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Author Topic:   Lack of Brightness in LCD Display

chris_franklin72 posted 05-19-2015 05:08 PM ET (US)
The screen is hard to read on a Humminbird depth finder on a 2002 model year boat I just bought. Is there a way to adjust the brightness of the screen to brighten it or make the image darker?
jimh posted 05-21-2015 10:04 PM ET (US)
Most modern marine electronic displays are liquid crystal displays (LCD). The brightness of the display is based on the light from the display backlight device. In older electronics, the display backlight was usually a cold florescent lamp (CFL). More modern displays have light emitting diode (LED) backlights.
A common problem with older LCD displays is loss of light intensity from the CFL backlight.
Usually any sort of display has a control that adjusts the intensity of the backlight. Check the owner's manual of your particular brand, year, and model of marine electronic device for information on the location of any control that can adjust the intensity of the backlight for the LCD display.
It often happens that the backlight becomes very weak in its light output. This renders the display very hard to view in direct sunlight when the contrast ratio between the strong sunlight and the weak backlight is very bad.
The dark areas in an LCD display are created by the display blocking passage of light in those areas. There are two bounds on how great the blocking of light can be:
--a limitation inherent in the display, due to its design and construction, and
--an adjustment that controls the electrical signals sent to the display.
The first limit or bound cannot be changed; the display can only get to its least light passing condition, and that is the limit. The second adjustment is usually electrical and is provided on some devices as a user-adjustment. Consult the operating instructions for a particular device to see if the manufacturer has provided an adjustment.
Jefecinco posted 05-22-2015 07:33 AM ET (US)
If the Ownwer/Oerator Manual for your Humminbird was missing from the documentation with the new to you 2002 boat check the Humminbird web site for information on the brightness setting. If you don't find the information you need on-line call the Technical Support or Contact number for help.
Butch
fno posted 05-22-2015 08:49 PM ET (US)
If it's thirteen years old, what are your expectations? You can most likely buy a brand new unit for a bit more than even the value of your time and skills to repair the fossil that you have now. Besides that, the advances in charting, displays, and standard features and options makes it a no brainer to upgrade vs. fix and use the old crap. My two cents on the subject. If it's only a matter of figuring out the backlight settings, call Humminbird.
jimh posted 05-23-2015 01:00 AM ET (US)
FNO makes a good point. The value of the advice already received here probably is greater than the value of the 13-year-old depth sounder.

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Author	Topic: Lack of Brightness in LCD Display
chris_franklin72	posted 05-19-2015 05:08 PM ET (US) The screen is hard to read on a Humminbird depth finder on a 2002 model year boat I just bought. Is there a way to adjust the brightness of the screen to brighten it or make the image darker?
jimh	posted 05-21-2015 10:04 PM ET (US) Most modern marine electronic displays are liquid crystal displays (LCD). The brightness of the display is based on the light from the display backlight device. In older electronics, the display backlight was usually a cold florescent lamp (CFL). More modern displays have light emitting diode (LED) backlights. A common problem with older LCD displays is loss of light intensity from the CFL backlight. Usually any sort of display has a control that adjusts the intensity of the backlight. Check the owner's manual of your particular brand, year, and model of marine electronic device for information on the location of any control that can adjust the intensity of the backlight for the LCD display. It often happens that the backlight becomes very weak in its light output. This renders the display very hard to view in direct sunlight when the contrast ratio between the strong sunlight and the weak backlight is very bad. The dark areas in an LCD display are created by the display blocking passage of light in those areas. There are two bounds on how great the blocking of light can be: --a limitation inherent in the display, due to its design and construction, and --an adjustment that controls the electrical signals sent to the display. The first limit or bound cannot be changed; the display can only get to its least light passing condition, and that is the limit. The second adjustment is usually electrical and is provided on some devices as a user-adjustment. Consult the operating instructions for a particular device to see if the manufacturer has provided an adjustment.
Jefecinco	posted 05-22-2015 07:33 AM ET (US) If the Ownwer/Oerator Manual for your Humminbird was missing from the documentation with the new to you 2002 boat check the Humminbird web site for information on the brightness setting. If you don't find the information you need on-line call the Technical Support or Contact number for help. Butch
fno	posted 05-22-2015 08:49 PM ET (US) If it's thirteen years old, what are your expectations? You can most likely buy a brand new unit for a bit more than even the value of your time and skills to repair the fossil that you have now. Besides that, the advances in charting, displays, and standard features and options makes it a no brainer to upgrade vs. fix and use the old crap. My two cents on the subject. If it's only a matter of figuring out the backlight settings, call Humminbird.
jimh	posted 05-23-2015 01:00 AM ET (US) FNO makes a good point. The value of the advice already received here probably is greater than the value of the 13-year-old depth sounder.