>From Boating: Of all the electronic devices most power boaters will typically have at their helm stations, the fish finder is probably the most sensitive to voltage fluctuations in the onboard electrical system. This can cut in either direction, meaning that both excessively high or low voltage can make the display on a fish finder go crazy. This will show up on the display screen as a bunch of fuzzy globs or a series of diagonal lines or a mix of both shooting across the display. So, what are the causes here? Well, if you are at anchor or drift-fishing without the engines running, you are running on straight battery power. If the batteries discharge to a voltage point below the unit’s minimum threshold, this will probably show up as the fuzz or squiggly diagonal lines on screen. If this happens with the engines running, it can mean either a faulty voltage regulator in the charging system causing the overvoltage condition or possibly a failed charging system causing voltage to drop. Either way, attention to the battery/charging system is going to be needed. The three-step voltage test mentioned earlier can be used to confirm a low-voltage situation. As for excessively high voltage, consider 2.5 volts or more above the no-run voltage described earlier excessive. This indicates that you need a new voltage regulator.
-----Original Message----- From: Jerome Tauber via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> To: cnc-list <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Jerome Tauber <jrtau...@aol.com> Sent: Fri, Sep 30, 2016 8:44 am Subject: Re: Stus-List Chart plotter problem Sounds like the voltage regulator is defective. A VOLTAGE REGULATOR regulates the charging voltage that the alternator produces, keeping it between 13.5 and 14.5 volts to protect the electrical. Your alternator voltage is too high overcharging battery. When you turn off engine it is taking a few minutes for voltage to drop to normal level. If you turn off engine at end of trip and no drain on battery voltage may be too high when you restart. I would guess that this is what is happening. Sent from my iPhone On Sep 30, 2016, at 8:21 AM, David Knecht via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: I have posted about this problem before, but still have not solved it. I have been struggling with a electrical system problem since I upgraded my electronics two years ago. I installed a Seatalk network, Raymarine EV-100 autopilot and B&G Zeus T8 chart plotter. The problem is that periodically, the Zeus behaves like it has a mind of its own. The unit will begin beeping while the touchscreen acts like someone is activating menus and commands randomly. All kinds of problem ensue from that let alone that you can’t use the controls while it is happening. It happens intermittently, sometimes with engine on and sometimes off and I have not been able to identify the source. One of the things I have noticed is that it happens more often (but not exclusively) when the engine is running. Last weekend, I had an incident of this that might help someone understand it. I unplugged the Seatalk cable to the chart plotter to see if it had anything to do with the network (it doesn’t). I had the chart plotter on for about 45 minutes while I did other things and all was fine. Then I started the engine and the Zeus immediately began beeping and randomly activating menus. This continued for the time I had the engine running (about 15 minutes). So that would seem to point toward something people have suggested before- noise in the electrical system from the alternator. Here is what I don’t understand- I shut the engine off and the problem persisted with decreasing frequency for another 10 minutes or so and eventually stopped and it worked fine thereafter. If this were an alternator problem, is there some way it could persist for so long after the engine was shut down. Dave Aries 1990 C&C 34+ New London, CT <pastedGraphic.tiff> _______________________________________________ This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All Contributions are greatly appreciated! _______________________________________________ This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All Contributions are greatly appreciated!
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