Charger Problem?

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

For those who have the MotorGuide 2 bank charger, I have a question. First let me state that I think both of my batteries are getting charged. That being said, when I plug in the charger, my charge indicator (on the charger) for battery 1 goes to full charge and battery 2 shows one to two dots (red to yellow). Even if I leave the charger on for an extended period it will always show this. I have hooked a trickle charger up to each battery after a while and both show charged. It's driving me nuts...Monday I ran the trolling motor heavy to an almost dead battery, low spin state. When I got home I pushed the batt. charge indicator and once again one full one empty. Soooooo, I switch the charger leads to the batteries (thinking one side of the charger might not be working). It showed the same as if I hadn't moved the leads.....is this charger toast?? I know both batteries are charging (at least somewhat) but feel I should have more power and longer run times off of the 67lb tm. Opinions......? BTW, if I switch the tm from 24 to 12 I do get a reduced output but not extreme, like one battery is used up. And yes both batteries are good with no bad cells...FYI



TOXIC

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Tox, if the batteries aren't shorted than I would have to say the charger is on it's way out. Call the mfr and see what it would cost to repair it. Then go buy a Guest! Just my .02 I'm on my second one and have never had a problem and mine get used a LOT!

 

[Thomas Macaluso]

Toxic I

 

[Bill McElroy]

I'm having the same problem with my Minn Kota charger,...so it isn't just MG's!!...My Nitro charger lasted 1 year,...swapped it out for the MK.....that one didn't even last a season (it's on it's way out now anyway!!)

Mac

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Tom Mac,



No problems with the inserts or battery trays, I did have to re-seal the molding around both of the tops of the livewells, really no big deal....Overall, I have been very happy with the rig. If I had to comment, and this is not really a complaint... the overall workmanship of my boat looks a little like it was assembled in a hurry....Now I know assembly line mentality but there are a lot of things that could have been avoided with a little more time and attention to detail. Blemishes, oversprays, crooked screws, bad glue job, yada, yada (all that can be fixed, fixed by me).



Mac, seems to me that a $250.00+ charger ought to last more than one or two years, last time I looked, this thing was mounted to my transom, doesn't unscrew, and not considered "Disposable". No matter WHO makes it!!



TOXIC

 

[Bill McElroy]

no doubt!!....I'm getting sick and tired of piss poor quality from multiple mfgr's!! I simply do NOT have time for this anymore.....I want RELIABILITY!!!...That's NOT too much to ask for in my humble opinion!!

 

[Jim B]

Toxic I had the same problem with the Motorguide charger that i had in my old boat. I also wsnt getting a charge from the bank with the bad lights. Motorguide was quick to send out replacments but they just kept failing. I replaced 4 in one season. ill bet if you take it out of the boat you will see a crack in the potting on the back. I dont think they put a large enough heatsink on those chargers, they get awful hot. My local trolling motor repair guy said he has replaced coultless numbers of these chargers for customers. I ended up throwing that charger in the trash and buying a guest 10 amp three bank. The guest is now three years old and has been in two boats and still works like the day i got it. Any onboard charger should be a plug and forget it thing and the guest gives me that. If you replacethe charger take a look at the guest ones, they work and seem to stay that way.

 

[Greg Meyer]

One thing that learned as a "small business owner" was that; quality costs...upfront...but not in the ned equation. I try to provide the highest quality service at the front end...and at the follow-up service level... It does cost a little more time up front but not over the long haul. It seems that if manufacturers get and keep high qulity staff they get a higher quality product out the door and have fewer warranty and follow-up costs...And, a much happier and loyal customer base... I know my customers have come to expect only the best and are loyal... It took a bit for me to shave profit over the years to maintain that quality but it has paid off... "Detroit" haszx had to learn that the hard way over the last twenty years... I do not think my Ford Truck tyakes a second place to any other manufactured truck in quality but it wqs not always that way... Nitro or any manufacturer "growing" in the business learns as it grows... This years boats are probably better than last years and that will be the trend until the "kinks" are ironed out... From the customer perspective it is the overall cost benefit analysis... Can I tolerate a certain level of frustration to get good value/bang for the buck....



