Navman 3100 wind indicator erratic at < 10knts

[jkalucki]

At low wind speeds, my Navman 3100 wind display is erratic. It reads true for a few minutes, then for a few minutes it reads garbage. It tends to cycle between these two modes. At above ~10kts apparent, it seems to work fine all the time.

The masthead wand (anemometer) and instrument are new replacements. The only thing that I haven't replaced is the mast wiring, which is new as of 2005.

What would cause such odd behavior? What is the protocol between the masthead and the instrument? Is it NavBus? What are the electrical properties? Is this an analog circuit? Could there be some sort of grounding issue? If there is an intermittent connection on the wire, why would it phase in and out while at the dock and not moving, but then be fine and steady underway?

Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

-JK

[Alan Wheeler]

I suggest you check all the wiring connections. I suggest there is something happening to a cable that has some form of influence from wind rising to above 10kts. Maybe heel angle or something similar. The information sent to the meter is digital. A small stepping motor is what spins the meter needle around.

[jkalucki]

All of the instruments and the anemometer have been connected and reconnected several times. It's unlikely to be a bad connection.

Behavior appears to have little or nothing to do with boat motion. Windspeed is the only apparent variable...

[Alan Wheeler]

You are best to contact Navman and they maybe able to help you with advise. Or if you have a local supplier that could lend you a head unit and you could plug it and see if it solves the problem. If it does, you have the answer. If it doesn't, it must be the main unit. Although the main unit is the more expensive part (I think), it would be the easiest to change. The mast unit can be a right pain in the... due to getting the cable down the mast. As Seafox and I found last week.

[GordMay]

From page 16 of the Navman 3100 Wind Instrument Manual:

Wind speed or direction readings wrong or erratic:
a) Wind speed calibration is incorrect (see section 4-4).
b) Wind direction alignment is incorrect (see section 3-4).
c) Masthead unit cable unplugged or damaged.
d) Masthead unit is damaged or fouled.
e) Interference from electrical noise. Review installation.

Goto:
http://www.navmanmarine.net/upload/M...0B_eng_web.pdf

NAVMAN USA INC.
18 Pine St. Ext. Nashua, NH 03060.
Phone: +1 603 577 9600
Fax: +1 603 577 4577
E-mail: sales@navmanusa.com
Web: Navman - Beyond Navigation

[biscuit45]

Hi
I have just installed a new 3150 complete and have the opposite problem. Below 10 knots there is no problem, just above this speed it all goes erratic. Have checked connections power and interferance. It seems to loose data at the high wind speeds. I will have to check the masthead unit but as its only apparent at high speeds it will be difficult to prove the probelm. Any ideas?
Thanks
Dave

[jkalucki]

We think our issue may be with the knotmeter system. Try disconnecting it from the rest of the network and see if things change...

[jkalucki]

This problem was solved by doing a full software reset and recalibration. It works fine now.

[biscuit45]

The problem was solved with a replacement masthead unit. A bad connection caused the erratic readings, this eventually broke and was replaced under warrentee.

[Get-a-Life]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this is not an isolated problem. I have just finished having a scrap with Navico about my 3150 wind gear doing the same, erratic wind direction at any speed.
Asked my local chandler which is the largest Navman dealer here, he then when on to tell me that a large number (30) of the units he sold were faulty. He had told Navman reps about this and they refused to acknowledge that there was a general problem.
My correspondence with them here in Aust. was far from helpful, at first it was suggested that the wiring may be at fault, then maybe a recalibration might do the trick, then upon finding out that I purchased the unit on ebay from Canada, which in turn sent it from their agent in Hong Kong I was told that they would not homour the guarantee in Australia because I had not purchased it in Australia. For any service I would have to send it to New Zealand. This I subsequently did and 3 weeks later a new Northstar unit arrived by courier. Well done New Zealand, as for my Australian agents, neveer again will I buy Navman.

[Randal Johnson]

The builder installed one of these, Navman 3100, on my boat and it has the exact same problem. I sent two emails to Navman and never got a reply.
Randal Johnson

[biscuit45]

JG Technologies Dealer Specialist Marine Electronics

Once the problem was found I had 1st Class service from jgtechnologies who supplied the unit.

I have brough a few items from them and would highly recommend them. Good prices and great service, even when it went wrong.
cant say better than that.

Dave

[Get-a-Life]

Randall, it was mainly the 3100 from what I was told that had the most problems, LCD screen failing and erratic readings. The 3150 is an analogue unit with a small LCD screen, the wind direction problems on my unit showed up with erratic needle directions.

Even though New Zealand sent me a new unit, I was far from being impressed with their correspondence, which totalled nil, despite me sending them 3 emails asking for some sort of response in relationship to my problems.

I was warned by my local chandler that they were a hopeless company to deal with here in Australia but to persevere and I would eventually win. My wind gear was less than 1 year old. I haven't got much faith in how long the new unit will perform for. The old VDO windgear I took off still works without any problems, it is 20 years old and therein lies the problem. Interfacing with NMEA was not even dreamed of then, should this Navman/Northstar junk pack up I will fit the VDO wind gear back in place. Good luck with your claim.