Depth display erratic (Raymarine ST60)

Sailgunner · Dec 2, 2014

What I heard is you have to replace the through hole because a new transducer will not work in the same hole. Would be interested to hear what you learn.

Jean Guy · Dec 2, 2014

Hi I change all my instrument last season from transducer to the display on the arch. I fish the wire back openning by opening wire a strong string(or long seatalk cable) and made shure not to lock them going around corner with the help of a small telescopic camera. Using all possible opening like speaker hole and electrical outlet and then fish the new one back the same way it came out.
Hope this help
Jean Guy

artboas · Dec 3, 2014

Why????

davjonLegend said:
My Raymarine ST60+ depth display started flashing "LAST", indicating either a bad display or a bad transducer (or bad cable). Sent the display unit to Raymarine, who just reported that it is working fine. So I may have to replace the transducer and its cable.

To replace the transducer will require a haul-out. If you have had to deal with this, what I want to know is advice for pulling a new cable through the floor and cabin roof, etc. for my 1993 Legend.

Thanks.

Why do you need to haul out?
The ST 60+ depth transducers are retractable.
Unless you got an old -type transducer.

Chief RA · Dec 3, 2014

Transducers seldom fail, so I would carefully check for poor connections, corrosion and broken wires. A way to check coax running in the hull is to slip a straightpin through the coax to connect outer braid to inner wire. This would be done at the transducer. Next set your multimeter to ohms and read between inner and outer connector up at display. It should read basically a short if both inner and outer conductors are good. Seal the pin hole when done. If you know approximately what resistance the transducer should read, you could check between conductors for that reading as well.
Hope this helps, Chief

John T1594 · Dec 3, 2014

My 2000 H340 has a Raymarine/Autohelm ST30 Depth and ST30 Speed display linked to an ST60 Wind Display. This summer, the ST30 speedo stopped working. Raymarine suggested that I contact GEM Electronics Co., the maker of Airmar transducers at 803-693-0777 to get their recommendation on replacing the transducer.

I found it virtually impossible to route the wires from the new transducer up to the sea hood display without dismantling much of the boat. The Hunter factory left a few empty wire chase conduits on the boat with wire-pull messenger lines in place. Nonetheless, getting the wires, undamaged, to and through these wire chase conduits was still a major operation even with the use of an electrician’s fish wire. Instead, I chose to splice the new transducer leads into the original wires from the old transducer and the speed data to the display seems to function normally.

Jeff Jellick · Dec 3, 2014

davjonLegend said:
My Raymarine ST60+ depth display started flashing "LAST", indicating either a bad display or a bad transducer (or bad cable). Sent the display unit to Raymarine, who just reported that it is working fine. So I may have to replace the transducer and its cable.

To replace the transducer will require a haul-out. If you have had to deal with this, what I want to know is advice for pulling a new cable through the floor and cabin roof, etc. for my 1993 Legend.

Thanks.

I have the same unit on my 2006 Hunter 45 CC. I was told that when the unit flashes "last" it means that that depth was the last one recorded before going into deeper waters, where the depth is greater that the measuring capabilities of the Raymarine ST60.

Jeff

Chief RA · Dec 3, 2014

Jeff: that makes since on that reading. Chief

seadaddler · Dec 3, 2014

Depth

Hi and let me know after checking all suggestions and see if your depth
transducer is really bad.
Last year I changed out my depth and speed and they worked fine and added sonar and needed to change depth and also changed the speed to newer and did need to change everything also during my haul out and maybe my transducer are same,do you have plugs for your transducers.
Check wire connections for corrosion and I connected the old wiring to new wires with help 2 people and pulled through except where went into companion
hood and just spliced the wires.
Nick

Bill Roosa · Dec 3, 2014

Tie a cord to the old transducer cable at the control head. pull the old cable out from the transducer end. This will give you a cord to pull the new transducer cable to the control head with.

uncledom · Dec 4, 2014

If it helps, my ST60 reads to 333 ft and then flashes last in deeper water. Once back to lower depths it begins to read normally again.

geek_guy · Dec 4, 2014

I have the 37 legend, but I believe the hull and structure under the floor is the same. I just ran a wire for my new transducer and it was not a horrible job.

I drilled new holes through the 'beams' because the original ones were full. Then used electicians tape for the first run through the beam from the forward stateroom to the first bilge. Then was able to go through the beams under the main cabin floor easily. Then ran the fish tape from the last opening(batts for me) through the beam starboard of the engine and it popped out just aft of the opening for the prop shaft. Then up and around the fuel tank, and up into the cockpit.

I think you said you need to go up to the cabin top. I have traced several wired from the bilge, into the pipe that supports the mast. Then there is a wire chase from the top of that pole to the cabin top under the cover.

Jeff Jellick · Dec 4, 2014

davjonLegend said:
To be a bit more precise about the location of my depth display, looking from the wheel, it is located on the vertical surface just to the right of the companionway, as you go below from the cockpit. (The smaller winch is located just above that area.) I'm not sure how the cable gets there, but I suspect it runs behind the head/shower, etc. on the starboard side. TBD.

BTW the typical depths of our bay are 10-12 feet, and the depth meter/transducer have worked fine for a number of years in this area. So the flashing "LAST" is a new issue.

Thanks again for all the info.

YES, if your unit does flash "Last", it means that your boat is water that is deeper than the range of your depth meter is capable of measuring. This should be in the manual.
Jeff

Claude L.-Auger · Dec 4, 2014

artboas said:
Why do you need to haul out?
The ST 60+ depth transducers are retractable.
Unless you got an old -type transducer.

I have the 60 ST + and only the speed / temp transducer with the paddlewheel is retractable. Are you saying the newer models depth are also retractable ?

As far as fishing the wire, before I did that when I replaced my speed transducer, I cut off the old wire and spliced the end of the new wire to the old one. Worked like a charm and saved the trouble of fishing.

uncledom · Dec 5, 2014

uncledom said:
If it helps, my ST60 reads to 333 ft and then flashes last in deeper water. Once back to lower depths it begins to read normally again.

Caught it when last was on.

Bill Roosa · Dec 6, 2014

Just as a thought, I had a situation where I knew I was in 10-15 feet of water and the depth meter started reading 100+ feet then back to normal. Went over the same area a while later and the same thing happened. I think the sound beam was reflecting horizontally off the bottom then to something flat which bounced it back to the thing on the bottom that reflected it back up to the transducer.
Have you moved the boat and checked the unit? May not even be a problem.
FWIW

artboas · Dec 20, 2014

Yes

Claude L.-Auger said:
I have the 60 ST + and only the speed / temp transducer with the paddlewheel is retractable. Are you saying the newer models depth are also retractable ?

As far as fishing the wire, before I did that when I replaced my speed transducer, I cut off the old wire and spliced the end of the new wire to the old one. Worked like a charm and saved the trouble of fishing.

The depth transducers for st60+ are retractable
The older ones (St 60) weren't

Depth display erratic (Raymarine ST60)

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