Lowrance HDS help

[C-Bass2mouth]

I recently installed the LSS-1 sidescan module/transducer with my existing HDS7 gen2 & HDS5 gen2 units. Everything was running fine after installation, and my console HDS unit randomly powered off. And of course now won't power back on. No fuses were blown, the plug has enough power, and my bow unit works fine when I tried it at the console. It's not under warranty, and everything I'm reading says it's really pricey to send it back to Lowrance for repair. I read there is a soft reset I can do to the unit, but I wouldn't think you could even do that without it powering on. I haven't taken the face plate off yet to see if there was any water damage etc. Any ideas of what to do before sending it off?

[wishin i was fishin]

There is a soft and hard resets, I would try both. When you do this make sure you only have your power connected.

Also make sure it is not your power connection at your console. i would try this from your other location first.

That is about all you can do.

[C-Bass2mouth]

Originally Posted by wishin i was fishin

There is a soft and hard resets, I would try both. When you do this make sure you only have your power connected.

Also make sure it is not your power connection at your console. i would try this from your other location first.

That is about all you can do.

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

[Dogface]

Don't want to hijack but can you change the color of the boat symbol on the hds gen 2 ? I know you can change the trail color and the boat symbol gets hard to see in the sunlight. Thanks.

[wishin i was fishin]

Originally Posted by Dogface

Don't want to hijack but can you change the color of the boat symbol on the hds gen 2 ? I know you can change the trail color and the boat symbol gets hard to see in the sunlight. Thanks.

I have never gotten the symbol to work on mine for some reason. It wasn't important to dig into for me.

[C-Bass2mouth]

Originally Posted by Dogface

Don't want to hijack but can you change the color of the boat symbol on the hds gen 2 ? I know you can change the trail color and the boat symbol gets hard to see in the sunlight. Thanks.

Not sure on that one. Isn't the standard option just a black arrow? Might be easier to see.

[Dogface]

Originally Posted by C-Bass2mouth

Not sure on that one. Isn't the standard option just a black arrow? Might be easier to see.

Yea, mine is a black arrowhead but with the map I use the canals and bayous are pretty dark and its hard to see the boat position at times. Thanks

[wishin i was fishin]

Originally Posted by Dogface

Yea, mine is a black arrowhead but with the map I use the canals and bayous are pretty dark and its hard to see the boat position at times. Thanks

Sorry for the hijack...

I use the course extension to combat the dark maps since it is blue. I travel in big bays.

not sure if this helps yall any.

C-Bass2mouth, did you get your unit to power up?

[Dogface]

Originally Posted by wishin i was fishin

Sorry for the hijack...

I use the course extension to combat the dark maps since it is blue. I travel in big bays.

not sure if this helps yall any.

C-Bass2mouth, did you get your unit to power up?

What's the course extension? As you can tell, I just got the unit and don't know anything about it.

[wishin i was fishin]

It is a line that extends 1 mile ahead of you. See pic below.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1458182196.868011.jpg

[Dogface]

Ok, thanks

[Visco]

This might be to late, but before trying any resets, you should absolutely make sure that you have a good solid ground as well. Many times over I have seen electrical issues come down to the ground wire and how and were it is grounded.

[wishin i was fishin]

Originally Posted by Visco

This might be to late, but before trying any resets, you should absolutely make sure that you have a good solid ground as well. Many times over I have seen electrical issues come down to the ground wire and how and were it is grounded.

Exactly, that is why I suggested trying it from the bow location first.

As you stated Visco my many years of electrical installs have taught me to troubleshoot the ground first. I guess because all of the attention is put on the positive lead. I have seen things man!!!

[C-Bass2mouth]

Originally Posted by Visco

This might be to late, but before trying any resets, you should absolutely make sure that you have a good solid ground as well. Many times over I have seen electrical issues come down to the ground wire and how and were it is grounded.

Haven't had a chance to try the reset yet. I assume the only ground issue there could be would be from the prong on the actual unit (that appears clean to me) since I can power up a different unit at the same location with no problems.

After thinking on it more, The HDS unit AND the LSS unit call for a 3 amp inline fuse on EACH of their power wires. I only put one inline fuse on the wire that they are BOTH powered from instead of having a fuse on both of their power cables. I remind you I have 0 experience wiring anything other than research online, and through the lowrance manuals. In my mind it seemed like if I put the fuse on the wire coming from the positive on the battery that powers both the LSS and HDS, I could get away with only needing one fuse and cut down on unnecessary connections that could eventually corrode.

I would think any short would blow the fuse and power down both the LSS and the HDS. Did I mess up real bad? lol

[Visco]

Check your ground wire and make sure it is secure, no corrosion, and then follow the ground wire all the way back to the battery. The issue you may find is that you will have multiple ground wires connected to a single smaller ground wire which then runs to the battery. Think of that ground wire like a water hose, if you pinch it the water flow slows down, this is the same concept and if you slow the flow down you can cause issues with the unit in question.

I agree, you need to cut down on the amount of wiring you have... when you can. Check the fuse and make sure it is at least a 6amp fuse as both of those systems will each draw 3 amps max totaling 6 amps.

If you have no wiring issue, then it will be at the unit in question.

Good luck

[C-Bass2mouth]

Originally Posted by wishin i was fishin

Exactly, that is why I suggested trying it from the bow location first.

As you stated Visco my many years of electrical installs have taught me to troubleshoot the ground first. I guess because all of the attention is put on the positive lead. I have seen things man!!!

Well the bow unit works at the bow and console location. The console unit works at neither location. If it was a ground problem downstream from the unit itself at the console, wouldn't the bow unit not work at the console location also??

[Juciy]

Originally Posted by C-Bass2mouth

Well the bow unit works at the bow and console location. The console unit works at neither location. If it was a ground problem downstream from the unit itself at the console, wouldn't the bow unit not work at the console location also??

Are the two units networked? If yes, the console unit is toast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wishin i was fishin]

Originally Posted by Juciy

Are the two units networked? If yes, the console unit is toast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Afraid so.

[C-Bass2mouth]

Originally Posted by Juciy

Are the two units networked? If yes, the console unit is toast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No the two HDS units are not networked yet. I only have one Ethernet cable for now, and it's only long enough to reach from the LSS-1module to the console HDS. But the other functioning HDS unit works and shows a side scan reading when at the console.

[wishin i was fishin]

Network, actually doesn't have anything to do with it. If your bow unit works at both locations, and your console unit works on neither, then the problem is in the console unit.

If you can not successfully do a hard reset on the console unit, then it will have to go to the factory unfortunately.

you will need to bump up the fuse on your console/lss1 power lead to at least 6 amps, 10 amps max.

Here are the reset directions just in case.