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Since I have owned Mirage (2 and a bit years) the wind instruments have never, ever pointed in the correct direction. Even when I use the manual adjustment to correct it to roughly the direction of the wind, it still doesn't hold through 360 (on some angles it reads more correct than others!), which is strange.

I have chugged around in many, many circles trying to calibrate it, however, it never "beeps". The process I undertake is by the book. I turn all the instruments off, leave them for ten seconds to properly die, turn them on and then go around in circles... but it never beeps.

When its in calibration mode, should it show something on the screen to say its in calibration mode?

The transducer IS 20 years old, it probably just needs new bearings perhaps? Anyone else had this?

I am not of the view of replacing items (even though I work in technology!) unless it's truly kippered. So buying a new one is anathema unless absolutely necessary...
 
I suppose there are two “things” that can be done. The bearings and seals can be replaced and the circuit board, both are available on eBay.

A friend of mine gave me his defective transducer, so I’ll open that guy up and take a look at what could be amiss, then it might just be a single trip up the mast to swap my transducer for a fixed one?

RichardS posted some photos on this post, however they have sadly fallen off.

Raymarine ST60 wind transducer refurb. problem, with photo

Edit:

Interesting video here:

And test details here... now to try and find a 8V power supply, hmm.
 
Last edited:
It calibrates the wind instruments also... well, it's supposed to! The book says head into the wind, turn the instruments on (so when at sea, turn them off, leave them for 20 seconds, turn them back on again), and then go around in two circles slowly. Now, observe the compass in the below, and the wind. There is something very funky going on with the transducer. A trip up the mast tomorrow then, sigh.

 
I probably didn't know about this as I virtually never look at the wind readout/display. Spent far too long sailing without wind instruments, and using feel plus telltales and sail shape is better than slavishly following a dial.
 
If I have kit on my boat, I do like it to work, shipshape and Bristol fashion. I promise I will not slavishly follow it if I do fix it though!

The spare unit a friend of mine gifted me that had been written off appears to work for direction, only not speed. My unit is the reverse.

Good thinking re the plug, I wonder if unplugging and reseating with tef gel will help?

 
Electrical contact spray on the masthead socket may solve your problem.
I went up my mast on Saturday (my 76th birthday) with a spare masthead unit that I knew worked. It was not until I sprayed the masthead socket that everything started working again.
Previously I had wind direction and very irregular windspeed. I could see corrosion on the masthead unit pins.
 
I had a response from Paul at Marine Technical Solutions, who sells a tester no less! I wish I had known previously, then I would have purchased that one instead.

3cLlSNUl.png


He also said:

OK I suspect the second wind vane works properly (ed: re the one I bench tested!)

It difficult to bench test speed circuit without the circuit inside the ST60 wind connected
I have a self-powered tester for sale £59 which displays the operation of the wind vane on LED

I’ve attached copy of instructions

With ST60+ wind instruments there are 3 basic modes of failure
Faulty Wind vane (tracking between pins very common fault due to poor design) PCB failure (due to water ingress or other form of failure)
Faulty mast cable (cable stretches over time leading to failure of one or more of the conductors inside)
Instrument failure (not very common)

Have you measured voltages at bottom of mast between black/screen
Red 8v
Blue 2-6v varies with direction
Green 2-6v varies with direction
Yellow voltage varies with speed (it’s actually a pulsing signal 2 pulses per revolution of cup)
Click to expand...

This gives me hope the other unit I have might be persuaded to work. So up I go at the weekend to swap it over.
 
I tested the wind speed again last night and it does pulse at a very low voltage, so that does appear to be working (I meant volt not amp in the below :ROFLMAO: ?) :


So, the plan is this:
  • I’ll pop up the mast on Saturday with some contact cleaner and dielectric grease. I’ll remove the old transducer, clean up the plug as best I can with the contact cleaner, and plug in the “new” transducer (the one that I have bench tested).
  • I’ll then pop out for a sail and try and configure that one.
    • If that FAILS: I’ll order the mast cable and plug, and then replace that (thank heavens for cable lube).
    • If that SUCCEEDS: I’ll bench test the old transducer, see if it is busted and then order parts as required and keep that as a spare.
 
