When all else fails...

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

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.

Hopefully the problem is solved.

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.

Most users set the range to Auto.   

Most users set the range to Auto.   

I'm special!

Most users set the range to Auto.   

I'm special!

There are times when using a custom depth range is helpful IF you stay mindful of your depth.  Well done sir!

Most users set the range to Auto.   

I'm special!

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.