I doubt that Tracker Marine buys seconds but I would imagine that in any "run" of add-on product that they buy, their suppliers success or failure at controlling quality directly impacts on the customer...And, Tracker has to learn ways to get the best from their suppliers...That too is learned. If I were a BUYER at Tracker Marine I would be "culling" based on experience...there is no other place to learn...



BTW, I have learned...buy a Guest Charger...simple for me...

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Ok again, I'm sure I will get nailed for saying what I think, but I believe, gentlemen, what we are seeing is a simple lack of committment to a quality product. We continue to see and hear of these problems. Poor designs, even poorer craftsmanship, and often a lack of customer service response. The days of "make it fast, make it cheap, and sell a lot of them" are over. Nobody wants to go to Wal-Mart and buy a $99 VCR that they have to buy a new one every year. The consumer are proving with their purchases that they would rather spend $250 and have it last 5-8 years and be trouble free. And when there is trouble, it's replaced or repaired no questions asked. I have been looking at lots of boats and though they all have issues, you simply do not hear the sheer number of problems or complaints with other brands that you do with Nitro or Trackers. You don't find screws and other scraps in the bilge of a new Ranger or Triton or Skeeter. I looked at a 17' Skeeter that was being given as a prize that was parked at the shop where Buzz works. It was the bottom of Skeeter's line, but you could still note the difference in craftsmanship. And what is a lifetime warranty if it's only the original owner. That does nothing to help resale value. If your product is good, stand behind it. Ranger does, Basscat does, doesn't matter if you're the 5th owner, a lifetime warranty is a lifetime warranty. People don't like "with strings attached". To me, every single TV-18 owner that owns a 2000 with the transom problems ought to receive a new 2002 hull period. Tracker advertised it as being able to handle a 150 but obviously did not do extensive testing or they would have seen this problem. A customer driven company will fix such a flagrant problem. Look at Merc, they are currently replacing tons of Optis some well out of warranty because they KNOW they have a problem and don't want to lose the customers. Anyway, being in sales and customer service, I could go on and on. IMHO I just feel that the way Tracker continues to conduct much of their business is irresponsible and focused on immediate profit. You may make 5k on my today, but you just lost the 65k you would have made over my lifetime of buying boats, that will now go to "X" company. The boat business is repeat business. I've said that a hundred times. I know I may alienate many for being so blunt, but I will sleep well at night knowing I didn't compromise myself. I would love the opportunity to help Tracker become the world class company it has the potential to be, but until certain fundamental culture and focus changes are made at the core, they will continue to lose market share. It's time to stop sugar coating everything and start facing the truth. I feel for those who have spent hard earned money for a boat they can't use because it's falling apart and taking months to get repaired......I was there once. Never again.

 

[jack hatcher]

Rob, thks for the insight about Tracker, this only confirms what I read a few weeks ago, and now I will turn my attention to either Trition or Ranger, unless something happens at Tracker between now and spring when I buy the new boat....jack

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I really hate to say it Jack, but it is the way I honestly feel now. I was seeking employment at Tracker until recently, but now am not sure it's a company I want to waste my skills and determination at until I see those fundamental changes. I can't get behind a product I don't believe in. Tracker certainly has some class acts within their ranks with Ken and Doug Patillo, Jenny Corley and more. Unfortunately, I think there are still some people in positions of authority that have a level of thinking that have put them in the fine mess they're in. "A problem cannot be solved at the same level of thinking at which it was created!" Albert Einstein. The only reason I am buying another Tracker product is because I'm going used, and getting it from Buzz. I've driven the boat, know what I'm getting and comfortable with it. My biggest concern is potential hull problems down the road or the livewell issue on 896's. I will have to find a way to reinforce them. If I were to buy new today, it would certainly not be Nitro. Jack you could very well buy a Nitro and get a great one and never have a problem, OR you could have delamination on the bottom of the hull like I've seen on at least three different "9" series boats, or transom problems, severe stress cracks, problems with accessories like noted here. Not only TM's and chargers but cheap Humminbird finders, and carpet that pulls up. I found a brand new 882 at a dealer where the edges were never glued down. One boat only had the first half of the cap screws in it. If you were strong enough, you could lift up the back half of the cap right off the boat. First wave that bad boy hit or maybe even trailering would have been disasterous! I very much enjoy this site and all the members, and I know it's our ownership of Tracker products that brings us here, but as we have reached the large number of members we have we continue to see more of this, all over the country and it is not just the dealers. I have spoken with other mfrs about prostaff deals and details. What Nitro offers by comparison is a joke. It would appear that all the funds are spent on KVD, Woo, Clunn, King, and Penny. Not that they don't deserve great treatment, but other companies offer far better deals than state team deals you can get at any Nitro dealer. Just again reinforcing to me that Tracker is focusing on the immediate profit and not wanting to give a few dollars to sign a potential up and comer. That's fine, they'll sign with somebody else. And I'm NOT talking about me! No ego involved Trep. Again, the best Tracker has to offer is but a simple decision away, but it needs to be made at the top and reinforced throughout the ranks.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Rob,



