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Marauder · 25-11-2009, 00:40

I have a 10 year old Hunter that has a Raytheon ST60 wind instrument fitted as standard. Since owning the boat for the last 6 months, the readout has given consistently wrong information. The wind direction is approx 170-180 degrees out and wind speed approx 10kts out. I have tried to calibrate it as per instruction book (2 circles and wait for the beep) but can not even get it into this mode. Everything appears to spin freely at the top of the mast, and point in the right direction, and alters as speed and direction changes but readout is definetly wrong. Speed is always on the high side, both in apparent and true settings. Not being a person for heights, wondering is it worthwhile paying a rigger to check connections at the top of mast or is this a throw away type item. The readout on the gauge is the same that passes through to the Raytheon Any suggestions appreciated.

Marauder · 26-11-2009, 22:02

I thought that there must be somebody out there who has experienced similiar problems to what I have described? The Raytheon may not be as popular as I thought. I do have a brand new Navman wind direction unit that I never put on another yacht so it may be better to just replace it with that? I assume that it can be wired in to give the readout to the Autohelm.

Albro359 · 26-11-2009, 23:46

Are you sure the mast head is positioned correctly...it should be pointing forward not aft ... ??

If its OK, you can go into the calibrate mode and manually adjust the wind angle ...just adjust the wind angle until it is about right....at anchor straight into the wind will get you about right.

As far as speed goes how do you know how far out it is ?

The speed is different at different heights so unless you have a number of other boats nearby with the same mast height and calibrated instruments, you can't tell.....but in any event the manual calibration allows you to adjust the wind speed up and down...

Good luck...

Alan

Albro359 · 27-11-2009, 00:00

Manual says....

4.2 User calibration
The User calibration procedures:
• Linearize and align the wind transducer.
• Select the required wind speed units
Linearizing and aligning the wind transducer
This procedure ensures that the sensors in the windvane transducer are correctly
calibrated to record rotation of the windvane, then compensates for any small
errors which may exist in the alignment of the wind transducer.
To do this:
1. Power-up the ST60 Wind instrument.
2. Slowly turn the vessel through two complete circles. This procedure automatically
linearizes the windvane. A successful linearization is indicated by the
digital display flashing and the buzzer sounding three beeps.
28 ST60 Wind & Close Hauled Wind Instrument Owner’s Handbook
3. Hold down the disp and true/app keys for approximately 2 seconds to enter
User calibration then use the disp key to select the wind angle screen (see the
User calibration flow diagram).
4. Sail directly into the wind and adjust the analog pointer to zero, using the
vmg and tack keys. If you are unable to achieve the required degree of accuracy
due to sea conditions, and errors become apparent during subsequent
tack operations, repeat this procedure to achieve alignment accuracy.
5. Display the wind speed units screen.
6. Use the vmg and tack keys to select the units you want, either knots (KTS) or
meters per second (M/S).
Note: Any speed unit changes will be applied to other SeaTalk instruments.
Leaving User calibration
Hold down the disp and true/app keys for 2 seconds to save your settings, exit
User calibration and resume normal operation.

Marauder · 27-11-2009, 00:06

Thanks for that Albro359. The unit is definetly pointing the correct way. As mentioned in my earlier post, I have done cirlces after circles and the unit will not go in to calibrate mode. This means I cant adjust the direction.
I say that the speed is out as sailing with other boats who read very light winds of 5 to 10 kts, my gauge is saying 15 to 20kts. The higher the actual wind strength, the gauge moves up also. I am very confident that the gauge reads too high.

Albro359 · 27-11-2009, 00:47

You're welcome....

Does the display flash when you do the linearisation ?..if it does it could just be that the buzzer is not working

The connections at the mast head are permanent in the mounting, so it's unlikely that's the problem

The other thing that occurred to me is that maybe the wiring connections to the instrument are wrong...given that you say its about 180 deg out. That could affect the linearisation also.

[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Judith/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png[/IMG]P37 of the manual shows how it should be....also maybe you have a junction box at or near the base of the mast and the connections there are mixed up ?? If the mast has been out this could be the issue.

P42/43 shows how to calibrate the speed by using a calibration factor...eg if your instrument reads 20 knots but the actual speed is 10...your cal factor is 10/20 or 0.5

BTW I have ST60 instruments...since 2001 and they have never erred...and the mast has been out twice....

All the best

Alan

PS..where are you ?...My boat is at Gulf Harbour...

Marauder · 27-11-2009, 01:09

Will check all of that tomorrow morning. I am actually at Gulf Harbour also, on J90

Albro359 · 27-11-2009, 01:13

Are there that many pontoons on J pier ?

I'll be over early December....I'll look you up....I'm on C06

Cheers

Alan

Marauder · 27-11-2009, 01:20

Sorry for ignorance but what do you mean by are there many pontoons?

Please come and look us up. We are liveaboards here while up in Auckland. Originally from Wellington and heading back for a couple of weeks mid December then back up again for the Summer.

Cheers
Andy

**sailorboy1** · 28-11-2009, 08:12

My ST60 wind instrucment does the same as descibed. The speed seems to works fine (if it's off I don't really care as I know what the speed it shows means to the boat operations).

But the wind direction doesn't track at all and it changes all the time even when the wind direction has not changed. I tried to do the calibration thing and it didn't work. My current theory is that the windex arrow is not tight on the transducer and it just kind of spins without turning the transducer at all. Being a fat man I look up that mast and so far haven't gotten to the point of going up to find out. I'm thinking of hooking up another windex and just turning it by hand to see the display then tracks.