If you are experiencing a problem with your Mercury Screen, please work through the relevant section below before contacting us. Most issues can be resolved in a few seconds.
The screen is dark
If the screen is not showing anything at all:
- Ensure the device is turned on with its power switch, located to the left of the USB socket on the screen.
- The screen goes to sleep automatically after approximately 20 seconds of inactivity to save power. To wake it, either connect an altimeter via USB or tap the screen firmly with your finger.
- The battery may be flat. Connect the Mercury Screen to a USB-C power lead to charge it. The screen will wake and begin charging as soon as power is applied.
- If the screen still does not respond, try toggling the power switch off and on again.
The screen won’t display any data for my Mercury altimeter
If the screen is on but is not showing flight data from a connected Mercury:
- Ensure your Mercury altimeter is running the latest firmware. You should be using firmware version 2.30 or higher for all screen features. Older versions may not communicate with the screen correctly.
- Follow the correct connection sequence: make sure the Mercury altimeter is turned off before connecting the USB cable to the screen. Only once the cable is connected should you turn the Mercury on. This ensures the altimeter detects the screen during its startup handshake.
- If you do not yet have any flights stored on your altimeter, you will only see information on the Device tab (serial number, firmware, hardware revision, battery). Flight data tabs will be empty until you record your first flight.
- Make sure you are using a USB-C cable that supports data transfer. Some USB-C cables are charge-only and will not carry the data needed to communicate with the screen.
- If you see a red “Wrong Port” warning on the screen, you have connected the USB cable to the wrong socket on the Mercury. Disconnect and reconnect to the correct USB port on the altimeter.
The screen shows an orange “Update device” warning
This message appears when the connected Mercury altimeter is running firmware older than version 2.21 and some features may not display correctly. Update your Mercury to the latest firmware to resolve this. Instructions for updating your altimeter can be found in the Mercury V1 user manual.
The screen shows an orange “LOADED DATA” banner
This banner appears when you are viewing a flight loaded from the screen’s stored history rather than live data from a connected altimeter. To return to live data, disconnect the currently loaded flight by either tapping the relevant control on the History tab or by connecting a Mercury altimeter.
No connection chime when I plug in a Mercury
The Mercury Screen plays a three-note chime when an altimeter connects successfully. If you do not hear it:
- Sound may be disabled. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the settings panel and check that sound is enabled.
- The altimeter may not have handshaken with the screen. Check that your Mercury firmware is at least version 2.30 and that the USB cable supports data.
- A silent, successful connection is still a valid connection — if flight data is appearing on the screen, the connection is working regardless of whether a chime played.
The screen is too dim or too bright
Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the settings panel, then adjust the brightness slider. Changes are saved automatically. The screen dims and sleeps after inactivity to preserve battery life; this is normal and expected.
Flight values are shown in the wrong units
The Mercury Screen can display values in either metric (metres, m/s) or imperial (feet, ft/s). To switch units, tap the “Switch to” button on the Flight tab. Your preference is saved and applied to future flights.
History list shows a flight that won’t load
Occasionally a flight file may be damaged, for instance after an unexpected power loss during a save. In this case the flight will appear in the history list briefly but be removed on the next restart when the integrity check runs. If a stuck entry persists, you can use the “Clear History” function in the settings panel to reset the stored history. Note that clearing history is permanent and removes all saved flights from the screen. Flight data stored in your altimeter or on altimetercloud.com is not affected.
Touch response feels unreliable
If taps are not being registered reliably:
- Ensure the screen surface is clean and dry. Moisture or dirt can interfere with the capacitive touch sensor.
- Use bare fingertips rather than gloved hands or styluses not designed for capacitive screens.
- Tap buttons directly rather than swiping across them — the screen distinguishes between taps and scrolls.
Still having problems?
If you have worked through the relevant sections above and your issue is not resolved, please contact us at info@modelrockets.co.uk with a description of the problem, the firmware version of your Mercury altimeter, and a photograph of the screen if possible. We will be glad to help.