Raymarine st60 wind, head unit problem

[dexport]

Hi guys.
The other day I was wiring in some new lights and shorted out the system resulting in the cabin lights breaker going out. No worries, turned it back on. Next day out sailing and the wind display is not working.

I've checked the display, there is 8amps coming in and the display light is working but neither the needle or the digital display are showing anything.

Any ideas?

Ive taken the back off the display and there is no internal fuse that I can see.

[Sailmonkey]

Your wind display is consuming 8 amps? Do you use it to make toast?

If you meant volts, 8 is low. Find the high resistance connection.

[GILow]

There is a test procedure for the ST60 masthead unit. A series of voltages across various pins.

You can find it on the raymarine Web sites and it is pretty well explained. (Sorry, I don't have the link handy and I'm on a phone so hard to search.)

HOWEVER, as I learned at some considerable expense, a faulty masthead cable can produce voltage levels that the test procedure will tell you is the the masthead unit. I replaced the unit, only to discover that it was just a faulty cable. Grrrrrr.

So, by all means, do the tests, but ideally, bring the masthead sender down to a workbench to do the testing to eliminate cable issues.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by GILow

There is a test procedure for the ST60 masthead unit. A series of voltages across various pins.

You can find it on the raymarine Web sites and it is pretty well explained. (Sorry, I don't have the link handy and I'm on a phone so hard to search.)

HOWEVER, as I learned at some considerable expense, a faulty masthead cable can produce voltage levels that the test procedure will tell you is the the masthead unit. I replaced the unit, only to discover that it was just a faulty cable. Grrrrrr.

So, by all means, do the tests, but ideally, bring the masthead sender down to a workbench to do the testing to eliminate cable issues.

Found it… I think,

https://forum.raymarine.com/showthread.php?tid=97

[sailcrazy]

Following. Our ST60 sailing insmnt system works good, but the wind display is often wrong or very slow to respond. And the "Club House Wind" (ie, either side of the bow plus or minus 40*) seldom agrees with the parent wind display...so you don't know which to believe.

[BobFord]

My recent experience with ST60 Wind- not the subject of this blog but may help knowledge resource. Intermittent readings- cause water damage to plug and PCB at masthead transducer. Could not remove downcable to replace down side of plug. Hot wired between downcable top and transducer after replacing PCB and plug to PCB. New 'O' rings and liberal coating of epoxy paint. Not easy but only choice to avoid complete mast removal and re-wire.

[lauriel]

+1 for Bob Ford's situation.
I had same problem with an i60 wind instrument. Sometimes wind direction display not moving, sometimes wind speed blank, mostly no useful information at all. Appying a fix at top of mast after repeated problems over the years, always same issue, has been annoying.
Found the problem was always at the connection between the wand and masthead base unit. Replaced o-ring, cleaned corrosion in the 4 male and female pins and sockets which corrected the displayed data.
Latest fix added an extensive wrap of self annealing tape to protect the connector together with conductive gease to hopefully better protect the pins. Has been ok for 3 months so far.

[dfelsent]

ST-60 wind owner here. Intermittent direction and wind speed. Two seasons of intermittent with the mast stored indoors during the winters and the wand attached and detached each spring and fall.
Last spring I used De-Oxit Gold on the visibly greenish gold plated pins. Spray. Mate. Remove. Spray. Mate. Remove. Maybe 5 times.
This season the system has been 100% reliable.
I think that a spray and mate/remove cycle will be part of my annual maintenance from now on.
I have zero financial interest in the deoxit products but have found them helpful with intermittent contact issues in antique radios (1930s) as well as marine stuff.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by dfelsent

ST-60 wind owner here. Intermittent direction and wind speed. Two seasons of intermittent with the mast stored indoors during the winters and the wand attached and detached each spring and fall.
Last spring I used De-Oxit Gold on the visibly greenish gold plated pins. Spray. Mate. Remove. Spray. Mate. Remove. Maybe 5 times.
This season the system has been 100% reliable.
I think that a spray and mate/remove cycle will be part of my annual maintenance from now on.
I have zero financial interest in the deoxit products but have found them helpful with intermittent contact issues in antique radios (1930s) as well as marine stuff.

Well, unless you stole the Deoxit or it was gifted to you, one could argue you have at least a minor financial interest in the product, but that's me nitpicking again. Sounds like a very good solution.

[dexport]

thanks for the comments guys.
A general reply here.
I have power to the head unit as the light is working, but thats it. There is nothing on the digital screen and the needle is not moving. Because of this I doubt that its anything to do with the mast unit of the cable between it and the head unit.
I followed the recommendations on the Raymarine site, all the different connection pins have voltage, each one different and varying as they say, so that shows me the mast unit and cables are all fine. In my view it must be the head unit thats kaput.
Anyone think otherwise?

[dexport]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Your wind display is consuming 8 amps? Do you use it to make toast?

If you meant volts, 8 is low. Find the high resistance connection.

Yes, you are right(mostly) I did mean volts. 8 volts though is the current amount, according to the Raymarine help website.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by dexport

thanks for the comments guys.

A general reply here.

I have power to the head unit as the light is working, but thats it. There is nothing on the digital screen and the needle is not moving. Because of this I doubt that its anything to do with the mast unit of the cable between it and the head unit.

I followed the recommendations on the Raymarine site, all the different connection pins have voltage, each one different and varying as they say, so that shows me the mast unit and cables are all fine. In my view it must be the head unit thats kaput.

Anyone think otherwise?

Not necessarily. If you are getting voltages from the unit it may be ok, I can’t remember but I think mine was pretty well blank with the faulty cable.

I reiterate, the test procedure is not infallible. I would bring the masthead unit down to a bench with the head unit and eliminate any chance of a faulty cable or poor connections. (The poor connections seem to be a recurring theme.)

Or, if possible, see if I could borrow a head unit from someone else to test things that way.

[JohnHolland]

Ditto, 1st wind speed erratic then stopped, then direction failed. Cause water intrusion of masthead transponder connection. Removed, cleaned, sealed with good tape, OK for 2 years now.

[Emmalina]

Originally Posted by BobFord

My recent experience with ST60 Wind- not the subject of this blog but may help knowledge resource. Intermittent readings- cause water damage to plug and PCB at masthead transducer. Could not remove downcable to replace down side of plug. Hot wired between downcable top and transducer after replacing PCB and plug to PCB. New 'O' rings and liberal coating of epoxy paint. Not easy but only choice to avoid complete mast removal and re-wire.

I got a new mast head unit 3 months after mounting stopped working... It had a twisted o-ring from new and was full of water ....but raymarine didn't want to know.