power for electronics

[Larry Gregan]

Hello All... I purchased two Garmin fish finders, one for the trolling motor and one for the driver console. The units were professionally installed but unfortunately; the tech/mechanic who installed them recently passed away. The problem is that the units (especially the one on the bow for the trolling motor) keeps cutting out. They do not seem to get enough power from the starting battery. When I hook up a charger to the battery the units are fine. Can anyone recommend solutions to my problem. Thanks

 

[Michianaguy2]

My buddy had the same issue when he installed his Garmin 93sv and Livescope a couple of years ago. He found out that having all of his electronics pull from one battery was simply too much. He had to get an extra battery that was dedicated to his Livescope and unit up at the bow. Once he did this his problems of his 93Sv cutting in and out went away. I would have to assume that the newer Garmin finders pull more juice than Humminbird or Lowrance units do.

 

[Adietr]

I run a separate lithium battery for the Livescope black box at the bow and a 10” Garmin graph. Ran into a similar problem with too many graphs on one battery. A 12v 30 amp hr battery has worked great. The lithium does not weigh much and is compact. No issues with power all day.

 

[Larry Gregan]

I dropped boat off at marina for some needed work and advised them about my electronics problem ... also told them to look at attaching electronics to separate battery...thank you for your help

 

[Z-Man 21XL]

Considering you're having more issues with one unit than the other but still having issues with both I suspect you have a battery going bad. Many times a battery can be tested and come out fine but as usually is the case, the battery has been on a charger all night just before being tested. Lead Acid and AGM batteries will seem fine with a full charge but test one that has been used all day and the test will come out a little different. Another possibility is your wiring may not be able to carry the load required to run the units. My brand new Z21 XL was wired with a dedicated wiring harness direct to the front and console units from the battery but would still give a low battery alert or completely shut down when starting the motor. I went to a dedicated 16vdc system from Powerhouse lithium and I no longer have a problem. Yes it was a little pricey but I have piece of mind that I have enough power to run everything all day and still have enough battery power to start the motor and get back to the ramp at the end of the day!

 

[Larry Gregan]

Update ... picked up the boat from marina yesterday .... mechanic said problem with electronics was corroded connections...cleaned them ...so far so good

 

[Don Smith]

Here's what I do to get good electronics. I get a new battery every two and a half years. Next, I installed the Sea Clear wire harness! I have had no problems and pictures are clear with no distortion.