NorCal Kayak Anglers
Kayak Zone => Gearing Up and Rigging Up => Topic started by: E Kayaker on January 25, 2016, 01:35:28 AM
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I'm getting depth readings that are flashing. It seems to come and go. Is this a a malfunction?
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How is the transducer mounted? When there is interference at the transducer, it can cause intermittent false readings much like what you've described.
If in the hull, it could be air bubbles between the transducer and the hull. If in a Hobie transducer pocket, it could be grit between the transducer and the cover plate.
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You have the ping rate set too high. Lower it to the lowest setting & work up from there.
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The transducer is mounted on a arm over the side. I'll watch for debris the next time it happens. Ping rate is already at the lowest setting.
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The transducer is mounted on a arm over the side. I'll watch for debris the next time it happens. Ping rate is already at the lowest setting.
Verify the ping rate one more time. Factory set, they are on the highest. Last thing would be to check the angle of the transducer face & make sure it is level to the surface.
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The transducer is mounted on a arm over the side. I'll watch for debris the next time it happens. Ping rate is already at the lowest setting.
Verify the ping rate one more time. Factory set, they are on the highest. Last thing would be to check the angle of the transducer face & make sure it is level to the surface.
The angle could be better. The wire ended up between the arm and the side of the kayak. I've been meaning to move it.
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Is it still tracking the bottom when the depth is flashing? Are you seeing anything like a large school of bait on the screen when it flashes?
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It seems to be out of wack when it flashes. I noticed when I stopped the ping it flashes. I wondered if flashing means it's not receiving a signal.
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It seems to be out of wack when it flashes. I noticed when I stopped the ping it flashes. I wondered if flashing means it's not receiving a signal.
Correct. The only time I have seen this happen on a kayak, with the CHIRP model, is when the ping/sensitivity is set all the way on high. They come factory pre-set way up there because the general user is moving faster than we do in a kayak.
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It seems to be out of wack when it flashes. I noticed when I stopped the ping it flashes. I wondered if flashing means it's not receiving a signal.
Correct. The only time I have seen this happen on a kayak, with the CHIRP model, is when the ping/sensitivity is set all the way on high. They come factory pre-set way up there because the general user is moving faster than we do in a kayak.
Is ping rate the same as sensitivity? I remember setting the rate to low. Sensitivity?
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Go hand in hand. Adjust ping speed based on speed of the "boat" & sensitivity based on clutter. Both can have an effect on image quality for the ability to fine tune if desired. Auto sensitivity is good for most users. Ping speed can cause the flashing depth but it is generally a situation where it is "always" flashing vs. just once in a while. This indicates it has lost bottom signal caused by cavitation, transducer jumping out of the water, a huge bait ball right under the transdcuer, etc...
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Go hand in hand. Adjust ping speed based on speed of the "boat" & sensitivity based on clutter. Both can have an effect on image quality for the ability to fine tune if desired. Auto sensitivity is good for most users. Ping speed can cause the flashing depth but it is generally a situation where it is "always" flashing vs. just once in a while. This indicates it has lost bottom signal caused by cavitation, transducer jumping out of the water, a huge bait ball right under the transdcuer, etc...
That doesn't sound like my problem. I wonder if could be a plug issue. Any problem using dielectric grease?
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Go hand in hand. Adjust ping speed based on speed of the "boat" & sensitivity based on clutter. Both can have an effect on image quality for the ability to fine tune if desired. Auto sensitivity is good for most users. Ping speed can cause the flashing depth but it is generally a situation where it is "always" flashing vs. just once in a while. This indicates it has lost bottom signal caused by cavitation, transducer jumping out of the water, a huge bait ball right under the transdcuer, etc...
That doesn't sound like my problem. I wonder if could be a plug issue. Any problem using dielectric grease?
No problem with the grease. Maybe something with the setup? Upload the latest software?
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Had the same issue today. Ping rate is and was set to slowest. Sensitivity was set to auto. Kind of seems to be random times when the depth reading flashes. One thing I did take note of is the FF display seems to be working. In other words it seems that the fish and bottom are still being displayed. I assume the sonar is working, I'm just getting a flashing depth reading. Anyone know why, it's annoying.
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My 5x chirp does the same thing. Stops after a while. Kinda random.
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If after doing a software update it still persists, contact Lowrance for further assistance.
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Mine does the same thing. I treat it like windows. Turn it off and on. Seems to fix it. Making me think my next one (this week) might NOT be a lowrance unit. doing some more info searching and playing with other brands. Lowrance might just lose me over this one 'cause it's been doing it since day one... Ill try the ping rate thing at AOTY ceremony if it does it and if your there Bill, you might see it in person. All brands have hickups but at the price.... I don't want the headaches anymore. I'll post results on this thread... :smt006
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Mine does the same thing. I treat it like windows. Turn it off and on. Seems to fix it. Making me think my next one (this week) might NOT be a lowrance unit. doing some more info searching and playing with other brands. Lowrance might just lose me over this one 'cause it's been doing it since day one... Ill try the ping rate thing at AOTY ceremony if it does it and if your there Bill, you might see it in person. All brands have hickups but at the price.... I don't want the headaches anymore. I'll post results on this thread... :smt006
Yesterday mine did it as soon as it was turned on.
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Ya, Then I turn it off and on again and it seems to straiten out. Some times off and on 2-3 times... seems to be a common problem. gonna try Bills fix and update then set on low chirp... Beyond that i'll be looking to them for a fix.
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interesting.
i have the elite 5 non chirp.
now and then the depth flashes but still have the bottom on display.
ping is at the slowest. i also have intermitnet lock up , have to unplug the power cable to restart,
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Well this is unwelcomed news. I recently purchased the lowrance elite 5 chirp . I have not installed it yet. Seems as this is a common problem. :smt009. Hope its just a connection problem or down load fix
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I have a call in to see if there is something I haven't thought of. I know their first question is always "software current?"
