I have a Robertson AP3000X on my boat. The J-box (brain) was replaced last
year due to corrosion on the circuit boards. Last weekend, I was using the
boat and noticed that the LCD control head seemed to be displaying the
information very dimly. I also noticed that if I toggled through the modes,
several modes would display the information very clearly, while others were
very dim and hard to read. I used the boat anyway, and the problem got
worse. Now not only are several of the mode pages very dim, they also
display unrecognizable characters that are not supposed to be there. The
head still functions normally. If I know what page I am on, I can engage
the autopilot and use it, but I can't read the display because it is full of
gibberish. Often, if I turn it off and back on, it will work fine for a
while. Occasionally it takes several cycles of turning it off and back on
to get it to display normally.

I suspected corroded wires from the J-box to the control head, so I took all
of them off of the control head, one at a time, cleaned them thoroughly and
re-connected them. I did the same for all of the wiring coming from the
J-box. It made no improvement. I don't suspect any problems with the
J-box, since it's basically new. I did inspect it visually for corrosion
etc and see none. I suspect a problem with the control head, but am
confused why it would display properly on some pages and not on others. I
guess it's probably not the LCD itself, since it will display perfectly on
some pages, but not on others.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Gary

Gary wrote:
I have a Robertson AP3000X on my boat. The J-box (brain) was replaced last
year due to corrosion on the circuit boards. Last weekend, I was using the
boat and noticed that the LCD control head seemed to be displaying the
information very dimly. snip

I have a Fluke multimeter (67? 77?) that has a LCD display that fades
out every two years or so. If I open the case and remove the plastic
frame that holds the display there is a sort of gray and pink rubbery or
felt like looking strip on the bottom of that. That strip makes contact
with a row of brass contacts on the PCB. The rubbery/felt strip and the
contacts on the PCB are the contact points for activating the LCD
display segments.

If I take a Q-tip, wet it with isopropyl alcohol, and gently clean the
rubbery looking strip and the brass contact patches on the PCB I have a
like new black on gray LCD display.

This process has saved me from wanting to buy a new Fluke about every
two years over the last ten years or so.

I wonder if you could be having a similar problem?

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

This a common complaint with this type (lcd) display, and the best
remedy I know

Question: Can this be related to ciggarette smoking?

Terry K

Terry K wrote:
This a common complaint with this type (lcd) display, and the best
remedy I know

Question: Can this be related to ciggarette smoking?


Not in my case, I don't smoke. And the Fluke has spent most of its time
in a zippered up carrying/storage case and pretty much smoke free
environments.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

FWIW, I've got a Fluke 77 that I bought in the late '80s. no such problems.
I do have to change the battery about every four years.

In my experience, a dim LCD is usually indicative of low power supply voltage.
Though what's strange here is that that shouldn't vary with the function being
displayed. Anyway, I'd check connections several times before ripping into
anything.


"Jack Erbes" wrote in message ...
Gary wrote:
I have a Robertson AP3000X on my boat. The J-box (brain) was replaced last
year due to corrosion on the circuit boards. Last weekend, I was using the
boat and noticed that the LCD control head seemed to be displaying the
information very dimly. snip

I have a Fluke multimeter (67? 77?) that has a LCD display that fades out every two years or so. If I open the case and remove
the plastic frame that holds the display there is a sort of gray and pink rubbery or felt like looking strip on the bottom of
that. That strip makes contact with a row of brass contacts on the PCB. The rubbery/felt strip and the contacts on the PCB are
the contact points for activating the LCD display segments.

If I take a Q-tip, wet it with isopropyl alcohol, and gently clean the rubbery looking strip and the brass contact patches on the
PCB I have a like new black on gray LCD display.

This process has saved me from wanting to buy a new Fluke about every two years over the last ten years or so.

I wonder if you could be having a similar problem?

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

Chuck Tribolet wrote:
FWIW, I've got a Fluke 77 that I bought in the late '80s. no such problems.
I do have to change the battery about every four years.

In my experience, a dim LCD is usually indicative of low power supply voltage.
Though what's strange here is that that shouldn't vary with the function being
displayed. Anyway, I'd check connections several times before ripping into
anything.

Hi Chuck,

The model I have is the 79, probably of a similar vintage. I'm familiar
with the low battery fading too, and that will affect all the segments.
But when those contact need cleaning, it first shows as one or two
segments getting a little dimmer than the others so now I go ahead and
clean it. I say every two years, it was probably more like three or four.

It is fairly simple, open the case, remove a couple of screws to get the
PCB loose and four screws from the back of that hold the display on.

The first time it happened, a guy on a newsgroup told me how to fix it.
That worked, and I was tickled pink.

I was a little tempted to put some dielectic paste on that but I was not
sure if that would be a good thing for whatever the contact strip is
made of. I'm retired, I can spare the time to clean that occasionally.

I love my Fluke, it is perfect for the kind of things I do with it and
generally up to rougher service use.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

The model I have is the 79, probably of a similar vintage. I'm familiar
with the low battery fading too, and that will affect all the segments.
But when those contact need cleaning, it first shows as one or two
segments getting a little dimmer than the others so now I go ahead and
clean it. I say every two years, it was probably more like three or four.

It is fairly simple, open the case, remove a couple of screws to get the
PCB loose and four screws from the back of that hold the display on.

The first time it happened, a guy on a newsgroup told me how to fix it.
That worked, and I was tickled pink.

I was a little tempted to put some dielectic paste on that but I was not
sure if that would be a good thing for whatever the contact strip is
made of. I'm retired, I can spare the time to clean that occasionally.

I love my Fluke, it is perfect for the kind of things I do with it and
generally up to rougher service use.

Jack

Probably not the problem with the AP control head, BUT...........

Advice is cheap here, but this tip (?) has saved me a lot of cash and
strained eyesight. When you clean that rubber-like connector piece on one
edge (that faces the circuit board) remember that the other edge (facing the
LCD's glass back itself also needs cleaning). So in most (all?) instances
when you've gone deep enough to clean the circuit board end or edge of the
rubber-like connector strip, pull it out and with the same q-tip slightly
moistened with the same alcohol, clean the other edge AND the LCD glass
connections as well. The LCD connections are practically invisible except
when holding it just right in a good light. It's some oxide (which I cannot
recall) that is transparent and a conductor.
Almost guaranteed to bring it back to life for a good number of years
(if your alcohol is clean, and you don't leave more scum than you started
with..... Jack Daniels is not a suitable solvent)
Old Chief Lynn

In article ,
"Lynn Coffelt" wrote:

Jack Daniels is not a suitable solvent)
Old Chief Lynn

I have found that Jack Daniels "solves" a lot of peoples problems.....


Bruce in alaska just not mine.........
--
add a 2 before @