The Bench

Every once and a while, I get a Matryx display with a broken lens. It usually happens when someone puts a knee into the glass to brace themselves while pulling on a winch. I’ve even done it. The way I figure, each crew member will only do it once, but it’s still a hassle when it happens. There’s a few options on how to handle it:

• Put the displays where this won’t happen. Depending on the boat, it might not be an option due to limited space.
• Make the crew member(s) in that position aware of what they can do with their knee if they’re not careful.
• Carry a spare Matryx lens to replace a broken one. We will gladly provide one if asked.
• Call Jeff Udell at Custom Offshore about the plexiglass overlay we helped him develop. It’s basically a piece of clear plastic that attaches to the Matryx and covers the glass, but allows access to the buttons.

If the lens does get broken, remember that the unit is no longer waterproof! I’ve received more than a few Matryx displays with unrepairable water damage because nobody took steps to secure the display after it was broken. The simplest thing to do is to cover the glass with tape to keep out the water. You can also remove the display, but this usually leaves a big hole in the boat (unless you’re fortunate enough to have a spare display).

In a lot of cases, the LCD module is fine, but may have a few surface scratches. It’s usually pretty obvious when there’s a problem requiring replacement. When you send the display back in for repair, we take a good look at the LCD and replace it if required.

So, that’s all for now. If anyone has a suggestion on what they would like covered here, email me at dan@ockam.com. I appreciate comments about the blog color, but that doesn’t give me much to write about!

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This is the first post of what I hope will become an informative blog for users of the Ockam Instruments system. I suppose I should start by introducing myself:

I’m Dan Chesson, the service manager here at Ockam Instruments in Milford, Connecticut. I’m a sailor myself, so you can talk sailor lingo with me and I might have a good chance that I know what you’re saying. I also hold a degree in earth science, and have worked for a while in the electronics industry. So i’ve got a pretty good foundation, and can usually help people sort out their technical problems.

Here in the northern hemisphere, winter is quickly approaching if not already firmly entrenched. Now is the time to start thinking about fixing those problems that bugged you all summer, or upgrading the instrument system to do what you need.

To that end, I’d like to hear from anyone out there that wants suggestions on what to do, or perhaps advice on some issue they’ve faced with their instrument system. Send me an email at dan@ockam.com and I’ll try to post my response here, or simply add a comment.

Until next time!

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