CP370 not functioning properly within a C/E-Series MFD system

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

CP370 not functioning properly within a C/E-Series MFD system

The CP370 has proven to be a very reliable and simple to install replacement for a DSM30/300 or CP300 within a system of C/E-Series Widescreen MFDs. The critical step in getting the CP370 to function with these MFDs is to ensure that the operator has selected (MENU->FISHFINDER SET-UP->TRANSDUCER SETTINGS->TRANSDUCER) the model of transducer which has actually been interfaced to the to the CP370. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing how to determine the model of transducer which has been interfaced to your fishfinding device.

Other key items to verify:
- when a CP370 has been installed in place of a DSM30/300 or CP300 fishfinder sounder module, the power cable which had been installed for use with old sounder module must be replaced that the power cable supplied with the CP370. Failure to replace the power cable may result in insufficient power being supplied to the CP370 due to fatigued female pins within the previously installed power cable.

- the CP370 has been interfaced to the MFD using one of the following methods:
----- CP370 <-> A80160 RayNet (F) to SeaTalkhs (F) Adapter <-> SeaTalkhs (M) to SeaTalkhs (M) Cable <-> C/E-Series Widescreen MFD
----- CP370 <-> RayNet (F) to RayNet (F) Cable <-> A80272 RayNet (M) to SeaTalkhs (M) Adapter <-> C/E-Series Widescreen MFD
----- CP370 <-> A80160 RayNet (F) to SeaTalkhs (F) Adapter <-> SeaTalkhs (M) to RJ45 (M) Cable <-> SeaTalkhs Network Switch, SR6, or SeaTalkhs Crossover Coupler <-> SeaTalkhs (M) to RJ45 (M) Cable <-> C/E-Series Widescreen MFD
----- CP370 <-> RayNet (F) to RayNet (F) Cable <-> HS5 RayNet Network Switch <-> <-> RayNet (F) to RayNet (F) Cable <-> A80272 RayNet (M) to SeaTalkhs (M) Adapter <-> C/E-Series Widescreen MFD

- SeaTalkhs cables, NOT generic Cat5e or custom constructed Cat5e, must be used to interface SeaTalkhs devices.

- Excess SeaTalkhs cable has been loosely coiled and secured to a bulkhead to prevent bend radius of less than 6". Tight radius bends or kinks can result in permanent damage to communications cables

- Ethernet (SeaTalkhs Cables have not been altered/spliced

- The marine electronics must be powered from an isolated power source

- The power cable length for the CP370 must be kept as short as possible. Should it become necessary to extend the CP370's power cable, cable of the appropriate gauge for the round trip run should be added.

- The power connections for the circuity supplying the CP370 are tight and free of corrosion from the CP370 through the circuit panel to the batteries.

- The power cable, transducer cable, and communications cable locking rings are installed and have been rotated into the locked position after each cable's plug has been mated to the CP370.

- The CP370 has not been cabled directly to the vessel's electronics batteries or power bus bar. The CP370 should be powered from a switched power circuit, permitting the CP370 to be powered off when not in use. This will also permit the CP370 to be restarted without affecting the state of the other marine electronics.

- The vessel's batteries have been fully charged.

- CP370 has been installed per its installation instructions in a location where its temperature will remain within its operating range.

- The vessel is located in the water and the depth of water below the transducer is at least 3'. One should not expect that a CP370 will report a depth value when either of these criteria has not been met.

- If interfaced to an in-hull transducer, verify that the transducer's reservoir is full.

- The transducer cable has not be bundled with other cables.

Where power related failures occur, it is not usually low voltage, but rather low current availability that causes the problem. One may think of voltage as water in a hose and current as the amount of pressure behind that water that makes it move when the nozzle is opened. Simply measuring 12 volts on a voltmeter at the CP370 power cable's plug does not lead to much insight regarding how much current was available. For example, the available voltage from 8 D-cell batteries is 12VDC. However, these 8 D-cells cannot provide sufficient current to run one's electronics. In a typical day of fishing, one starts the boat's engines, runs the engines for a short time to while traveling to a fishing location, drifts or anchors for a while with the engines in neutral or off, starts the engines again to relocate to another fishing location (repeating this process perhaps several times throughout the day), and finally runs the engines for a short time while traveling home. During this process, the engine alternator, which may be rated for 50 amps (but only when running at a higher RPM) cannot replenish the amount of current that has been drawn from the batteries throughout the course of the day. The output of the alternators on most boats at trolling speeds is generally much lower than at peak output. As such, we have a situation where engines are started often, drawing a great deal of current by themselves, coupled with the marine electronics running at all times causing the available current to be reduced throughout the day. Should one do a couple of trips over a weekend and then leave the boat without a full charge till next week, the problem compounds itself until finally, the battery amperage drops below the current threshold level required to sustain the electronics. The first signs of insufficient current are often blinking of the MFD back light and intermittent or total malfunction of the CP370 (which when searching draws 5-8 amps) causing the No Data Source or DSM Connection Lost message to be displayed.

From a troubleshooting perspective, inspect the installation to ensure that all of the above listed installation items have been addressed. Ensure that the batteries have been fully charged. Check the size of the wires supplying power to the marine electronics to ensure that they are no less than 12 gauge. Check the age of your electronics batteries and if the batteries are not sealed, check the water levels in them. Clean all the contacts and cable points and be sure that the connections are as tight as possible, then spray the terminals with a sealer designed to keep corrosion down. Have the batteries load tested as load testing will tell one how the batteries will perform when all equipment is powered on and functioning.

Power related problems occur most frequently on boats that are not plugged into shore power with an on-board battery charger between trips. Within 3 days of fishing, it is possible for the amperage of deep cycle 4-d batteries to drop low enough to cause the products to begin exhibiting the symptoms described earlier. One test that should be performed is to operate the equipment for the time specified while connected to shore power to determine whether the problem can be reproduced while connected to shore power.

- check the CP370's status LED and compare it to the LED codes listed within the CP370's Installation Guide.

Should CP370 not be supplying the MFD with fishfinder functionality and all of the installation, transducer, and power issues specified within this response have been checked, then it is recommended that the CP370 should be sent to Raymarine’s Product Repair Center to be bench checked / serviced.

RAYFAQ#