PA4A Marine radio problems....

crimsonscotty

My issue is intermittent, might work fine for 2 hrs or 5 mins, then all of a sudden it goes silent, display says "device not supported" or something like that, can't remember exact message, i'll have to take a pic next time...then maybe 30 secs or a minute later starts playing again. Happens no matter if listening to radio or streaming bluetooth. Screen also seems to go dim to almost blank sometimes too....always move my head around try to tell if it's just my eyes or the glare but then all of a sudden it's crystal clear again....WTH?? Anyone else experience anything like this?? It's still under warranty and plan to see what dealer says but just wanna know in advance if this is common or not if they try to give me the run around....

[Deleted User]

Good morning @crimsonscotty

The PA4A is actually a ASA Electronics piece. They handle the support for that headunit. Here is their contact info.

877-305-0445 they are open 7am-6pm Eastern Time

Jstas

That seems like a ground problem. Probably corrosion causing a short on a PCB somewhere. If it's in a saltwater boat, saltwater environments are harsh even to marine grade electronics. Even if they are sealed from the weather, stuff like condensation can build up in them and cause internal corrosion issues.

If it's affecting how devices are mounted and how the display operates then there is an issue internal to the unit and the manufacturer should be contacted, especially if it's under warranty.

As was said, the 1-877-305-0445 phone number for support is there.

Here's their website: http://www.polkmarine.com/customer-service/

But if you got it through a dealer, you should be able to contact them as well. If the dealer gives you a hard time, call ASA directly at the customer service number. They have a contact form as well.

In the mean time, if you can get to it easy, I would look at the various external connections to the unit and make sure they are all in good shape, no wires being damaged or corroded, no connections being corroded or loose either. Also, check the ground points for not just the unit but if there are antenna leads. Antenna leads are notorious for causing odd ground problems in cars because they are usually the first to rot through their ground connections. So check not only those wires but also check where the antennas are mounted and if any grounds near there are damages or loose.