So I popped up the mast and the version I found at the top was not the version I was expecting - it was an older version than the one I was expecting. The connections were still the same, so I swapped it for the version I bench tested, and presto, it is now working! I need to configure it, however, even without configuring it already is pointing roughly where the wind is coming from. Success!

https://imgur.com/UZkBvxM
 
Going sailing with working wind instruments was frankly wonderful. Yes, I know I can put my face across the wind, and I do know where it is coming from and can see the tell tails on the sails, however, with a very slight following wind, it is hard to figure out exactly where it is coming from. I'm also very happy that something that was not working previously now is, and I'd rather have nothing at all than something which points the wrong way.

So, the old one that came off is an older version. For those that come after, here is me testing the faulty unit:


I'm guessing it's the PCB?
 
...a bit of rain (well, a lot of rain) and:

m9LgM77l.png


So the reason it wasn't working on my friend's boat was that the transducer lets in water.

Sigh. The old transducer has gone off to Paul to be fixed then back up the mast I go... at least it's keeping me fit...

Edit: For anyone passing this way in future with similar woes, if you swap an OLD transducer (square cups) with a NEWer transducer (semi-circle cups), the gray ST60 instrument above will overread the wind. You need to configure it to 0.75 of wind to correct this. Thanks again to Paul for that nugget of information.
 
MagicalArmchair said:
...a bit of rain (well, a lot of rain) and:

m9LgM77l.png


So the reason it wasn't working on my friend's boat was that the transducer lets in water.

Sigh. The old transducer has gone off to Paul to be fixed then back up the mast I go... at least it's keeping me fit...

Edit: For anyone passing this way in future with similar woes, if you swap an OLD transducer (square cups) with a NEWer transducer (semi-circle cups), the gray ST60 instrument above will overread the wind. You need to configure it to 0.75 of wind to correct this. Thanks again to Paul for that nugget of information.
Click to expand...


Hi!!
I have searched the internet for days about something like this. In 98/100 forum posts it’s about corrosion or bad contact but my transducer gives the signals that it supposed to. Problem is my new i60 (had ST60) shows to high wind speed..
do you maybe have more information about this?
 
Hello! Yes, I finally got my wind instruments working and I love them. If you have the Grey ST60 base unit (like mine pictured), and the new type transducer (with the semi circle cups) like my NEW transducer my friend gave me, it will over-read the wind speed. You need to set it to 75% in the dealer calibration to get the correct, true, wind reading. Thanks to Paul for that tip. Good luck! Look at page 41 of this http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/serviceguides/st60wind.pdf.
 
Many thanks for the manual!!
My transducer is connected to a “wind pod ST80” and from that one to the ST-network (nmea0183) where my new instrumen get its information from, so it’s much possible that the wind pod translate the signal wrong and send out a to high windV on the ST-network.
(The wind pod have no buttons so I have to figure out another way to calibrate that)
 
The old one (cylindrical housing) is called ST50 wind, the ST60 wind has the egg shaped housing.

The fault on the old one is most likely one of the hall effect sensor being broken. These cost 20 quid last I changed one, so may be worth repairing. Easy solder job, but a little tricky to pry out without shattering them more (they're ceramic and fragile like the ego of a Sardinian gommoni driver). Instructions here: Micrio WS1 Replacement Wind Speed Sensor and WC1 Replacement Wind Compass Sensor for Raymarine ST50 and ST60 Wind Instruments. Rev 4. - PDF Free Download

This chip: https://eu.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Honeywell/SS94A1?qs=OmWMh1k3Vii44YLRRM6xYQ==

Might as well replace the bearings while you're at it. Instructions for that on this here forum somewhere in a PDF document :)
 
Yngmar said:
Might as well replace the bearings while you're at it. Instructions for that on this here forum somewhere in a PDF document :)
Click to expand...
I’ve looked for a while for this but I can’t find it. I need to service my windex but can’t find this. If anyone can point me in the right direction I’ll buy you a drink (really if possible…).
 
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