520 C Temp Reading Difficulties

[Muskiebait]

I have a ranger 1860 angler and can't get the temp to read, it is that stupid NEMA hook up so everything goes to the infloor transducer, I am no rocket scientist but for the life of me cant get it configure to read the temp any input would be greatly appreciated. thanks.....

[LMITOUT]

I'm guessing you're in the "overlay data" option menu and wish to place the water temp on one of your screens?

If you are, go into the list of things you can display, speed, depth, time, etc, etc, and go all the way to the bottom. Select sensor data or something along those lines. I don't recall the exact terminology, but it should be the EP-35 data I believe. This should be the temp sensor data you're looking for.. There is another temp option higher on the list but this is for the temperature sensor that is hard-wired to the sonar and not on the network.

Not sure if this is your problem or not, but thought I'd give it a shot. I have the same sensor in my 618T and noticed there are two temp sensor options in that overlay data list but only one is the right sensor.

[LMITOUT]

Another option to see if the graph is even "talking" to the EP-35 sensor is to go to the option in one of the menus that lists the items that are connected to the NMEA network such as other graphs, GPS puck, or the EP-35 temp sensor. If it is on this list, then at least you know it's connected and talking to the 520.

[Muskiebait]

Limit, I had it back at the dealer last fall and the gave me a "T" peice to connect but I don't know where to connect it to, I see the cord coming out to the graph connected and I get everything excpet for a temp reading, I don't mean o the graph itself, cause it just says 32Degs, I have that much showing on my over lay datat, jus doesn't read the actual temp so where is this "T" connection suppose to hook up to ???

[LMITOUT]

I'm not following exactly how this is installed. Did you install the 520 with the water temp sensor, or was all of it done by the factory/dealer?

Even if it is flashing "32", the data on the screen may set to the hardwired temp sensor that you don't have. The graph is set to that by default and it needs to be changed to the EP-35 sensor which is the one mounted in the hull. If that "32" is indeed the EP-35 sensor then we'll have to figure out the existing network.

So, if the overlay data is truly the EP-35 sensor look to see where the network cable goes to that leaves the 520. I'm just guessing that they put the network backbone under the dash? Wherever it is, you'll probably see more of these "T"s. What color connectors are on the existing T's and on the one they gave you (red or blue?). Hopefully they're all the same color to make it easy.

Just think of these "T"s as a network hub for a computer. You plug in all your devices into the "T"s or backbone and then one cable should connect to the graph. So you could potentially have a T for the graph, one for a GPS puck, one for the transducer, and one for this EP-35 temp sensor. If you have more than one graph there will be a T for that to connect to also.

The T's should line up side-by-side and connect to one another. Off the top or bottom (depending on how they were mounted) is where the cables go to all these devices scattered around the boat. I'm betting that on the last T there is a thing that looks like a cap or plug screwed onto the left or right "arm" of the T. This is a terminating resistor for the network. Unscrew that, insert the T the dealer gave you by connecting it to where that resistor once was, and then put the resistor on the opposite end/arm of that new T. Plug the EP-35 temp sensor on the top of the new T and you're done with the wiring.

[LMITOUT]

This problem sounded familiar so I went back in the archives and saw that you had some issues with this last summer. In those threads you had mentioned that you had broken a T when you were trying to get the GPS working, and I'm assuming that was the T for this temp sensor. You should be able to replace that T with this new T and be good to go.

[Muskiebait]

yep that is me, I will try the EP deal tomorrow when I awake, then get back to you, hopefull that will be it, if I get the ep done will it get near the air temp, so I don't have to take it to the water to see if it is working... Thanks.

[Muskiebait]

Hey Limit I spent about an hour in the boat in the garage today playing with the graph and still can't figure it out I didn't see any EP-35 on any of the screens, maybe you could lead me through it step by step, from the time we turn the thing on, thanks...

[Muskiebait]

Also I have the temp on the screen it just keeps flashing 32 degs, and it does that on any screen I go to, don't know if that helps explain my situation or not. thanks again.

[LMITOUT]

Hit the Menu button twice and scroll down to NMEA 2000, hit enter and then select Bus Setup and then enter again. Look to see what devices are listed. Do you see EP-35? If not, then you need to replace that 'T' or figure out what is wrong with the wiring/network. If the GPS is working then the fuse should be good.

