Radar/Chart Plotter Problem

D

Doc

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Joined
May 2, 2005
RO Number
17228
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533
My Raymarine RL80C acted up today during a pre purchase sea trial and survey. It was in Chart Mode with Radar overlay enabled. Everything was running in other words. Then the screen suddenly turned a yellowish color and none of the buttons worked. I turned it off and on at the breaker on the bridge and it would try to come back but after the cat's eyes display it would go back to the yellow screen.

All this was during a blinding rainstorm with the all the bridge eisnglass up. Water was swirling all over me and the instruments so bad I could hardly see anthing. The engine surveyor was standing on the ladder yelling "faster, faster, wide open". Hell I couldn't even see the tachs.

Any way got it home and after the rain quit, all the surveyors, brokers and buyer left I turned it back on and it is fine. Has been sitting out there in the canal with the antenna spinning for about 3 hours now.

Any ideas?
 
If it happens during a rain storm and then worked again later, it sounds like it's water related...
 
I agree. It is an overhead fiberglass sealed box but the water flying around was like dense fog. And, even though it is working now, I'll probably get to buy the guy a new one because the surveyor wrote it up as not working.
 
My RL 80 was the most problematic chart-plotter EVER !!! Hence my RAYJUNK nick name.

I would start a replacement fund now ! it will fail u at the worst possible moment. ( that POS antenna too )

Rob
 
My E80 the radar doesn't work sometimes. I go to TX mode and it won't leave standby.
I find I have to go to radar page, get it fired up there, then go to GPS page and the it works and does overlay.
It's odd because it used to go straight on no matter what page you were on.

I would love to get rid of the rayjunk but since I really don't use it for Nav, I use Ipad, it is ok.
It's just a backup and for radar.
 
This thing is built into a hole in a fiberglass box hanging on the overhead. Any ideas which new unit will fit in the hole? Seems to be about 11.5 x 11.5.
 
Keep it simple. Tell the buyer it works now but you will give him a partial discount so he can pick his choice of new unit of it becomes a problem . Most folks would prefer to choose what they want IMO .
 
How much of a discount would be fair to both of us?
 
I just replaced my Raymarine radar and Northstar GPS with a Garmin combo for $2200., installed myself, love it. Best money I feel I ever spent.
 
mx8,

Thanks. Could you give me the Garmin model number so I can look up the dimensions? I need to take up as much of the hole as possible.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doc

Click to expand...


yes, try un plugging the radar scanner from the RL80. if the problem stops you have a bad scanner as it gets its power from the plotter. if the problem persists you have a bad plotter. either way you are going to be buying new equipment as the RL80 no longer has parts available and the analog scanners for the pathfinder series are no longer made either.

the good news is, the stuff available today blows away the performance of the old pathfinder series.
 
It is working like a champ now and it is still raining but I am not running 20 kts head on into it. I can't make it quit today without turning it off.

But, as others have pointed out, it is unreliable. Someone suggested that I should assume this posture to the buyer: It is a 13 year old unit listed on a thirteen year old boat. So it should be worth what a 13 year old unit would be worth and go from there in the negotiations. I did not promise them a 13 year old boat with a new unit.

How's that logic going to fly?
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doc

mx8,

Thanks. Could you give me the Garmin model number so I can look up the dimensions? I need to take up as much of the hole as possible.

Click to expand...
GPS map 741 xs w/GMR 18HD combo, unit dimensions, 9.0 w x 5.6 h x 2.4 deep
 
mx8,

I just got back for WM and looked at what you bought. It is very nice. $2099 + 7% tax. I drive over the bridge one mile I can get it for 6% tax.

I am going to do what pdecat said. Wait and see.
 
On other thing about the 741 that I find interesting is that the GPS receiver is built into the box and does not require an external antenna. I asked if it would work in a box mounted under a fiberglass hardtop and was told it would.
 
Doc, even though the Garmin 741XS units have a built in GPS antenna, I suggest getting the external GPS antenna. If the box is metal and not fiberglass you will have intermittent issues that will manifest itself showing loss of GPS signal, this is not good. The external GPS antenna is the model GA 38, it should cost less than $60.00. It's well worth installing if you want reliability.
Bill
 
Buyer ask for $500 credit for my Raymarine RL80C that quit during sea trial and survey. Fair enough. Funny thing is that it is working great now so he will probably be able to do the 80 miles to its new home just fine.
 
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