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02-15-2014, 01:20 PM | #1 |
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Location: Carlsbad Ca.
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UPDATE! HELP!!! Any ideas on a FF repair? UPDATE!
ANY IDEAS ON A FIX???????? I don't have the funds to go buy a new unit and want to exhaust all other options before even considering it. Thanks, Mike UPDATE...... First off, Thanks to everyone for their advice and a BIG thanks to Wade for his offer. I was real close to trashing the unit but had to at least try to repair it first. I thought what the hell, its not like I can make it any worse, right? I might not have done it the absolute best way but I hope that what I did do helps someone else who finds themselves with the same problem. First thing I did was take the unit apart and drill out a new hole right on top of where the broken pin was. I used a small drill bit and drilled through to the other side being careful not to hit any other wires. I then took a piece of copper wire that I had laying around and cut a 4 inch piece. I put that piece in my drill and sanded it down to the diameter that it needed to be by using 400 grit sandpaper. Using just the end of a connector, I connected the new pin to the existing wire. Then very carefully making sure that I didn't get any on the existing pins, I dripped a couple of drops of fiberglass epoxy down into the female connection so that it started to drip out of the hole that I drilled. I then inserted the new pin into the drilled hole from the inside. I did this to secure the new pin and to also make the female connection water tight. After the epoxy cured I cut off the remaining copper wire and put the unit back together and plugged it in. SO DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR BROKEN FISH FINDER JUST YET!!!!!
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[SIGPIC] Last edited by Cbad Mike; 02-15-2014 at 09:25 PM. |
02-15-2014, 01:49 PM | #2 |
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Dang dude send it in for repair, gotta be cheaper than a new unit. I don't think you can fix that yourself without opening it up and replacing the connector.
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Hobie PA 14 ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Jackson Kraken ¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Malibu X-Factor ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Malibu Stealth-12 ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Its not a spelling B its a fishing B ~yakjoe |
02-15-2014, 02:12 PM | #3 |
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That sucks!
Hopefully, Eagle can fix it for cheap.
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02-15-2014, 02:50 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 332
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Sorry man. Had the same thing happen with a humminbird ff. I used to leave the plug connected and also left the battery connected. Big no-no. Heard it was corrosion or some crap like that which will weaken metal.
Just bought another... Faster than trying repair. Possibly not that more expensive. |
02-15-2014, 03:08 PM | #5 |
Daddeo
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: OC
Posts: 660
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CBAD,
Well, if you really want to fix it, find a male and female connector, a short length of transducer cable, a drill, some adhesive, a good small soldering iron, and the most important ingredient is.... Find that Macgyver in you to come up with a fix. Also it helps to take a class in low resistance soldering. Or query BWE to find another head unit. If I have to tell you the rest, it's probably beyond your skill level. What model unit is it? |
02-15-2014, 03:16 PM | #6 |
Emperor
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Buena Park
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Well that sucks...i had the same thing happen when i had my eagle cuda as well. I think your due for a new unit...
Maybe start a, help buy cbadmike a new fishfinder fund thread....?
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02-15-2014, 05:14 PM | #7 |
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I just had a customer come in with the same issue on a Cuda 350, I told him to throw it in the trash.......sorry to say.
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02-15-2014, 07:39 PM | #8 |
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I got a 250 u can borrow till u get a good un'..
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02-15-2014, 07:42 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: Jul 2012
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You might have some hope with electrically conductive epoxy. They make epoxy doped with carbon or silver. Henkel who makes loctite now makes this product. I used it it for battery applications with good success.
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02-15-2014, 07:50 PM | #10 |
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02-15-2014, 07:54 PM | #11 |
Xcoastie
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Westminster
Posts: 285
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I think this is fixable. Isn't there another set of pins on the other side? I bet you could steal a pin from the other connector and replace the broken pin. You gotta have some decent solder skills but this should be repairable. Or find a new male female/male plug and just replace the plug combo all together.
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02-15-2014, 08:05 PM | #12 |
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Location: San Diego
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I wouldn't trash it over a broken pin. Hit up the manufacturer first to see if they could repair or replace the unit. If they say no then I'd try the repair. I'm guessing the 2 copper pins are power and ground. Maybe, depending on how comfortable you are working with soldering, you could rig up a separate connector for those 2 pins.
Were you using dieletric grease and disconnecting the cable after every session before it broke?
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02-15-2014, 09:02 PM | #13 |
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I know nothing about everything, but I'll bet that if you use dielectric grease on your connections and disconnect the plugs only when necessary (I disconnect mine about once every four-five months) and disconnect the battery from unit after every use your sonar will last many, many years.
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02-15-2014, 09:09 PM | #14 |
The carpetbagger
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: tha newps
Posts: 1,474
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I had the same unit and I contacted eagle which is now lowrance. They said they will not service or repair Eagle products bit offered me the equivalent Lowrance unit which I believe was the mark 4 at their wholesale cost. I'm sure you would get the same offer.
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02-15-2014, 09:20 PM | #15 |
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Nice fix there Mike!
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02-15-2014, 09:23 PM | #16 |
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UPDATED
Thanks again everyone for your replies and advice. BIG thanks to Wade for the offer!!!!
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02-15-2014, 09:54 PM | #17 |
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That's it, nice MacGyver
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Hobie PA 14 ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Jackson Kraken ¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Malibu X-Factor ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Malibu Stealth-12 ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Its not a spelling B its a fishing B ~yakjoe |
02-15-2014, 10:27 PM | #18 |
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Well there you go. Nice fix.
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02-15-2014, 10:39 PM | #19 |
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Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Nice !!!
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02-16-2014, 08:25 AM | #20 |
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well done!
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