Mass Marketing is still the driving force behind most companies,..... make many, sell cheap, replace when necessary is without a doubt THE most profitable way to do business. Problems arise when 1. You can't get the company to replace (i.e., "strings attached" guarantee's and warranties) or, 2. it has to be replaced too many times (i.e., 4 times on a charger). I do not blame Tracker/NITRO for wanting to make a profit but THEY MUST take care of the problems. A fine example.....go buy a LEXUS for $50,000 or buy a CAMRY for $20,000, same frame, basiclly same car. Let's face it, Bass Boats are inherently simple machines, the complexity is in the motor...There's no reason or excuse for sloppy work. You and I guide. I want people to feel like I provide quality equipment and knowledge. I can't afford for my equipment not to work (and for $30,000+ IT SHOULD) out of the box and for a reasonable time. No Slam to NITRO but you better cover my @ss, or I will find someone who will because not only do I buy boats, I am a floating showroom and can SERIOUSLY influence a large number of people (potential buyers) on a regular basis. My clients look to me as a pro to KNOW who is good, bad or indifferent in the industry.



TOXIC

 

[Rob LaMoy]

PERFECT! That's is EXACTLY what I tried to convey to them over the phone when I had my hull issues and the attitude I received was "so what? we don't care, it still voids your warranty!" The shear number of people I come in contact with through tourneys, guiding and outdoor shows is staggering. I can move a LOT of any product I endorse. That's not to say that I'm a Larry Nixon and everyone listens to what I have to say, but my clients do. And I can promise you, when I stand up on an Everstart stage and say my "X" brand boats is what got me there and back and allowed me to fish, you can bet every aspiring tourney angler or weekend warrior that wants a rig is going to pay attention. If I have 3 clients in the boat one day and they ask "how do you like the boat?" and my only reply is, I would never buy one again, I'm getting "X" next spring, they will remember that when they want to buy, because like you said, they value our opinions as professionals that count on our equipment to earn a living. If you want to know what works and what doesn't ask a guide or tourney angler.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

That being said, I outfitted clients this las weekend with ZEBCO 303's LOLOLOL, Yeah, real pro material, HA, HA, HA. Seriously, I have no problem with NITRO and do honestly think they make a top notch product. That doesn't mean there isn't room to improve. I may be a little fish in a big pond to them but I GUARANTEE you I influence just as many buyers as KVD and the other pro's. Let's face it, Mr. Fisherman sittin on his @ss watchin the tube or the guy who plops down hard earned $$ for me to take him out.....now who do you think is more likely to buy?? Who is SERIOUS about fishing?? As a guide, I am the best spent money in NITRO's budget and they should treat me well.



TOXIC

 

[Rob LaMoy]

SHOULD!!!!!! But usually don't!

 

[jack hatcher]

Toxic, back to the original part of this discussion. I just had to replace my Guest dual charger model 2611(10amps)but that was after 5 years of use...so got my monies worth..jack

 

[Tim King]

Toxic,



I have the Motorguide three bank charger and mine just quit working!! I spent most of the afternoon on the phone trying to get a reciept for this thing I bought just a year a go.( two moves later and the original from Bass Pro is history!) I called motorguide only to find out that Mercury has "inherited" them and that without a reciept there is nothing that they can do for me and the guy I talked to said that things at Motorguide are such a mess that they are not honoring any type of waranty without a reciept of some sort, even if you filled out the warranty card because Motorguide didn't even bother with them anyway!! I was getting ready to call them back,but I saw this post and I couldn't believe my eyes!! It is like I told the guy yesterday, I can't believe that I spent $280 dollars for this thing and barely got a year out of it and it has a 24 month warranty on it!! My next step is to try and see if they can cross refference serial numbers to prove it is not that old!



