Lowrance In-Dash Flasher Unit trouble

[tso]

I have in 2.5" in dash flasher (digital) bought from Lowrance last year. It works wonderful until I start moving with the Big Motor. We have mounted inside, outside and done everything but hold it under water. Has anyone had this problem before? I am at wits end and do not know what to do other than trashing it. Lowrance says it is working fine.

It is in a Javelin fiberglass boat.

 

[Guest]

Readjust your transducer, go by the instruction sheet, probably just needs tweeking a bit. Turbulance is creating the problem, this is air bubbles on the bottom of your boat.

 

[hl&s]

Just a thought tso, but make sure you don't have a charging system problem. Even if your starting battery is staying up, voltage spikes can make some sensitive electronics do weird things. Some of the earlier Johnson/Evinrude outboards were unregulated and require a resistor to be added to the gauge circuit.

 

[jighead]

Im not sure how to fix your problem ,but if you can move it from the inside to the outside, you didn't have it mounted well on the inside to begain with. if you are going to mount it inside you need to find the lowest place in the boat and use a very good marine bond so the xducer becomes part of your hull.

 

[Bubbakat]

hl&s - 11/1/2007 8:05 PM

Just a thought tso, but make sure you don't have a charging system problem. Even if your starting battery is staying up, voltage spikes can make some sensitive electronics do weird things. Some of the earlier Johnson/Evinrude outboards were unregulated and require a resistor to be added to the gauge circuit.

Real good point there.

Make sure the transducer isn't mounted to close to the center of the boat. Tose things don't like air when trying to signal.. The first post nailed in a nut shell.

 

[SpurHunter]

Can you take a picture of it for us?

 

[tso]

It makes sense that turbulance is creating the issue. The problem I am having seems to be no matter where the transducer is going, I am still getting the same thing. It was first installed outside the boat at the lowest point of the hull. Once the big motor started pushing, it would lose the signal. After moving this we moved it inside.

Inside, we placed in the same spot as the previous transducer from the original flasher unit (which was also a Lowrance). Figure that would solve the problem. Same problem. It is in the lowest point of the hull using marine epoxy.

Again, the unit works great at idle speeds.

 

[tso]

hl&s - 11/1/2007 9:05 PM

Just a thought tso, but make sure you don't have a charging system problem. Even if your starting battery is staying up, voltage spikes can make some sensitive electronics do weird things. Some of the earlier Johnson/Evinrude outboards were unregulated and require a resistor to be added to the gauge circuit.

I am not going to say we have not thought about this, but have not spent much time trying to work from this angle. When you say older Johnsons, what year are we talking. This is a 2001 boat and motor. Is that older for this discussion?

 

[tso]

"Real good point there.

Make sure the transducer isn't mounted to close to the center of the boat. Tose things don't like air when trying to signal.. The first post nailed in a nut shell.[/QUOTE]"

This is a new one. I know it is close to the center, but we put it where the old one was, so thought we were safe. But will look into this. The part that is really perplexing, the friend that helped me mount it actually has been rigging boats for a long time. It has baffled him as well.

 

[hl&s]

tso, I don't know exactly what year models are unregulated. Lower hp engines typically use unregulated charging systems and larger engines, 150HP +, use a regulated alternator charging system.

You could get your engine model number and go to one of the online parts suppliers and look at the charging system components for proper identification.

http://www.crowleymarine.com/

Adding to my first post, look for a/c voltage spikes, not just d/c. A/c voltage spikes are allowed into the electrical system when a diode(s) in the rectifier shorts internally. This will lower your charging system output but, depending on the electrical load, may still produce enough voltage to keep your starting battery charged. A/c spikes don't affect analog components often but can cause problems with sensitive digital equipment.

 

[hl&s]

You could use a separate 12v battery connected to the flasher power leads to rule out boat wiring/interference. A booster box or small lawn mower battery would be quick and easy to carry and should power the flasher for a long enough test ride to find out.

 

[tso]

THanks guys. I will see where this goes. I have a 150, and now that I think about it, it is running off of the duel batteries and not the engine. Did not think about that till now.

We will get there. If it was always easy, everyone would do it.

Tony