[Muskiebait]

Gps works, graph works for depth and all, just can't get the [PoorWordUsage] temp reading to work, I will try what you said tomorrow and get back to you, thanks for all your help, it was all a lot easier just hooking the transducer to the back instead of all this nmea stuff. Would you think if all the other stuff works that I wouldn't even need that "T" and maybe just the EP_35 deal. I hope it works it is driving me nuts.....

[Muskiebait]

Limit I searched, I can't find a cord that connects to the temp under my dash, I would have to think that they didn't run it all the way, I looked in the back of the boat and see a couple of different cords that connect to the hull of the boat, but I think only one makes it to the graph, I may have to take the side panel off and see where the other stops, or maybe just take it back and have them deal with it, but a 3 hour trip is a long way just for that. Thanks for the help.

[LMITOUT]

Did you see the other T's? In your thread last year you mentioned you damaged one of the T's. Did you replace that one and did you figure out what device is connected to that damaged T? How many T's did you find? On the ends of the string of T's, what was connected? Let's say you had three T's connected end to end, what was on the far left of the 1st T and what was on the far right of the 3rd T?

[Muskiebait]

Right now I only have the two t's hooked up, on the one end there is a gray cap, on the other it is open off both t's I followed the cables, on goes to the graph for power, the other is for the transducer, these are all blue in color, then there is a red one that hooks directly from the graph to the gps puck and that is a maroon color. and if you can follow this you are good. I am lost looking at all that stuff, any advice....

[Muskiebait]

Hey limit, when I open the back compartment and look down on the fiberglass hull, I see two different type transducers, one is on the very bottom, I believe that is the graph, the other is on the next level, I think that may be the temp sensor, is that how yours is on you glass boat??? am I on the right trail here. I have to follow both of those and get them hooked into the graph?

[LMITOUT]

OK, something is amiss here. You should not have an open-ended T. The gray cap is the terminating resistor so you are good there. On the existing 2nd T with the open port there should be another new T I'm thinking, and that new T is where the temp sensor should be connected. OR the water sensor could connect to that open port as well.

Another thing, are you sure the red cable on the graph goes to the GPS puck? I would think that the graph cable actually goes to a T and then the GPS puck is connected to a different T. The cable from the graph is probably red on the graph end and blue on the T end.

(LowranceNet used to have all blue connectors but they've since switched to red. I have the same thing in my boat since it was during the switchover period early last year and red stuff was hard to come by and the factory was probably using up all the blue inventory in the meantime.)

My transducer is molded onto the hull on the bottom/center of the boat (under the floor/near the bilge pumps). The temp transducer fits into a hole on the bottom of the boat. If you get down under your transom you should see these holes. Mine are on the port/left side. They are about the size of a quarter I suppose. They put the temp sensor into these holes so that they have direct contact with the water, whereas the sonar transducer shoots through the hull and doesn't require direct contact and is why it's molded onto the hull. If I'm following you right, I believe my temp sensor would be on the "next level" also as it's towards the outside of the boat and not near the center/keel where the sonar transducer is.

Find the temp sensor and follow that cable. It may have never been hooked up.

[Muskiebait]

Yep you are following me right, so I have to find a cord to plug into the "T" and cap the end as well? also there is an uncapped "T" with the red/maroon coloring up in the dash as well I wll have to do some digging but I thought the red went straight to the puck what a mess, I don't even know if there is a dealer around where I can get a cap for the "t"s

[LMITOUT]

Another T? The plot thickens.....

[Muskiebait]

Yeah it gets more and more and more and more confusing, the problem is this is a red one and is smaller, my temp on the next level is on the right side of the boat but I am pretty sure that is what it is for, it would be a lot easier if you were just going to be in the northern part of the state in the next few days...... are you passing through Int'l Falls on a fishing trip to canada at all this year???

[LMITOUT]

LOL, no, sorry I won't be up that way.

I added another graph to my boat last year and had to trace all these cables to figure out what I was dealing with. It took a little time but I eventually figured out how everything worked. I took some masking tape and labeled each cable after finding out what it was. Made it a lot easier to look at the total picture when everything was labeled and I didn't have to stop and think "where was that wire for again?". It might be something to try and then step back and pencil it out on paper to make a road map of your network.

[Muskiebait]

Thanks, I don't think the dealer had a clue when they installed it, guess I will have to take the side wall off and dig in.

[B_King]

Are you still having problems? I live in I falls and just got done fixing our network for our new ranger last week.