Tim

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Tom Mac, You and I have exactly the same boat (my trailer is black though as well as my interior....a mistake I won't make again) so I'm gonna go look at some things and we can compare notes (hopefully help each other out). Post or E-mail me when you need somthing.



TOXIC

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Tim, use the receipt of sale from your boat! That should be adequate!

 

[Tim King]

Rob,



I wish that I could do that , but I bought my boat used and it is a 93. THey might say that is a little more than 24 months!!LOL

 

[Roger Mikels]

I have the same problems as every one else with my nitro.

Granted it is only a 700lx, but the rod locker carpet is not glued all the way, there is to much glue in alot of spots, the trim switch on the throttle is broken, and there was a bunch of screws and trash in the bilge when I got it home. On top of it the first day out I found out the sending unit for the trim indicator was bad and the gas guage was bad. I think the dealer should have noticed all

of those things during rigging. They did fix the problems with the guages but I had to tow it 2hrs to get it fixed.



I like my boat, but I am upgrading soon and I am definetly

not buying another tracker product. This one is my second tracker boat and they both had the same issues.

But I guess you get what you pay for.



Roger

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Tim, sorry, didn't realize. That's why I don't bother with warranty cards, they don't use them exept to put you on a mailing list half the time anyway. Good luck, but buy a Guest! You won't have these problems and any issues get resolved promptly.

 

[Thomas Macaluso]

Sounds good to be Toxic as they say misery loves company , Just kidding . That all said and done I really do like my boat I just wish Nitro was a better company. By the way my old Nitro 884 savage was black and gunmetal metallic flake . Black looks great when it's new and clean. Ask me about stepping on a Black fiberglass cap barefoot when it's over 90 in the middle of summer,by the way dark grey carpet isn't much cooler

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Didn't mean to open a can of worms but it is this kid of stuff that NITRO needs to keep an eye on. This is real world folks. No hype, no scams, just real folks using your product and giving honest feedback. Tom Mac, you are right about ripping seats and blemishes, etc., BUT if it is taken care of in an efficient and fast manner, I would be more than happy. Anybody that has ever been in retail knows the real service is after the sale.



TOXIC

 

[Eric Wilder2]

Just my .02;



My 2002 901 has had the carpet replaced, the trim unit replaced, drivers seat replaced, trailer step pads replaced, and fiberglass was resanded by glass shop on stern to remove factory mold marks.



All item performed by dealer and under warranty. A little upset at the QC at the time, but I WOULD buy this boat again, it is a awesome performing 70mph+ fishing platform, that leaves 95% of the 20'+ boats with 225 behind. He who gets there first fishes first. Bass 101

 

[Mark Hofman]

But, if you're selling more boats than anyone else, why change? You must be doing SOMETHING right...right???



(I'm just being facetious.)

 

[TrepMan]

Mac/Ken/Marke/Craig - Why do you guys have Motorguide and MinKota chargers on your Tracker/Nitro boats? Mine came FROM Tracker with the GUEST charger, it's even what is included in the catalog/web as part of the Tracker special addition package. So to you guys that don't have GUEST chargers did it COME from the factory that way or did YOU agree to have Tracker/Nitro install the minkota/motorguide chargers? OR is it the Trackers that get the GREAT quality and the Nitro's get the lower quality minkota/motorguide chargers??



OH and let's NOT turn this post on Chargers into a problem with TRACKER/NITRO products!! We've been there and done that, with LOTS of posts/responses to read on both sides. Let's keep this one specific to the problem with chargers and someone tell me what comes standard with Nitro!!!

