Issues with Lowrance

[bbaaaasssss]

 I had recently purchased a Raymarine Dragon Fly 7 pro for my kayak and really loved the clear picture, however after 3 trips and tuning and call to their customer service i was unable to remove the "noise" from the screen. It over took the entire page.

So i returned this item and got the Lowrance Elite 7 TI just downscan for my hobie kayak. I got home, eager to play I plugged it in, and the touchscreen did not work. I made a few posts on facebook only to find out if i hold either battery terminal or either wire, it works. But after a few calls to lowrance i was basically told theres nothing they can do, just install it and it will work on the water.. okay thats great and all, but i want to be able to look at maps and mark way points before tournaments. I have found about 9-10 people with this same issue. A few days later i figured ill exchange it and get the total scan. This unit worked perfect, even found a few extra settings in this one that the downscan didnt have which i thought was odd.. But after 1 trip i was annoying with how large the transducer is on a kayak. So back that went for another DI unit .. well.. got home last night.. touchscreen doesnt work again.. until i hold the wires.

Lowrance had no explanation for me on how to better the ground for this unit in my kayak. Just said put it in the water. which i have heard from others works again, buts thats besides the point for a 700$ unit.

 

Anyway. im kinda irritated by the issues, and have exhausted myself researching other units.

Im torn between keeping this TI and using it just on the water.

Getting a Hook 7

Garmin Echompa 73dv

Or hummingbird helix 7 DI

 

My hobie kayak has a special area to take lowrance transducers with a protective cover in the bottom of the hull, they also make adapters for HB

 

What are you guys thoughts on either how to fix my current unit.. or should i go with Gamrin, HB??

[Wayne P.]

It seems your issue is more about YOUR installation than the units.

If you "hold" the wires and it works, that means you have crappy connections.

 

[bbaaaasssss]

yeah thought that was the case to, but i re did everything already. had my father take a look and redo everything.

Its a known issues with lowrance as they say these units have trouble running under 18 amps .. which is over load for a kayak

[eddallen]

Connect either an old transducer, transducer cable, or NMEA2000 cable to the TI unit, let it touch the floor, and the touch screen will work. This is a known issue of 'capacitance feedback' touchscreen units such as the Gen2 or EliteTI.

[bbaaaasssss]

3 hours ago, eddallen said:

Connect either an old transducer, transducer cable, or NMEA2000 cable to the TI unit, let it touch the floor, and the touch screen will work. This is a known issue of 'capacitance feedback' touchscreen units such as the Gen2 or EliteTI.

Lowrances customer service rep told me about this, and I had already tried that, even had the transducers sitting inside a bucket full of water.

I havent had a chance to install this latest unit but I will look over the connections and wiring again, everything is heat shrunk at the moment and tapped up with the fuse installed.

Hoping it atleast works on the water.

[eddallen]

Do you also realize the DSI image of a fish is only a DOT? Have you calibrated the touch screen on these units? It is normally not necessary but might be your key. I believe, since the transducer or NMEA cable trick didn't help, you may have other issues on your boat wiring related. A connected transducer has always done the trick before.

[bigbasshunter]

Goto radio shack or something of the like. Get yourself a power supply for a modem (13v 1-3amps)you may even have one lieing around. Cut off power jack (modem side) and splice in your power and ground from the lowrance harness. No more problems using the unit inside anymore. Works flawlessly with my touch 7.

[KSnapper]

I have just bought and installed and started to use a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti with "Total Scan" ($700).  I wanted to "play" with it to get up to speed and  I too tried to use it indoors and had no response from it other than it did turn on.  I took it and the small 12 vt battery that I was powering  it with outside to a table I have outside but under an roof overhang.  Still no response.  Then I took the outfit out to my boat in the driveway under open sky and it responded.  I figured the problem was all about not having a good GPS signal from the satellites.   I contacted Lowrance about this BS and I have not heard one thing from them.  I am about done with Lowrance.  They continue to disappoint.