I suddenly have lost power to my ST60 wind instrument and my autopilot. Because the wind instrument gets its power from the autopilot (according to the manual), would it be logical to assume a power surge to the windex on the top of the mast (like a lightning strike) has fried both of them? No one saw a strike but we have had a lot of storms on the Chesapeake. Would there be any tell-tale signs of a lightning strike?
Lightning Strike
- Thread starter Celtic Princess
- Start date
The ST60 wid instriments are powered off the seatalk cable. The instriments themselves don't connect to the power and communications wires (seatalk) they do connect to the display head. the AP control head is also on the SeaTalk power/comms cable so ........ probably should check to see if the SeaTalk cables have power. Easy test, find the SeaTalk cable on the back side of the ST60. Dependig on the seatalk connection you have (semi circle, or round) you want to probe the red and black wires for 12 (battery) voltage. The yellow is the communications wire so if you can't be sure which color is which use a DMM. if the connector is the semicircular type the red and black are the outside ends and the yellow is the center terminal.
If you have other SeaTalk instriments that work fine then you need to check "after" these units in the SeaTalk dasiychain.
If you have other SeaTalk instriments that work fine then you need to check "after" these units in the SeaTalk dasiychain.
Thanks Bill; we are now going through the daisy chain and checking the wiring. Unfortunately my electrician is as stumped as I am as to what really happened.
Because of its very large power draw, a Seatalk-based AP has to be connected to a source of 12 power. Because it this, it CAN be used as the power source for the network. In networks without a AP, there is a special network tap that supplies power.
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While a RM autopilot CAN be used to power the SeaTalk bus, it doesn't have to wired that way. Sometimes the ST bus is powered directly thru a breaker on the 12v breaker panel. If you see one labeled "Instruments" or similar, and a separate one for the autopilot "sleep" switch, you get your answer.
Lose connection, blown in line fuse, broken wire is usual cause for "sudden failure". Lightening would melt/char your connection cords.
Mine quit too! I had to reset the ST60 per manual and program the basics back, but it worked perfectly since.
Jim...
I recently had a lightning strike take out my ST60 wind instrument. No charring, just stopped reading wind from the masthead transducer. The digits would still display, just "0.0" all the time. I was aboard at the time of the strike, and at least one other boat in the marina suffered damage from the strike (side flashes?). The only other damage was to my stereo receiver and all my wedge type interior LED lights (The festoon LEDs were fine??). Filed an insurance claim with Progressive and they were very good. Raymarine repaired/replaced the board on the wind display.