 

[Bill McElroy]

I'm on my 2nd charger in 2.5 years,.....haven't had one yet that lasted more than a year......i just use what ever is available at the time to swap out with under warranty. My original "Nitro" charger lasted less than a year,.....swapped it out for the MK that was in stock (another Nitro charger was not available or I would've used that)....now the MK is on it's way out!!....Infact I put the MK charger in in June.....it made it 4 mos!!! LOL

 

[TrepMan]

Rob - I do not agree with your statement above that "Nobody wants to go to Wal-Mart and buy a $99 VCR that they have to buy a new one every year. The consumer are proving with their purchases that they would rather spend $250 and have it last 5-8 years and be trouble free. "



At least in my circle of friends, we'd rather buy the disposable electronics and just get a new one, that's why I NEVER buy extended warranties on consumer electronics. Last HIFI VCR I bought was day after Thanksgiving last year I paid $49.99 for an off brand, and figure if I get 2-3 years out of it i'm ahead. By then they should be around $20-30, and i'll get a new one. I did the same thing 5 years ago and bought an off brand HIFI VCR for $69.99 and it still works great. If it dies, off to Best Buy the day after Thanksgiving for another cheapie. I bought 2 DVD players in the last year (one for the family room and one for the bedroom) Both bought for $59.99.



On Chargers, now mind you I'm NOT a guide or a Pro/T fisherman, but I think of them the same way (though NOT just 1 year of service). The Guest in my boat retails at BPS not on sale for $99, so if I get 2-3 years out of it, i'm cool! Now you boys with $250 chargers from ANYONE, YES should work at LEAST 2-3 years!!

 

[Bill McElroy]

I had a Guest in my Champion a few years ago....it worked great....I just ordered my nitro's with what ever came as standard....so far the Nitro and the MK chargers haven't held up as long as they should,..but they've been replaced via warranty so it hasn't been a big issue for me,....just swap it out and go to the next tournament!!..LOL.....if it needs replacing before the warranty is up...then so be it!!

I always wonder in the back of my mind if my batteries are at full charge,...but I haven't had a problem so far with dead trolling motor batteries, so I haven't worried about the MK charger not working lately,...but I've got until next june to make sure it is!!! I've got "other" things to focus on at this point in time....my season's over now!! LOL

Mac

 

[Steven Atwell]

My 3 bank Guest has been nothing but good for me.

 

[Tony Payne]

My 901 has a DualPro charger in it... best on the market, IMO.



I think that many of those options are up to the dealer/person when ordering it. If you go to the tracker/nitro site, there are a host of options and upgrades you can order with the boats.



<opinion mode>

This is my second Nitro. This boat has had a few issues, all resolved by the dealer.



Do I think that Nitro/Tracker should pay a little more attention before they ship a boat to the dealer/customer?

Absolutely.

Many of the issues I have had (and some the dealer found during service that I did not know I had) should have been found before shipping. (good example, the trailer bunks badly misaligned).



Do I love my Nitro 901? Absolutely.



Would I buy another Nitro? Absolutely.



If I upgrade, will it be to a Nitro? maybe, maybe not... have been looking into the multi -species boats like the Lunds, it really depends on what I see as my "needs" at the time.



<opinion mode off>

 

[Tim King]

Just got off the phone with Motorguide's "new" customer service now owned by Mercury. This guy tells me that there is nothing they can do without the reciept. I understand this and he asks me if I filled out the warranty card and I say of course, but it was to no avail as it was never entered into the main computer!! I ask him if there is any way I could get into contact with Motorguide themselves and he said NO! SO I now have a piece of S#@* Charger that isn't even heavy enough to use as a boat anchor in a mild Kansas wind and am out $280 dollars for something that is under warranty and they won't even consider talking about anything unless I have a Reciept!! Sorry I needed to vent a little!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

