Raystar GPS Battery Replacement

emandvee44

emandvee44

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We have 2. The older one (connected to the plotter) from about 2002 had been giving fix start up problems for some time and thanks to a fellow forumite the battery was replaced and all well.
The AIS GPS antenna was installed in 2010 (marked 2009) and therefore may need the battery changing, but having taken it apart I cannot see a memory battery. Could it be hidden? Anyone have experience of this model?

20180509_173605.jpg

Thanks,
Michael.
 
Not really.
The Raystar 120 has a soldered in CR2032 battery. Fiddly to change but doable (as we did) There is a u-tube clip showing how to do it.
The Raystar 125 has a battery holder and therefore is easy to change. There is also a U-tube clip for this.

I do not know what my model number is, that is why I am asking on here.

Thanks,
M.
 
emandvee44 said:
I do not know what my model number is, that is why I am asking on here.
Click to expand...

OK, you've called it a "Raystar" in the thread title, so I assume it's a Raymarine product. And you've said it's an AIS GPS antenna, so I assume you have a Raymarine AIS transceiver, maybe an AIS650. If I'm right, the GPS antenna supplied with the 650 is a passive antenna, so I wouldn't expect it to have a battery in it. Presumably you took it apart because the AIS transceiver isn't getting a GPS position; this could be an antenna fault, a wiring fault, or a fault in the GPS receiver inside the 650. You can buy a replacement antenna (Raymarine part number R62241) but it's around £100 so it might be better to get the fault diagnosed in case it's internal in the transceiver.
 
The AIS is a 500 (the 650 had not been introduced back in 2010). You could well be right about the passive antenna. My knowledge of the installation is a bit sketchy as I was not present when the installation was carried out and then the firm went bust.
However, if you look at the original message I only suggested that it might need a battery change, perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree (or antenna :)) and it is not needed. looks like I need to get all the manuals out and see if the answer is there.
Thanks,
M.
 
emandvee44 said:
The AIS is a 500 (the 650 had not been introduced back in 2010). You could well be right about the passive antenna. My knowledge of the installation is a bit sketchy as I was not present when the installation was carried out and then the firm went bust.
However, if you look at the original message I only suggested that it might need a battery change, perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree (or antenna :)) and it is not needed. looks like I need to get all the manuals out and see if the answer is there.
Click to expand...

The earlier AIS500 also has a passive antenna, so it's unlikely to have a battery in it. But I'm a bit bemused by the fact that you've taken the antenna apart....
 
Just to put this thread to bed, hopefully. The two gps antennas sit side by side. When we came to change the battery we opened the 'wrong' one first, as in the photo.
The AIS works fine, as does the MFD, acquiring the position very quickly. Therefore I think you must be right, no battery inside the AIS gps.
Thanks,
Michael.
 
We have a Raystar 125 GPS from circa 2011 which suddenly seems to be taking a while to get a fix. Thinking maybe should try battery swap on this. Is 8 years a typical battery life? (We also have the passive GPS antenna for the AIS, but it is not this one that has the issue).

Have downloaded the Raymarine manual but other than warning it contains a lithium battery, there are no instructions as to how to change this. So can anybody who has done this advise:
- what battery type is needed ?
- how to open the unit (once unscrewed from the deck) without braking any critical bit of plastic clips
Thanks
 
dunedin said:
We have a Raystar 125 GPS from circa 2011 which suddenly seems to be taking a while to get a fix. Thinking maybe should try battery swap on this. Is 8 years a typical battery life? (We also have the passive GPS antenna for the AIS, but it is not this one that has the issue).

Have downloaded the Raymarine manual but other than warning it contains a lithium battery, there are no instructions as to how to change this. So can anybody who has done this advise:
- what battery type is needed ?
- how to open the unit (once unscrewed from the deck) without braking any critical bit of plastic clips
Thanks
Click to expand...

If the AIS is connected to the plotter you should be getting GPS data from there, depending on the exact setup.
 
dunedin said:
We have a Raystar 125 GPS from circa 2011 which suddenly seems to be taking a while to get a fix. Thinking maybe should try battery swap on this. Is 8 years a typical battery life? (We also have the passive GPS antenna for the AIS, but it is not this one that has the issue).

Have downloaded the Raymarine manual but other than warning it contains a lithium battery, there are no instructions as to how to change this. So can anybody who has done this advise:
- what battery type is needed ?
- how to open the unit (once unscrewed from the deck) without braking any critical bit of plastic clips
Thanks
Click to expand...

