# Bad interference on lowrance and trolling motor



## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

Anyone has bad interference on their fish finder every time they engage their trolling motor? 

How did they fixed it. 

I've always run and do all my boat wire but this time i can not figure out why. 

The sonar wire is not running anywhere near the trolling motor battery wire.

But anytime i turn on the TM the fish finder has bad interference. 

Fish finder is even on it own battery too. Nothing else on that battery. 


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Is the lowrance close to the trolling motor ?
Is your trolling motor wireless controlled ?


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

Its motoguide xi5. The lowrance is at the center console. This weekend is when i saw all the interference. So when i got home i notice i ran the sonar wire up to the sonar thru the same hole where the TM battery wire was. So i reran everything and make sure they all far apart. 

But for some crazy reason it still doing it.


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## lx22f/c (Jun 19, 2009)

You should call Lowrance and speak with one of their Techs. They should be able to give you a solution. I know when i have my radio on am (Astro's games) i get bad interference on the radio when using my minn kota, but no problems with my Lowrance.
Good luck


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

On separate batteries and wires not close together, darn. I vote with with lx22/fc to contact Lowrance. I don't know if true or not, but I have heard of a "filter" that may be placed on the wire that can help.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I have my Lowrance hooked to the main power block under the console and have no problems. The trolling motor is on a seperate 24V set of batteries under the same console. Is your trolling motor 12 or 24V?

Unrelated but my Lowrance sonar doesn't work when I am fishing under bridges. The side and downscan do work under a bridge. Move from under the bridge and works fine.


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## cwhitney (Sep 9, 2014)

I have the Xi5 and a Lowrance HDS7, but do not see the problem you are describing. 

Do you have a second sonar unit connected to the transducer in the trolling motor? If so, do you have them set to the same frequency (83/200kHz)?


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

Trolling motor is 24 volt with it own 2 battery. Next thing i am gonna take all the wire and just hook it from back on the outside right to lowrance to see if still get interference. Because i know if i call one company they gonna point finger at another. 

Just curious if anyone has this kind of issue before before i take it to a specialist and burn money. 

I don't even have any other fish finder on when i am testing. 

Right now i am only able to test it dry since working in garage. Unless testing it dry is not correct but i would think it shouldn't show that badly interference dry or wet. 

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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

Just a ?? is this a new set up... or is this a unit set-up that's always worked fine and now its acting up???


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

You have already done what I would do, electronics can be so confusing to me. You may try asking your question in the "boating forum" and I think you will reach a LOT more people. This forum has gotten to be mostly white bass fishermen on Livingston.


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

Everything new setup since i rewired everything since it being an old and used boat. Not a total newbies either since i did same thing with my old bass boat.


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

Lol. We ain't all white bass anymore since the hybrid is going crazy now. 


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Ken.Huynh said:


> Lol. We ain't all white bass anymore since the hybrid is going crazy now.


I had to belly laugh at this! On a different thread, I really tried my best to get a lot of people to move to Conroe from Livingston, but there is a 2Cooler here who never understands my strange behavior and humor and jumped all over me. I will accept the blame for it though.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Help me understand, did this same exact setup, same sonar, trolling motor, work without interference before and then began having interference problems 

Or was it that you changed something( battery sonar trolling motor ) and then the problems began?


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

This is a new boat setup. I took it out a few times before, but those was mostly taking family joy ride. So I get interference here and there and i thought it was maybe a bad spot for whatever reason.

But this weekend, i really spend all day fishing. That is when i connected the dot every-time the TM run it causes it.


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## Steven H (Jan 15, 2006)

I get that with my humminbird, if it is any way connected to the TM batteries you will get it. I need to run mine to my starting battery. It seems to come and go with me though honestly. Add to the list of things I need to do on my rig. Replacing the steering cable that broke this weekend, there went my new seat money.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I have a similar set-up, Lowrance and Minn Kota. The 2 batteries for the trolling motor sit in port stern, with power wires leading forward along port to trolling motor in front. The starting battery sits in starboard stern, and all boat wiring with the exception of the trolling motor runs forward along starboard.

But you say yours is separate also. It seems like when wired separately, the only way you would get interference would be radio waves through the air. Is there some type of shielding to use I wonder?

Maybe try Googling sites like these:
http://www.vexilar.com/blog/2014/08/28/solving-sonar-interference
http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/electronic_interference.html


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Are the batteries for the trolling motor close to the battery for lowrance?


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

shadslinger said:


> Are the batteries for the trolling motor close to the battery for lowrance?


Not right next together but they all under the center console.

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## cwhitney (Sep 9, 2014)

Is the interference occurring only on the sonar (transducer) or is it the entire screen (the Lowrance unit)?


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## Crusader (Jan 31, 2014)

Ken.Huynh said:


> Just curious if anyone has this kind of issue before before i take it to a specialist and burn money.


I have the same problem on my kayak. It kind of developed over time. In my case everything is tied down into the same circuit feeding off the same battery.

Does not hurt me too much, since my (very basic) unit is used only to tell current depth and maybe get some hints on large fish schools. I also turn off motor when I fish normally.

Are both your transducer and head unit on separate circuit? I bet there is some connection trolling motor circuit somewhere... Or maybe hull vibrates when motor is working and this drives your transducer crazy because it is not glued right?


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Separate the batteries and see if that's the problem


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

Thanks all. Gonna try some y'all suggestion. If not gonna drop off at specialist. Funny was when it first happen on conroe. It light up like a big crazy school of fish and i got so excited, until i notice it really bad interference. 


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Do you have a noise rejection setting on that unit ? I know the HDS units have them and you can adjust the noise level to reduce it. Not familiar with your unit though, sorry.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Ken, any headway yet? 
I really wonder if this simple device would help you? From what I read on your situation it may. An RF choke, which is cheap anyway. It seems that since you have totally separated systems, it must be RF, caused by large powerful trolling motor that is variable speed rather than set number of speeds.


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## Ken.Huynh (May 30, 2014)

I tried all that been suggested. Even took the sonar wire out and just run it on top of boat just to see. Also moved the battery out side of center console. I am still seeing interference when TM is at high speed. 

Now i am not sure because i am running it dry if that is the reason i see the interference since the motor is noisy and maybe echoed the sound or something. 

I will not know for sure until i take it out into water. 

Will hopefully got it fixed and has a good reports. 

Thanks all. 


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## mycolcason (Jan 7, 2013)

I had interference on my FF. I had it powered to the trolling motor batteries and that was the whole issue. 

That video from white bass fisher was great info !!!

Thanks


Tight lines folks!!


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## trihullranger (Dec 19, 2015)

shadslinger said:


> Separate the batteries and see if that's the problem


 +1 on this.


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## JPham (Feb 28, 2013)

I have the same problem while charging my IPhone's. Disconnect the iPhone it back to normal.


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