Mtn. Hunter, you think you're frustrated!!! Have a look at what I've been dealing with for the last couple months. I purchased all three units BRAND NEW... HDS7 Gen2 w/ LSS-2 83/200 Bundle (console unit) was purchased from BPS in late Aug. 2015... HDS9 Gen3 (bow unit) also from BPS in Oct. 2015... bought the HDI Transducer from DJ's Marine Electronics to go on the trolling motor in Oct. as well. Both units were prof. installed as well. Everything worked perfect with both units, returns and image quality looked like the pics on side of the box they come in. In Nov. 2015, I bought another HDS7(saving for a BBT Console Mount to run dual 7's side by side) , from Cabela's, but this one was a Gen3. Took the unit home and swapped it out (unit head only) with the Gen2 on the console. I used original power cable, LSS-2. 83/200, and Ethernet cable that was installed, by the dealership, when I purchased the boat (also BRAND NEW) in Aug. 2015. Powered the unit up for the very first time while in my garage, and updated the unit's software to the most current version that was available at that time. I did the update using the unit's built-in wifi in my garage at home. Followed Lowrance's update instructions to the letter... and at no time during the update did anything unusual take place.... no weak signal... no errors... no internet interruptions... update completed and unit restarted as advertised... and for a short period of time... everything in the world was right! The very next morning, I put the boat in at HBSP for long anticipated day of fishing. I was also excited to see how the new 7 performed as well. I made a short 3 to 5 minute run to my first spot. I brought the boat down to idle speed and hit it with High CHIRP, 800K DI AND SS. New 7 performing as advertised.. returns are crisp and well defined... resolution is top of the line as well. Then, outta no where, I began hearing a loud ticking and arcing sound that I'd never heard before that very moment coming from the bildge area of my boat. At first, I had no idea what it was or what was causing it. I thought that I was having an electrical issue because of the loud arcing noise. It sounded just like a taser gun at times. I put the console unit in standby mode and the noise stopped immediately.... this happened on and off throughout the day but didn't seem to effect either unit's performance... very strange to say the least. Once I got home later that afternoon, I gave the boat a closer look and isolated where the noise was coming from. It was the 83/200 ducer that was glassed in the hull. Immediately called Lowrance Tech Support, and spoke with some college kid who picked up a part time job to pay his way through school that's probably never fished a day in his life and more than likely doesn't even have any hands on experience or any on the water time with an HDS unit, I mean qualified support technician. I explain to him what's happening with the units/transducers in great detail. He says, "Sir, no need to worry, I assure you the transducers are in fact supposed to make that noise you are hearing. They are made to do that. In no way will this cause your units or transducers to perform at a substandard level!" I said.... really!!!! Then why, all of the sudden, did this noise just appear out of nowhere today. How come it just started today; and, I've never heard it prior to this? Went on to explain that my other units, never ever.. not even once caused the transducer to produce or even come close to acting that way and have always been flawless as far as performance goes. It wasn't until I got this newest unit that I started having this issue!!!" Tech says, "I have no idea... I can't answer that question for you... but again, I assure you that your units and transducer are performing as designed. If you feel as if they aren't, then send us some screen shots via email... those would be very helpful and we can quickly evaluate any problems that you may be experiencing." Long story short, over time ALL 3 UNITS begin performing erratically from time to time, in addition... now all 3 units cause the 83/200 transducer and the HDI to emit the loud arcing sound. What was once represented as True Arch Technology on the screen is now just a blob/blip that may or may not even really be in the water column. So basically I made a $6k investment in Lowrance units to include network cables and accessory transducers etc... have only had those products a little over six months now... and Lowrance support team had me jumping through hoops just to get RMA numbers for each unit so I can send them to the techs for a bench test. Was then told that "THEN AND ONLY THEN" if they don't pass a battery of trouble shooting tests performed on the internal electrical components... THAT I WOULD BE AUTHORIZED TO HAVE REFURBISHED UNITS SENT BACK TO ME. That's when I about went ballistic!!! 180 days and 6k of hard earned cash that took me a long ass time to save up and you may send me some refurb. units as replacement that are... "just as good as new!" I asked him... have you ever messed up your cell phone and had to send it back to tech support? Then they send you back... not your fixed original phone... but a refurb. that never fails to have some kind of hidden glitch that was never properly fixed in the first place and eventually performs worse than the one that was replaced. How about I sell you a brand new car... 3 months down the road the brand new engine blows up from a faulty head gasket... I say don't worry I'm gonna make this right... well get it back on the road in no time. I'm gonna put in this new motor for you.... we recently finished up the rebuilt on it... it had 350k miles on it before we got ahold of it.... not to worry though... IT'LL RUN JUST AS GOOD AS NEW!!! Asked tech support.... "you think you'd be ok if I did that to you?" a few seconds of silence passed... before he could even answer I said, "NOPE, I DIDN"T THINK SO!!!"
I recorded this video with my phone last weekend hoping it will assist Lowrance in isolating the fault. Also, spoke to tech's manager who'd been with the company over 12 years and "has never heard or seen, in his entire career, a problem of same the magnitude I was describing... especially one involving all 3 units at different locations on the boat... that's a new one to me!
