Navam 5500 Tracker Plotter

PeteSmith · 12 September 2006, 10:13

Hi

Ive got a Navman 5500 chartplotter that has stopped powering up. My local chandlers said they could send it away but would charge a £50 handling fee so they encouraged me to contact Navman direct.
Ive emailed them as they seem based outside the UK but have not yet heard anything back.

Has anyone had any experience with Navman's repair service?

Pete
><(((º>

LURCHER · 12 September 2006, 13:33

Jump in your car and take it here !
This is the Importers and if you just walk in to the office on right in the main entrance by-passing the reception ,throw the unit with some force at man in office and tell him you want another one it will probably have the desired effect ! Might be worth a call first as they may be hiding at the boat show .Suggest not declaring reason for visit as this may prompt rapid decamp.

0148977 8863

07884 442297 Mark Parkin Navman Account bloke .

PLASTIMO UK
HAMILTON BUSINESS PARK
BOTLEY ROAD
HEDGE END
HAMPSHIRE

gavin · 12 September 2006, 21:22

Out of our original 2 Navman devices we ended up with 5 replacements,
They wont return calls or emails, we were often without units for 4 months at a time.

In the end I mailed them around the time of London Boat Show, said I was flying to show and arriving at their stand, they promptly sent a replacement no 5, Navman stuff is rubbish in general , we have had failed plotters, failed sounders, faulty display even on our current DSC set.

The aftersales service is non existant from Plastimo we were treated extremelly badly by them

gavin · 12 September 2006, 21:29

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...t=tracker+5600

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...t=tracker+5600

look at the dates

PeteSmith · 13 September 2006, 13:29

I'll give Mark Parking a ring and see what they can do....

humper · 13 September 2006, 16:23

I have just received my Navman tracker back from the navman service centre.It too would not power up.I have been pleasantly surprised with the service I have had.I contacted Mark and he was very helpful, the service centre repaired the problem and it only cost 67.00 to fix ( it was out of warranty) I have got no complaints.

Mark J · 13 September 2006, 20:40

There is a theme here

. My 5500 has also stopped powering up after the initial display and is with the "Service Centre" in Wareham for repair.

wavelength · 15 September 2006, 14:17

I'm with Gavin on this one- e mails not answered, etc etc My plotter went haywire after it rained.It wandered around every chart on the chip whilst at sea and buttons all inoperative. Water damage behind panel they said - this from a waterproof set. Replaced under warranty with a not new unit but one from service centre which i assume had been repaired for some reason and is I think older than the one I sent in, no answers to e mails after this - gave up as this set works ok at moment and lifes too short! - never a navman again though unless its very cheap! By the way if you watch the ben fogle rowing across the atlantic thing on tv his navman plotter also gave up at one stage! Paul Beaurain from ribnet also had some trouble with his on his round england rib trip I think.

gavin · 15 September 2006, 16:17

If you arnt paying despite warranty. then you wont be looked after

Mark J · 15 September 2006, 19:50

And now they want £275 pounds to repair mine

!!!

PeteSmith · 27 September 2006, 17:25

Just got a repair estimate from the Service Centre

Are you sitting down ....

They say the unit is unrepairable but they are willing to swap it with a replacement "header" unit for the small cost of £558 - More than in would cost to replace the whole chartplotter system !!!!!!!!

codprawn · 27 September 2006, 20:39

No help to you people but it is through reading stuff like this that I decided to avoid Navman - I have the fuel 3100 which is great but it is the only instrument I have which mists up!!!

Boatcareuk · 01 October 2006, 17:16

_

ben5883 · 20 October 2006, 21:40

navman is based in the uk and they try to deal with everyone as quickly as they can, however htere are sometimes reasons that the products get held up i.e repair parts etc at the service centre, the guys over there are really helpfull and try to get back to everyone if you aint happy call 'em they dont bite

wavelength · 26 October 2006, 15:31

Perhaps- Just e mailed messrs parkin and david to let them know that after a particularly unpleasant rainy day on the mersey yesterday all the plotter keys on the 5500 gave up again. It rained last time when the keyboard went wrong and it has happened again. However this time after a night being cossetted in the house it feels much better and is behavin itself again-perhaps til it rains again! Really good teaching aid though - to graphically point out to students never to rely on one waterproof gps totally, particularly if it happens to **** down with associated lack of visibility when you are out there.

LURCHER · 26 October 2006, 17:54

I have had contact with Mr Parkin who took exception to my lighthearted remarks about throwing the unit at him! Remember that all advice or comment on the internet should be treated with a degree caution and not taken literally .

I apologise Mark if you felt I had personally attacked you it was merely frustration at not being able to contact anyone at Navman.

Not a problem any more as I have given up on Navman and bought a Garmin.

ribbett · 26 October 2006, 18:40

"By the way if you watch the ben fogle rowing across the atlantic thing on tv his navman plotter also gave up at one stage!" I think you'll find the electronics were washed out by the rollover they experienced. The hatch was open I believe. You might recall that his water maker was suffering due to no volts. You see, stuff don't work without volts. When the solar panels recovered the batteries sufficient the watermaker came back on line. The watermaker uses a lot of amps and yes the tracker did come alive after a little defib' from the battery. Marine Electronics encounter a far more hostile environment than most other consumer electronics and a little care and attention can keep them going. The electrical supply side of the installation always needs some care when installing. How many people dob their battery terminals of there 4 x 4 (RIB tug) with petroleum jelly to keep them dry and yet I wander how many 4 x 4s of the sea would consider this worthwhile to open and exposed connections of their electronic tools of their boat? When you disconnect and drop your GPS/Fishfinder in the going home bag do you realise what goes on with your electrics when the weather gets into the connectors left behind invariably hot wired to the battery? When you reconnect this wet salt ladened cocktail back into the back of you electronic gear you begin the terminal process of destruction to the connectors in the unit. A few seconds with some petroleum jelly here will kep the worst at bay. If your connectors show sign of corrosion do something about it straight away! These are much cheaper to repair than a neglected unit where the pins have wasted and start to leak into the unit.

wavelength · 26 October 2006, 20:03

To be fair Mark has just replied to my e mail- and always has in the past, unfortunately it was the other who was dealing with the job last time and replies were hard to come by.It was Mark who gave the push that resulted in a reply. He still doesnt think they have a problem with waterproof issues though. I can send it back to be investigated - I rather think it will be allowed to live on the boat until it dies again then it'll be in the bin.
As far as the red herring about greasin m'terminals is concerned and looking after my electronics this is a well maintained training boat that lives in a nice cosy 33ft long garage attached to the house with its own personal alarm system to keep it safe. Nothing else on this pampered boat has a problem and the £60 cuda sounder sits next to it and never has a keyboard problem. My terminals are fine thank you.The problem last time was water damage behind the keypad and its the same thing happening again. Usually if it rains I take the plotter off and put it in the consol or put the poly bag off my sandwiches over it. This time I didnt and once again the keyboard gives up! Must stop going out in inclement weather! Funny my good old garmin 128 which lives a much harder life on another rib has never ever had a problem despite having been rained on, snowed on, sea sprayed on etc etc

PeteSmith · 30 October 2006, 15:29

Just an update on the original posting, its been 6 weeks now and apart from a few vague emails from Navman saying someones dealing with it, nothing has happened.

Its a good job the weathers been poor, if it had happened in the summer 6 weeks is a long time to be without your main nav unit.....

gavin · 30 October 2006, 16:42

I empathize with you, I will never buy another Navman product, Plastimo are useless at aftersales