Mahe 36: Instruments

[Seastream]

In other news, I have the Furuno Navnet 3D MFD. It came with (free) factory installed charts of the USA. For whatever reason, the PO of our Mahe deleted those charts in favor of Caribbean charts he installed. I'd like to replace them. Short of ordering (paying) for them, any other way of getting them?

[DotDun]

Download them at:

Products - NavNet 3D : Charts for NavNet 3D

[Seastream]

DotDun, tnx for the info.
Regarding Furuno instruments, Mahes', anyone have issues with water intrusion inside of their Furuno autopilot control head at the helm? Mine worked ok on our trip home from Tortola in 05-13, but failed soon after due to water intrusion. I found two spares aboard, one dead so chucked it. The other showed signs of water intrusion so was probably original but it worked so I used it until it failed, again due to water intrusion. I removed it, cleaned/repaired corrosion damage and replaced it. It works (for now), but if/when it fails again I'm taking it to a nearby Furuno distributor in ME to show him before I pay the quoted $762 for a replacement head. It's out of warranty so I expect nothing from Furuno though perhaps I should. No water got behind the unit and into the space behind the helm and galley, it was all inside the head itself. IMHO, the weather gasketing on the unit (see pix if I attached them correctly) isn't up to the exposure it encounters at the helm.

[MKB53]

Hi Seastream
I had the same issue, it is a poor design on the part of Furuno as the unit is not well sealed. If it is exposed to the elements you will get water in and it will get into the electrics. My helm station is now covered by a windscreen and hard cover and the new unit seems ok.

Note that the unit fitted on my Mahe has been superseded and the latest unit is not compatible. I got one of the last units available in Asus but you may be luckier in the US.
As I recall the original was a 511 and I fitted a 611 which is compatible but the subsequent model is not and you have to replace the control unit as well.

Regards
Martin

[Seastream]

All:

I bought a Shakespeare (made by Winegard) TV antenna along with their 'mast mount' (piece of angle aluminum) and wonder how to know where on the mast it's safe to drill for the mounting screws without drilling thru internal mast wiring. Did my radar installer simply guess when he installed a similar mount? Anyone?

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Seastream,
See attached pictures for the PVC pipes running in the mast.
I took this picture from a Mahé mast lying on the quay in La Rochelle when we did a test sail with Fountaine Pajot, begin of March 2008.
There are 2 PVC pipes at what I think is the front of the mast.
These PVC pipes are cut along it's length. These are shifted over a T part sticking out of the profile of the mast. The PVC pipes are a few meters long, so they shift a number of them up the mast.
On one picture I might see a 3rd PVC at the rear.

In one of the PVC pipes you see:
- Thin black cable for wind instrument, probably
- 5 mm white cable for VHF
- 2 pilot lines. One goes to the top of the mast, one to the radar antenna hole. At the end there should be a kind of plastic ball.

In the other PVC pipe you see:
- One 3-lead cable for the masttop light
- One 30lead cable for the steam / deck light
- Another one I do not know.

I suggest you stick a light bulb on a wire inside the mast from the anchor hatch, and just look, or take a picture through the mastfoot.
I mounted a radar reflector (Trilens) on the mast. I do not remember whether I worried about drilling, and consulted these pictures or asked Fountaine Pajot. I mounted the Trilens on the FP pontoon in the old fishing harbour. The holes were more to the side than the PVC pipes.

There is one thing I do not understand well. One PVC pipe is at the rear of the mast, it seems. But the mast is bent backwards quite a lot. As a consequence, the halyards for main, genoa and spinnaker are all touching the back of the mast. So the trick with light and a camera is a good idea.
I will also attach a picture of the masttop of that mast.

Jef

[tpkas]

Furuno FI-30 problems.

Here is a brief summary of a problem I have recently encountered and hopefully rectified.

Turned the instruments on the other day while motoring to a marina to have the anti fouling etc done and after about 30mins the FI-30 multi display sounded an alarm and displayed "Err03". This is an error code for no data. After a few minutes I pressed one of the other buttons on the display and it recovered only to fail again shortly thereafter with the same error code.

