ST60 Wind Transducer - What does this Test Show?

[hpeer]

These were new 2006 so I have little to carp about.

Just struggling with the symptoms.

[hpeer]

Poking around found this video in Italian. Might be useful to some. He seems to be describing how the speed and wind sensors can effect one another.

https://youtu.be/LPpBxzb0GUk

[goboatingnow]

If the Seatalk slave is showing the data correctly then it’s being decoded correctly in whatever unit is doing the decoding.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by hpeer

I went through everything. I am getting +8 to mast head but the direction voltages coming back are low. Speed is in range, but i only occasionally get speed reedings.

I have trued both heads and neither works or both the same.

While I can not explain why it initially died, or came back with the cockpit head working but the master not.

It is blowing like stink here right now, and HOT. If things calm down this PM or tomorrow I will try to crawl up the mast head and see what is going on.

This might help the testing https://forum.raymarine.com/showthread.php?tid=97

[Emmalina]

I got a new masthead unit and it worked for 3 weeks then died so I went up and got it to check. The o ring had not been inserted correctly and the thing was full of rain water.. They wouldn't change it as they claimed I had opened it. Wasn't impressed so fixed all the corrosion on the board after 3 hours and it came back to life !

[hpeer]

Yeah, this thing has me flummoxed.

It was installed new in 2006 so it dosen’t owe me anything.

I ordered a Nasa wireless unit with new display.

HOPEFULLY I will be aboe to run the NEMA 0183 into YDNR bridge and have that spit it out in Seatalk and feed my instruments. I can temp mount it in the arch, not great but not nothing. When I get a better day I will go take a look. Not now in a hot rolly anchorage.

[hpeer]

SOMETIMES my dime drops slowly.

Way back in the OP he asked “why would I loose speed just because direction went away?” I THINK I now have a clue.

The RM instructions tell you how to check to see if the instrument is in either Master (0) or Slave (1) mode, but give no way to switch between the two. The implication is that the instrument detects when a transducer is connected and automatically sets itself to the correct mode. The selection criteria is not specified.

Therefore it is POSSIBLE that it requires wind direction signals OR speed signals OR (more likely?) BOTH in order to switch to Master.

That does not explain everything I am seeing, but MAY explain the OP’s (9 year old) question.

[oldgimmer]

Originally Posted by hpeer

I went through everything. I am getting +8 to mast head but the direction voltages coming back are low. Speed is in range, but i only occasionally get speed reedings.

I have trued both heads and neither works or both the same.

While I can not explain why it initially died, or came back with the cockpit head working but the master not.

It is blowing like stink here right now, and HOT. If things calm down this PM or tomorrow I will try to crawl up the mast head and see what is going on.

Had the same issue on a mates boat, PCB was toast in the wind speed part, direction was ok. He spent €140 on a new PCB from waveinns.com. All is now working

[georgy.goshin]

Originally Posted by sailah

The Melexis MLX91204KDC-ABA-002 is the same part, has same pinout and same sensitivity.

Hello

There are MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-SP, MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-TU and MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-RE available. Which one is used in ST60?

[paal]

Originally Posted by georgy.goshin

Hello

There are MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-SP, MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-TU and MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-RE available. Which one is used in ST60?

According to the data sheet, RE means reel (i.e. it is stored on a reel for pick and place machines.). TU is tube maybe? for hobbyists and prototypers who place it manually. The data sheet is here: http://www.mouser.co.uk/datasheet/2/...xis-961599.pdf

[georgy.goshin]

Yes, I found already that there is a packaging difference. Since it was deprecated while ago, there is not simple to find a new one. I could not.

[CatLove]

Octopart shows there is stock :

https://octopart.com/search?q=MLX912...cy=USD&specs=0


All those MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-SP, MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-TU and MLX91204KDC-ABA-002-RE are the same exact component in the same exact SOIC-8 package. The different suffixes only refer to how multiple parts are packaged together (tube, reel ).

[georgy.goshin]

Originally Posted by CatLove

Octopart shows there is stock :

https://octopart.com/search?q=MLX912...cy=USD&specs=0

But when you send them an RFQ, you will get no stock reply (

[phorvati]

Thats good to know. I was trying to buy them on ebay, and they do come around. But be carefull, the height from SO8 gyro die to the magnet is important. It can throw off the reading. As in enough to make you not be able to calibrate. I swapped the IC twice and i thought i did a decent job placing new ones, yet once i was 10deg off to stbd. Then 5 deg off to port. There is a reason why there us a note in schematic or service manual do not replace this part. It is very finniky.

[lauriel]

Great to have this extensive thread available after almost ten years. Thanks everyone for your entries. Obviously a topic of wide interest.
I too have had intermittent problems with my 2014 Raymarine Wind Transducer not displaying wind speed. The direction shows correctly.

Initially I was able to fix this issue by cleaning and using conductive grease on the male and female halves of the connector at the mast head at approx. two yearly intervals but this year (July 2023) that hasn't worked.

The male pins on the removable wand appear to be in good condition but it's impossible to see the condition of the female socket while at the mast head. I suspect the female connector(s) are corroded beyond redemption. I have bought a new female socket (5 pin DIN, 270 degrees) and the male pins fit perfectly. The plastic moulding holding the 5 receptacles is also exactly the right diameter.

Two queries, please.
1/ Has anyone tried and preferably succeeded in replacing the female socket and soldering the in-mast wires to a new socket at the mast head.
2/ Does anyone know the colour scheme of the in-mast wires connected to the mast head socket. The pins on the new female connector are numbered 1 to 5 in a clockwise sequence starting at one o'clock from the indent on the plastic moulding of the socket. This is to allow me to test the wand on the deck by connecting the wires directly to the pins on the back of the display in the cockpit.
Thanks for any and all comments and assistance.