Lowrance FF Service & Support

[Mr. NiceGuy]

For my last two fishing sessions, my Lowrance Elite-5 Chirp won't fully boot up. Sometimes I get as far as the title page, then it shuts off. Sometimes I get past the navigation warning that starts the FF and it works for about a minute before it shuts itself off again.

When I plug my battery in for a recharge, I get the green light right away, as if the battery is already fully charged. Since I can't get the FF to boot up and stay on, a fully charged battery makes sense. The battery is about 4 years old, so I don't know if the quick green light might be a "false positive" for a bad battery. I want to have my battery tested as well.

Lowrance already replaced my first Elite-5 Chirp promptly and free of charge. In that case, the screen went berserk. They sent me a label for sending it to a local service center in San Diego for diagnostics and repair or replace. I think it was in the Kearny Mesa industrial area just off Clairemont Mesa Bl & Convoy.

Does anyone know this address and company name? It might have been under the Navico name, but I can't remember for sure. I just remember that the shipping label for servicing/replacement was local.

I can't track this address down through the Lowrance or Navico websites. It may be an electronics contractor they use or it may be their own in-house service center not open to the public.

I am hoping to find someone who can run a quick diagnostics test on my FF to see if the problem I'm having is in the FF, or somewhere else (wiring, battery, transducer, ?, ...)

Any ideas?

[Baja_Traveler]

I was always under the impression that our local service center was West Marine in Point Loma. I've got to bring my HDS 7 in also - Mine boots, then goes to a white screen with a bunch of thin colored vertical lines....

[Denis_Ruso]

Really sounding like a dead battery. My first one crapped out after about 2 years. Try a different power source, that might do the trick.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Originally Posted by Baja_Traveler

I was always under the impression that our local service center was West Marine in Point Loma. I've got to bring my HDS 7 in also - Mine boots, then goes to a white screen with a bunch of thin colored vertical lines....

They are listed on the Lowrance website service center locator, but in fact, they are simply a dealer and liaison with Lowrance/Navonics. They offer customer support and handle warranties, but do not do any of the repair work there.

The guy at West Marine in Pt. Loma who is the foremost FF specialist is "J.C."

Originally Posted by Denis_Ruso

Really sounding like a dead battery. My first one crapped out after about 2 years. Try a different power source, that might do the trick.

I am sufficiently mechanically-minded, but I have to admit that I am pretty functionally illiterate about electrical engineering. I struggle through this by poking and wiggling things, or replacing components. Sadly, I never learned the theory and fundamentals early in life when I should have.

I'm suspicious of the battery too, even though it indicates fully charged. I might have a voltmeter in my electrical tool box. I'm not sure how to use it properly.

I think your suggestion is a good one. I have a new generic replacement battery on the shelf. I'll have to move the Hobie connectors over, and figure out how to hermetically seal my connections from salt water. I'm Mr. DumbGuy in this department. I'm going to try. Maybe I'll get lucky.

[Iceman]

4 year old battery very likely the culprit. If properly cared for life span is usually 5 years.