OK Trep, so then why didn't you go buy a Yugo car? You wanted reliability right? You would have saved a lot buying a "disposable" yugo and would have been "ahead of the game"? VCR's or any other commodity don't reduce that fast in one year. Only thing that does in Enron stock. You buy a $50 vcr today, and then another next year at another $50, then again in '04 at say a deal $40, then another the year after that at $40, and then another at $40. You've spent 5 years replacing crappy vcr's, $220 vs my say $199 initial. All your time and aggravation of not know when it was going to junk out again. Then you're still looking to get another one AGAIN. Meanwhile, mine was higher quality from day 1, is 5 years and going strong, and I can rely on it! My comments were encompassing many posts we have seen lately. Not just chargers, but TM's, fish finders, motors, bunks, carpet, pumps, livewells, ingnitions, gel coats, seats, etc, etc. Personally I don't feel like I'm getting ahead on anything if I pay for a $30k boat, drive off the lot and it immediately depreciates to $20k the first year. Then on top of that all these problems arise. I have to get into a new $49.99 bass boat every year at a $10k loss each year and I'm ahead????? Then as a guide or tourney angler I never know what's going to stop working during the course of the day or if my hull will crack, will the livewells split and my catch die costing me a $15k paycheck? All for what, getting a boat that's 20% cheaper then the next? MY time is a little more valuable then that. If you've have all great experience, I'm happy for you, really! No sarcasm. All I'm saying is for me and my money, it's NOT a cost savings at all. It's a very bad investment. And don't take my words out of context, I'm NOT saying they CAN'T make a good product, or never do. But MUCH more attention to detail is needed. Do all boats eventually get stress cracks, most people think yes. But I saw a '97 Triton that had been run hard for 5 years and it didn't have 1 that I could find. I looked at 2000 Ranger from a PRO who fishes it hard on the biggest water in the country......NO stress cracks. Do some yes. But until I saw Bob G's boat, I had never seen a Nitro that had been used more than a 1/2 season with no stress cracks. Why is that? It takes a lot more effort to go from 89% to 95% then it does to go from 50% to 89% in QA or any other indicator. You've trimmed off the "fat". The companies that put forth that little extra effort and reach the 95% are the ones that last. If I'm wrong I will certainly admit it, but lets just sit back and watch and see shall we. I haven't been wrong for the last 3 years and counting and I don't see it getting any better. I don't know the numbers for Tracker marine, but I DO know the market share increases for both Ranger and Triton. I won't get into them, but they're impressive. There is only 100% of any market and if 2 big companies went from say 25% each to 35% each, just where do you suppose that other 20% came from? People jumping ship from other brands, and if the biggest brand is Tracker......well, you do the math! My bet is their market share is slipping. Any wagers?

 

[Bill McElroy]

Tim,...Where did you buy it??...

 

[Tim King]

Mac,

I boght it at Bass Pro. I called them and they said that they don't keep any records longer than six months! Ken, is this true?



Tim

 

[Bill McElroy]

BPS is usually VERY GOOD about honoring warranties....seems to me if you just took it back they'd exchange it for you,..but who knows!!?? With out a receipt it could be a problem....did you "charge it" on a credit card??,...can you find your CC statement??...that'll have the date on it and the purchase location!! just a thought!!

Mac

 

[Ken Neeley]

Tim,

I can't answer that...I don't know the policies for the retail division. However, did you try taking it back to BPS and exchanging it?

 

[Tim King]

Spent two hours on the phone getting the run around from the credit card company yesterday. I closed out my account and paid it off, now they say they have no records of me at all! That was in February when I paid it off! They say i must have been purged out of the system....

 

[Tim King]

Thanks Ken. I thought I would ask. The only problem is that it is a 5 hour drive and I don't feel like driving that far without a reciept!!LOL

 

[Ken Neeley]

Call the store manager and ask him if he will exchange it if you ship it back to him.

 

[TrepMan]

Rob - I won't address or get into the majority of your response related to costs and quality with $30k bassboats and the associated OEM products as I do NOT have any experience in that arena.



