Help!!!!fishfinder issues

[mav6759]

I just got a lowrance mark 5x fishfinder and I need alittle no a lot of help. My problem is I tried to connect the unit in the front of my boat, I have several ground and hot wires, putting out over 12volts. But when i try to connect the unit, the unit will not power on, but, if I connect it straight the battery I mean 2 feet from the battery, the unit powers on and works as normal. So I tried several more power and ground wire up front, still the same thing, I'm getting 12volts to the unit but it will not power on, so I figured I must have a short somewhere in my boat wiring, so I decided to run a outdoor extention cable, thinking I would bypass everything that could stop it from coming on, no dice, same issue, So I called lowrance support, they told me as long as the unit powers up when connected to the battery, the unit was fine. Now my boat is a 21ft stratos bass boat, I don't understand it, as long as it is connect straight to the battery (the lengh the power cord) the unit functions fine, but once I try to connected it any 12v power lead up front, it will not turn on,
Any help that anyone can give me, I would be thankful.

thanks Mav

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

You have a problem with the wiring. Probably a loose or corroded connection.

 

[mav6759]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

Thought of that, I cut the ends and ran a brand new heavy duty 25ft outside extension cable to make sure I didn't have any shorts, loose or corroded wires. The only thing that is connected to that cable is the fish finder and battery. For some odd reason it will not turn on the fishfinder, all the other electronic's work great. What doesn't make any since to me is, the unit can only recognize 12v when I apply 12v to it, weather i'm 2ft or 30ft from the unit, I'm getting 12v to the unit, I just don't know why the unit won't power on, As long as i use the fishfinder cable, and don't add any additional wiring to extend the units wires, I'm fine and it works great. but once I try to extend the units wiring to reach to the back of the boat, no dice.

Thank's
Mav

 

[dingbat]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

The only thing that would be distance related is a voltage drop.
Bad connection, wire to small in connection with a low battery.

You say you have 12 volts at the finder. Exactly how much voltage do you have? 12 volts is not a healthy battery

 

[gm280]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

Somewhere on the fishfinder there should be a label saying how many amps it needs to work properly. See what it states and then buy the appropriate wire size for the length you are running from the battery and use that. I think it requires more amps then the length of wire you have now to turn on and operate correctly. Voltage means nothing because you could have 100 feet of wire and still read the proper voltage. But when you turn it on the current draw drops the voltage too low to be able to come on...

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

Also
Make sure you check to see if ground is really ground.
It could be floating.

If worse comes to worse you can always hook up the fish finder to a separate power source.
You could use a battery or an auto jumper box

 

[mav6759]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

I have 3 brand new batteries, I am using the ground from the batteries, I know they are good because they are running my other electronics. I have nothing connection between the batteries and the fish finder. So I have a straight connection using the outdoor extension cord, I know the extension is good because, I just use it before I cut it up, and the wires from the extension cable is larger then the wires I have on board now. Each battery is has about 12.6 to 12.9v. After calling Lowrance I was told the unit take about 2amps, I'm producing well over that. Thats why this is so confusing, if I were to use the wiring that came with the fishfinder, the fishfinder would work great, which is about a 7 to 8ft cord. when I try to attach wires to lengthen the power cords, that when I have a problem. So i took a battery from the rear of the boat sit it up front, and the fish finder worked great no problems.

 

[Star]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

I have managed to reverse the feed to my Garmin and it will not turn on if +goes to - yet I have 12volts.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

Make sure the Polarity is correct.
When you measure the 12v, what are you using as the ground reference?

When you apply power to the sonar, measure the voltage at the end of the Sonar power cable. 12v?
Ever circuit needs a return path, the Zero volts on the ground Wire is every bit as important as the 12v on the Power Wire.
Unless you have 12v AND Zero volts, you will not have any power.

If you have 12v, you do not have a Short. You may have an OPEN, but not a SHORT. Be sure you understand the difference.
A short circuit in a power system results in a blown fuse or a fire in a matter of seconds.
99% of all electrical problems are because of OPENs. And SHORTs tend turn themselves in to OPENs very quickly.

 

[mav6759]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

I know I don't have a short, I know I''m getting between 12.6 to 12.9v from my batteries, TEST#1 .. I removed the fish finder from the boat. and I played with it in my garage. As long as I use the black power cable that came with the fish finder it power's right up no problems. Test #2..I extended the power cable 6ft, still getting 12.6 to the fish finder, but it wouldn't power on. Test #3.. I shortened the test cable to 3ft..unit will not power on, still getting 12.6v to the unit. Test #4..Powered the unit using the power cable that came with the unit, got 12.6v unit powered on work as it should..What I don't understand is, the unit can only recognize the voltage I send to it from the battery which is 12v. 12v is 12v. no matter how you slice it, 12v is 12v no matter how it get to the unit.. I know all my wiring is good and I'm getting good amperage because I can power up my old fish finder, lights, bilge/aerator pumps and turn the motor over without any problems. But what noticed about this unit, is..it will only work when it is directly connected to a battery. There can't be nothing in the middle, somehow the unit recognize when it is not directly connected to a battery and won't power on,,maybe it's alive.

