NASA Target 2 Depth Sounder

Being packed
Stamped and ready for posting at 1512 today

On Saturday, 24th April I mentioned in my Blog that the NASA Target 2 Depth Sounder aboard ‘Ladybird’ was not working properly. I tried replacing the olive oil in the transducer reservoir, but that had no effect. I subsequently went online to find forums about faulty readouts, and I asked readers of this Blog if they knew how I could get the Sounder working correctly. There was nothing in the NASA Marine website to indicate what was wrong when the display showed the word ‘OUT’.


This morning I phoned NASA Marine and told them what was wrong. I was advised to put my ear to the transducer when the Depth Sounder was turned on, and if I heard clicking sounds, the transducer was most likely working correctly. I was also told to rub my fingers on the base of the transducer to see if that caused random readings on the display, but there were none; in which case I was advised to send the unit back to NASA Marine. I unscrewed the Depth Sounder from the cabin bulkhead and took it home for packing before being sent to NASA Marine.


Royal Mail, first-class, signed-for postage was £2.98, but the package missed the last collection of the day from my local Post Office when it was posted at 15.12. Therefore NASA Marine could not possibly receive the package until Wednesday morning the 28th April at the earliest. I’ll be interested to know how long they will take to deal with the problem. The guarantee was in date for a replacement unit. I’ll let my readers know when I receive a response from NASA either by phone, letter, or by email or when a parcel with a replacement unit arrives at my home.


Let me say, I was entirely satisfied with the performance of the Target 2 Depth Sounder while ‘Ladybird’ was in commission last year. I wonder what could possibly have made the unit malfunction when it was stored under cover during the winter months. Last winter was the coldest for many years, so perhaps that may have affected the electronics; although I doubt so, because the unit was sealed and kept dry.


Links


NASA Marine

http://www.nasamarine.com/


Important Priority (Previous Blog about the Sounder)

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/04/important-priority.html