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I have a call in to see if there is something I haven't thought of. I know their first question is always "software current?"
What is the procedure for updating it?
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My 5x chirp does the same thing. Stops after a while. Kinda random.
+1
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It happened to my HDI version too.
Right before it happened I put a bunch of dielectric grease into both plugs the night before. While it was not reading depth, I plugged/unplugged for several times. That did not help.
So I cleaned out the plug with my finger, plugged back in, it worked.
I am not sure if it was a coincident. Just throw it out there if one of you guys happen to use too much dielectric grease, clean out and give it another try.
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It happened to my HDI version too.
Right before it happened I put a bunch of dielectric grease into both plugs the night before. While it was not reading depth, I plugged/unplugged for several times. That did not help.
So I cleaned out the plug with my finger, plugged back in, it worked.
I am not sure if it was a coincident. Just throw it out there if one of you guys happen to use too much dielectric grease, clean out and give it another try.
Almost seems like a pin fit issue ???
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It happened to my HDI version too.
Right before it happened I put a bunch of dielectric grease into both plugs the night before. While it was not reading depth, I plugged/unplugged for several times. That did not help.
So I cleaned out the plug with my finger, plugged back in, it worked.
I am not sure if it was a coincident. Just throw it out there if one of you guys happen to use too much dielectric grease, clean out and give it another try.
Almost seems like a pin fit issue ???
I think if it were a pin fit issue it would affect the display along with the depth readout.
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I had a another brand of fish finder where I had an issue with having to reset constantly. After much inspection, electrical grease , cleaning pin fits checking connections. I finally narrowed it down to the connection where the head connects to the base and it was problem solved.
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I have a call in to see if there is something I haven't thought of. I know their first question is always "software current?"
My software is 4.0.5.1.11 and the website shows 4.0.5.1.13 so I am not current. I guess we must copy the update to an SD card to install it.
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Time for a Bird!!!!!
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I have a call in to see if there is something I haven't thought of. I know their first question is always "software current?"
My software is 4.0.5.1.11 and the website shows 4.0.5.1.13 so I am not current. I guess we must copy the update to an SD card to install it.
Download to SD card.
Turn unit off.
Put the SD card in the FF.
Turn the FF on and update will auto load.
It should restart itself once finished.
Remove SD card.
Go fish!
Mike
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I'm sure there plenty of other elite 5 users not having this problem ?????
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I have a call in to see if there is something I haven't thought of. I know their first question is always "software current?"
My software is 4.0.5.1.11 and the website shows 4.0.5.1.13 so I am not current. I guess we must copy the update to an SD card to install it.
Download to SD card.
Turn unit off.
Put the SD card in the FF.
Turn the FF on and update will auto load.
It should restart itself once finished.
Remove SD card.
Go fish!
Mike
Thanks. I'll install the update and test it this Saturday if the weather cooperates.
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I had mine blink the depth a few times the other day, but it stopped after a while on its own.
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I had mine blink the depth a few times the other day, but it stopped after a while on its own.
That's what mine does. Blink and work at random times it seems.
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OK, word I received today has this:
Load the latest software & then perform a Hard Reset. If you are unable to load the software first, do the Hard Reset then load the latest software.
Be advised. A Hard Reset will delete your waypoints, routes & trails. If you have W, R or T be sure to copy them to a card before you do a Hard Reset or you will loose that data.
This issue has not occurred in all units and has been a random issue. Uploading the most current software is always advised. No different than your phone, computer, etc. These things are electronics after all and they are doing their best to be the leader in marine electronics by bringing you the most innovative features available.
Be sure to keep me posted on the results.
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OK, word I received today has this:
Load the latest software & then perform a Hard Reset. If you are unable to load the software first, do the Hard Reset then load the latest software.
Be advised. A Hard Reset will delete your waypoints, routes & trails. If you have W, R or T be sure to copy them to a card before you do a Hard Reset or you will loose that data.
This issue has not occurred in all units and has been a random issue. Uploading the most current software is always advised. No different than your phone, computer, etc. These things are electronics after all and they are doing their best to be the leader in marine electronics by bringing you the most innovative features available.
Be sure to keep me posted on the results.
Thanks for checking into it. It sounds like you're saying they're aware of the problem and this is the known fix. I will give it a try.
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Thanks for the update Bill.
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Just passing along their reply. The Hard part, it seems, is that it is spuratic. I haven't been able to get one, myself, to repeat that issue so I have to rely on the experts since I'm just a loley promotional staffer. :smt002
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Sounds like a power/connectivity issue. Are the terminals soldered on...and were the wires tinned beforehand? Does the wire has a solid connection & hold current? Is there a loose pin in the back of the head unit or in the plug?
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I didn't get to do the upgrade before my trip today. It was acting up pretty bad in the morning. I tried restarting it and it came on flashing 60ft and stayed that way for quite a while. I was paddeling in maybe five feet of water. After a couple hours or so it started working. Anyone else try the upgrade yet?
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Ok, I upgraded my DSI to Elite 5 chirp. Updated both units and had 0 problems over 18 hrs of fishing. Also after update i got a cool little battery life indicator on screen! :smt007 Update guys!!! seems to fix it AND YOU GET COOL NEW STUFF TOO!!!! :smt007
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Great news.
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OK, word I received today has this:
Load the latest software & then perform a Hard Reset. If you are unable to load the software first, do the Hard Reset then load the latest software.
Be advised. A Hard Reset will delete your waypoints, routes & trails. If you have W, R or T be sure to copy them to a card before you do a Hard Reset or you will loose that data.
