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Jack Erbes Jack Erbes is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 81
Default Autopilot control head problem. Please read.

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)