Life goes on.

End of an Era

The changeover of distributors from Quin Marine to Navico has now been over 2 years, this weblog therefore is now closed.
It will remain active as the information is valid until expiration of the products working life.
Please contact Navico for all future enquiries.

Navico Australia Pty Ltd
Address: Po Box 4121, Lane Cove, NSW, 2066
Phone number: (02) 99361000
URL: http://www.navico.com/

Thank you to all technical dealers who assisted me in the support of Simrad products over the years.
This weblog is now open to public.

I can be contacted as Pacific Marine, Royal Park in Adelaide on 0884442444

Freight Costs

This is an update. We have been subjected to a number of increases in freight costs from TNT and AAE over the last 12 months as a result of fuel price increases. We are now experiencing increases in costs associated with security and assorted levies etc.

I am sorry to advise that all freight for return of repaired goods upto 5 kgs will have a common across the board handling and 'packing materials' charge of $15.00 and a delivery charge for Air freight of $20.00 for goods upto 2 kgs and $25.00 for goods upto 5kgs.




Regards Frank

Simrad Egersund Product Support

Products with water ingress.

Comment from Simrad:
quote:
From time to time we receive various
products with clear indications of water
ingress. This is mostly instruments and
autopilot control units that have already
been replaced with new ones under warranty.

Units specified for outdoor mounting have
the IP56 protection. We like to point out
that this protection is valid for the front part
only. From the rear the protection is
normally not more than IP44.

If the water ingress is caused by a production fault, for
instance a poor glued display window,
there is no discussion about warranty. If
there are no signs of water ingress from the
front, but rather from the rear, we must ask
you to go back to the customer and check
the installation. Before accepting any
warranty replacement claim, we strongly
recommend you to make sure that the
product is installed correctly and in
accordance with the mounting instructions
for the actual product.

unquote

Needless to say the above Simrad comments
makes it difficult for Quin Marine to confirm
if the installation is 'as per the manual'. We must
therefore trust our dealers to ensure this is OK.

We have found on many occasions that dealers tend to
sympathize with customers when it comes to warranty claims.
They choose to make a warranty claim when the goods are
blatantly in breach of the terms. When denied by Quins, the customer
is then directed to us who then make argument's not relevant
to the warranty such as "I bought it 3 years ago and only
used it twice!". The fact it is full of water is ignored.

Please keep in mind the Quin Marine only apply Simrads Warranty
terms as described in the manuals and on our website.
We would appreciate all dealers taking a pro active approach by confirming
faults and that warranty is applicable.

Frank.

XX31/XX33/34/44/54 series

Interfacing to engine data
The CX Navstations, echosounders and CP31 are capable of displaying engine and other relevant data received via NMEA 2000 or SimNet. The interfacing is in principle very straightforward and can be completed with two different backbones, either as a SimNet system or a NMEA 2000 system.
Volvo EVC engines as an exampleThe new Volvo EVC engines have a dedicated CAN bus control system. An optional NMEA 2000 interface is available for distributing engine data to other instrument or systems. The NMEA 2000 interface is to be connected to the Multilink Breakout from the HCU.

Other engines and systems
The J2K100 from Maretron is an interface (gateway or bridge) for the most common engine CAN standard J1939 and NMEA 2000. An analog to NMEA 2000 engine monitoring system is expected ready mid 2006.
A number of NMEA 2000 compatible instruments, transducers and interfaces are already available and the list is constantly growing. A complete list of approved NMEA 2000 compatible products can be found at the following address: www.nmea.org/about/news.cgi?article_id=177



Example 1 shows the most basic system where a CX44/54 is connected directly to the Volvo NMEA 2000 Interface. The AT44 must be connected to 12 Volt to power the SimNet network.



Example 2 shows a standard system where the Volvo NMEA 2000 Interface is connected to a SimNet network (back bone). The network is powered and terminated according to SimNet instructions.

Example 3 shows the Volvo NMEA Interface and a Simrad NavStation connected to a NMEA 2000 network (back bone). The network is powered and terminated according to NMEA 2000 instructions.
It is strongly suggested that dealers and technicians take steps to come to terms with new technology. For years Robnet, Roblink, Navnet etc were standards to enable equipment from same manufacturer to communicate to each other such as parts of an autopilot. NMEA standards enabled communication with different manufacturers products.

Now SimNET, ETHERNET, CanBUS, NMEA2000, LowranceNET etc etc
are providing faster communication due to higher bandwidths. With the advent of new products from Simrad and others, the use of higher bandwidths are enabling a more complex system to be installed. These 'Networks' are individually quite simple 'plug and play' in most cases but when they all come together on one vessel the result is a servicing nightmare if the various networks aren't correctly identified. The 'rats nest' approach is a thing of the past when the cables where either power, control or data. I mention this because the new Simrad SimNET interfacing to engine data will undoubtedly increase the number of calls to me and our technicians. Unfortunately we can't continue to provide phone support for a system we can't see.

Our function is to distribute and provide after sales service and our qualified technicians work to component level to repair the products. We do not install the products nor do we operate them outside of the workshop.

We require you to study the Simrad Manuals which are available via our website and also the SimNET manual before you attend a vessel. The increased complexity and functionality of current Marine electronics technology makes phone support extremely difficult and we require you to take whatever steps you can to provide training to your technicians by providing them with the manuals and the time to study them.

It is hoped I can assist with the help of Simrad by providing power point presentations via our website. I will keep you all informed.

Regards Frank.