This issue has not occurred in all units and has been a random issue. Uploading the most current software is always advised. No different than your phone, computer, etc. These things are electronics after all and they are doing their best to be the leader in marine electronics by bringing you the most innovative features available.
Be sure to keep me posted on the results.
Ok I am curious now. Is the hard reset the same as restore defaults? Lucky for me this finder is new to me and I really don't have any waypoints I was worried about. Most of them were imported from my humminbird and I still have them saved. When I inserted the sd card with update I expected to get a warning saying your are about to update, this will erase all waypoints, giving me a chance to abort and save them. No such luck. It started up displaying a screen saying update in progress, don't power down or remove card. After it was done my waypoints were gone. When I tried to do the reset all I can find is the restore to defaults. When I choose that it say I will not lose any waypoints. I'm not sure if things work a little differently than you thought or what. I do want to make sure people know that they will lose all their waypoints with a system update. Save your files!
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Ok, I upgraded my DSI to Elite 5 chirp. Updated both units and had 0 problems over 18 hrs of fishing. Also after update i got a cool little battery life indicator on screen! :smt007 Update guys!!! seems to fix it AND YOU GET COOL NEW STUFF TOO!!!! :smt007
I didn't get the batter life indicator. :smt010 I can turn on battery voltage. Any idea how to make it display?
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OK, word I received today has this:
Load the latest software & then perform a Hard Reset. If you are unable to load the software first, do the Hard Reset then load the latest software.
Be advised. A Hard Reset will delete your waypoints, routes & trails. If you have W, R or T be sure to copy them to a card before you do a Hard Reset or you will loose that data.
This issue has not occurred in all units and has been a random issue. Uploading the most current software is always advised. No different than your phone, computer, etc. These things are electronics after all and they are doing their best to be the leader in marine electronics by bringing you the most innovative features available.
Be sure to keep me posted on the results.
Ok I am curious now. Is the hard reset the same as restore defaults? Lucky for me this finder is new to me and I really don't have any waypoints I was worried about. Most of them were imported from my humminbird and I still have them saved. When I inserted the sd card with update I expected to get a warning saying your are about to update, this will erase all waypoints, giving me a chance to abort and save them. No such luck. It started up displaying a screen saying update in progress, don't power down or remove card. After it was done my waypoints were gone. When I tried to do the reset all I can find is the restore to defaults. When I choose that it say I will not lose any waypoints. I'm not sure if things work a little differently than you thought or what. I do want to make sure people know that they will lose all their waypoints with a system update. Save your files!
Hard Reset basically wipes the unit clean of any settings, uploads, points, trails, routes, etc... anything you might have loaded or set in the unit. It is a "fresh start" if you will. Then you upload the new software. I've uploaded a lot of units over the past week with no issues noted so far. It is suggested to upload new versions of software as they come out. This is generally comes up 1-2x during the first couple years a product is out but they do support products in excess of 10 years old via software so.....
Did you do the 'Hard Reset' before you uploaded the new software? A 'Hard Reset' will erase all waypoints & I believe I noted that fairly well. I have never noted a Software Update to erase waypoints in any unit I've come across thus far. .......and yes, you always want to backup your waypoints. Treat it like a computer, phone, tablet, etc... backup often as you would with any electronic device because once it's gone, it's gone. Same goes for sending in ANY unit for service. You WILL loose all your data on the unit if you ever have to send it in for service, warranty, etc...
P.S. I got to play with the new Elite Ti 7 today :smt003
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Ok, I upgraded my DSI to Elite 5 chirp. Updated both units and had 0 problems over 18 hrs of fishing. Also after update i got a cool little battery life indicator on screen! :smt007 Update guys!!! seems to fix it AND YOU GET COOL NEW STUFF TOO!!!! :smt007
I didn't get the batter life indicator. :smt010 I can turn on battery voltage. Any idea how to make it display?
http://berleypro.com/how-to-show-battery-voltage-on-your-lowrance-fish-finder/
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OK, word I received today has this:
Load the latest software & then perform a Hard Reset. If you are unable to load the software first, do the Hard Reset then load the latest software.
Be advised. A Hard Reset will delete your waypoints, routes & trails. If you have W, R or T be sure to copy them to a card before you do a Hard Reset or you will loose that data.
This issue has not occurred in all units and has been a random issue. Uploading the most current software is always advised. No different than your phone, computer, etc. These things are electronics after all and they are doing their best to be the leader in marine electronics by bringing you the most innovative features available.
Be sure to keep me posted on the results.
Ok I am curious now. Is the hard reset the same as restore defaults? Lucky for me this finder is new to me and I really don't have any waypoints I was worried about. Most of them were imported from my humminbird and I still have them saved. When I inserted the sd card with update I expected to get a warning saying your are about to update, this will erase all waypoints, giving me a chance to abort and save them. No such luck. It started up displaying a screen saying update in progress, don't power down or remove card. After it was done my waypoints were gone. When I tried to do the reset all I can find is the restore to defaults. When I choose that it say I will not lose any waypoints. I'm not sure if things work a little differently than you thought or what. I do want to make sure people know that they will lose all their waypoints with a system update. Save your files!
Hard Reset basically wipes the unit clean of any settings, uploads, points, trails, routes, etc... anything you might have loaded or set in the unit. It is a "fresh start" if you will. Then you upload the new software. I've uploaded a lot of units over the past week with no issues noted so far. It is suggested to upload new versions of software as they come out. This is generally comes up 1-2x during the first couple years a product is out but they do support products in excess of 10 years old via software so.....
