Wayne,,Mega 360 issues again.

[cevans]

And I now have stock in wire ties from Lowe’s as I have wasted 300 or more changing wiring and trying every imaginable setup with transducers and networking with this Mega 360.

[cevans]

Just got off the phone with Humminbird tech support. They think I might need to ground my mega 360 to my aluminum G3 plain Jane jon boat. I don’t think that is a issue as I discussed with them that if it was a grounding issue, why would it work perfect in a bucket of water and not the lake??? They couldn’t answer that. Ok! Without burning something up, how do I ground the mega 360 or the battery that my electronics is hooked up to, to aluminum plain Jane jon boat? They also mentioned contacting the boat manufacturer on wiring a jon boat. Also, I have virtually no electric interference from any of my electronics as the electronics is all run to a 50 amp lithium battery and are grounded to the negative battery post and run off its separate fuse box, 8 gauge to the fuse box, 10 gauge to each unit fused separately. How do I ground the mega 360 to the aluminum jon boat with damaging anything?

[cevans]

A comment from HB tech support was maybe the boat sitting in the lake was the reason the mega 360 was not working but would work in the garage in a bucket of water with the boat out of the water???. If that were the case, I would think all transducers would be fubar’ed or a electrical issue with them someway. However all the years I have used a aluminum jon boat and added electronics Imrhink Imwould have had a problem. Also,,I told HB, I used the same wiring from the Gen 1 360 to hook the mega 360 up and had no issues with the Gen 1 360 for over a year usage if it.

[Wayne P.]

Just got off the phone with Humminbird tech support. They think I might need to ground my mega 360 to my aluminum G3 plain Jane jon boat. I don’t think that is a issue as I discussed with them that if it was a grounding issue, why would it work perfect in a bucket of water and not the lake??? They couldn’t answer that. Ok! Without burning something up, how do I ground the mega 360 or the battery that my electronics is hooked up to, to aluminum plain Jane jon boat? They also mentioned contacting the boat manufacturer on wiring a jon boat. Also, I have virtually no electric interference from any of my electronics as the electronics is all run to a 50 amp lithium battery and are grounded to the negative battery post and run off its separate fuse box, 8 gauge to the fuse box, 10 gauge to each unit fused separately. How do I ground the mega 360 to the aluminum jon boat with damaging anything?

If you have a gas outboard, your battery is already "grounded" to the aluminum hull if the battery is the starting battery and the electronics battery. I have an aluminum hull. If you don't think the battery is grounded, put a wire on the positive of the battery and touch the other end to the hull===may get a surprise!!!!!! To do the same with a dedicated electronics battery, just run a wire between that battery's negative post and the hull. The only possible way to ground a transducer is have an accessible metal contact to connect a wire to it--can't have an electrical circuit with plastic or fiberglass. Don't know if the "drain" wire in the power cable would be that connection. Humminbird would have to verify that. I have a Alumaducer and it has a grounding terminal.

Additionally I used the 360 for about 6 years and have the MEGA 360 connected to the same power cord. I have two of those wired, one for the starting battery and another for a stand-alone electronics battery depending on what body of water I am on---I fish electric-only waters a lot.

[cevans]

Wayn, is it safe to run a ground wire from my lithium battery for electronics to a screw in the aluminum boat????? If need be? HB Rep just informed me, if you want to turn your Mega 360 on while out of the water, just wet a paper towel down and place over the wet switches. You don’t need a bucket of water. Wet paper towel works like a charm for testing and running and switching screen views from Mega 360 to SI and back. Simplistic!

[Wayne P.]

Wayn, is it safe to run a ground wire from my lithium battery for electronics to a screw in the aluminum boat????? If need be? HB Rep just informed me, if you want to turn your Mega 360 on while out of the water, just wet a paper towel down and place over the wet switches. You don’t need a bucket of water. Wet paper towel works like a charm for testing and running and switching screen views from Mega 360 to SI and back. Simplistic!

Should be no issue, no different than your starting battery. If you are concerned, just put a low amp fuse on the wire.
I use the penny trick with the wet switch, just did that again a couple of days ago in my garage to show someone that two different views of the MEGA 360 can be viewed at the same time on different units.

[cevans]

I am now thinking it’s a grounding issue as I just ran over to a lake totally isolated in the hills of southern Indiana but is spring fed and also receives rain runoff And wetting a paper towel and pouring water sample from it and the wet switches, it worked in the garage, but I want to further test it with a 20 acre backwater lake of the river and run over to West Boggs lake, 650 acres, near home to get water out of it as I have tested and fished on it before doing anything on grounding. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on a simple grounding issue. Keep everybody posted.

[cevans]

One other thing,,,so far all testing is being done without the Y cable being used. I really don’t think it’s a bad Y cable as was discussed a possibility in our past PM’s.

[AlabamaDale]

I installed my Y cable this weekend and the 360 rotates real slow unless I disable MDI transducer.

