Help.....did I just smoke my new to me Garmin Striker Vivid 9sv?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Very nice used unit.    Just picked it up yesterday and wanted to check it out so I set it up last night....worked perfectly.

 

Then today I set it up and start fishing at 1:30pm........5:45pm the unit powers off, and won't power on again.  Until then it was working flawlessly. 

 

It's being using on the same 12v battery as the 50lb thrust TM, and I could tell the battery was running low by the speed of the trolling motor when the Garmin died.     That would be my obvious conclusion of the problem, BUT when undoing the nuts on the battery terminals to remove the battery for charging, I noticed the red lead on the Garmin power cord had a small section where it would have been under the nut that is blackened.

 

So did it die because I just didn't have enough juice in the single battery running both it and the trolling motor, OR did I fry it somehow and the small burnt area of the red lead is the culprit.

 

Dang I feel like an idiot, and hope I didn't just blow 500 lol.   Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

[Scott F]

Modern GPS/depth finders are very picky about supply voltages. If the voltage drops even a little, they just shut off. Just one of the reasons not to use the same battery for your trolling motor and depth finder

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Modern GPS/depth finders are very picky about supply voltages. If the voltage drops even a little, they just shut off. Just one of the reasons not to use the same battery for your trolling motor and depth finder

Thank you for replying......I'm wigging out like a stoner at a Dead show right now haha.   

[LonnieP]

Did you install an inline fuse in the positive wire? If so, it would have blown the fuse before it burned anything up. Like stated above, it probably turned off when you’re voltage dropped on the battery.

[12poundbass]

Like @LonnieP said, it should’ve had an inline fuse to protect it. 
 

Get another batter so you’re not just using one, hook it up, and go fish.

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Like @LonnieP said, it should’ve had an inline fuse to protect it. 
 

Get another batter so you’re not just using one, hook it up, and go fish.

Ya, I've got mine triple protected. Inline fuse at the unit, power comes from a central fuse box..so another fuse there...main power goes battery->circuit breaker->fuse box.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

22 minutes ago, LonnieP said:

Did you install an inline fuse in the positive wire? If so, it would have blown the fuse before it burned anything up. Like stated above, it probably turned off when you’re voltage dropped on the battery.

Yeah it came with that setup, and I just checked the fuse.....which looks a-okay.   

 

Thanks for the reply and help brother! 

10 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Like @LonnieP said, it should’ve had an inline fuse to protect it. 
 

Get another batter so you’re not just using one, hook it up, and go fish.

10-4 on that brother, and thanks for your help!    

 

I was planning on a second battery anyways as this lake being electric only chews up the batteries when moving from spot to spot.     

 

Hoping to build a new deck boat just for the lake, and in the interim using this d**n V hull jon boat.   It's only second from fishing the bank lmao 

[txchaser]

FYI there's probably a way to get voltage as an overlay or on one of the info screens. May help you see what's up.

For what it's worth, the difference between digital variable speed transom mount motors and the five speed is something like 3-4x battery life. 

[MN Fisher]

12 minutes ago, txchaser said:

FYI there's probably a way to get voltage as an overlay or on one of the info screens. May help you see what's up.

Unless unless you specifically turn it off in the options - one of the standard things displayed is voltage.

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, MN Fisher said:

Unless they really changed the software between the Plus model and the Vivid - one of the standard things displayed is voltage.

 

Mine was, and I was paying attention to that, but I guess I wasn't the last hour or so, and I guess it dropped below the threshold for voltage if I'm interpreting the help I'm getting correctly.    

 

When it was working, I felt like a Wizard, and finally found an offshore place a buddy showed me years ago.....and pulled a fish on the location.   Caught another fish because of it as well.   I had fallen in complete love until I thought I fried it.....talk about a turn of emotions.  

16 minutes ago, txchaser said:

FYI there's probably a way to get voltage as an overlay or on one of the info screens. May help you see what's up.

For what it's worth, the difference between digital variable speed transom mount motors and the five speed is something like 3-4x battery life. 

Dang that's crazy, and very good to know as again I hope to set up a dedicated deck boat for this lake with front and rear motors.    I'll have to spend the money and get a nice variable speed one.   I had no idea or I would have likely bought one for the first.   I did get a brand new Endura 50lb for 180 off FB though

Likely a dumb question, but is it okay to cut this small section of black/burnt lead wiring away? 

[txchaser]

11 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Likely a dumb question, but is it okay to cut this small section of black/burnt lead wiring away? 

Chop chop, it's just wire

 

[MN Fisher]

14 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Likely a dumb question, but is it okay to cut this small section of black/burnt lead wiring away? 

 

Oh ya - long as you have enough wire after the fuse to make a connection, you can cut it as short as you want.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, txchaser said:

Chop chop, it's just wire

 

You guys are awesome, really do appreciate the help.    It's not easy being a newbie lol 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, MN Fisher said:

Oh ya - long as you have enough wire after the fuse to make a connection, you can cut it as short as you want.

Awesome, thanks again brother!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Awesome stuff guys, it was just a juice issue, and I cut and stripped a new section of lead wire.

 

[MN Fisher]

Glad we could help, man.

[Kirtley Howe]

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Awesome stuff guys, it was just a juice issue, aampsnd I cut and stripped a new section of lead wire.

 

Just something to remember.....(over simplified, but useful) electric power consists of 2 parts.  Amps and volts. If your equipment can't get the volts it needs, it will try to make up the difference (so to speak) in Amps. That may explain the burned section of wire....I don't know why your circuit breaker and or fuses did not blow, but my guess would be that the draw was just momentary before the unit shut down and they just did not have time to blow. Anyway, it was good to hear that the unit is OK.

