problem with gps/sounder

[saltybeaver]

So I have been dealing with these problems for a couple weeks the antenna fuse would keep blowing so I called lowrance and they tone me they think it is the head sooo 280 to replace my 335c gps/sounder so in stead of that I got a good deal on a new lowrance 3300c gps for 200 so I have a 5" display for just my gps and I use my ould unit for my sounder ....thats great but the fuse on the new unit keeps blowing too it.it does not blow until I hook the power cord into the back of the unit . I have unhooked it all and tried hooking it to a battery with nothing else attached but it will keep blowing I have switched my ground around, I have bought a new antenna. I have test the batteries everything seems fine , one thing that is fishy is that my battery gage when turned on reads past 16 I believe is should read around 13 I believe this is just a faulty gage. This is now getting pretty pricy any body run into these problems?? help meeeeeee.

thanks for your help
chris

 

[danthewire]

Kind of hard to figure it out without the unit in front of me,but if you have the fuse blow as soon as you plug it in with the unit turned off it is a problem with the leads going into your set ahead of the on off switch.It could be right where it goes into the set.Or where it is soldered to the printed circuit board. If it is fine until you plug the antenna in then it is a problem with the antenna.Do you have the proper size fuses in place?The battery gauage sounds faulty.Fuses blow for a short circiut [no load between positive and negative]so look for the wires touching each other before the on off.It could also be in the printed circuit board a componet could have ruptured but that would be after the on off.If it is a electronic part the manufacturer is proably your best bet.hope that helps DAN

 

[saltybeaver]

thanks Dan gives me a couple more things to try .

 

[saltybeaver]

Dan when you say leads going into the set ahead of the on off switch are you talking the battery on off switch or the GPS unit? What is this SET you are reffuring too?
Thank you

 

[saltybeaver]

.

 

[MyEscape]

Had the exact same thing happening on a boat. Was the cord from the unit to the antenna was shorting out.

Cheers ME

 

[saltybeaver]

Now that I think about it when it did work every time I would touch the antenna cord it would start agian . Thanks Myescape I still have to get the picturs for c.s .

 

[danthewire]

E mail me Chris, include your phone # it might be easier to sort it out over the phone its usally something minor.danthewire@shaw.ca DAN

 

[danthewire]

delete the minor part DAN

 

[saltybeaver]

email sent thanks guys

 

[Kisinana]

From what I read the only thing that you have in common between your old and new system is the antenna cable. This would lead me to suspect it. When you bought your new antenna did it come with a new cable? If so try plugging it in to you unit. I would look at the plug end to your antenna as this is subjected to the weather and you may have micro cracks in the plastic casing.

 

[SIR]

I made the assumption that when you bought the new antenna you got a new cable as on mine the cable is hard wired..... but if you didn't take a multimeter and do a continuity test between the center conductor pin and the threaded outer part of the connector (which transfers the ground thru to the unit). If you get continuity you have a shorted cable.

Sometimes when they make the cables a strand of the outer braid gets smushed behind the connector and shorts to the center pin. There is no way to see it as it's behind the wall of the connector but it's easy to test for with a multimeter with a continuity test function.

Smushed is of course the highly technical term

If it's shorted you can just cut off the connector and put a new one on. Wire stripper and crimp tool required, which if you don't have will likely cost more than a new cable

Good luck

 

[saltybeaver]

Thanks for the help guys I have a new atenna wire but does not seem to be the problem.
The only thing I changed was haveing the atenna power cord hooked up to the main power source instead of above the Main(head) power cord fuse. It works, but kinda scared to disconect the heads now that it works.aslong as I have it for tahsis next weekend .
Thank you Dan for running over everything with me on the phone !

 

[danthewire]

Chris if you come down this way to fish give me a call.DAN