Topic: Power connection on 1197

[blharr4400]

Let me start with some back ground information on my situation.

I am a 1197 mounted on a RAM mount on my boat ( 18' trition bass boat) and have owned it for a little over a year now.  I always take the unit off when trailering the boat down the road and fish 4 to 5 times a week so as you can amagine the power cord, transducer cord and gps cord (which all run into the "big snap plut) get plugged and unplugged quite a few times.  Recently the unit started to shut off when ever I would run across the lake on plane or be in rough water.  After lots of digging and checking electrical connections to make sure everything was ok I found the problem.  Where the power connection comes into the "big snap plug" that gets plugged into the unit it is loose enough that it can wiggle (yes the screws on the face plate are tight).  With the boat sitting on the travler in the garage I find that if I power on the unit and touch the power cord it moves enough to shut the unit off.  This happens frequently enough on the water that it pretty much makes the unit worthless.

So I am hoping that someone else has experience this and has a solution as to how to fix the problem.  I an open to anything or willing to answer questions if you feel more information is needed to help me out.

Thanks,

Ben

[ITGEEK]

Here's my 2 cents:
I think it's not good to keep plugging the unit in and unplugging it.
Over time, it's going to wear something out.  The HB connections are not robust, but are plastic with very small metal connectors.  When I first looked at them, I thought they were very rinky dink, but they do work pretty well.
I think they are designed to be attached once and left alone.

If you are afraid something might hit your unit on the road, I would tip it so that it lays horizontal.  That would make it very difficult for some road debris to hit the unit.

Maybe you can put some electrical tape on the sides of where it's loose now.
It might help tighten everything up.  You also might have to order a new piece that's now loose and worn out.

Also, you can use some disposable plastic ties to tie up the power cord tight against the unit right before you start fishing and cut it off when done.

Also, you may have to periodically bend the power cord connections outward a little to make better electrical contact.  Do these one at a time, or you will blow the fuse.

Good luck to you.

[ETnSC]

I had the same issues with a new 1197.  After 2 power cords, soldering all connections, running power cables and transducer cables separatedly (on HB's recommendation) and bending the male connectors on the head unit, I was still experiencing the problem.  I fish on the ocean, so it can really take a pounding at times. 

The solution that has worked for me for the last year was to take a plastic lid from a sandwich spread and cut a small square of plastic to wedge between the collector and the power connector.  This fixed the cable tight to collector and I have not had a problem after about 200 hrs on the water.  Hope this helps.

[sonar2000]

I think the individual connectors would have been much stronger if HB would have used used the threaded watertight asemblies.
Other units that have this type of connection dont seem to experience the power related problems as the HB units.
Slip connetion is never as strong as threaded.
However, we must deal with the type that are there and ideas such as posted may help the rest of us.
I agree that the plug assembly was not intended to be removed often.
Chuck

[blharr4400]

ETnSC:  Thanks for the reply...  I was thinking about using some metal shim stock from work but I like the plastic idea better.  I also like the idea that it semi-perminate as I though super glue but would require new parts if it didn't fix it.  I will give it a try and let you know how it works.

sonar2000:  I agree with you for a $3000 unit you would think they could through in quality connectors.  Not that I will be buying a new large screen SI unit anything soon but it would be nice to see HB address this issue on a "next generation" unit.

ITGEEK:  Leaving it on the boat is not really an options for multiple reasons.  1) theft... 2) I travel all over the midwest fishing so that is lots of extra miles and abuse on the head unit from all of your wonderfull potholes.  3) peolple like to steal the lake map and sd cards out of them and it is something very easy for someone to walk off with in their pocket.

Thank you everyone for you help.  I will let you know if I come up with anything other tricks that solve this issue.

[ITGEEK]

blharr4400:
You could secure your unit with this:
http://www.durasafelocks.com/products/marine/index.html

I use it and it is a great deterrent for someone who wants to grab and run.
However, if someone has secluded access to your boat, a hacksaw would cut right through the factory aluminum bracket.  They only have to cut one side then push and pull the other side back and forth until it breaks.

Also,
I can't see where the potholes would be a big issue if the unit is secured well and clamped down good and tight.  I would think that your tow vehicle and trailer would suffer more damage than the sonar unit from potholes.

Also, you could take the map and SD cards out of the unit when you are not fishing.

I would like to see larger, more robust connectors too, but it will add to the costs of the units.

[blharr4400]

Yeah I have thought about the locks but I still dont see having a unit that big hanging off a ramp mount as good for long road trips.  I am not sure how yours is set up but mine is on a ram mount on the outside edge of the drivers console which causes it be be wider then the boat when install which is just one more thing to catch and get ripped off while trailering.

My background is work as a mechanical engineer doing custome machine design and I have seen application in the past where PCB boards do not take repeditive shock well. (solder points come loose or become cracked, the main boar cracks... ect) and this is my concern with it me mounted solid to the boat during travel.  Keep in mind a trip across the state to fish a weekend tournament in not unusual for me.

As far as the price of the conectors we use these all the time on machine we build in the are a few bucks a piece.  When you have already spent 3g's what is another 20 dollars to have quality water tight connectors.

[Roddy]

Ben; First before you overhaul the boat, try a tooth pick stuck in thru the bottom of the mount at the power plug. It worked for me. Roddy

[blharr4400]

Thanks for everyones help.  I took the top of a sandwich storage container (glade brand) and made two shims out of it sticking one shim on each side of the power connector.  Fished all day sunday and never had a single problem.

[ETnSC]

Glad to hear it work for you. 

[Roddy]

Low tech, Good. Roddy