Help with 1760 Radar

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

This weekend I was working through some of the issues on our "new" boat and one open issue is that the radar would not power up.

It is a Furuno 1760 open array with the GaAs FET Front End 4 Tone Daylight display.

I disconnected everything at the head unit, cleaned all the connections, replaced the fuse, and put it back together. When the breaker for my electronics is flipped on the array begins to spin, the unit goes into it's warm up sequence and then after it counts down it goes into Stand By mode. So far, so good, this is all as the manual describes it.

However at this point nothing else seems to work, I cannot get the unit out of standby and if I press the two buttons to shut it down it just keeps running until I shut off the breaker.

My questions are:

1) Is this unit even worth repairing? I am not sure how old it is, but it is discontinued. I boat on the Great Lakes and radar is a must on the boat, particularly when the fog rolls in.

2) Does anyone have experiance with this unit and suggestions on trouble shooting?

3) I can troubleshoot the array as per the manual, if this is to spec can I use it with an updated head unit. And if so which ones. I would love to get a color head if possible.
Thanks in advance, Harry

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Coach,
The M1760 is a good radar but most units are now over 20yrs old. Some key display parts are no longer available for that unit. From your description, I believe the problem is most likely the keypad in the display since you cannot put the radar into TX and you cannot turn it off. Both of these actions require the use of the TX/OFF key on the keyboard, but that is just a best guess. If it turns out that it is the keyboard, they are no longer available from Furuno. Not that I believe it will help diagnose the problem, but there is a scanner switch in the back of the display unit. With the display off, I would turn off the scanner switch. Power the display back up, then see if you can power it back down using the keypad. I don’t believe it will power off, but if I was looking at the unit I would check everything I could. Is it worth finding out what is wrong with it and if it can be repaired. The radar is around 20yrs old, but when working is still a good radar even by today’s standards. It does not have every feature that a current radar has, but it has the basic features that most people use, when new, the target presentation was also excellent. If it can be repaired, you would still have a 20yr old radar, so you need to consider that. I would not spend more than around $100 to find out and no more than $400 to fix it. In my opinion, it is worth having a dealer look at it, or you can send it to Furuno USA for an estimate. I do like old equipment so my opinion on fixing your radar, if it is even possible, may not be sound advice. Your other question, can it be connected to a new display, possibly color, not easily, not reliably, and not affordably. If you are looking for another display to replace your own then I would look for another 1760 display. Other displays in that series are similar, but power supplies and SPU boards have different components and or jumper settings. Whatever choice you make you should still consider it a temporary solution.

If you do decide to send the display to Furuno for an estimate you can send it to;

Furuno USA Inc.
4400 NW Pacific Rim Blvd.
Camas, WA 98607

Put it to the attention of the Service Dept. Include a description of the fault. Also include your name, return shipping address and any phone numbers where you may be reached.

I hope this information helps you find the problem or make a decision.

Best regards,
Birdman

 

[Anonymous]

Birdman,

I appreciate the feedback. Food for thought. Since my season is almost over I have a bit of time to decide.

I will try your suggestions and then figure out where I want to go next.

Best regards, Harry

 

[Anonymous]

Coach,

Remove the keypad and generously soak it with a good electrical cleaner such as blow off. Salt and grime over the years could have collected enough on the keypad to simulate the TX/STBY being depressed. Good Luck!
Mike Chancey
EMT Electronics

 

[Anonymous]

I pulled the head unit yesterdayand opened it up. I can see where there was some salt water intrusion on the keypad. It looks like the water missed all of the circuit boards and ran down to the back of the unit.

I took all my connectors apart and cleaned them all, sprayed down the circuit boards with cleaner and soaked the keypad. I have reassembled everything and will put it back in this weekend to see if I did any good at all.

I will say that this is an Impressively built unit!

I did want to ask again, is this array compatible with any other Furuno head units?

More to come.
-Harry

 

[Capt. Wordsmith]

Coach,

We regret to advise the 1760 gearbox and array aren't compatible with any of our current radar display offerings. Our retroactive compatibility is good for one or sometimes two generations of product. As technology changes and improves, we have to change the hardware to reflect better materials, signal processing and add features. You've had a pretty good run with that radar and with Mike's suggestions, you might get some more time yet!

Regards, Capt. W

 

[Anonymous]

If anyone is interested I have a 1981 vintage furuno radar and radome that I just pulled off my boat to replace it with the latest and greatest furuno radar. It still works great, I do not have the cable because I cut the cable to get out.

 

[Anonymous]

I did open up the radar array and it is clean as a whistle inside, no signs of rust or corrosion.

At this point I have decided to upgrade to a new unit. I have removed the array, head unit, and all the wiring. I hope I can put it on ebay and 1) get a couple of bucks toward a new unit and 2) help out someone who has a good head unit and needs an array.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. It is good to see a product like this with a solid user base that stands behind it.

Best regards,
Harry