As to the Yugo car, transportation for work/family is different to me than fishing for fun (I know you and others fish for $$, but not me) so would I spend $30k on a car, not with 2 kids and a stay at home wife, I spent 9K cash on a 2 year old base Saturn as my sit in the driveway and run to the store car. And yes I bought it because A) it is HIGH quality low maintenance and B) lowest insurance rates as well as a good deal. Now if I was a limo driver or my wife shuttling the boys between school, you bet i'd buy one of the safest and best quality made products. That's why i'm glad my wife was in her Honda minivan when she got broadsided in march. Totaled the honda but nary a scratch or bruise on Beka or Noah. If I had the $$ my wife would drive a Hummer H1 NOTHING gonna hurt her or that machine, but i don't have a spare $100k laying around! LOL



On the VCR's I am not an audiophile so the quality of the $50 HiFi VCR is/has suited my needs just fine, and I do not or have not had to replace them but every 4-5 years, so your math doesn't work. In 4 years you spent $220 and I spent $50, I put the difference into the bank or paying down my mortgage. Just different priorities, but to generalize above that most folks are NOT buying the low end products is not correct. I was in Best Buy the day after Thanksgiving last year and they had what looked like 500 of the cheap ($59) DVD's and I had to wait in line about 30 minutes to buy it. By the time I left the store ALL of those cheap DVD's where gone and MOST of the mid-high end units were still there. Less people are plunking down big bucks for consumer electronics products that the cheap electronics can do the job. By the way, in 4 years BOTH of our DVD or VCR's technology will probably be out of date and have ZERO resale value. Hey you tried to sell a $2000 high end PC 3 months later, trade in value is about $600 bucks, talk about depreciation!!

 

[Tim King]

I called Bass Pro again and talked to customer service and they said not without a receipt. I didn't speak to the manager though. Might be my last chance. They told me they keep records for approx. a year, but this purchase was not in there.(of course)!!



I did get it taken out of the boat a little bit ago and the back panel has a break/crack in it approx. 1 1/2 inches long. It still shows battery charge if you hit the test button, but will not charge.



I am going to try Motorguide again and see if this is fixable or if I should look for a new one. I would rather fix this one if it is cheaper than buying a new one!!

 

[Tim King]

Talked to the fellas at Mercury aka motorguide and they were really nice. They said that they have had a huge headache since they have inherited motorguide and that if it were one of their products it would have been a different story. The guy was really nice and he went as far as telling me that motorguide didn't even register the serial numbers on anything other than TM's, which is something they are trying to fix so they can better serve their new line of customers! All in all the guy was really cool about it. He said it was nice to talk to somebody that wasn't chewin his arss out and that he had received that a lot over these chargers! My hats off to them even though they couldn't help, but I understand where they are coming from!



Tim

 

[Jack Long]

I have a 2001 929 which I ordered with a Motor Guide Max pro III with remote panel. I have replaced this unit two or three times for different reasons, but mostly for the remote panel. Motor Guide would send me a new unit with a shipping label to send the old one back. The present one I have lasted about one year. The remote panel went out a good while ago, I push the button on it and it does not show the battery state of charge, but now one of the banks will not stop charging. I called Motor Guide's toll free customer service number and found out it was no longer in service. I called the number it gave me which was not toll free and got Mercury. I told them my problem and he said to take it to a Motor Guide service center. I said you must have a lot of problem with these and he said no they didn't. Now I know he told a fib. I called BPS service center in Nashville and they called Mercury and they said to send it in. BPS had my hull number and knew when I bought my boat. My two years won't be up untill Feb. next year. I took it in today so they can send it back to Motor Guide (Mercury). She said that Mercury was pretty fast on turn a round time. I love my Nitro even though it had some minor problems when I got it. This is my second Nitro and would buy another, and probably will before I retire. Good luck with your charger problems. <>< <>< <>< Jack

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

UPDATE: I went out last night and hooked a trickle charger on each one of my batteries and every one of them showed full charge. This was after being plugged in since Monday evening. My take is this....the charger is working, but the charge indicators on the front of the charger aren't. So, for a 2000 unit used in a guide service (read: Heavy Usage) it has probably performed rather well. It might be on its last leg so I'll keep an eye on it but for now no replacement. Maybe I need to go find a charger company as a sponsor. I really didn't mean for this post to turn into a vent for NITRO problems but we all need to get our frustrations out now and then. And HONESTLY, I don't think NITRO has any more (maybe even less) problems as a percentage of production but sounds to me like they could use a little help in the "Customer Complaints" area. If Rob is right and they are losing customer base because of poor customer service, they will change it, it is a matter of survival.



TOXIC

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

Tox,

When this one gives up the ghost go with a guest. I have that one on my boat and the company really does stand behind their product.



Carlos