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NASA AIS Radar problem and firmware update
I have enjoyed the benefits of my NASA AIS receiver and display for several years. I especially enjoy the fact that it is a low AH user and that it is a stand alone device, needing only GPS input.
I now have a problem. When the unit is powered up it displays nearby targets as it always has done. However, within a few minutes it "drops" these targets and shows a blank screen (no nearby targets). If I power it off/on it again or go to the threshold/sensitivity screen and then back to the radar screen it detects nearby targets again...but drops them after a few minutes.
I have had a good email exchange with NASA and they are recommending that I buy and install a new firmware chip that promises to fix this "dropped target" problem and update the firmware to receive SART signals and make a few other improvements.
My question: Has anyone else been down this path? Is the firmware chip easy to install? Any other thoughts?
Thanks
Last edited by Libations Too; 12-07-2015 at 06:42 PM.
Richard
Libations Too
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I've had one of those since 2008 (thanks to Bob Johnson and his wife). Never had this problem. Sounds like a defect, to me, altho it's interesting that the manufacturer acknowledges the problem. I'm watching....
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I installed mine in May of 2007 and it worked great until a year or two ago. I haven't done much ocean sailing since it started to have problems but decided that this is the year to either get it fixed or replace it. If I replace it I might be temped to put in an AIS transceiver...but the cost between a new firmware chip and a new transceiver is several hundred dollars at a minimum. So my preferred approach is to just fix the unit that I have now.
The new firmware chip apparently includes "several enhancements including SART detection and a COG pointer". I'll follow with more information as I learn more.
Richard
Libations Too
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Being Capt. Obvious, but did you play with the plug on the back? Mine wasn't very snug or protected and it sounds like it could be that kind of problem.
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Bob, I did as much trouble shooting as I knew how to do: hooked my VHF up to my AIS antenna just to confirm that the antenna was working...all worked fine; cleaned all of the contact points and reconnected everything....still worked initially and then dropped the targets after a few minutes; ignored it for a while hoping it would fix itself....no luck; etc.
My email correspondence with NASA gives me hope. While not stated explicitly, I got the impression that this is a problem that they have encountered in the past and one that the new firmware chip will address.
I am waiting now for NASA to confirm shipping cost and then I'll probably order the new chip. One thing that I was not aware of in the past is the presumed fact that I can actually open up the NASA housing and access the "board" where the chip is installed. I asked NASA to confirm that this is possible; their website shows an image with the housing open.
http://www.nasamarine.com/proddetail...DARUPGRADECHIP
Richard
Libations Too
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Sounds good. Keep us posted - a bunch of SSS'ers have these.
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RIchard, a long shot: Does the NASA have any internal battery, like a coin cell to keep a system state memory alive when powered down ? Did you change the gps signal that it receives, for example put in a new GPS ? Are your boat batteries topped off, or alternatively is the boats battery voltage above 12.00 volts ?
Brian
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Thanks Brian for your thoughts. As far as I know the NASA AIS Radar unit has no internal batteries...the owner's manual, my experience over the past 8 years, and NASA's service rep have not indicated any battery to check or maintain. The GPS unit is the same as I have used since installing the NASA unit, and my batteries are kept topped off with a solar panel. Besides all this, the unit does work normally when first powered up; it only fails after a few minutes of operation.
Richard
Libations Too
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Perhaps just one of those "worms" that occur in electronics when a component heats up beyond its normal range? I've run into that problem with other equipment.
At least, that seemed to be the problem....
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Agreed. Heat would explain the delay in failure.
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