[cevans]

I installed my Y cable this weekend and the 360 rotates real slow unless I disable MDI transducer.

Same here when I have the wet switchs wetted and in the garage as Y cable is a pain. Need to run to a lake in the morning and see if this mega 360 is going to run. I tried 3 buckets of water today from a 4 acre lake, a 20 acre backwater slew next to a river, and a bucket from 650 acre lake. Mega 360 works in lake water in the garage so I grounded the battery to the back of the transom with a ground wire fused with a 10 amp fuse. Hope this Mega 360 runs in the morning on the lake and will take my iPad with me to keep all posted.

[Sirius Rich]

I installed my Y cable this weekend and the 360 rotates real slow unless I disable MDI transducer.

You need to have the MDI transducer wet and then the M360 will rotate normally.

[AlabamaDale]

You need to have the MDI transducer wet and then the M360 will rotate normally.

Thanks,

[Treeguyus]

Same here when I have the wet switchs wetted and in the garage as Y cable is a pain. Need to run to a lake in the morning and see if this mega 360 is going to run. I tried 3 buckets of water today from a 4 acre lake, a 20 acre backwater slew next to a river, and a bucket from 650 acre lake. Mega 360 works in lake water in the garage so I grounded the battery to the back of the transom with a ground wire fused with a 10 amp fuse. Hope this Mega 360 runs in the morning on the lake and will take my iPad with me to keep all posted.

https://www.morganscloud.com/2010/05...ng-the-engine/
https://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...-aluminum-boat
Some information on grounding to the hull of a aluminum boat

[cevans]

Your right and I am grasping at straws and not going to ground the battery To the hull. Been reading and researching this after you PM’ed me. Thanks

[cevans]

Yesterday I did a complete re wire of the boat and for kicks, I ran 2 new wires directly from the battery, one a ground wire, other a power wire with a fuse in it to the Mega 360 bypassing the fuse box just in case there was some electrical interference or bleed over and I also disconnected anything electrical to the battery of which I moved one of my 100 amp Ionic lithium’s to the back of the boat. Only thing hooked to it was all the electronics, plus the 25 hp 2015 Yamaha electric start engine and the trim and tilt. No other boat electronics was on it. Ran over to the closest lake near the house today, because it’s owned by the city, had to pay the 16 bucks, but they have good docks and launched and tied up to a dock in 6-7 ft of water.

Test 1. These are messages I am sending to a HB Rep as he wanted me to try a couple of things.
I am launched on the lake and the message in the box is MEGA Disabled Out of the water, I retract it and wet a paper towel and place over the wet switches with lake water and it runs while sitting in the boat on the lake. I barely have it in the water with 6inches of water as I tied up to a dock. I placed the wet paper towel over the wet switches,,slowly lowered it to where the water was barely covering the wet switches and it’s still running till I remove the paper towels from the wet switches and it stops and brings the message back up,,,,out of the water. Going to install 1.06 and see if it works but I have the y cable installed and will try with it on using 1.06

Test 2.
I installed 1.06 with the 7 and the 9 turned off and kept them totally off on this test. I restated the 10 after shutting down on completion of installation check to see if version 1.06 was in the Mega then hit Mega 360 screen and slowly deployed inching the pod into the water. It didn’t come on when the wet switches were covered with a couple of inches of water. Message still Out of the water. Retracted and covered the wet switches with a wet paper towel. It comes in perfect even switching to SI and runs perfect with the switches covered with a paper towel. I slowly deployed holding it and with Si on and the wet switches 2 inches out of the water it shows a perfect bottom with a small piece of log under me...I slowly submerged it with the paper towel in it still. I can here the air bubbles gurgling as I submerge it. Works as it’s submerged till the very instant the paper towel floats off the wet switches then stops and says out of the water. One more test coming up.

Test 3.
last test was to slide it out of the aluminum square tubing of the Da Ducer and see if it would work and all results are the same. The minute those wet swtches and the pod are submerged and the paper towel floats off, it shuts off and gives the message box Mega 360 Diabled, Out of the water. I give up and done unless anybody at HB has any ideas. I need for you people to look at this when you can as I know your probably restricted due to the virus. I’m in no hurry but would eventually like to have a working mega 360. Not sure, is there anywhere I can take it after this shut down is over with? Any ideas,,let me know and will try them as I have the time to mess with it some more

in all the tests I was sometimes unplugging the y cable and just plugging the mega 360 in. Last tEsts were done with nothing on in the boat, all other units were shut off except the 10 MDI+ and the Mega 360. Deploy it in with a inch of water over the wet switch and it quits. I think the ball is now in HB’s court as out of ideas unless they contact me and ask me to try anything else of which I am always open to options.