Later on back on our mooring I powered up the instruments and still had the Err03 displayed. I then took the main cover off the server (FI-3005) behind the fridge and noticed that the top left corner was quite warm. The little LEDs that show if data is being received were not flashing. I then took the cover which has the connection instructions printed on it off. I could then move the circuit board away a little bit from its mount and then I touched the components in the top left corner and they were really hot!! After a little while the little LEDs started blinking, I checked the multi display and it was working. When I went back to the server the LEDs were off again so I blew on the top left corner to cool it a little and the data transmission started again.

I decided to fit a DC-DC voltage regulator between the ships battery and the server so that the server wasn't trying to dissipate so much heat bringing the input voltage down to operating voltage. It was a $25 gamble and seems to have worked. Had all of the instruments working fine for around 45mins or more today and the top left hand corner of the server is cooler too.

Hope this helps anyone with a similar problem.

By the way, I did phone the Furuno agent for Aust and he said the unit is now unsupported and no spares so if this doesn't provide a long term fix I'll be attacking the circuit board and replacing some components ... nothing to lose at that point. Furthermore, the agent also said that none of the working parts (multi display, wind instrument or sensors) are usable in any other Furuno system.

Regards to all,

Brian

[Jonno732]

Hi All,

Bit of a long shot here but does anyone know a part number or a supplier in Aus for the wind vane from the old FI30 system? Don't say to change everything over to a new NMEA2000 system as that is my next step if I can't find the parts.
The arm is still in place, just lost the vane and cup wheel.
Any info would be great.

Thank

Jonno

[MKB53]

Hi Jonno
The mast head unit is a Garmin unit. They bought Nexus which is what Furuno were using.. The unit on Reflexion was a new one which plugs directly into the network and not into the wind connector on the "server". You can just replace it, no cabling changes needed as I did that when I replaced it a few years ago.
I will look up the part number and send it to you.

Cheers
Martin

[MKB53]

Jonno
I can't find the invoice but will try to get the serial number.

As I said it is a Garmin unit "The one with the 2 vanes".

As I said you will just need to connect it to the existing wiring which has been redone for the newer Garmin units. The current gen send messages to the network whereas the original Nexus units just sent pulses which the server then interpreted.
As an aside it also means that the wind calibration parameters in the Furuno no longer have any effect!

[tpkas]

Hi Johno,

I think you'll be struggling to find an original part. Was in touch with the Furuno rep some time ago and he advised me that the system is now unsupported.

If Martin can't find the details for the Garmin unit you could possibly use the NMEA inputs on the server and just run an NMEA masthead unit. Here's the blurb from the Furuno manual.

NMEA compass, NMEA wind, NMEA log and NMEA depth transducer may be used.

You must know which 2 cables from your other NMEA transducer carry the NMEA out signal. If you have trouble call the dealer you bought your NMEA instrument from. He should know the wiring colour and will probably sell the ”plug set” which may be required. We do not have this information. Connect NMEA out signal from the NMEA transducer to Server pin 10 (INPUT A). Connect NMEA return signal from the NMEA transducer to Server pin 11 (INPUT B). Note a: The Server allows only one NMEA transducer or instrument connected to the input pins 10 and 11. Note b: Make sure the calibration codes C73, C74, C75 and C76 (See Multi Control Manual) for NMEA transducers are correctly set.

Regards,

Brian

[MKB53]

Hi Jonno

As far as I can tell this is the part number for the "Transducer only" and link to Garmin webpage.

If you have also lost the mounting as well you may need the "complete" package that includes the mounting and a new cable. And costs another $250 or so!

010-12117-20

https://support.garmin.com/search/sh...q=010-12117-20

010-01227-00 is the part number for the full kit.

[MKB53]

Hi Brian
The Garmin units are the next generation of the Nexus ones and work perfectly. You need to fit a new mounting at the masthead and run a new cable down the mast. The only other change is thatit is connected directly into the network and not to the wind terminal on the "server" This can be done anywhere but I did it at the server network connection. Jonno could probably post a picture of it if required. The 2 vane unit is a good unit, better than most the single vane units.
Cheers
Martin

[MKB53]

Part numbers confirmed by my Marine Electrician.

[tpkas]

Hi Martin,

so if I understand correctly the Garmin unit wires straight on to the server at the "Network" connection point where the other network displays are connected also?