Raymarine ST6001 Display Fading

[FraidNot]

There is a portion of my display (near the centre - about 4cm in diameter) that is "greying out" - not quite burned-out, and I can just make out the data, but it is getting hard to read.
I also had a fuse blow in the autopilot computer a few weeks ago. Replaced the fuse and all works OK again.
Could these issues be related ?

Has anyone else had display fading in 6001 or other ST60 series displays?
Does this indicate an imminent failure ?

PS - have been a victim of the autopilot dropping to 'standby' once every few days. Related ???

[Pete the Cat]

My ST60's have not faded, but my ST50 that is many years older (15) did eventually fade away despite my best efforts to keep them covered as much as possible. As to whether fading is related to other electronics in the autopilot system, I would say probably not, but it likely depends on which CorePak computer unit you are using with it---some of them have pathetic fusing in them, and others have very good fusing. So it would depend.....I have blown the control heads out with some of the old Core computer units that were inadequately fused---but that was blow out and not simple display fading. I am really helpful, aren't I?

The flipping to standby could be a some reversed wires on your computer. I believe that Raymarine's self help website has a diagnostic for this problem that I used to fix that problem when I had it. Also, depending on how you have wired your ST 60 instruments and linked them to the Autopilot. If you are not careful, you could be supplying the power for the drive unit through your instrument circuits which will cause your fuses to blow in the computer and the unit to go to standby spontaneously. Your ST60 instruments (in some versions--I think RayMarine fixed this in others) should be only powered through the autopilot circuit (so you always turn on the autopilot circuit for all your ST60 instruments--even though you have not engaged the autopilot to control the boat). So the ST60's should not be on a breaker and line of their own because they will connect through the hot wire of SeaTalk and try to drive the autopilot in those little wires---which will work until it draws enough current to blow the fuse or force it to go to Standby.

[FraidNot]

when the computer fuse blew - all the seatalk instruments went blank.
I assume their power line came via the computer?
Is this the correct way for it to be wired ?

In addition to all above - I do occasionally get a short term (few seconds) 'no data' error on the 6001 display - perhaps once a day.

All baffling - and annoying !

[Jeannius]

Two of my ST60 instruments are fading. 9 years mostly in the Caribbean will do that to a display.

[rolandcavanagh]

The "no data" error may be a clue - if this persists long enough, the autopilot should start beeping and revert to "auto" (compass heading). I'd be looking for brief low voltage conditions, maybe causing things to drop off or reset.

[Pete the Cat]

Originally Posted by FraidNot

when the computer fuse blew - all the seatalk instruments went blank.
I assume their power line came via the computer?
Is this the correct way for it to be wired ?

In addition to all above - I do occasionally get a short term (few seconds) 'no data' error on the 6001 display - perhaps once a day.

All baffling - and annoying !

Yes, I would say this would suggest that you have the power wired correctly. Some folks (like me) thought I was doing a good thing by having a separate circuit for the instruments and another for the autopilot, but this can be a problem--you seem to have avoided this problem as long as there is not another power source somewhere in your circuit for the instruments. Perhaps you have a loose wire somewhere. I would suggest cleaning up the loom and connections at the computer terminals. This would be a likely place for your wires to get loose and short. Be careful as I blew the whole computer and all instruments once by trying to reinsert a wire when the unit was powered. Some of these units are not completely protected by fuses. It is annoying and a reason I do not integrate my GPS into the autopilot system.

[FraidNot]

hmm..
On my power panel, the instruments and the autopilot are on their own circuits... ie. each have their own power switch on the power board.
And the GPS only provides a feed when the Autopilot is On.
Is this the correct method ?

[Pete the Cat]

Originally Posted by FraidNot

hmm..
On my power panel, the instruments and the autopilot are on their own circuits... ie. each have their own power switch on the power board.
And the GPS only provides a feed when the Autopilot is On.
Is this the correct method ?

I think Raymarine may have corrected this in newer models so I cannot say for sure in your application and version, but on setups from a few years back the answer is that if your Raymarine instruments have a power source of their own and the Raymarine autopilot is linked to everything through a Seatalk cable and has its own power source as well, you may have a problem. Here is how to check: Turn off the autopilot on your panel and turn on the instruments--does the autopilot control head attempt to operate the drive unit? If yes, you have a problem, if no, you are OK.

[sailor1026]

I have an ST60+ Graphic that is almost unreadable on a 'new to me' boat located in the Caribbean. I'm planning to replace it in the next few weeks. There's a cloth cover for the helm but it obviously doesn't get used much by the charter clients.

I read in another thread about someone who replaced the LCD in a Raymarine unit, saying that the LCD snapped into a socket in the unit.

My thought is to replace the display with a new one (about $500) and investigate whether the LCD can be replaced. The repaired unit would make a good repeater unit located at the nav station.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by sailor1026

I have an ST60+ Graphic that is almost unreadable on a 'new to me' boat located in the Caribbean. I'm planning to replace it in the next few weeks. There's a cloth cover for the helm but it obviously doesn't get used much by the charter clients.

I read in another thread about someone who replaced the LCD in a Raymarine unit, saying that the LCD snapped into a socket in the unit.

My thought is to replace the display with a new one (about $500) and investigate whether the LCD can be replaced. The repaired unit would make a good repeater unit located at the nav station.

My ST60 depth faded out last year. It could have been speeded up by my ex boat partner leaving the battery/instruments on and putting the cover on the unit. I think heat was/is a bad thing for lcds.

I was fortunate to pick up a used replacement on the classifieds here. I disassembled the failed unit but getting just the lcd unit off the electronics motherboard was a non starter for me.

In regards to OP power issues this looks like an intermittent fault. Very tough to troubleshoot. I would start with removing and cleaning every connection. The seatalk plugs (male to female) could also be loose. I had a loose plug on the mast fitting. As a temp repair until I could get a new plug I rolled up a small amount of tin foil and inserted in the female sockets so the male pin would make good contact.

If your units are wired in seatlk series as the raymarine install manual allows, using seatalk cables the "problem" with that is as a series connection an upstream fault affects all the units downstream, so I would suspect an interemittent closer to the source. When cleaning all the connections do not forget the connections starting right at the dc bus.

However I suspect a seatalk cable connection as you have intermittent power "and" data faults.

A "tiny" file can also be used on the female socket (or a socket brush) to clean corrosion. Work methodically and slowly and clean and secure all connections. You will eventually find it.

Also keep an eye out on craigslist and the classifieds. I was extremely lucky to pick up about $1200 worth of instrumentation for a few hundred dollars.

[FraidNot]

found the bug - 6001 control head was dead