Raymarine wind speed slowing down

wiggy

wiggy

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I've noticed that my mast head unit is getting slower and slower compared to my neighbouring boats, often recording no breeze at all. It's about 12 years old, any suggestions for a mast up maintenance solution ( quite happy to go up the mast ).
 
wiggy said:
I've noticed that my mast head unit is getting slower and slower compared to my neighbouring boats, often recording no breeze at all. It's about 12 years old, any suggestions for a mast up maintenance solution ( quite happy to go up the mast ).
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You need to take it off, check/lubricate/replace the bearings, and put it back.
 
Yes, mine is doing exactly the same. I did lubricate it last year which helped, but clearly not for long :-(

From the depths of my memory there was a post years ago which detailed the replacement of bearings. It involved a major dismantling process ie cutting or drilling into the head unit to access them. Once in, I seem to remember that swapping them out with replacements was neither difficult or expensive.

I'll see if I can trace the post down.
 
ST50 I guess then.. Check out a few of my previous postings for photos.

If you lubricate (as the easy way out) I would suggest that you don't use an oil. However light a machine oil it is, it will still be too viscous.

If anything, try something like McLube Sailkote - expensive but slippery stuff.

Replacement bearings perhaps £10.. Replacement unit maybe £300...
 
Mine suffered from the same symptoms. We had to resort to tanging the backstay to activate it. It had been untouched since installation in 2005.

I took the mast down last month and took the anemometer home (Raymarine ST60 with cylindrical gubbins as opposed to later spherical)

When I removed the rotor I noticed lots of dusty powder within the hub, and the little drain hole was blocked. The design is such that hub will collect rainwater.

I cleaned it all out and gave it a squirt of WD40

It has since been rotating faultlessly on our washing line post test installation.

So the bearings may well be OK!
 
"I cleaned it all out and gave it a squirt of WD40"

Following similar symptons on my ST50 wind some time ago, I did the same. It didn't work for long. After hacking around for a while, unsuccessfully trying to remove the bearings I got in touch with Stowe Marine/Tinley Electronics. They advised:

"Please note: WD40 on PCB may damage components".

In any case, if you're as ham-fisted as me, it may be worthwhile getting someone like them to have a look at it. It won't be cheap, but if it's repairable they'll do it.
 
I thought I had made myself clear.

I did not dismantle anything. I removed the anemometer rotor and cleaned its interior. The WD40 helped in this.

The bearings are sealed, and the electronics are within the casing, also sealed by O rings. So the WD40 will not have accessed anything delicate.

In any case I do not share your fears about its affect on PCBs

However, I would be interested to know if Stowe Tingley managed to replace the bearings and if so how much they charged.
 
How to replace bearings

Theres been a few posts on this and so when I did the job recently I took some photos, hope these help or at least give an idea of what is required.

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Brilliant! A very kind and useful posting.

I shall have a go. Anemometer is still working well in the garden, but a set of bearings will avoid a trip up the mast in future.

Where did the hair come from?
 
The unit I did is 16 years old so I think it has just collected bits of drifting fluff, and threads that were being blown about on the breeze. I guess the fact that the anemometer shaft is spinning relatively quickly means that anything that snags on it gets wound up straight away whereas the wind vane shaft had no such debris on it.

Interestingly it was the wind vane that was seizing up, in my case - i guess because it sits on top so water runs into the bearing. When I replaced the bearings I put a blob of silicone grease on the top to try and repel any rain water and spray that reaches it.

Both the anemometer and wind vane hubs have small drain holes in them to stop water accumulating around the bearings but they are small (2mm?) and would probably not do a very good job
 
I didn't realise that those things could collect threads and fluff. Maybe some slow transducers can be cured simply by removing any such debris without the necessity to fully dismantle.
 
The only really tricky bit is getting the circular circuit board out of the red (or black) housing. What the photos dont show is that the thin fingers (the narrower pieces between the slots) grip the board, sort of 'latching' over the top. The temptation is to prise these outwards but if you do that cackhandedly you risk breaking them !

What i did was used a thumnail to put a little bit of outward pressure on them whilst using a flat blade in the slot under the circuit board to prise the board up just enough to stop the finger springing shut again - repeat the process at each of the three fingers and then the board comes out quite easily.

As always - its at your own risk - but it has to be worth a go as they dont make the ST50 masthead units any more!
 
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skyflyer said:
As always - its at your own risk - but it has to be worth a go as they dont make the ST50 masthead units any more!
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So your photos (excellent by the way) are an ST60?

Anyone know if the ST60 is similar, and where I can get bearings? There was a thread with a link somewhere, but silly search won't find it.
 
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In theory you can get a replacement "pod" as they call it comprising the housing, bearings and shaft from Raymarine.
Part no Q001 for the vane and Q002 for the anemometer.
No idea if still available or at what cost - no doubt high.
I shall hope to do the bearings only - with great thanks to skyflyer for showing the way!

http://www.dolcetto.org.uk/download...ice Manuals/ST6000 Inboard Service Manual.pdf may be of interest - it all seems unchanged from Autohelm Z080.
 
Had the same problem. It got slower and slower until it was the last one in the Marina to 'start up'.
When it was brought down the bearings seemed to be worn and not knowing how to replace them I ordered a new unit, about £250 I think:eek:
So it looks as if I have a possible spare unit if I buy some bearings.
The post above is an excellent description of how to do it - I think even I could manage it.

Cheers,

Michael.
 
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