Raymarine Radar recently went kaput.... a gradual process... any idea why ?

[Milacron]

2011 Raymarine E120 wide MFD (multi function display) software V2.49, works fine for everything else (GPS, depth, video cameras, autopilot, Sirius weather) but the radar has gradually crapped out ...and now is totally kaput.

* Radar is 2011 Raymarine RA1072SHD 72" Super HD digital open array

* Power supply for radar is 2011 Raymarine VCM100 which converts 12 VDC to 40 VDC

* Seatalk is 2011 Raymarine SR6 model. I honestly am not sure if the radar even uses the Seatalk. Some drawings in the manuals show the radar going directly to the E120 MFD....but other drawings show it going thru the SR6. Naturally, installer didn't label anything so I have no clue what is what cable wise, on the SR6.

So, the deal is the radar worked fine for a few months but has been getting more "finicky" over time...harder to engage it via the MFD, "no data found" errors getting more frequent. Recently get "no data found" error all the time, but then found that the VCM 100 power supply had red light lit at "fault".

I reboot (turn it's circuit breaker off/on) the VCM 100 and it seems to work fine. Comes on with 41 volt output then after a minute or so goes into blinking green "sleep" mode with 13 volts output as it should.

So I think, ahah, problem solved. But not so.... I can get radar to come on again...but only for a few seconds after the array starts rotating and the first transmission images appear on the screen. Then it stops and goes into "No Data Found" mode again. So I start over, rinse and repeat. All this time the VCM 100 power supply seems to work as it should (correct LED lights on, correct voltage outputs)

Eventually though the VCM100 goes back into red light fault mode again. And now that is all it will do. Every off/on of circuit breaker and it briefly blinks the sleep light, it tries to go into 41 volt mode (briefly see light for full power on) but then faults to red light.

So, you think bad VCM100, right ? But not sure, as it is seems to be more complicated than a simple power supply. If for example I disconnect the main cable at the radar array itself and power up it goes into sleep mode and stays there. So then I wonder if it's really going into fault mode because of a problem in the radar array itself ? (and yes, radar on/off switch at base is definitely "on"...but I even wonder if that switch could get corroded internally..)

Which do you think is the problem, the power supply or the radar array ?

Wish it had occurred to me to have a volt meter on the VCM100 output, right as the radar started in transmit mode as it would have been interesting to see if the 41 volts dropped at that time. Too late now as I can't get it out of fault mode.

Other possibilities include corrosion on cabling or connections and the Seatalk. Pretty sure connections are not the problem, dunno about the SeaTalk SR6...works fine for all else.

 

[gbharrington]

The cable connector to the radar has been a known issue. If jiggling it provides a temporary fix then you have found your problem.
Have you spoken with tech support at Ray? They have always been helpful.

 

[Milacron]

The cable connector to the radar has been a known issue. If jiggling it provides a temporary fix then you have found your problem.
Have you spoken with tech support at Ray? They have always been helpful.

Tried removing and reinserting the cable connector at the array a few times, plus "jiggling"...didn't help. Have not spoke with tech support yet as I only started to tackle the issue yesterday (i.e. a weekend) but will call them Monday.

Reading other forums where folks had "data not found" radar issues, one person mentioned you should not start engines with the radar on as they are sensitive to voltage spikes*. Honestly can't remember if I've ever started engines with radar on or not...don't think so. One guy's issue was the board in the radar...board cost around $850 as I recall. Hope it's the VCM100 power supply as they are relatively cheap, about $250 and easy to install, but I bet it ends up being something in the radar itself.

*Having said that, I think those guys had 12 volt radar domes, which of course didn't need the voltage increaser like mine. I would think the VCM 100 would mitigate voltage spike issues to the radar....unless the spikes effected the VCM 100 itself (which I hope is the case !)

 

[Milacron]

The weirdness continues... today I went to boat to check for leaks (pouring rain all day) and while there turned on radar circuit breaker. Now, rather than red fault light, it goes into sleep mode but keeps trying for full voltage mode... but never succeeds... i.e. sleep light comes on steady ( supposed to blink if "right"), then goes to full voltage light for fraction of second, back to sleep light, and on and on ad infinitum if I let it....but never red light faults.

Of course in this mode the radar won't even think of actually working but it seems to point the finger at a "power supply gone wild". And yet in Googling that power supply model, I can't find a single reference where anyone else's Raymarine Radar power supply went out....so, still I wonder...

 

[Milacron]

Talked with Raymarine tech this morning and he thinks in spite of all the power supply (VCM100) weirdness it's most likely a board in the radar array itself. Says he's never seen a VCM100 go bad and if one did it most likely would be simply dead. So...labor and $$$ awaits...