I'm confused,

Mav

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

You are dealing with an impedance issue.
The cord in question can not be attached to any other cord.
If you have to have it longer then you will have to call Lowrance and get them to send you a longer cable.
There are also dedicated extensions for the Transducer cable.

Just so you know this is also done on other electronic devices

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

Are you hooking the new Lowrance power leads up to exactly the same connections as the old FF?

 

[dingbat]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

You are dealing with an impedance issue.
The cord in question can not be attached to any other cord.
If you have to have it longer then you will have to call Lowrance and get them to send you a longer cable.
There are also dedicated extensions for the Transducer cable.

Just so you know this is also done on other electronic devices

If You want to mount a lowrance fish finder more than 6' from the battery you have to purchase a special cable?

My Furuno is 20' away from the battery. No problems at all, and I'm running a 1kW unit.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

If You want to mount a lowrance fish finder more than 6' from the battery you have to purchase a special cable?

My Furuno is 20' away from the battery. No problems at all, and I'm running a 1kW unit.

That's why I asked about the hook up. My Lowrance Mark is in the front and the battery is in the stern. The power leads are only about 2 or 3 feet long. I just connected to my + and - buss behind the dash. No need for any extra or dedicated battery to FF wiring. And I have no noise problem either.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

That's why I asked about the hook up. My Lowrance Mark is in the front and the battery is in the stern. The power leads are only about 2 or 3 feet long. I just connected to my + and - buss behind the dash. No need for any extra or dedicated battery to FF wiring. And I have no noise problem either.

I agree with you 100%

I hope this photo shows just how short the power part of the cable is. The Transducer part is about 30 feet
I put a cigarette plug on mine and I plug it into a battery jumper box

 

[roscoe]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

When you are measuring voltage "at the unit", are you putting the volt meter probes into the coupler that screws onto the unit?

Or are you measuring it at the connection with the extension cord?

 

[mav6759]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

I'm connecting the new unit to where the old FF was. I'm getting 12.9v's, I'm not adding any new to the cable but what came with the FF. It still won't power on with the black cable., only a straight connection to a battery will power the uint. But if I extend the cable, it still won't power on. Which I don't understand, because 12v's is 12v's. If it is an impedance issue, that would be fixed with the 12.9v's I'm getting from the battery. So now the only way to power this unit, is to have a straight connection to the battery using only the cable that came with the unit. That's crazy, because I would have to by a 4th battery just to run the FF, not only that, I would have to find a place in the bow to house the battery. This is getting a little to much for me.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

This is a DC Circuit. IMPEDANCE is an AC property. The concept does not apply to the subject at hand.

TEST#1 .. I removed the fish finder from the boat. and I played with it in my garage. As long as I use the black power cable that came with the fish finder it power's right up no problems.
OK it works when 12 is supplied to the end of the Supplied Power cable.

Test #2..I extended the power cable 6ft, still getting 12.6 to the fish finder, but it wouldn't power on.
It will not work when you attach it to an additional cable.
The additional cable is the issue.

Test #3.. I shortened the test cable to 3ft..unit will not power on, still getting 12.6v to the unit.
Still will not work with the additional cable.
Measure the voltage at BOTH ends of the added cable.
You do not have power to the Manufacturers power cable.

Test #4..Powered the unit using the power cable that came with the unit, got 12.6v unit powered on work as it should.
Eliminated the additional cable and it works.
The problem is with the additional wire, as silly as that may sound.
Using Both Test Leads, Measure the voltage at the end of the Manufacturers supplied cable, and you will find there is no voltage.
A picture of the connections and splice points would help. hoto:

 

[mav6759]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

I would agree with that but i'm getting 12.6v's at both end's, what does this cable have to do with anything if there is over 12v supplied to the unit. even if I use just the power cable, it won't power unless it is connected to the battery, thats the key element, Now I call 10 bass pro shops, they said they never heard of this, so I think I may have a defective unit. This is not making any sense to me. if the unit requires 12v's that all it need to power up, what does that battery have that my 12v source don't have

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help!!!!fishfinder issues

So you have 12v. It takes a ground too. That's why I asked if you hooked the new unit up to the same place as the working old unit. I would check for low, very low resistance from the positive lead from the battery (disconnected) to the point up front where the positive is connected. It should measure way less than an ohm, a dead short actually. Then do the same for the negative, looking for the same reading.

Next hook up both battery connections, Measure the battery posts, then measure the place you are connecting the FF. The voltage should be within millivolts.

And next put the meter on the connection points and turn on the FF. Does the voltage stay steady or drop?

New state of the art electronics like FFs are extremely sensitive to voltage and grounding.