Vexilars on trolling motor problem - Please Help

[rocky]

I know it is a little early but I want to have some time to fix this problem. I have a vex fl-8. I have the puck style transducer that I attach to my MinnKota autopilot trolling motor. The problem I am having is when I turn my trolling motor on, I seem to lose power on the vex. In a nutshell when the motor is off, and I am on fish, it will show fish all over but as soon as I turn the trolling motor on, the fish disappear and it shows just the bottom (and once in awhile I even lose that), I can turn it back off and the fish will be there again. I have tried adjusting the sensitivity but that does not seem to help. It locates the bottom but it won't locate fish while it is running. It sounds like it may some kind of an interference issue but before I go to much furthur I was wondering if anyone else has run into this. Thanks

[Guest]

"Q - Why do I get a lot of noise on the display when I use my electric trolling motor?
A -This can happen with some motors. It can usually be solved by installing a common ground wire into your electrical system. This consists of running a small gauge, fused, wire from the negative terminal of your battery to an "effective lake ground". If you have more than one battery in your system this can be more complicated and you may want to contact your dealer or give us a call."
-vexilar's HSOforum

[Guest]

Or, run the flasher on a seperate battery such as a gel cel used for ice fishing.

------------------
MILLE LACS GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/
click here

[IceHawk]

I will aggree with Derek, this is what I do and it seems to be the answer.

[Guest]

I use a vex on the front of my boat. I had this problem when I first installed it. I cleared it up by wiring into the boats min wiring not the trolling motor batteries.
I think if you were to wire it driectly to your starting battery you will be fine.
my $.02
wp

[Guest]

Right-on, Pimp!

[rocky]

I like the idea of wiring my fl-8 to a separate battery like my vex battery which I use in winter. I also have a lowrance x-48 locator on my console that sometimes seems to have the same issue. would you recommend a separate battery for that also?? some one recomended wiring the locator to the starting battery; that is where the console locator is wired to now. any opinions on that would be much appreciated

[Hookmaster]

Rocky,

I been using my Clearwater Classic ice set up on my trolling motor with a puck transducer since I bought it in 1995. It works fine. Some transducers get interference from the trolling motor directly through the motor housing and not through the wiring. I have a spacer made out of PVC pipe between the motor housing and the puck transducer.
When they say wire directly to the starting battery, they mean run wires from the unit directly to the starting battery and not to the fuse panel.

[Guest]

Rocky,
Make sure that your power cable is not tied to the tranducer cable. I have seen instances where there was interferance due the the electricity in the power cable.

When I wired my vexilar I wired it to a main power lead coming from the starting battery. I don't have any problems with this way, but
if there was a problem I would wire it directly to the battery.

I have also seen where moter noise has caused interferance. This can sometimes be eliminated by putting a block of wood between the tranducer bracket and the boat.

Hope this helps a little.
mw

[Steve Foss]

I used to run my Eagle flasher off the same battery as my Minnkota, but got interference, and sometimes the flasher would run but not flash when the trolling motor was engaged. I didn't see that as an interference problem, but as a current problem, like putting a heavy drain on the batter for the trolling motor pulled too much current away from the flasher. Hooked up the flasher to the outboard's cranking battery and everything went fine.

I also plan on using my Vex on the trolling motor, and figure I'll just use the gel cell like in winter.

[iffwalleyes]

Leave your trolling motor to its own battery and then wire all of the accessories in your boat all depth finders flasher and your boat motor's starter all to the main cranking battery. This is what I do then I don't have to worry about any other batteries. I don't need to using the little gel batteries. PLus when you start and run your motor battery will help to charge your cranking battery. This is how my boat is set up and I have no problems.

------------------
Grip it and Rip it

IFFWALLEYES

[rocky]

I just wanted to thank everyone for there help. I now have some valuable info to try which is what this forum is all about. good luck fishing. any additional input is always welcome. thanks again

[rocky]

I have an x-48 locator and i have had some interference issues similiar to the ones I have listed above with the fl-8. The general consenses semms to be to wire my fl-8 directly to the cranking battery or to use the gel cell but what about my other locator?? do I need to upgrade to something different??

[yar 32]

Hey Rocky just go to radio shack and by 12 volt electric noise filter and install it in your power leads and it should clear up any interference in your graph.
I had the same problem with my x 85 on my trolling motor installed the noise filter and it cleared right up.hope this helps.

[Dano2]

I'm going to be in the same boat (heh) here pretty soon when i get my trolling moter.
So far I have my hummingbird and my radio hooked up to the cranking battery, although when I fish i dont use the radio, that just for when the wife and kids are with for entertainment.
Anyway, heres the deal, real soon I will have to hook up my trolling moter, obviousley to another battery(deepcyle) then I'll have my LX3 and my hummingbird, plus the radio to hook up yet.
what should hook up were?
Like I said, Ive had my one locater and the radio hooked up to the starting battery, but I dont know if it would be a good idea to hook the flasher up to it as well, not only that, its a tight squeeze with all the hook ups the way it is now.
Plus from what I have read, it doesn't sound like a good idea to run my flasher to the trolling moter battery.

another thought I had was to just not do I permanent mount with my flasher, and just leaving it on the tray used for ice fishing and use that little battery, then i would only have to plug in the transducer cable when in use.

[Guest]

Just use your winter gel cell battery. Try to limit what you wire to your crank battery unless its a DP dual purpose battery. Starting batteries are not meant to be discharged.

------------------
Mille Lacs Guide Service
651-271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[Dano2]

Drek, its about time for me to get a new starting battery anyway.
what would be a decent Dual purpose battery to buy?
I have an 85 hp moter, then like I said, I will have 2 locators and my radio that will go to it as well.

while we are talking about batteries, I will be picking up my trolloing moter soon as well, a minnkota 55# 48" )

What do you prefer for deep cycles?

maybe they will give me a deal if i am buying 2, heh!

[Guest]

Ive had good success with Interstate. I have a group 24 HDDP for my cranking battery.

------------------
Mille Lacs Guide Service
651-271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[This message has been edited by Derek Johnston (edited 04-17-2003).]

[iffwalleyes]

Dano,
I have hooked up to my Starting battery which is a dual purpose two locators, my radio, the boat motor, and all the other accessories. A gel battery would work but I don't see it as necessary if you wire all of you things up to your starting battery it should be fine. I have had days where I ran my battery down from the radio but have a set of jumper cables in your boat and you can always hook up to your trolling motor battery/batteries. I guess both are options as far as whether to mount it permanatly to the boat I would do that just so that you don't have another loose piece of equipment to knock around. In my opinion your depth finders don't draw down your battery to much that I would feel you need to have separate batteries but anytime you run the radio it just sucks the life out of the battery so I use my radio on a limited basis. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

------------------
Grip it and Rip it

IFFWalleyes
I Fish For Walleyes