Autohelm ST4000+ dim display problem

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K

kwiggy

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May 6, 2012
11
Hunter 310 Sydney
Hi, I have searched through the various forums, but can't find this problem mentioned anywhere.

My ST4000+ display seems to have become very dim. If I look very carefully, I can just see the heading in certain light conditions, but it's almost impossible to make anything else out on the screen.

I am not sure if this is a LCD or a backlight issue, or something else. Raymarine have been impossible to contact for help (as always).

I hope someone can help.
 
AXEL

AXEL

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Mar 12, 2008
359
Catalina C30 MKIII WEST ISLIP, NY
I've always had good luck contacting Raymarine.
It is possible you’re having a failure of some sort.
Optimistically thinking, I believe there are display setting adjustments that can be made in the setup menu. Check your manual.
 
jdhohmann

jdhohmann

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Mar 11, 2009
200
Hunter 40 Saint John
AXEL said:
I've always had good luck contacting Raymarine.
It is possible you’re having a failure of some sort.
Optimistically thinking, I believe there are display setting adjustments that can be made in the setup menu. Check your manual.
Click to expand
Just out of curiosity, have you adjusted your background light setting yet and is it in full?:doh:
 
Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

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Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
Sounds like a corroded connection inside the unit. I'm assuming that the display is reading correctly and is just not bright (contrasty) enough to read. LCD use very low current and voltages to turn on and off the individual LCD elements. since all of them are dim and they don't share a single power (they can be turned on individually) but do share a common ground i'd start there. Usually the end wire on the display panel bus.
All this is if Raymarine can't give you satisfaction and the unit is a loss

Also try impact modulation when all else fails. For the record impact modulation is the highly professional use of precisely metered impacts that result in a "fix". If you merely hit it with a rock that is not impact modulation. if you break it you did not preform impact modulation ;-)
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,149
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Not wearing new polarized sunglasses?
Love "impact modulation", Bill .. that is funny
 
L

lakesail

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Mar 20, 2010
3
Beneteau Oceanis 350 Lake Perry, KS
Hi, Kwiggy! This is probably not the answer you want to hear, but I'm nearly 100% sure of my answer, because I had exactly the same issue with a Raymarine Autohelm Depth/Wind/Speed Display...in the right light, and at a bit of an angle, I could kind of see the "outlines" of the LCD letters, but instead of being black or dark against the background, they were basically transparent. I took the entire display apart to see if I could fix it. What I found was that the LCD display is basically two thin pieces of glass sandwiched together, and what causes the crystals between the glass to darken into numerals is a thin metal tape that conducts current through about 20 little adhesive dots along each side of the glass sandwich. As my display aged, the wire tape became partially loose...hence the loss of dark numerals. I think that I could have repaired it, given enough time, and current-conducting glue, but I decided to replace the display instead. The "transparent" display seems to be frequent problem with Raymarine Autohelm displays, not sure if it's planned obsolesence or just poor manufacturing. Either way, I (and probably you, and lots of others) have to buy new displays...and if you already have the sending units, it's tough to buy anything other than....you guessed it....Raymarine! Good luck!

Don Kinney
Beneteau 350
Perry Lake, KS
 
Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson

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Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
Impact modulations are also directly proportional to the inverse tolerance of aggravation. Wielding the 12 inch winch handle, the average man can generate about 420 foot pounds of torque according to my calculations.
So I suggest many, many strikes with a plastic foo-foo bat. That way, it's a delayed gratification sort of thing.
 
K

kwiggy

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May 6, 2012
11
Hunter 310 Sydney
Hi, thanks for the answers. I think that the idea of a loose or corroded connection at the LCD might be the key, as it is hard to see anything no matter what the light conditions.

Unfortunately, the ST4000+ doesn't have a contrast adjustment - only brightness.

Re the polarised sunnies - I only wish that was the problem
 
K

kwiggy

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May 6, 2012
11
Hunter 310 Sydney
Hi Don. I just saw your answer & it sounds like the same problem, so I might pull the head unit apart & see what it looks like.

These auto pilots are very over-priced, considering the very limited capabilities they have compared to other similarly priced electronic devices. Nice for Raymarine
 
healeyman

healeyman

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Nov 23, 2008
79
Hunter 29.5 Big Ridge Marina, Hixson, Tn
Bill Roosa said:
Sounds like a corroded connection inside the unit. I'm assuming that the display is reading correctly and is just not bright (contrasty) enough to read. LCD use very low current and voltages to turn on and off the individual LCD elements. since all of them are dim and they don't share a single power (they can be turned on individually) but do share a common ground i'd start there. Usually the end wire on the display panel bus.
All this is if Raymarine can't give you satisfaction and the unit is a loss

Also try impact modulation when all else fails. For the record impact modulation is the highly professional use of precisely metered impacts that result in a "fix". If you merely hit it with a rock that is not impact modulation. if you break it you did not preform impact modulation ;-)
Click to expand
Impact modulation... good one... will have to use that... in fact I have , just didn't call it that....Dave
 
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