Calibrating Boat Speed DST800

Jan 7, 2014
451
Beneteau 45F5 51551 Port Jefferson
I have a B&G Vulcan MFD and a Airmar DST800 (depth speed temperature sensor). The boat speed is slow by about 0.8KN at when I am going around 6-7 knots and I can't find the setting on the chart plotter to adjust it. And I have looked everywhere. I have noticed that the MFD is reading the DST800 as a DST200. I cant find a way to change that and I have refreshed the network several times.
 
Jan 11, 2014
13,037
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Go to the System Info. It is the "Gear" icon. Scroll down to Network, then select "Sources" There should be an option for Auto Select, select that. The MFD will then cycle through all the devices on the network.

Once the Auto Select is done. Find the DST 800 and select that. There should be a calibrate option there. I'd make certain that once the correct sensor is selected that the readings are still off.
 
Jan 7, 2014
451
Beneteau 45F5 51551 Port Jefferson
I have done that several times. It still comes up as a DST200 and I don't see a way to change it manually.
 
Jan 11, 2014
13,037
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I have done that several times. It still comes up as a DST200 and I don't see a way to change it manually.
Hmmmm. Are you certain you have a DST 800 and not a DST 200? Regardless, the process for calibrating should be the same.

Is your Vulcan software up to date?
 
Jan 7, 2014
451
Beneteau 45F5 51551 Port Jefferson
Yes, I am certain it's an 800 - at least that's what my invoice from 2020 says - I think the 200 is a much older model. I last updated the software in 2021, after the transducer was installed in 2020. I never tried to calibrate it before so I don't know what it was reading before then.
 
Jan 11, 2014
13,037
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Yes, I am certain it's an 800 - at least that's what my invoice from 2020 says - I think the 200 is a much older model. I last updated the software in 2021, after the transducer was installed in 2020. I never tried to calibrate it before so I don't know what it was reading before then.
Try updating the software again. I think there was an update last winter.

The calibration is pretty simple, just set the reading to be a percentage of the current reading. Mine was reading high, so I reduced the display by ~10% and it was more accurate.

If the software update doesn't work, give B&G Tech support a call, on they phone they are helpful and responsive, email is so-so.
 
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