Topic: CannonLink FAQ

[RGecy]

Taken from Humminbird.com FAQ

Which Humminbird units work with CannonLink™?
Only Fishing Systems work with CannonLink. This includes all Matrix, 700, 900, and 1100 units.

What comes with a CannonLink™?
The accessory – CannonLink
One EC-10 (10’ HB accessory cable)
One 6” HB accessory cable
One AS-DRLINK cable (Accessory to Downrigger cable)
One Terminator
Mount screws and feet kit
Manual

Do I have to update my unit software to run CannonLink™?
If your unit software is 3.700 or later, the answer is no. But we do recommend you update to the latest version just to be sure you are getting the most out of CannonLink™ and other accessories.

Why can I only use one Cannon Speed-N-Temp gauge with CannonLink™?
Two or more can cause cross talk. When the signals generated from the Speed N Temp get to a certain power level they may even start interferring with the downrigger. If you have more than one Speed N Temp, we recommend not to even have the second one powered on if you are cusing CannonLink™.

How do I get the Cannon Speed-N-Temp to readout on the unit?
The unit will automatic show you this data on CannonLink Menu Screen.

On all Matrix and 700 series units you can place the data also on the Sonar view by changing the readout to Speed-N-Temp in the readout select menu option (Main Menu under Set-up, Advance user mode)

On all 900 and 1100 series units you can make the same changes as mentioned above on the readout but the change can then be seen on all views.

Why do only Cannon Mag20 downriggers work with CannonLink?
Each downrigger model that is made has a different programming language. A Digi-Troll IV cannot talk to be a Mag20.

What relay cable do I need if I am using multiple Mag20 downriggers?
Cannon Part # 019634 – Mag20DT Relay Cables.  This item can be ordered from your local Cannon dealer or you can order it from Cannon directly via their Customer Service Phone number (1-800-227-6433)

I have everything hooked up and my screen just says Check connections and Terminator. What should I check?
1. Make sure all the downriggers in the system have power.
2. Make sure all cables are plugged in to the unit, CannonLink and Downriggers
3. Make sure the terminator is plugged in to the last downrigger in the series.
4. Still not working?
5. Move the terminator to downrigger number 1 and test it, if Ok, move to the next downrigger and so on. Once you reach a downrigger that does not work, use another downrigger to confirm that it is the downrigger.

If a single downrigger in the system series does not work the entire system will not work.

What is Short-Stop?
Short-Stop is a Cannon® exclusive feature that automatically stops the weight at the water’s surface, preventing the lift motor from raising it into the pulley at the end of the boom. When the downrigger cable is in the water, a small electrical current flows between the cable and grounded metal boat components in the water. When the cable clears the water, the current flow stops. The short stop system senses this interruption and turns off the motor. The trolling weight insulator is used to break the cable contact to the water while the weight is still in the water. Stopping the weight at water level eliminates the cable strain caused by a bouncing weight or a weight hitting the boom end and it also keeps the weight from swinging into the boat hull. This feature comes on all Cannon electric downriggers and requires the boat to be properly grounded.

Why does the PIC knob not work when CannonLink is hooked up?
When CannonLink is hooked up you have to change the Positive Ion Control via the CannonLink menu. (Positive Ion Control is based on the principle that applying a low voltage positive electrical field into the water where you’re fishing will attract fish and increase your chances to catch more fish. Since fish are attracted by a slight positive charge and repelled by a strong positive or negative charge, generating and controlling the correct charge can be critical to the success of your fishing. With Cannon’s® exclusive Positive Ion Control you can change the natural negative field created by the grounded electrical system of your boat to a positive field. More information on how fish respond to electricity can be found in “The Secrets of Fishing with Electricity” by Ollie Rode.)

Why can't I see my downrigger ball in the sonar view?
1. Blow back- blowback is what happens to the downrigger weight when you pull it through the water behind your boat. As your speed increases, so does the horizontal distance between the weight and your downrigger. The faster you go, the farther the weight is behind you. The farther the weight is behind you, the shallower the weight is. For example, if you are trolling @ 4 MPH with an 8 pound weight and you have 100' of cable in the water; the downrigger ball is actually at a depth of 80'. Use a heavier weight and the blow back will be less severe.
2. You beam section on your unit is too narrow. We normal recommend 83kHz or 200/83kHz if your goal is to see the downrigger ball.
3. Have the transducer near the transom and the side of the boat you are looking at.

Why does the downrigger ball come all the way up to the surface when I downrigger at a depth in Manual mode then switch it to BottomTrack mode?
The reason is safety; by bringing the ball all the way up to the surface we are able to re-verify the surface location. If you are using BottomTrack with an “Offset” setting of 2’ off the bottom and a “Wave” setting of 1’, it could mean your Cannon Ball will be with in one foot of the bottom before the downrigger reacts.

What does Wave mean? (Option under BottomTrack Mode only)
Wave is two things:

1. The amount of surface waves that causes the boat to go up and down. (The boat moving up and down due to wave motion will cause the boat to appear to be in deeper water or shallower water depending on whether you are on the crest of the wave or in the trough.)
2. The rate of change on the bottom. (Example- flat bottom verse a cobblestone type bottom)
Both of the above can make up what we call “wave”.

Wave is used to stop the downrigger from making numerous changes due to small changes in either the surface or the bottom contours. This setting should be based on your conditions and the desire amount of change in those condiitions before the downrigger starts to reacts.

[easysailor]

Is there a diagram showing the different cables labelled and  their lengths for a complete hookup of the  cannonlink fishing module  to a downrigger and a 1197 system? The lengths are not given completely. I want to make sure I'm ordering all the require parts and not ordering what is already supplied.

[RGecy]

Nothing that I know of, but Greg may have something.  I have forwarded your question on to him.

Thanks,

Robert

[etkennedy1]

I would like to post this so others don't have to go through what I did to get the cannolink, interlink to work. I had asked Humminbird and they said it would not work the way I wanted. They said that the cannonlink can only be connected to 1 fishfinder.  The manuals on cannonlink hookup are very poor. So after many hours off trying------------success!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I have a 798si on the trolling motor and a 898s on the console interlinked to share waypoints. The 798 has an internal gps, the 898 uses an external gps receiver sitting on the transom over the rear transducer. I have a cannon mag 20 dt/hs and a cannonlink. I wanted to still share waypoints and to be able control the downrigger from the 798 or the 898. I considered making a special switch to switch the cannonlink output, and I tried various combinations of cables and y cables.

The final setup which works great is as follows:
1-The mag 20 output com cable is connected to the right most socket) of the cannonlink.
2-The fishfinder com port from the cannonlink(left most socket) is connected to the 798 com port through a com cable which includes a short length of a com cable with the choke in it.
2-The daisy chain port on the cannonlink(center socket) is connected to 1 of the 2 fishfinder ports on the interlink
3-The 898 has a y cable connected to the com port.  The com-asscy plug of the y cable is connected to the other fishfinder port of the interlink. The com-nemea out connector of the y cable is connected to the gps external receiver com plug.

This setup allows the 798 and 898 to share waypoints. Also, the mag 20 downrigger view is available on both the 798 and 898. There is no confusion in controlling the downrigger, since the networks will allow only 1 of the FF to have a menu open at any one time. Thus I can control the downrigger  from either FF and see the downrigger view on both of the FF at the same time.
It works like  a charm.

By the way, for some strange reason, it did not work when I used a long standard  com cable from the cannonlink to the interlink. I am instead using another y cable, using only the com-asscy plug to make the connection, the com-nemea plug is open.

[sonar2000]

ET......Good work.  You might want to make this a turtorial and post there.   Chuck