WR20 RemoteCommander

Installation in SimNet Networks
Connecting the WR20 is extremely simple, however a well installed network is essential to ensure trouble free operation. The RemoteCommander Basestation is continually monitoring and communicating with the full network. If there is erroneous information on the bus, the WR20 can give the appearance of being faulty – even when it is a network issue.
A “clean” network is essential. It is not possible to cover all aspects of good installation practices in this bulletin. Reference must be made to the relevant Product Manuals and to the SimNet Installation manualP/N 20222006.

I have a 3 page Power point presentation “WR20 Best Installation and Operating Practices” which can emailed upon request to those seeking further information. Please advise your email address.

This provides guidance on resolving some of the questions that you might be asked by customers and should help when installing the WR20.

There are no spares kits or batteries available at this time. Both the Handset and Basestation must be returned so that the customer can be provided with units that are already paired and ready to operate.

Frank

AP25 Series Autopilots

New 1.3.00 Software Release

Simrad have the pleasure to announce the new 1.3.00 software release for AP25 series autopilots.

This software supports the new WR20 Remote Commander and has also updates and corrections for anomalies.
At the same time it is updated to support latest NMEA2000 version 1.200.


AP27 is not a SimNet unit, hence it can not communicate directly with WR20!


All new autopilots now in production, including AP27, will have 1.3.00 software and new product code DA, and will also carry the same "Remote Commander" label for easier identification.



Caution
If the software version in the autopilot system is 1.1.00, you must also have the software in the autopilot computer changed. Version 1.1.00 is not compatible with version 1.3.00.
Latest Autopilot Computer software version is still 1.2.01.

Frank

WR20 Best Operating Practices

With the release of the WR20 RemoteCommander imminent please find below some general advice and best operating practices.

• When using it for voice communications hold it like a mobile phone next to your ear.

• To use the VHF features a VHF extension cable (EXPC05 or EXPC20) must be connected between the WR20’s basestation and the RS80 VHF black box.

• When paired to a mobile phone it has the same operating features as a bluetooth headset. The supported features that are available depend on the mobile phone itself, not the WR20.

• Equipment that is under control from the WR20 can be operated from its own keypad at any time.

•
For the best range performance try the base station at its intended location prior to final fitting. Ideally the base station should be in RF line of sight. Be sure to test the range when using the handset in audio mode as this is the most demanding situation for range.

• Steel and carbon fibre are strong reflectors of RF signal. This can severely limit the bluetooth range. This means that the communication range can be significantly reduced on steel or carbon fibre boats and customers must be advised of this. The performance will be strongly dependant on the relative positions of the handset and basestation.

• To charge the battery from the mains use the MAR50 (not the MAT50).


• AP,Navstation and AT44 products need to be at the software version stated below or later.

Current SIMRAD Software 30-5-06

The list below details the current SIMRAD software versions available.
Most are functionality improvements and others are bug fixes.

Please note that dual stations MUST have the same version of software that is installed in the main units.

Upgrade can only be done by Quin Marine as special programming software and equipment is needed.


Software versions Updated: 2006.04.07
Product Mainprogram Boot sector

EQ/CP/CE/DC/DE SW 305.09

DC/DE (XX30, XX32 MKI and MKII) SW 2.19

EQ/CP/CE/DC/DE32 MKI SW 2.19

EQ/CP/CE/32 MKII SW 3.11

GN30 SW 3.11

GN33 SW 1.02.0136
Boot sector 4.22

EQ/CP/CE/DS33 SW 2.20
Boot Sector 4.42

CP/CE/CR/CA/DS34 SW 2.20
Boot Sector 4.42

EQ/CP/CE/CR/CA/DS40/42/50 (3 pin power) SW 4.46
Boot sector 3.03

EQ/CP/CE/CR/CA/DS42/50/52 (4 pin power) SW 4.47
Boot Sector 4.19

EQ/CP/CE/CR/CA/DS44/54 SW 2.20
Boot Sector 4.42

CX 33/34/44/54, EQ33-2, EQ44-2, EQ54-2 SW 4.20
Boot Sector 5.02

DS 33/34/44/54 (CX) SW 4.20
Boot Sector 5.02

AT44 1.04

MS33 MCU 2.2 RFB 1.5

MS55 MCU 2.0


RF723A ( RA3X )KM-D39E


RF718A/719A/719B ( RA4X ) 9.45


RF720A/720B ( RA5X ) 4.45

All software upgrades to units within warranty is FOC excluding freight and labour. Contact me for details.

All software upgrades to out of warranty units will incur surcharge of $100 per unit.

regards Frank.

IS12 Depth & Combi

Background

Simrad have been investigating some isolated instances of IS12 Combi and Depth installations in which the depth reading is intermittent.

Investigation

Investigation of returned units points towards a component that under some circumstances can become mechanically stressed, leading to a small drift in the frequency of the depth pulse. The nature of the fault and the variability of stress mean that it is difficult to isolate which units are most affected. The percentage of units affected is however relatively small. It is thought that the effect occurs mostly in units that are less than 12 months old.

Modification Details

A modification has been introduced that removes the stressing effect and ensures that the oscillator frequency is correct. The modification is a factory fit; it is not possible to modify units in the field.

Implementation

This modification has been introduced from serial numbers:
IS12 Combi’s from serial number WD2587
IS12 Depth’s from serial number WD2627

Swap Out

If you receive any reports of IS12 Combi or Depth units that are within warranty and display intermittent depth behavior, please ensure routine checks on cabling and connections are carried out first. Should the issue persist, the display head can be swapped out by advance exchange (subject to stock availability). This means we can provide the replacement unit at normal price and issue a credit upon return of faulty unit. A purchase order must be provided and the the returned instrument must not be physically damaged or have other defects outside of warranty conditions.