Did you do the 'Hard Reset' before you uploaded the new software? A 'Hard Reset' will erase all waypoints & I believe I noted that fairly well. I have never noted a Software Update to erase waypoints in any unit I've come across thus far. .......and yes, you always want to backup your waypoints. Treat it like a computer, phone, tablet, etc... backup often as you would with any electronic device because once it's gone, it's gone. Same goes for sending in ANY unit for service. You WILL loose all your data on the unit if you ever have to send it in for service, warranty, etc...
P.S. I got to play with the new Elite Ti 7 today :smt003
I did not find a "Hard Reset" command. I found a restore defaults command which does not erase waypoints. You did make it clear the hard reset would erase everything, but since I only installed the update I didn't expect that to happen per your instructions. If there is a hard reset command I would need to know the menu location or key press sequence used to initiate it. The "manual" seems to only mention the restore to factory defaults command. How do I execute the hard reset?
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Ok, I upgraded my DSI to Elite 5 chirp. Updated both units and had 0 problems over 18 hrs of fishing. Also after update i got a cool little battery life indicator on screen! :smt007 Update guys!!! seems to fix it AND YOU GET COOL NEW STUFF TOO!!!! :smt007
I didn't get the batter life indicator. :smt010 I can turn on battery voltage. Any idea how to make it display?
http://berleypro.com/how-to-show-battery-voltage-on-your-lowrance-fish-finder/
Maybe I misunderstood what he meant. As I said I found the battery voltage overlay. When he said "battery life indicator" I expected something like my cell phone has showing a full or half full or empty battery indicator.
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How do I execute the hard reset?
HDI and Chirp Resets
Soft Reset
1. Turn unit OFF
2. Press and hold the PAGES key
3. Press and Release the PWR key
4. Release all buttons when the USA map appears
Hard Reset
1. Turn unit OFF
2. Press and hold the + & - Keys at the same time
3. Press and Release the PWR key
4. Release all buttons when the USA map appears
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How do I execute the hard reset?
HDI and Chirp Resets
Soft Reset
1. Turn unit OFF
2. Press and hold the PAGES key
3. Press and Release the PWR key
4. Release all buttons when the USA map appears
Hard Reset
1. Turn unit OFF
2. Press and hold the + & - Keys at the same time
3. Press and Release the PWR key
4. Release all buttons when the USA map appears
Is that in the manual? I will give it a try. Thanks!
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No. I don't think it's in the manual. It's a secret ... Shhhhh :smt002
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It might be in the manual. Not certain. Haven't read one yet.
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Today my E-Lite 5 HDI kept flashing 0 depth for over an hour, that's so useful when I really need to check the bottom structure. POS.
Then all of a sudden it came back to life. What give ?
This unit has latest software version btw.
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Today my E-Lite 5 HDI kept flashing 0 depth for over an hour, that's so useful when I really need to check the bottom structure. POS.
Then all of a sudden it came back to life. What give ?
This unit has latest software version btw.
I've updated my software but haven't done a hard reset yet. I think I'll use it some before I do the reset. I wonder if the problem is software or hardware related.
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Today my E-Lite 5 HDI kept flashing 0 depth for over an hour, that's so useful when I really need to check the bottom structure. POS.
Then all of a sudden it came back to life. What give ?
This unit has latest software version btw.
Without knowing every setting, etc. In your unit It's hard to pinpoint. I'd do a 'Restore Defaults' so you can reconfirm you put all the right settings in initially. See it happen too often that it's a matter of not setting unit up correctly. Worst case you can reach out to to support for guidance if needed.
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I got to use it today after the software update. It never flashed the depth at all during six hours of use. I have not done the hard reset yet. I also did one thing differently today. Usually I attach the cables to the head unit before attaching the battery. I've been struggling with the positive wire attachent since I made the new setup for this unit. For some reason it get pushed off as I put the battery into its lock n lock container. I have to fiddle with it several times to get it to go in right. Once I get it right it stays on with no problem. Until then the power is applied and removed several times. I don't know if the unit powers up in any way even though it is still turned off. I thought the connecting and disconnecting could be causing problems. Today I didn't connect the cable to the head unit until I got the battery hooked up right. I'll experiment to see if it makes a difference which order I do it in. Either way, it worked right today so that is an improvement. :smt003
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I'm watching this thread, have an elite HDI 5 ( non chirp ) , only time mine flashes was when I'm in less than 2 ' fow or the water leaked out of the water bath. I have since used a self leveling silicone made for RV's instead of water and haven't had any problems since . I have been back over areas I've been before without noticeable difference .
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I'm watching this thread, have an elite HDI 5 ( non chirp ) , only time mine flashes was when I'm in less than 2 ' fow or the water leaked out of the water bath. I have since used a self leveling silicone made for RV's instead of water and haven't had any problems since . I have been back over areas I've been before without noticeable difference .
I'm using a deployment arm so the transducer is in the water. Glad yours is working
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After a couple trips with no flashing, it started flashing again today. After an hour or so of flashing I did a restore defaults OTW and the flashing stopped. Later in the day I turned it off and back on to see what would happen. The flashing came back. I'm going to try a hard reset before I use it again. So far, a power cycle, restore defaults and firmware upgrade have not cured the problem. Keeping my fingers crossed.
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After a couple trips with no flashing, it started flashing again today. After an hour or so of flashing I did a restore defaults OTW and the flashing stopped. Later in the day I turned it off and back on to see what would happen. The flashing came back. I'm going to try a hard reset before I use it again. So far, a power cycle, restore defaults and firmware upgrade have not cured the problem. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I've been advised that a hard reset & then software upgrade in that order. Still have issues lemme know & we should be able to get it replaced.