I would say that 8 years is the exact battery life for the CR2032 battery in an RS125. Not a year longer or a year shorter. :)

It's an easy job. The only bit which needs any thought is replacing the cover in exactly the same orientation as it was when you removed it. A small line across the join with a felt pen before removing the top would be a good idea.

Richard
 
Thanks pvb, that video is just what I need. And good tip Richard.
As ever on boats the most tricky job will be dismantling the stern cabin and roof liner to access the bolts holding the receiver down to the deck!

And Paul, views on the AIS regulations vary, but Raymarine insist on a separate GPS receiver for their AIS 650 which does not feed into eîther the Seatalk network or the two plotters.1
 
dunedin said:
And Paul, views on the AIS regulations vary, but Raymarine insist on a separate GPS receiver for their AIS 650 which does not feed into eîther the Seatalk network or the two plotters.1
Click to expand...

The AIS has to have it's own GPS, but AIS usually outputs GPS data along with the AIS data, which can be input to the plotter.

I have just finished a revamp of an older system, which included a C120 Classic and a Furuno AIS transponder, the AIS provides GPS, AIS and heading data, the plotter is not connected to a GPS directly.
 
PaulRainbow said:
The AIS has to have it's own GPS, but AIS usually outputs GPS data along with the AIS data, which can be input to the plotter.

I have just finished a revamp of an older system, which included a C120 Classic and a Furuno AIS transponder, the AIS provides GPS, AIS and heading data, the plotter is not connected to a GPS directly.
Click to expand...

That's like my set up Paul.

The dedicated GPS from my AIS system is used to provide position data to the plotter over the same fast NMEA link that provides the AIS data to the plotter. That GPS antenna is in a locker below decks alongside the AIS transceiver.

The original Raymarine GPS receiver which is mounted on the coachroof has been re-purposed and feeds low speed NMEA into the gizmo which simulates a paddlewheel so I can get true wind speed and log on the ST60 displays.

Richard
 
PaulRainbow said:
The AIS has to have it's own GPS, but AIS usually outputs GPS data along with the AIS data, which can be input to the plotter.
Click to expand...

I have an AIS 500 (like the OP). As supplied, it doesn't output GPS data. The manual makes reference to outputting GPS sentences "With NMEA GPS output ON". IIRC there was no way to turn GPS output on from plotter or the copy of proAIS that came with the AIS 500. I queried that with ray marine and have just dug out their response:
The AIS500 does not output the GPS information on any of the network. It is a dedicated GPS for the AIS500 alone
Click to expand...

But then I discovered the analysis Kees Verrujit (of canboat and signalK fame) did on proprietary sentences understood by srt boards:
http://yachtelectronics.blogspot.com/2011/02/srt-proprietary-ais-commands.html
Interestingly it makes reference to these boards outputting RMC and GBS or those two plus VTG, GGA,GLL,GSV and ZDA (depending on how you've got it configured) but I seem to remember when I experimented with the AIS 500 it was all or nothing (ie RMC/GBS were not output unless GPS output was switched "on") but it was 8 years ago so I could be wrong. Perhaps I could have just used a copy of proAIS from a different manufacturer but I can confirm that writing the "ON" command down a serial line as Kees describes caused it to start spewing out GPS data. Don't know if it also turned on GPS output over N2K as I didn't have any N2K at the point...
 
dunedin said:
Thanks pvb, that video is just what I need. And good tip Richard.
As ever on boats the most tricky job will be dismantling the stern cabin and roof liner to access the bolts holding the receiver down to the deck!
Click to expand...

So with the help of the video the electronic part of this was indeed a 5 minute job. And the old battery from 2011 was down to below 1v, whilst the new one fitted is 3.3v. Need to run with for a while, but seems to have fixed the issue so far.

And as expected, the actual job took 3 hours so far and not yet completed. 30 minutes to try to find access, only to discover two thumb nuts almost entirely out of reach.
Eventually managed to remove both, but one disappeared into the inner lining (eventually found by removing a steering gear access hatch lower down.
Refitting is proving even more impossible. After repeated tries, and retrieval using endescope camera (DPS TECH, brilliant), one nut was finally applied. The other is fully lost, and think will need to cut an access panel in the GRP liner to fit. In the course of my attempts found multiple nuts and washers dropped by the engineer who originally fitted it. Boats, eh!

PS At least based upon a previous YBW thread I had on board a CR 2032 battery kept for this necessity
 
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