[Bob B]

Yesterday I did a complete re wire of the boat and for kicks, I ran 2 new wires directly from the battery, one a ground wire, other a power wire with a fuse in it to the Mega 360 bypassing the fuse box just in case there was some electrical interference or bleed over and I also disconnected anything electrical to the battery of which I moved one of my 100 amp Ionic lithium’s to the back of the boat. Only thing hooked to it was all the electronics, plus the 25 hp 2015 Yamaha electric start engine and the trim and tilt. No other boat electronics was on it. Ran over to the closest lake near the house today, because it’s owned by the city, had to pay the 16 bucks, but they have good docks and launched and tied up to a dock in 6-7 ft of water.

Test 1. These are messages I am sending to a HB Rep as he wanted me to try a couple of things.
I am launched on the lake and the message in the box is MEGA Disabled Out of the water, I retract it and wet a paper towel and place over the wet switches with lake water and it runs while sitting in the boat on the lake. I barely have it in the water with 6inches of water as I tied up to a dock. I placed the wet paper towel over the wet switches,,slowly lowered it to where the water was barely covering the wet switches and it’s still running till I remove the paper towels from the wet switches and it stops and brings the message back up,,,,out of the water. Going to install 1.06 and see if it works but I have the y cable installed and will try with it on using 1.06

Test 2.
I installed 1.06 with the 7 and the 9 turned off and kept them totally off on this test. I restated the 10 after shutting down on completion of installation check to see if version 1.06 was in the Mega then hit Mega 360 screen and slowly deployed inching the pod into the water. It didn’t come on when the wet switches were covered with a couple of inches of water. Message still Out of the water. Retracted and covered the wet switches with a wet paper towel. It comes in perfect even switching to SI and runs perfect with the switches covered with a paper towel. I slowly deployed holding it and with Si on and the wet switches 2 inches out of the water it shows a perfect bottom with a small piece of log under me...I slowly submerged it with the paper towel in it still. I can here the air bubbles gurgling as I submerge it. Works as it’s submerged till the very instant the paper towel floats off the wet switches then stops and says out of the water. One more test coming up.

Test 3.
last test was to slide it out of the aluminum square tubing of the Da Ducer and see if it would work and all results are the same. The minute those wet swtches and the pod are submerged and the paper towel floats off, it shuts off and gives the message box Mega 360 Diabled, Out of the water. I give up and done unless anybody at HB has any ideas. I need for you people to look at this when you can as I know your probably restricted due to the virus. I’m in no hurry but would eventually like to have a working mega 360. Not sure, is there anywhere I can take it after this shut down is over with? Any ideas,,let me know and will try them as I have the time to mess with it some more

in all the tests I was sometimes unplugging the y cable and just plugging the mega 360 in. Last tEsts were done with nothing on in the boat, all other units were shut off except the 10 MDI+ and the Mega 360. Deploy it in with a inch of water over the wet switch and it quits. I think the ball is now in HB’s court as out of ideas unless they contact me and ask me to try anything else of which I am always open to options.

Do you know anyone who could temp install your M360 on their boat to see if the symptoms are the same? Using a different M360 on your installation would be another possibility if you can find someone. Sure seems like a problem with the wet switch.

[cevans]

Do you know anyone who could temp install your M360 on their boat to see if the symptoms are the same? Using a different M360 on your installation would be another possibility if you can find someone. Sure seems like a problem with the wet switch.

It is the wet switches and just came in from garage after 3 hrs of putting the boat back together and all the wiring. I miss the call from HB Support and have to call them in the morning as they have been awesome to work with. Got a nice message on my cell phone and I will send the Mega 360 back to them but due to the Fed govt lockdown they are not allowed to ship out till May 1st and that is only if the lockdown is not extended. They are sending me a new Mega 360 when they can. I hate to say this but the testing and trying anything and everything has been interesting as well as challenging but glad it’s over with.

[Bob B]

It is the wet switches and just came in from garage after 3 hrs of putting the boat back together and all the wiring. I miss the call from HB Support and have to call them in the morning as they have been awesome to work with. Got a nice message on my cell phone and I will send the Mega 360 back to them but due to the Fed govt lockdown they are not allowed to ship out till May 1st and that is only if the lockdown is not extended. They are sending me a new Mega 360 when they can. I hate to say this but the testing and trying anything and everything has been interesting as well as challenging but glad it’s over with.

Sounds like you got in on the "bleeding" edge of things.
Good to see you are keeping a good attitude and are happy with Humminbird's response.

[cevans]

From what I was told by HB, they haven’t had any issues with the wet switches that couldn’t be fixed by software or wiring. This is one of a kind and I can understand that being one of the first to get a Mega 360 as you might just encounter R & D issues. It is what it is but all works out in the end. Besides, it’s all good when your still under warrantee with Humminbird.

[Sirius Rich]

........

I would send you a case of paper towels, but people are hoarding them in my area and they are not in the stores. Good luck and glad HB is working so hard with you.