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After a couple trips with no flashing, it started flashing again today. After an hour or so of flashing I did a restore defaults OTW and the flashing stopped. Later in the day I turned it off and back on to see what would happen. The flashing came back. I'm going to try a hard reset before I use it again. So far, a power cycle, restore defaults and firmware upgrade have not cured the problem. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I've been advised that a hard reset & then software upgrade in that order. Still have issues lemme know & we should be able to get it replaced.
Do I do an upgrade even if it already has the latest software?
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Be careful how much you change the settings. I managed to screw mine up bad enough that while it showed a nice bottom, it didn't show any fish. I know this because my kayak was right beside another kayak with the same model fish finder showing a pile of fish below us.
I did a reset to factory defaults and suddenly fish showed up.
Good luck!
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I went ahead and did the hard reset. I already had done the firmware upgrade and I assume that won't install if already up to date? Anyway I'll see how it works now.
Is it possible to display depth on the navigation screen. It seems strange that you aren't given depth info while navigating. If you set a course across a reef or something you might never know until you ran aground.
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I've been advised that a hard reset & then software upgrade in that order. Still have issues lemme know & we should be able to get it replaced.
[/quote]
Hey Bill!
Mine is the chirp 5x. No card. How do I upgrade mine? Still have depth flashing issue and the screen will freak out and show crazy vertical lines. Sucks to have to turn it off and on all the time. I don't even take it out half the time any more because I don't trust it, and would rather be fishing than pushing buttons. HELP! It's a very expensive paper weight at this point
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PM sent
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I used it last weekend. It didn't flash for long periods of time. Several times it flashed once but then stopped. It seemed to behave differently when I would remove the transducer from the water. So I'll cross my fingers and hope it is fixed.
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Mine seems to have settled down a bit. It acts up worse when the voltage is low. So I keep it over 12v. I've found that if it is flashing, I can put it in standby for a minute then turn it back on and it's ok again. Worked good yesterday. Flashed a few times but standby and back on would fix it. Got it showing fish by using my anchor as a "fish" and adjusting things until i started seeing it on both chirp and downscan. I'm still hearing ticking though.
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The flashing depth is an indicator that it lost signal with the bottom for a variety of reasons; ping speed, excessive boat speed (haha on a kayak), improper installation, gremlins, etc... If issues persist, by all means reach out to the Lowrance Customer Service & they will promptly replace units under warranty. Still have any issues, feel free to reach out to me anytime! I'll do what I can do from my end to get things resolved.
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Mine seems to have settled down a bit. It acts up worse when the voltage is low. So I keep it over 12v. I've found that if it is flashing, I can put it in standby for a minute then turn it back on and it's ok again. Worked good yesterday. Flashed a few times but standby and back on would fix it. Got it showing fish by using my anchor as a "fish" and adjusting things until i started seeing it on both chirp and downscan. I'm still hearing ticking though.
The ticking is the transducer sound wave .... or is it?!?!?! :smt044
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Mine seems to have settled down a bit. It acts up worse when the voltage is low. So I keep it over 12v. I've found that if it is flashing, I can put it in standby for a minute then turn it back on and it's ok again. Worked good yesterday. Flashed a few times but standby and back on would fix it. Got it showing fish by using my anchor as a "fish" and adjusting things until i started seeing it on both chirp and downscan. I'm still hearing ticking though.
The ticking is the transducer sound wave .... or is it?!?!?! :smt044
Ha!
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I can't find this information: is the Lowrance 000-10976-001 the transducer for the Elite series, both the CHIRP and HDI models? I believe the transducer may have been damaged and want to try replacing it before tossing my hands in the air and screaming obscenities. Lowrance doesn't make it easy.
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I can't find this information: is the Lowrance 000-10876-001 the transducer for the Elite series, both the CHIRP and HDI models? I believe the transducer may have been damaged and want to try replacing it before tossing my hands in the air and screaming obscenities. Lowrance doesn't make it easy.
I have it as 000-10976-001 for the HDI, CHIRP Elite series units.
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Can't believe I mistyped it as "10876".
Thank you.
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Guessed that was the case.
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Mine seems to have settled down a bit. It acts up worse when the voltage is low. So I keep it over 12v. I've found that if it is flashing, I can put it in standby for a minute then turn it back on and it's ok again. Worked good yesterday. Flashed a few times but standby and back on would fix it. Got it showing fish by using my anchor as a "fish" and adjusting things until i started seeing it on both chirp and downscan. I'm still hearing ticking though.
The ticking is the transducer sound wave .... or is it?!?!?! :smt044
Ha!
Hearing check complete.... bat status level.....😆
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Well I don't know what else to do at this point. I was fishing in 120ft of water and it was reading 10. I sure am disappointed. It seems that it works better if I keep it on the auto depth setting. I did a reset and it came back to normal for a while.
http://youtu.be/6j011FBNp1Q
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It didn't even make it the rest of the day before it fouled up again. I wonder if Lowrance will make this right.
http://youtu.be/4mn1ZHXsrmY
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The flashing depth is an indicator that it lost signal with the bottom for a variety of reasons; ping speed, excessive boat speed (haha on a kayak), improper installation, gremlins, etc... If issues persist, by all means reach out to the Lowrance Customer Service & they will promptly replace units under warranty. Still have any issues, feel free to reach out to me anytime! I'll do what I can do from my end to get things resolved.
At this point is there anything you can do at your end to get this resolved? Any suggestions on who to call or what to tell them? Thanks.
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The flashing depth is an indicator that it lost signal with the bottom for a variety of reasons; ping speed, excessive boat speed (haha on a kayak), improper installation, gremlins, etc... If issues persist, by all means reach out to the Lowrance Customer Service & they will promptly replace units under warranty. Still have any issues, feel free to reach out to me anytime! I'll do what I can do from my end to get things resolved.
At this point is there anything you can do at your end to get this resolved? Any suggestions on who to call or what to tell them? Thanks.
