Home Products Support Information Contact Links
Stowe Marine are dedicated to keeping all Stowe instruments in good working order, old and new. The Stowe Marine service department is happy providing an estimate for repair on seeing your instruments. Please note that we have a minimal charge to cover costs for this service should you decide to have your instrument returned un-repaired.
All Stowe owners have the benefit of free technical support via email.
Please feel free to telephone us for free technical support, but please have serial number and invoice number at the ready.
We highly recommend using qualified engineers. These pages are to aid qualified engineers to diagnose problems and we can not be held responsible for any damage caused by errors or omissions whatsoever. If you do not understand the tests suggested here then with all due respect you should be using a local engineer that does!
This fault could either be the in the Databox/Navsounder/Micro or the Transducer, but statistically it is about 90% more likely to be the transducer or cable. The only practical way to check is by substitution with known working units, either Transducer or Databox/Navsounder/Micro. The transducer should measure open circuit using a multimeter. All Stowe Transducers have a unique frequency of 205kHz and you can only use a Stowe transducer on a Stowe system. These transducers are available, usually ex stock. Do make sure that the face of the transducer is completely clean. It may have one thin coat of antifouling, but this must be removed each season. Note that high pressure cleaners commonly used to clean fouling from hulls can cause premature transducer failure. If you do not have a substitute transducer available, then you can purchase one from us, or alternatively send your instrument to us for testing.
This fault could either be in the Databox/Navigator/Micro or the sensor, but statistically it is about 75% more likely to be the sensor or cable. Check that the paddle spins very freely by blowing it. A common complaint is, 'my boat speed works in reverse but not forwards'. This is due to a dirty or worn paddle that needs the power of your propeller to spin it! Check that there is a magnet in the paddle by holding a steel object or a compass close to each blade of the paddle. If no magnet is detected you require a replacement paddle. There is only one magnet. The opposite paddle has a balance weight. On a Navigator, remove the cable from the back of the unit and measure the resistance of the sensor with a multimeter. It should be between 100-250 ohms, if not it is faulty. On a Dataline measure the voltage with the black probe of a multimeter on the black wire and the red probe on the red. If this is not 12 volts, the Databox is faulty. Now put the red probe on the blue wire and turn the paddle very slowly. As the magnet passes the sensor the voltage reading should change from 5 volts to 0 volts and back again. If not, the paddle sensor is faulty. For a Micro do as above, but red is brown and black is green.
Are the wind cups spinning? At the mast base junction box identify which wire goes back to the Databox/Wind Monitor/Micro and disconnect the blue wire. Now tap this blue wire on and off the black wire whilst watching the readout... the faster you tap the wire, the faster the reading. If you don't get a reading, the Databox/Wind Monitor/Micro or cable through the boat is at fault. If you do get a reading, the Mast Head Unit or mast cable is at fault.
For a Navigator Wind Monitor you will need to identify the cable that goes back to the display at the mast base junction box and disconnect the three wind angle phases, which are the green white and yellow wires. You will then need to measure the wires that come down from the mast. It is important not to let the wires coming from the mast touch, or you may cause damage or blow the fuse. For the Dataline, you do not need to disconnect anything. If the Mast Head Unit is working correctly, then the voltages measured with black probe on black wire should approximately agree with the following table:
Angle
Green
White
Yellow
0
0
9.0
9.0
30
1.6
6.0
10.4
60
3.0
3.0
12
90
6.0
1.6
10.4
120
9.0
0
9.0
150
10.4
1.6
6.0
180
12
3.0
3.0
210
10.4
6.0
1.6
240
9.0
9.0
0
270
6.0
10.4
1.6
300
3.0
12
3.0
330
1.6
10.4
6.0
For a Micro 220 there is only one yellow wire for wind direction. The voltage range is from 0 volts (approximately 3 degrees) to 6.5 volts (approximately 357 degrees), with 180 degrees being approximately 3.25 volts.
Check the fuse! (Replace with 125mA 20mm quick blow). Using a multimeter at the mast base, put the black probe on the black wire and the red probe on the red wire. It should be around 12 volts, if not the Databox/Wind Monitor/Micro is at fault. If it is, then the Mast Head Unit or mast cable is at fault. More information about fuse replacement when a new mast head unit is fitted here
The Dataline Databus is based on NMEA 0183, but it is not 100% compatible, particularly the Boat Speed and Depth sentences. Our NMEA Databox converts Dataline Databus into compliant NMEA 0183 for use with other manufactures equipment, such as Chart Plotters, Auto Pilots and Radars. The Databus connections are as follows:
Red
+12V
Black
0V
Green
Data Gnd
White
Data Out
Brown
Data In
This question is too complex for our support page, but if you type 'testing a cable with a multimeter' into Google, it comes up with some informative pages.
* Warranty period is 2 years for new products or 3 months for repairs
(c) 2007 Stowe Marine Limited
