[C320-list] Trouble shooting Raymarine Instrumentation

[Rod Boer]

Warren,

Thanks for the information.  I hope to remove the boat cover in another
month or so and start checking the instrument settings and if that isn't the
answer then start trouble shooting. 

Rod
2000, #688, Odyssey

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Warren Updike
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 5:49 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Trouble shooting Raymarine Instrumentation

The approach may depend on which edition of the instruments are onboard.
I'm only familiar with configuring the ST-50 verity. So, do consult your
manual.  

That said, I've been chasing the same problem on our ST-50 wind for 8 years.
Yes, you could say I'm a tad slow.  Since I don't race, knowing the true
wind has not been a biggie for us.  There is, on our web site, a document
that explains the cable and how to test it.  The connectors at the helm are
so small, it's difficult to work with the pins to do a test.  A couple of
years ago I had occasion to cut the cable in the cabin and reconnect in a
junction box.  That made it easy to test the separate wires in the cable
from the mast-head instrument.  

Next problem: The power source is 8V (I think,) from the control head at the
helm.  I didn't want to send it a 12V+ jolt from the ship's batteries, so I
taped together some 9V batteries and soldered leads across the terminals, in
parallel.  I didn't know how much the instrument would draw, so I wanted to
be sure.  I connected the batteries to the proper wires in the junction box.
Now, I could test the current coming from the mast-head.  I determined that
the wind direction signals were within spec which I figured because, like
yours, my apparent wind worked fine. However, the wind speed never did work.
I got a constant 6+V on the wind speed wire.  This is wrong as there were
light winds and the voltage should have been lower and variable.  The high
constant voltage indicated a short in the wind speed dohicky up above.

As I had already sent my control head to Dan Gerhardt, in Colorado, to be
tested, I figured it had to be the mast-head electronics.  The boat was
waiting to come out of the water and the weather was not conducive to a
climb, so I put it off till spring.  Then, I'll take down the mast-head
instrument and send it to Dan to repair.  

So, that's my experience.  Rod, let me know if I can be of further help.

Warren & Pattie Updike
1994 C320 #62 "Warr De Mar"

-----Original Message-----
From: Rod Boer [mailto:rod.boer1 at verizon.net] 
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 4:48 PM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Trouble shooting Raymarine Instrumentation

When Odyssey was commissioned last spring I discovered that my wind
instrument no longer displayed what Raymarine calls "true wind".  While what
it supplies isn't really true wind it is still useful to me.  The wind
instrument still provides apparent wind and in order to this it is receiving
information from the masthead wind vane and the anemometer.  I am also
displaying speed through the water on my knot meter which comes from the
paddle wheel.  As near as I can determine this is all the information that
is required for the Raymarine version of true wind and it all is available
in the instrument housing.

 

At this time the first place that I will start trouble shooting is by
checking the Sea Talk cables to see if there is a bad connection.  Has
anyone else experienced this issue and fixed the problem.  If so I would
appreciate if you could provide your findings as this might save time
troubleshooting.  Thanks.

 

Rod Boer, Odyssey #688