Congratulations on your new purchase! We realise you will be super keen to get out and have a play with your new Fishfinder, so we have put together some resources to get you out and going quicker and with less hassle.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Initial Checks

As soon as you get your unit, we suggest you confirm basic operation as soon as possible. We sometimes have customers who purchase a unit that doesn't actually get installed for many months, and it's easier for us to deal with any potential (however unlikely) issues sooner rather than later.


While we understand the unit might not have been used during that period - but unless agreed upon at the point of sale, the warranty period starts from the date of purchase, not the date of installation. There are so many variables involved in the supply and installation of marine electronics, and the date of purchase is the most consistent way of managing a warranty.


So, open up the box, check it's all in there, power it up on a battery and confirm the basic operation. Any issues - give us a yell straight away - it's obviously a lot easier for us to fix something immediately instead of a couple of years later!


Software Updates

While your new unit likely already has the latest software, manufacturers are constantly updating and improving the software on their units, so it might pay to check that your unit has the latest.


You can check over here - https://www.lowrance.com/downloads/ - and here is an install guide - https://www.lowrance.com/


This is often one of the first things we will ask you to confirm when troubleshooting - so it's great to understand now!


Installation

The installation of the product is going to be very dependent on the situation and boat. However - Lowrance has a couple of general install examples that work quite well - 


Boat Installs - https://www.lowrance.com/en-nz/news--videos/blog-install-eliteti2/

Kayak Installs - https://www.lowrance.com/en-nz/news--videos/blog-how-to-install-hook2/


Basic Troubleshooting

We realise it can be very frustrating for your new unit not to work.


However, we do also find a lot of issues come down to incorrect installation or misconfiguration. While we are always happy to have units back and send them off for testing - this will likely mean a significant period of time that you will be without your unit, so it pays to do some basic troubleshooting before sending it back to us.


Do this testing methodically. One thing at a time.


Here are a couple of things to check before you send it back to us - 


Power Issues

Is it getting a proper power supply? Many units are designed to shut down (or not start at all) if the voltage supplied drops below a certain value. This protects the battery and ensures you can start your motor again when on the water.


While a simple rule of thumb is that you are going to need at least 12v for reliable operation - different units do have differing power equipment - here is a link to a good page that covers a lot of them - though it's also included in your manual.


If the unit doesn't seem to be powering up, the first thing to confirm is that the power is enough. There should be at least 12 volts present at your power supply (measure at the end that connects to the unit, not just over the battery). If not - that needs to be sorted first. If it's not a healthy 12v+, the fishfinder can shut down automatically as a protection circuit to make sure you can still start a motor etc if it's also a cranking battery.


This needs to be tested at the plug. Not at the battery - as there is wiring and other components between them that can cause a voltage drop.



The Double Fuse

If your power supply cable is already fused at the battery end, and you also use the second fuse at the unit end, it might be causing a voltage drop, which means the unit won't start. Removing the second fuse may help.


Power Issues with Smaller Units - (Hook 4, 5 etc.)

If the battery/power source is all good - the other thing to confirm is that the plug is firmly pushed in. On the smaller Hook Fishfinders, in particular - they have a ring around the power plug that needs to be pushed in with quite a force to seat the plug correctly - this forms a weatherproof seal, but we have seen a few where it also causes the plug not to go in far enough and not supply power.


If you have power - but flickering screens, odd behaviour, etc

Sometimes, the unit will power on, but it has a flickering screen and weird behaviour - this is generally related to power issues as well. If you can get the unit to power on, the best option is to get the unit itself to report the voltage for you.


Essentially, you are wanting to edit the overlay information to show voltage - depending on the unit, how you do this might slightly differ -

 




Remember to check when the boat etc. is running!


It's very important when running these tests that you do so while all the ancillary equipment is also on. Ideally, this would also include the motor - as this is closer to your actual use situation than just sitting on the trailer with everything off. We need to be testing the entire power infrastructure - and more than once, customers have found that something else is causing issues with the entire system, enough to cause the fishfinder to run incorrectly.


Transducer Issues


Unfortunately, Transducer issues can be a challenge to troubleshoot. Ideally, this is done on the water.


Try a different transducer on the unit to rule it out if you can. This might mean taking the head unit to another boat with a known good transducer.


Transducer Placement

In short, it's very important. If the unit doesn't seem to be working as well as you would like - checking the installation is correct is a good place to start.


A great article about the subject is here - https://www.fishing.net.nz/fishing-advice/general-articles/the-art-of-transducer-placement/


Resetting Your Unit




Soft Reset

If your unit stops responding or isn't responding as you would expect, and you have double-checked the connections, transducer placement etc, then a soft reset may help. Sometimes settings get a little muddled while we are setting things up, and this will reset the basic settings.


This will reset the settings but leave customer waypoints etc.


  1. Turn the unit off
  2. Once the unit is off, press and hold the Page Button
  3. While holding the Page Button, press the power button to turn the unit ON
  4. Once the Lowrance Logo appears on the screen, you can let go of the button and let the unit to boot up
  5. Test it to check if the issue has been fixed




Hard Reset

If that doesn't work, then a hard reset is the next option. This will delete any points of interest, waypoints etc, so please make sure those are backed up (if they matter to you).


  1. Turn the unit off
  2. Once the unit is off, press and hold the Up and Down Buttons simultaneously
  3. While holding the Page Button, press the power button to turn the unit ON
  4. Once the Lowrance Logo appears on the screen, you can let go of the button and let the unit to boot up
  5. Test it to check if the issue has been fixed



Screen Calibration

If your screen seems to be out of kilter, then you may need to recalibrate that. This only applies to units with a touch screen.

  1. Turn the unit off
  2. Once the unit is off, press and hold the Waypoint Button
  3. While holding the Page Button, press the power button to turn the unit ON
  4. Once the Lowrance Logo appears on the screen, you can let go of the button and let the unit to boot up
  5. Test it to check if the issue has been fixed


Hook Reveal - Plug Considerations

The Reveal Series of Fishfinders have notoriously hard plugs to push in and remove. This is by design - as we often see these installed in Kayaks or smaller boats - they are more exposed to the elements.


The plugs take a little extra effort to push in and can sometimes come back out if an airlock is formed. This results in intermittent power and missing readings for depth and temperature.


We suggest a light spray of a Silicone Mist (not grease, not other lubricants) into the units' socket (not plug) before use. This provides some lubrication on the plug without gumming up the socket and potentially causing an air-lock.


You can read more about the issue and solution here - Lowrance Plug Lubrication


IF you need to send it back

If these simple checks don't work, we may need to get the unit back. If the unit comes back, Lowrance are likely to do a factory reset - so any data on the unit will be lost


Before sending it back:


  1. Ensure you have updated the software and done a hard reset. This really does fix the majority of issues.
  2. Backup any data on the unit you don't want to lose
  3. Take MAP cards out etc, unless the issue is specific to those
  4. We hopefully will only need the main unit - unless asked, don't send cables, transducer etc
  5. Clean off any bait, dirt or grime on the unit - units in a rough-looking condition don't make a good first impression
  6. Wrap it up well so it doesn't get damaged in transit
  7. Understand, it's likely a 6-8 week turnaround once you send it away (which is why some troubleshooting first is important!)