[C320-list] Raymarine C80 chartplotter replacement

[Daryl Hunt]

All,    My Raymarine C80 chartplotter display has gone dark again and I'm considering whether to send it in for repair or just upgrade.  To those who have done the later, what have you upgraded to?   Looking for the easiest replacement compatible with my ST60 instruments and the navpod at the helm.
Fair winds,Daryl'99 C320 #660 "Believe"Lake Ontario - Pittsford, NY

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[Greg Flanagan]

I don’t know if you have the same instrument pod, but I replaced my C80 with an E125 and it just fit the same pod and connected it up with my old instruments. I also upgraded my autopilot and added radar (the reason for the new chart plotter).

Greg
Hoop Dancer #1076
Sidney, BC

[John Morrison]

I think Garmin has overtaken Raymarine. The Germans on their Bavaria Yachts use Garmin for all instrumentation including auto helm. I have a Garmin chart plotter and it is an easier to use machine compared with Raymarine products. Colour and fidelity is better, but it is not connected to Sea Talk, not an issue for the sailing I do on Lake ON.
JEM
1999#574

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[Joe Luciano]

My C-80 had the same problem and a buddy of mine who works with computer equipment was able to reseat the thin ribbon connections at the bottom end of the display and breathed another life into it. Took him about 15 minutes. I’d at least have someone look at it before I bought a new display. Given that all of that era stuff is obsolete now, there is risk of another piece going out and needing to upgrade the whole system for compatibility. Next time I lose a piece, I may have to bite the bullet and upgrade everything.....

Joe

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> On Aug 27, 2018, at 8:50 AM, Daryl Hunt <drh...@rochester.rr.com> wrote:
>

[Doug Treff]

I did the "upgrade everything" option last year because I didn't want to be constantly working in the pedestal with wires in the guard tube, etc... It was the best upgrade I could have made.


--
Doug Treff
do...@treff.us

[Daryl Hunt]

Doug, Joe, Greg, John - Thanks for the feedback.  I'll try the
do-it-yourself fix, if that doesn't work I'll upgrade.  I see that
Raymarine has a replacement bezel that allows the newer e9 or c9 series
display to fit in the same cutout.

Best regards,
Daryl

(585) 233-7814

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[Guy Smith]

Hey Daryl,
The other thing you can consider is keeping an eye on eBay.
I had a C70 go bonkers, similar to your problem 4 years ago. I tried to get into it, but you'll get to a point where a seal has to be broken or something like that as I remember.I called RayMarine and they want $100 to begin looking at it, again, as I remember it.My C70 was mounted on a bracket that sticks out off the stainless tubing surrounding the Binnacle on Pleiades.I did some searching and found a guy on eBay that sold refurbished RayMarine equipment.He only had a C80 (bigger then the C70), but was willing to swap the broken c70 and bracket for the C80 and a new bracket.Cut me a deal. :)
The C80 has been working fine, and it's a little bigger.
The seller's id was bristolyellowdog.

~g
Liz and Guy Smithsv Pleiades '97 C320 #452Worton Creek, MD

[Daryl Hunt]

Thanks Guy.  That's a good lead to for future reference.  The updated
status is that I followed Joe's advice, along with a procedure I found
on another discussion board (below) and that fixed the problem, at least
for now.

*Raymarine C80 Display Repair:*  (Taken the following off another
yachting forum.)

1 Pull off the main cover. Fingernails round the edges and of it comes!
2 Remove the chart plotter from it's housing and take all the
connections off the back. Make a note of the the Seatalk connections as
it is possible to put them back on the wrong terminals.
3 Take out all the screws (about 15) that hold the black plate. One is
under the "warranty void" sticker and another is under another sticker.
4 Ease the clips around the edges to lift the black plate off.
5 Lift off the glass cover in front of the screen before it falls off.
6 DON'T remove the screen. You have to work from the other side.
7 Check the little circuit board that has the connector onto the screen.
It will probably be displaced. Maneuver it until it is properly seated
and clicked into place.
8 If necessary you can take off the other circuit boards to get better
access. There is one metal spacer with a screw in. Otherwise you just
have to spring back the plastic clips.
9 Now put it all back together.
It took me over half an hour the first time because I didn't know what I
was working with. I could do it in ten minutes now.

/Fair Winds,/
Daryl

'99 C320 #660 "Believe"Lake Ontario - Pittsford, NY