I replied to your PM & now you take it to an open forum ... interesting.
As I said in the PM, your incident is beyond what I've managed to experience. I'd highly suggest you contact the Lowrance tech support line for assistance. Sometimes these issues are above a Pro Staff members service abilities. Their toll free number is on their web site.
What do you tell them? Tell them what it is doing, when it's doing it, in what depths, at what speeds, on what type of boat (or a kayak) and most importantly what you have done so far to attempt a remedy to the situation. They may want to replace or ???? Id make the call as suggested a while back.
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The flashing depth is an indicator that it lost signal with the bottom for a variety of reasons; ping speed, excessive boat speed (haha on a kayak), improper installation, gremlins, etc... If issues persist, by all means reach out to the Lowrance Customer Service & they will promptly replace units under warranty. Still have any issues, feel free to reach out to me anytime! I'll do what I can do from my end to get things resolved.
At this point is there anything you can do at your end to get this resolved? Any suggestions on who to call or what to tell them? Thanks.
I replied to your PM & now you take it to an open forum ... interesting.
As I said in the PM, your incident is beyond what I've managed to experience. I'd highly suggest you contact the Lowrance tech support line for assistance. Sometimes these issues are above a Pro Staff members service abilities. Their toll free number is on their web site.
What do you tell them? Tell them what it is doing, when it's doing it, in what depths, at what speeds, on what type of boat (or a kayak) and most importantly what you have done so far to attempt a remedy to the situation. They may want to replace or ???? Id make the call as suggested a while back.
My apologies. I thought you had offered and forgotten. I guess I was under the impression that you were already in contact with them about this issue in general. If so, I didn't want to start from scratch if someone was already involved. I did not realize you were only responding based on what you had experienced.
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The flashing depth is an indicator that it lost signal with the bottom for a variety of reasons; ping speed, excessive boat speed (haha on a kayak), improper installation, gremlins, etc... If issues persist, by all means reach out to the Lowrance Customer Service & they will promptly replace units under warranty. Still have any issues, feel free to reach out to me anytime! I'll do what I can do from my end to get things resolved.
At this point is there anything you can do at your end to get this resolved? Any suggestions on who to call or what to tell them? Thanks.
I replied to your PM & now you take it to an open forum ... interesting.
As I said in the PM, your incident is beyond what I've managed to experience. I'd highly suggest you contact the Lowrance tech support line for assistance. Sometimes these issues are above a Pro Staff members service abilities. Their toll free number is on their web site.
What do you tell them? Tell them what it is doing, when it's doing it, in what depths, at what speeds, on what type of boat (or a kayak) and most importantly what you have done so far to attempt a remedy to the situation. They may want to replace or ???? Id make the call as suggested a while back.
My apologies. I thought you had offered and forgotten. I guess I was under the impression that you were already in contact with them about this issue in general. If so, I didn't want to start from scratch if someone was already involved. I did not realize you were only responding based on what you had experienced.
It's a mix of experience AND calls (myself) to reps and tech support guys. Thus far, based on those I've personally worked with, the hard reset followed by a software update has solved the issue you are mentioning. This assumes it isn't related to a bad transducer install, bad wiring or bad battery - all issues I cannot fix from afar. So that you don't run out of your 1-year warranty period, I'd get it in front of a tech support person at Lowrance. This will get a help ticket generated and get you "in the system". I wish I could resolve all issues and I do attempt to do what I can do. Sometimes I fall short of making everything all right.
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I was preparing to do an update in my E-7 chirp and ran into questions....I have an existing 16 card in it with a mapping software for offshore. Do I use this same card to download the update from the web? Should i use a different card? Will the update load into the units hard drive or does the card have to stay in the unit for it operate?
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Don't use that map card. It could become corrupted. Use a blank card. File is really small in size. Power off. Remove map card. Insert 'update' card. Power up. Follow prompts. It will tell you to remove card after upload. Once you remove card, it will power off on its own. Power back up. After it powers up, you can go to System > About & see if the latest update loaded. You can turn unit off & then insert your map card & back to fishing.
Hope this helps.
Bill
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thats what i needed, thx
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did the hard reset, did the latest update, set the Volt and time on display....went smooth. Now just need to get out n try it.
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I ended up sending it in for warranty service. I got nice emails updating me on the status. Then I got a repeat email stating it was with a service tech. The next thing was a package at my door. They had returned it to me with no notice or explanation. I responded to the email chain we had going to ask what the outcome was. They never replied to explain what if anything was done to my unit. I used it again last weekend. I left it setup as it was when they returned it. I didn't put in a map card. When I turned it on it was set at the depth level of 5 feet. It was reading a couple feet deep as I paddled out. After a bit I started to expect I was in deeper water than it said. I changed the setting to auto with no improvement. Then I changed it to 100 feet and it started to read the bottom, which was around 20 feet at the time. It doesn't seem to me that it is fixed based on that. I used it the rest of the day and it acted normally. The depth reading didn't flash. That has always been intermittent so I'll have to wait and see if it happens again.
If the lake is 150ft deep and I am targeting fish at 40-50ft down I want to set it at 60ft so the area I am working fills the screen. Otherwise if it is set at 150ft, the zone I am fishing is much smaller on the display. Anyone else notice a problem if the depth is set to a number shallower than the bottom?
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Ken,
PM me your phone number and I'll call you. Make sure you have your instruction booklet handy cause I'm gong to go through it with you on demo mode.
Mike
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PM sent.
