FA50 only works for few minutes

F

Framo49

Guest
All of a sudden my fa50 stops functioning. After a restart it works for 1 2 3 or 4 minutes and then it freezes. I also can't connect with ethernet anymore at that moment on 172.31.24.3 I isolated it from the network and connected it directly to my computer but with the same result. Any help would be greatly appreciated as i.m oppraching Gibraltar in 16 hours :-S

Cheers
Frank
 
Here are some screendumps. It works perfect for a couple of minutes and then suddenly stopt. Even a basic ping can't reach the box. At this moment my main question is: is this a case of a wrong setting or is the box just toasted?

furuno screen 01.PNG
furuno screen 02.PNG
furuno screen ping.PNG
 
It looks like a networking issue for sure. Ensure you are using proper speed rated cable (CAT5E or CAT6) and that it is shielded. DO NOT use plastic RJ45 connections or un-shielded network cables. You should try a direct connection (cross-over) with a PC to avoid any issues that you might have with a bad hub. If you still have a pinging issue then it appears that the network board with the FA50 has a problem (or the PC does).

Settings look fine.
 
Hi Johnny,

Thank you for your reply and info. It happened te be the antenna. After I switched it for a brand new one everything worked fine again. I still find it very strange though that the FA50 completely freezes after an antenna fault, you would expect that you always be able to enter on the network cable to read the error massage?

Regards
Frank
 
That is odd. Was it the GPS or the whip antenna that went bad?
Normally if it is the GPS antenna, the AIS will still receive but not transmit. If it is the whip, it normally gets a red error light. I don't think I have ever saw one lock up. Was it shorted?
 
Frank and JE, any further news on this issue? I had the exact same issue in the same location (Gibraltar). I replaced the GPS antenna with new Furuno GPA017S and no improvement. FA50 starts up fine and feeds data to MFDBB via HUB-101 using correct cables and ethernet status lights on all boxes showing activity. But after about 3-5 minutes the targets start to x out and then disappear. Then at the same time I lose the ability to connect to the FA50 via the MFDBB menu (even though ethernet status lights still show activity). Is it possible that the FA50 and/or the MDABB can be overwhelmed with data in busy places like Gibraltar? Could there be a memory or processing limitation in the MFDBB? When I can access the FA50 all tests and settings are correct and my receive light is constantly flickering yellow BUT the FA50 never transmits (even though I get a blue transmit light for a moment upon power-on -- I had hoped this would be fixed with the new GPS antenna but no change). Only recent change to the system is that I added/updated charts from the TimeZero website via SD card, all of which loaded and unlocked properly. I thought maybe I should free up some memory in the MFDBB and deleted some old charts but no improvement. I am guessing next step is to replace the FA50 but any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
You might talk to the local Furuno distributor for Gibraltar to see if that is something common in that area. I recommend ensuring your GPS antenna is properly placed outside the radar beam and not near other RF sources. The local Furuno distributor would have a better idea what happens in that area.
 
This exact same thing just happened to my FA50. Would you believe I am in Gibraltar!

Frank, are you still convinced that the whip antenna as your problem?
Does anyone know the contact details for the local dealer?

Cheers
Dean
 
Thanks JE,
Are you suggesting this failure mode is terminal for the FA50 and that I must order a new one?
Many thanks
Dean
 
Not seeing your unit history in this thread. Because there seems too be some problem with the RF in that area, I would recommend you speak to the Furuno Distributor there. That is outside our sales and support area.
 
I am just following up on this thread from 2019 because this fault has continues to plague my system, and I'm hoping that maybe new information has come to light for Furuno support in the last two years.

Let me explain the whole story ...

In 2019 I sailed from Greece to Scotland. About 50 miles east of Gibraltar my FA50 stopped working. Closer inspection revealed that it would work for a few minutes after booting up but soon failed again. I tested the AIS antenna and GPS antenna and they were both fine.

I could not source a new FA50 in Gibraltar and so continued my journey without AIS.
After leaving Gibraltar I discovered that the AIS magically started working again and it continued to operate correctly until approaching Vigo/Baiona in northern Spain at which point it again ceased to operate.

After leaving Vigo/Baiona I noticed that the AIS again started working. At the time I simply put this behaviour down to an intermittent fault in the FA50. I spent a few more months in 2019 cruising in Northern Spain, Ireland and Scotland and the AIS continued to work perfectly with no more problems. I did not sail in 2020.

In 2021 I spent a month or so cruising the Western Isles of Scotland with perfect AIS performance from the FA50. In October 2021 I sailed south to the Mediterranean. When approaching Vigo/Baiona my AIS stopped working with exactly the same symptoms as in 2019. After leaving Vigo/Baiona it began to operate correctly again until I sailed past Gibraltar when the same fault occurred once more. Sailing further Eastwards into the Med the fault has again disappeared. I am now at Almerimar with a perfectly working FA50.

I'm pretty convinced that "something" near Gibraltar and "something" near Vigo are having the effect of disabling my FA50 unit. It's not just an interference issue, the FA50 actually ceases to function on the network. As per the previous reports on this thread it works for a few minutes only on boot-up and then freezes.

I know that there are other sailors with FA50 units who experience the same problem near Gibraltar, but it doesn't seem to happen to every FA50 unit (or the problem would be more widely reported).

I would love to know how to fix this, or at least understand the problem.
Software update for my FA-50 maybe?

Thanks, Dean
 
There has not been a software update. Being that your problem seems to be regional it is best that you try working the issue with your local Furuno distributor. That region is outside our sales and support area. If they are not assisting then you could always contact the parent company that you are not receiving their support.
 
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