Zercom Color Point signal getting weak???

[Johnsonator]

I have a Color point that works great but this year it seems like the signal is weaker than last. The gain has to be turned all the way up to see my line and fish. Is it possible the battery is getting weak or do you think the unit is going bad. Thanks

[Moose-Hunter]

Howdy Johnsonator...

When I try to trouble shoot electronics, I sometimes tend to over think the problem and end up telling myself to K.I.S.S. the project. "keep it simple stupid".. In the case of a weak signal it may be as simple as a dirty or scratched x-ducer face or possibly a old battery/charger.

Check the x-ducer face for dirt, grime, scratches and gouges. Anyone of these can limit your incoming/outgoing signal.

Is your charger fully functional? I just ran to the shop and check three different chargers. (Vex, Marcum and a no-name) Measured output for all was between 14.5 and 14.8 VDC. Any less and you're getting short changed.

If your charger is working, it's time to see if the battery is holding a charge. Fully charged, a typical 7AH battery should have at least 12.7VDC or better. Fully charge the battery as recommended by the maufacturer. Then do a kind of a "leak down" test. Every so often, (every hour or so) check the voltage of the battery (no load) and keep a record of your findings. IMHO... If a battery has dropped to 70% of it's capacity after 24 hours, it needs to be replaced.

Well... It's a place to start. Hopefully someone that is more "electron savey" will jump in with ALL the answers.

Good luck..