I took it out around Liberty Island yesterday and tested it some. I still get the flashing number. Am I the only one with this problem or am I the only one that uses my FF this way? If the lake is 150ft deep and the trout are 30ft deep I set it so the display only shows the top 40ft of the water column. That way everything displayed is larger and easier to see. For some reason my FF doesn't like that. If the water is deeper than the setting I've chosen it acts up. I guess the warranty tech was unable to figure it out so they just sent it back to me. It would have been nice if they had explained what they were doing.
https://youtu.be/am6KAuVtob4
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I have a very similar situation. I have an Elite 4 DSI, about 3 years old. The transducer is mounted in my Hobie in the transducer well. It has always worked great--until last week. I was at Klamath the week before and had no problems; depth, bottom structure, fish, GPS, Steer and Chart, water temp and speed all worked perfectly.
Labor Day Weekend weekend I went to New Melones. Depth, temp, and bottom structure went haywire. I had a flashing 60 for depth, no bottom structure, and water temp of 122. I tried restarting the unit, adjusting different settings, different colors, and different depth ranges. The best output I could produce was a flashing depth with no bottom structure, tree structure or fish. Water temp stayed at 122. Lowrance Customer Support was not available on the holiday weekend and there is no trouble shooting section in the manual.
I called Lowrance Customer Service Department when I got home. I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with a very helpful tech. I have the latest software and we did soft re-sets and hard re-sets. I checked battery voltage, 12.6. I checked wiring and battery connections. I even put my Kayak in the swimming pool with similar results. Water temp did work accurately.
Yesterday I recharged the battery, re-checked all connections, and removed and checked the transducer. I then took the kayak to Shadow Cliffs and parked in a nice shady spot in about 6 feet of water. I could see the vegetation on the bottom and lots of fingerling fish, plus a curious bass that had to be four pounds. I turned on the Lowrance and it confirmed that I was in 6.0 feet of water, but with no bottom structure.. That reading lasted about two minutes; then I got my blank screen with a flashing 60. I called Lowrance. We went through the resets again, each time getting a different result, but no correct depth or bottom structure. The Simulator and water temp did work.
I asked the customer service rep what options were available to me. I was told that I could send the unit in and have it bench checked. If the unit was found to be faulty, I could get a replacement, or upgrade to a new and improved model for a reasonable charge. If the unit bench-checked OK, it would be sent back to me and I would be charged $65. If the problems re-occured, I would have to send the unit back again, for another $65. The service rep also told me that I should find someone who has the same unit and test my unit, using the transducer on the other unit. I asked if I could send my transducer in to be checked. The answer was "NO," they do not check transducers, even though they sell them with the units, and they may be the source of the problem.
I asked if could just trade my unit in on a new unit rather than pay $65, plus shipping, for a good chance of still having a non-working piece of equipment. The answer again was "NO."
It appears that Lowrance does not warranty or bench test their transducers, they do not warranty against an intermittent problem that doesn't show up in a bench test, and they really don't care what customers think about their service policy.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Doug
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I took video of mine malfunctioning. I put it on YouTube and included a link when I emailed them. They sent me a new transducer that didn't fix my problem. They then had me send in the unit. They haven't fixed the problem and they haven't charged me either.
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Traildad
Did they send your unit back?
I just sent the info in my post to Lowrance. I asked for a replacement unit.
I will post when I receive a reply.
Doug
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Traildad
Did they send your unit back?
I just sent the info in my post to Lowrance. I asked for a replacement unit.
I will post when I receive a reply.
Doug
They will likely have you ship them your unit before they decide to replace it. I sent mine in, they sent it back but it wasn't fixed.
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They do need to follow due process for warranty & simply asking to upgrade w/o them testing a unit isn't exactly a realistic request. Most of the transducers sold y Lowrance are made by Airman. Lowrance does not test transducers; correct. They do have a 1 year warranty on the unit but at three years you would be well outside the period. I believe the bench test fee would be applied towards a replacement unit if found to be broken. Transducers cannot be repaired so that would have to be replaced if bad. On a three year old, basic unit, the cost of replacing a transducer vs. a whole new (modern) unit is a choice you would need to weigh out.
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FishingForTheCure
I would be glad to send them the unit. I would not be glad to pay $65. and have my unit sent back, not working, as they did with Traildad. September is my fishing month. I need a unit that works. Whether it is a Lowrance is not my highest priority.
I did some diagnostics on the voltage and current of my Lowrance unit, and my connections to the battery. I have zero ohms in my fuse and connectors. I also wired the Lowrance harness directly to the battery, without my wiring connections or the fuse. The unit's readings were the same. Do you know the normal operating DC current of a an Elite 4 DSI?
Thanks for you input and your expertise.
Doug
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FishingForTheCure
I would be glad to send them the unit. I would not be glad to pay $65. and have my unit sent back, not working, as they did with Traildad. September is my fishing month. I need a unit that works. Whether it is a Lowrance is not my highest priority.
I did some diagnostics on the voltage and current of my Lowrance unit, and my connections to the battery. I have zero ohms in my fuse and connectors. I also wired the Lowrance harness directly to the battery, without my wiring connections or the fuse. The unit's readings were the same. Do you know the normal operating DC current of a an Elite 4 DSI?
Thanks for you input and your expertise.
Doug
Amperage draw should be less than 1amp. Voltage can go into the low 11volt rage IF it can support the amperage draw.
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FFTC
Thanks for the quick response. The current on my unit was .4 amps @12.9 volts, with the battery fresh off of the charger. I doubt if that reading is diagnostic enough to determine whether the transducer is operating.
I will wait for a response from my email to Lowrance. I understand that they don't want to replace a unit that is working properly. However, having the warranty/replacement policy apply to the whole system that is purchased, not just the "black box," seems reasonable. The problem could be in the transducer, in-line filter, cable connecter, or the cable itself. Most people, Traildad and myself included, don't read the fine print that says the warranty only applies to the black box and not to intermittent defects that don't show up on a bench test.