[Bankc]

There's no connector on that wire.  Where you just tying it straight to the battery?  If so, that may have been what caused the wire to burn.  It might not have made a good connection, and due to the increased resistance of the bad connection, overheated the wire at that spot.  I'd get some crimp on connectors (perhaps spade connectors) to connect that wire directly to your battery, or maybe a junction box if you have a lot of things connected to the battery.  You just want a method of giving the device a more solid connection to the battery terminals than bare wire wrapped around a post.  On my kayak, I used to have my fish finder leads soldered to the same connectors as my trolling motor.  

 

Which brings up a second issue.  Your current trolling motor will work fine with your fish finder, as you've noticed.  However, if you upgrade to a variable speed trolling motor, you may find that the trolling motor interferes with the fish finder.  They don't always, but they do sometimes.  If that happens, you'll probably need a second battery for the fish finder, so they're not on the same circuit.  Fortunately, fish finders aren't super power hungry, so you don't usually need a large or expensive one.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

47 minutes ago, Bankc said:

There's no connector on that wire.  Where you just tying it straight to the battery?  If so, that may have been what caused the wire to burn.  It might not have made a good connection, and due to the increased resistance of the bad connection, overheated the wire at that spot.  I'd get some crimp on connectors (perhaps spade connectors) to connect that wire directly to your battery, or maybe a junction box if you have a lot of things connected to the battery.  You just want a method of giving the device a more solid connection to the battery terminals than bare wire wrapped around a post.  On my kayak, I used to have my fish finder leads soldered to the same connectors as my trolling motor.  

 

Which brings up a second issue.  Your current trolling motor will work fine with your fish finder, as you've noticed.  However, if you upgrade to a variable speed trolling motor, you may find that the trolling motor interferes with the fish finder.  They don't always, but they do sometimes.  If that happens, you'll probably need a second battery for the fish finder, so they're not on the same circuit.  Fortunately, fish finders aren't super power hungry, so you don't usually need a large or expensive one.  

wow, very educational post, thanks

 

yes I'm that idiot that has been just running the leads straight on the battery.    guess I'll do it one more time this evening cause I'm about to go out, and then tonight google how to rigged up some connectors.

 

That makes perfect sense, and something I was wondering about yesterday, figured surely there had to be a better way.

[Fishingmickey]

Food for thought Alabama, you'll find not running the trolling motor on high will greatly extend the life of your battery and the distance you can travel. If it is a five speed, try not to run it any higher then three. Running a trolling motor on high can suck a battery down in  hour or less. Or that is my experience anyways.

FM

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, Fishingmickey said:

Food for thought Alabama, you'll find not running the trolling motor on high will greatly extend the life of your battery and the distance you can travel. If it is a five speed, try not to run it any higher then three. Running a trolling motor on high can suck a battery down in  hour or less. Or that is my experience anyways.

FM

Excellent info as I noticed this but only in so much that the difference b/t speed 4 and speed 5 is massive, goes from like low 2mph, to 4-5mph.

 

That said, this lake is huge for an electric motored jon boat.    On speed 5 it would take you 20mins at least to go from one end to other, and that's bypassing another huge offshoot of the lake.    

 

I really need two motors, and 3-4 batteries......I'm sick in the head, I need help, HELP ME PLEASE lol 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Okay seriously I think this is my last request for help, lol.

 

So I want to do what you guys are saying about making a more secure, and easier connect/disconnect method for this power cord situation.    If I could just leave everything in the boat it would be great, but I take the batteries and so forth out each time out.    

 

Are these gator clamps too small?   Will the ring terminals work if I just slide it under the nut of the battery?   I'd rather use  the clamps, and I tried to find bigger ones, along with a bigger ring terminal, no bueno at Lowes 

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Okay seriously I think this is my last request for help, lol.

 

So I want to do what you guys are saying about making a more secure, and easier connect/disconnect method for this power cord situation.    If I could just leave everything in the boat it would be great, but I take the batteries and so forth out each time out.    

 

Are these gator clamps too small?   Will the ring terminals work if I just slide it under the nut of the battery?   I'd rather use  the clamps, and I tried to find bigger ones, along with a bigger ring terminal, no bueno at Lowes 

I would never use those clamps for a battery connection.

 

There are ring terminals available where the ring will fit the battery post and the crimp will fit your wire.

 

Don't 'slap-dash' the connection...that leads to problems like you've already experienced.

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I would never use those clamps for a battery connection.

 

There are ring terminals available where the ring will fit the battery post and the crimp will fit your wire.

 

Don't 'slap-dash' the connection...that leads to problems like you've already experienced.

 

Any chance you could link me such a product brother?   Dang until I get a permanent boat setup, this thing is a real PITA 

 

Thanks for your help!

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Any chance you could link me such a product brother?   Dang until I get a permanent boat setup, this thing is a real PITA 

 

Thanks for your help!

There's these

https://www.boatwireusa.com/products/22-18-awg-heat-shrink-ring-terminal-5-16-hole-25-pack

 

5/16 is standard post size - the supplied power cord for the sonar is normally 18awg.

Heat shrink like this is a two-part process...insert wire so bare part is in the narrower part of the insulating neck...crimp it closed...then apply heat (hair dryer on high will work) and the insulation shrinks down with a bit of internal glue to make the connection waterproof.