RayMarine ST60+ wind instrument erratically cuts out

[skunther]

The display mostly shows the correct information, but will occasionally lose all info and just show dashes instead of wind speed, and no wind direction.
just the other day the indicator needle was pegging to port, and the dashes would occasionally show the correct windspeed. Power cycle it sometimes helps. Anybody know what the issue might be?

 

[JoeWhite]

I have the same problem with depth display. And sometimes the wind speed will display the depth.
PM me if you discovered the problem.

 

[dlochner]

Make certain all the connections are clean and tight. These could also be near end of life.

 

[Davidasailor26]

The electronics in anemometers sometimes go bad and cause that. Mine does it occasionally in strong winds with driving rains.

 

[sailme88]

We have an i60 that has been acting up over the past 3 yrs. Recently it stopped displaying wind speed entirely. Then out of nowhere it began to work..

Wondering IF:

The wire inside the mast has developed a grounding issue caused by slapping inside the mast

OR


The wire's weight has caused it to pull inside the glued in base of the the anemometer.....

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

You can diagnose if the problem is in the masthead sensor. I have the following as a saved note in my phone:

Raymarine Wind Testing
To perform the check, you will need a multimeter, and a DC power supply. You will need to supply 8v to the masthead across the red and shield connections. Normally the ST50/ST60/70 display head would be energized and provide this 8V, however in your case, you may need to power the masthead transducer separately.

With the multimeter, check the following:

Set the multimeter to the 20V DC scale.

Test at the connections on the rear of the display head, or at the base of the mast (if you have a junction box installed.)

Red to shield should read 8 volts DC steady. This is the masthead power supply, coming from the ST50/ST60 display head. If the head is damaged, you may need to provide this power from another source to test the masthead.

Blue to Shield should read anywhere between 2 and 6 volts DC. This is the port side directional element. The voltage changes as the vane turns.

Green to Shield should read anywhere between 2 and 6 volts DC. This is the starboard side directional element.

Yellow to shield should read between 0 and 5 volts DC. This is the wind speed circuit. The faster the wind is blowing, the higher the voltage will read.

If any of these readings are out of spec, you should assume the masthead is damaged, and it should be repaired or replaced.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Given my experience with my ST50 wind system, your issue sounds like bad or intermittent connections at the masthead. Try cleaning the mast head connections with a contact cleaner and plugging and unplugging the connector to clean the contacts.
Sometimes I have an issue where a connection at my masthead opens if I tighten the locking collar very tight. Backing off just a fraction of a turn corrects the problem. This is not likely to be your issue, but it is the basis of my bad connection diagnosis.

 

[Scott NIelsen]

Sounds like a connector at either the masthead or back of Display. Since mast head is the one most likely to experience any motion or flexibility I would look there first as the back of the display is pretty much secure. When I upgraded to all new instruments I discovered that the old ST50 cables worked with the new i70 instruments so did not run a new unsecured cable down the mast. Everything worked out just fine. Way back when I had ST50 instruments I was able to repair the electronic board in the anemometer and bearings which pretty much restored everything back to new. Hope this gives you a little help. I was also able in the past to download troubleshooting and repair procedures for the ST50 instruments. Probably have them in a computer file.

 

[dmax]

I had the same experience as Rich, needed to clean the connection at the mast base.

 

[skunther]

I have a solid 8v from the display measured at the terminal block at the mast base. Seems the issue is likely at the mast head. I assume the anemometer has some sort of socket connected at the mast head that I can simply unplug, clean, and reconnect and hope that fixes the issue? Is there anything else I should do with it while I’m up the mast? As the issue is intermittent, having a functional signal at the display after reconnecting won’t actually tell me anything.

 

[JoeWhite]

Be sure to turn off the power when disconnecting, otherwise it will need to be recalibrated.
After Cleaning the contacts, coat it with lanoline. Turn it upside down and drop a few drops of shaving machine oil in the bushing and rotate it a few times. Then plug it back in and let someone else turn on the power and see if it works normally.