There is a another manufacturer that provides for a flat rate replacement for a unit that is defective or damaged. The flat rate fee can also be applied to the purchase of an upgraded unit at a reduced cost. That policy seems to protect the buyer and the manufacturer. If my unit is not replaced, I know which which policy my new unit will have, even though I have two Elite 5's in my bass boat.
Thanks again for your response and sharing your product knowledge.
Doug
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I sent them links to videos showing the malfunction and reminding them it had been sent in once already. They sent me an RMA saying they will replace the unit. I hope that solves the problem for me.
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I need a new unit for my PB. The one I have was purchased in 2005. Based on this thread, I will certainly not be purchasing a Lowrance FF. I need one that is dummy proof and bullet proof.
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I know West Marine offers warranty options. Bass Pro may as well.
I believe the warranty on the Lowrance is in-line/same as all the other manufacturers. For most of us, we are dealing with the bottom most units that the corresponding manufacturers are producing. These manufacturers help to support & rely on the distributors to offer extended warranty options beyond the mfg 1 year period.
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I'm not ready to give up on them yet. Everyone has a few bad ones in every batch. I wonder how many people feel the same about the other brands. It seems that most of the people on this thread were able to resolve the problem with a hard reset. Hopefully the replacement unit will live up to the Lowrance name.
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They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.
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They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.
Sounds like an issue with your 3rd party program.
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They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.
Sounds like an issue with your 3rd party program.
You think so? It has worked fine up till now. I have a unit that is getting sent back to the factory for the second time because it wacks out for no good reason and you think the program that has worked flawlessly for years is the problem? The converter still is able to convert files I saved from the first time I sent it back. So I'm hard pressed to figure how an issue with my 3rd party program would allow it to work fine with the files I saved before I sent it in and fail with the file I saved after they returned it to me. I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't bet money that the software is at fault.
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They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.
Sounds like an issue with your 3rd party program.
You think so? It has worked fine up till now. I have a unit that is getting sent back to the factory for the second time because it wacks out for no good reason and you think the program that has worked flawlessly for years is the problem? The converter still is able to convert files I saved from the first time I sent it back. So I'm hard pressed to figure how an issue with my 3rd party program would allow it to work fine with the files I saved before I sent it in and fail with the file I saved after they returned it to me. I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't bet money that the software is at fault.
Could be a corrupt waypoint but I'd assume the unit wouldn't read it's own waypoint if that were the case. There are a number of documented cases of issues with third party software, some of which could have been caused by the unit but generally the GPS unit itself won't read the waypoint either. But hey ... What do I know :smt005
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They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.
Sounds like an issue with your 3rd party program.
You think so? It has worked fine up till now. I have a unit that is getting sent back to the factory for the second time because it wacks out for no good reason and you think the program that has worked flawlessly for years is the problem? The converter still is able to convert files I saved from the first time I sent it back. So I'm hard pressed to figure how an issue with my 3rd party program would allow it to work fine with the files I saved before I sent it in and fail with the file I saved after they returned it to me. I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't bet money that the software is at fault.
Could be a corrupt waypoint but I'd assume the unit wouldn't read it's own waypoint if that were the case. There are a number of documented cases of issues with third party software, some of which could have been caused by the unit but generally the GPS unit itself won't read the waypoint either. But hey ... What do I know :smt005
The waypoint itself is not the problem. When it is written to a file the file is corrupted. It's easy to believe that a system that is suffering a problem might have difficulty writing a file. No guarantee, but it doesn't seem unreasonable. Especially since files created before the first service are good and now they are bad. It points to a system malfunction in my opinion. I didn't bother doing another hard reset. That would have erased the waypoint and it's going back to the factory so it wasn't worth exploring any farther. Luckily it was only one waypoint I needed so I manually saved it.
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Hopefully the problem is solved.
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When all else fails, read the manual.
After getting a new Hook series to replace the Elite Chirp and finding that it also flashes when changing the lower range, I decided to do more research. This is what I found.
The lower range setting is discussed in the Elite Chirp manual.
Page 19 Elite 5 manual
Range:
Selects the deepest range shown on the display. Range settings display the section of the water column from the water surface to the selected depth range. If you select too shallow a depth range, the unit will not be able to lock onto the bottom.
i never looked it up in the manual since I already knew how to make this adjustment. I guess I'm not the only one since none of the techs at Lowrance (or anyone else) ever mentioned it and they sent me a new transducer and a new unit trying to fix it.
The Humminbird manual describes the feature a little differently.
Page 52 in the manual for a helix 5DI
For example, if you are fishing in 60 feet of water but are only interested in the first 30 feet (surface to a depth of 30 feet) you should set the Lower Depth Range limit to 30. The display will show the 0 to 30 foot range, which allows you to see a more detailed view than you would see if the display went all the way to the bottom.
I'm not sure what I want to do. I like adjusting the lower range when trolling for trout. Setting it at 50% of the depth isn't high enough in deep water. It seems that any solution I have comes with it's own set of problems. I may just use my older Humminbird when I want this feature. I don't know why Lowrance units do this but I guess it's good that it's not a defective unit. Thanks to everyone for trying to help.
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Most users set the range to Auto. :smt002
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Most users set the range to Auto. :smt002
I'm special! :smt004
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Most users set the range to Auto. :smt002
I'm special! :smt004
There are times when using a custom depth range is helpful IF you stay mindful of your depth. Well done sir!
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Most users set the range to Auto. :smt002
I'm special! :smt004
There are times when using a custom depth range is helpful IF you stay mindful of your depth. Well done sir!
I agree. That's why a working depth reading is important. It's good to know when your Downrigger is getting close to the bottom while you have time to react.