Updating Raymarine Plotter

emandvee44

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I want to update the firmware, and have downloaded the instructions and update files. (E90W)
The instructions seem to indicate the necessity for a blank CF card of maximum capacity 2GB which are very hard to find (out here).
Has anyone carried out the update procedure,and with a larger capacity CF card? (I can probably borrow one from a photographer as most digital SLR`s use them).

Cheers,

Michael.
 
I have an E120 at chart table and a repeater E80 at helm.

Before I went on Summer Sailing holiday I updated Navionic platinum card to 3XL (wider area). Found both E series froze and kept rebooting due to data overload.

For mine (10yr old) E series Raymarine advise a max size 128MB CF card!! I was in France and smallest made now is 4GB!!

Raymarine technical help were helpful and said a) try a bigger card - it won't do any harm - chartplotter will either "see" larger CF card or it won't! b) "seeing" card is a bit hit & miss and Raymarine find Sandisc make "more reliable".

I tried the 4GB CF card and 120 "saw" it and upgraded software OK but could not see" it either as remote upgade (from E120 master) or plugging it straight into E80 (not sure rusty pins at helm position helped!).

Borrowed a 216MB card from Green Regis yesterday that they said worked - £50 deposit! Downloaded software - remember to open zip file into folder but just transfer files onto CF card.

Could not upgrade E80 by directly plugging in card. Finally managed by following method - tried others but no joy!

1. Switch off both units.

2. Plug in upgrade CF card to master E120 at chart table.

3. Switch on E120

4. E120 recognised card for upgrade.

5. Press soft key to upgrade remote unit.

6. Press soft key to upgrade using "Ethernet" not seatalk or ST2.

7. Wait till it starts thinking about it! (time delay appeared critical!)

8. Rush to Helm E80 and switch it on.

9. Go back to E120 and was pleased to see it recognised the E80 and displayed progress of upgrade.

NOTE - timing between 6. 7. & 8. seems to be a factor - when I did it too quickly no joy.

10. Could not get E80 to reboot all keys frozen.

11. Switched off all the units off using the master breaker switch!

12. Prayed to the gods!

13. Switched E series breaker on and happily found the E80 was updated!

I mention all the above as previously have tried all ways using 4GB, 2GB & 516MB CF cards and while the E120 upgraded first time using a 4GB card (contrary to Raymarine advice) I was completely unsuccessful on the E80 except yesterday doing the above and with a borrowed CF card from Green Regis that was the wrong size and wrong make (iCF4000) according to best Raymarine advice - but it worked! CF4000.

Trust this helps other!!
 
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Not sure how age of plotter compares but I updated 2 C70s without difficulty.
I used a small - 128 I think - Navionics card with an old small chart on it. I moved the existing files into a sub directory and the Raymaroine software update in the root. Afterwards I deleted the update and moved the other files back to the root and the chart still works.
Using new Navionics charts the C70 is woefully slow. Also the boat position and the chart update at different rates when you zoom. Quite unnerving.
 
The irony is that once you have updated it (with a small card, if you can find one) it will, allegedly, then read the larger cards!

Mine now reads the larger cards but Plevier states when you enlarge or move curser to move chart boat initially stays in same screen position for a few seconds!

I now have a Sandisc 128MB CF card which I will carefully keep for future software updates. Bought it off e bay complete with family photos dating back to 2005!
 
I have an E120 at chart table and a repeater E80 at helm.

Before I went on Summer Sailing holiday I updated Navionic platinum card to 3XL (wider area). Found both E series froze and kept rebooting due to data overload.

For mine (10yr old) E series Raymarine advise a max size 128MB CF card!! I was in France and smallest made now is 4GB!!

Raymarine technical help were helpful and said a) try a bigger card - it won't do any harm - chartplotter will either "see" larger CF card or it won't! b) "seeing" card is a bit hit & miss and Raymarine find Sandisc make "more reliable".

I tried the 4GB CF card and 120 "saw" it and upgraded software OK but could not see" it either as remote upgade (from E120 master) or plugging it straight into E80 (not sure rusty pins at helm position helped!).

Borrowed a 216MB card from Green Regis yesterday that they said worked - £50 deposit! Downloaded software - remember to open zip file into folder but just transfer files onto CF card.

Could not upgrade E80 by directly plugging in card. Finally managed by following method - tried others but no joy!

1. Switch off both units.

2. Plug in upgrade CF card to master E120 at chart table.

3. Switch on E120

4. E120 recognised card for upgrade.

5. Press soft key to upgrade remote unit.

6. Press soft key to upgrade using "Ethernet" not seatalk or ST2.

7. Wait till it starts thinking about it! (time delay appeared critical!)

8. Rush to Helm E80 and switch it on.

9. Go back to E120 and was pleased to see it recognised the E80 and displayed progress of upgrade.

NOTE - timing between 6. 7. & 8. seems to be a factor - when I did it too quickly no joy.

10. Could not get E80 to reboot all keys frozen.

11. Switched off all the units off using the master breaker switch!

12. Prayed to the gods!

13. Switched E series breaker on and happily found the E80 was updated!

I mention all the above as previously have tried all ways using 4GB, 2GB & 516MB CF cards and while the E120 upgraded first time using a 4GB card (contrary to Raymarine advice) I was completely unsuccessful on the E80 except yesterday doing the above and with a borrowed CF card from Green Regis that was the wrong size and wrong make (iCF4000) according to best Raymarine advice - but it worked! CF4000.

Trust this helps other!!
You see you, you there :)

You helped me fix our E120 +E80 combo with these steps just now.

Thank you so much!

We nailed the timing the very first shot. Never would have guessed that.
 
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