Motorguide Tour 109/lowrance HDS12/9 Interference

[keith47]

Does anyone have a solution that eliminates sonar interference? I currently run a MG tour edition 109lb, Lowrance Gen 2 HDS12 console/ Gen 2 HDS9 bow. I have pinpointed the interference in the VSD on the trolling motor. When the TM is on HI bypass, there is no interference but when on momentary there is interference. The power supply for the TM is separate from other accessories on my boat and does not come off the cranking battery. I have contacted some local TM repair shops, they all recommended to run a ground jumper from the cranking battery neg to the neg of the last TM battery that is in series (36V).

[Jig_Man]

That may help. You may also need an internal ground on the trolling motor itself.

[Gamblinman]

I attach a wire to the skeg of my trolling motor (self-tapping screw and ring terminal), run it up the trolling motor and mount and attach it to the negative side of the female trolling motor plug (ring terminal). I've done this to all my units at the bow and never a bit of interference. I have no idea why it works...had an old trolling motor man show it to me and been doing it ever since.


Gman

[gatorsin09]

mine does it real bad on my 9 touch when on setting 5 or 6 on the TM. I had a 7 touch that did it too but it went away when I ran my excess transducer cable away from the TM power outlet as it was close to it from the factory. The new 9 seems to do it no matter what, makes down imaging impossible to see

[keith47]

Problem solved. I used a company out of Webster, Tx called Trionics. They came out to my place and began trouble shooting. Within an hr, they noticed that the MG TM did not have an internal ground. They installed a ground inside the head of the TM, all interference was eliminated. Thanks Trionics.

FYI, If you are a LEGEND boat owner, do not do business with TEXAS SPORTS BOATS in Conroe TX (LEE). They sold this boat with the interference problem and did not make the buyers aware. The boat was taken back to TSB for service, they could not fix the problem, $1K later.

[fishin couillon]

Any boat new or used may or may not have this problem. So how should they know if it was a problem or not......do a search on here and you will see PLENTY of people with the issue and its not just Lowrance units.....

[TroyBoy30]

If it was a new boat with a new trolling motor it should have been inter annoy grounded already. If not blame motorguide not the dealer. All min kotta fortrex motors are now internally grounded. I had to add it to mine.

[Hookerz Tackle]

I know my Touch 12's Gen 2 and my Motorguide Xi5 is HORRIBLE for interference.. Problem with trying to run an extra wire to the skeg is the way these units stow and deploy.. Basically you have a loose wire hanging there.. I first tried the Common Ground, than the Ferate Rings x 2 (Sp) that you wrap the Transducer cable around, sanded a bare spot on the motor housing and put hose clamp to hold it in place.. Than attached other end of wire to ground wire for front unit, ran separate power and ground wire direct to aftermarket fuse block I installed.. STill have interference..

Finally after looking all over found one of the Humminbird TMC Interference choke deals and gonna install it.. AFter that I am lost..

[AllyFishing]

Problem solved. I used a company out of Webster, Tx called Trionics. They came out to my place and began trouble shooting. Within an hr, they noticed that the MG TM did not have an internal ground. They installed a ground inside the head of the TM, all interference was eliminated. Thanks Trionics.

FYI, If you are a LEGEND boat owner, do not do business with TEXAS SPORTS BOATS in Conroe TX (LEE). They sold this boat with the interference problem and did not make the buyers aware. The boat was taken back to TSB for service, they could not fix the problem, $1K later.

wait...where did they install a ground?? inside the lower unit or the head under the clamshell?? and show us please how and what they did??

[AllyFishing]

I attach a wire to the skeg of my trolling motor (self-tapping screw and ring terminal), run it up the trolling motor and mount and attach it to the negative side of the female trolling motor plug (ring terminal). I've done this to all my units at the bow and never a bit of interference. I have no idea why it works...had an old trolling motor man show it to me and been doing it ever since.


Gman

you got a pic of that?
thanks

[bigredglass]

I know my Touch 12's Gen 2 and my Motorguide Xi5 is HORRIBLE for interference.. Problem with trying to run an extra wire to the skeg is the way these units stow and deploy.. Basically you have a loose wire hanging there.. I first tried the Common Ground, than the Ferate Rings x 2 (Sp) that you wrap the Transducer cable around, sanded a bare spot on the motor housing and put hose clamp to hold it in place.. Than attached other end of wire to ground wire for front unit, ran separate power and ground wire direct to aftermarket fuse block I installed.. STill have interference..

Finally after looking all over found one of the Humminbird TMC Interference choke deals and gonna install it.. AFter that I am lost..

Let us know if that works. Been trying to help a guy I know that has the same motor. You can't use 200 kHz at all and there's a good bit if interference when using 83 kHz.

[keith47]

The ground wire was installed under the TM head (clamshell). I will post a pic tomorrow. Did not need to drill into the TM skeg and install a ground from there.

[fishin couillon]

I have a MG Freshwater series 24V and didn't have a problem at first. Eventually it showed up and my sonar and structure scan up front was horrible if TM was set a slow-med speed, if I bumped it up all the way to fast, it went away but just cant fish on high speed......I ended up tying in a wire to the negative wire in the TM head and then put a male spade connector on the other end and stuck it in the collar of the TM head and shaft.....it worked for me and got rid of all intefernece on my unit.....also let me say that I tried my best to keep all cables separated from any of the TM plugs/wires under the deck. Here are a few pics.......

[gatorsin09]

I might finally switch to a fortexx I love how solid my tour 109 is but I don't want to add some ground wire. Sucks because I really love the simplicity of it and how tough it iz

[TroyBoy30]

I took my fortrex to a service center and they grounded it internally. You can't see any wires

[Lou r Pitcher]

I attach a wire to the skeg of my trolling motor (self-tapping screw and ring terminal), run it up the trolling motor and mount and attach it to the negative side of the female trolling motor plug (ring terminal). I've done this to all my units at the bow and never a bit of interference. I have no idea why it works...had an old trolling motor man show it to me and been doing it ever since.


Gman

Bad or worn trolling motor brushes can soon generate large amounts of RFI as reported in fishcouillon's above post .

Adding the discussed ground wire can help reduce motor generated interference from composite shaft MinnKota trolling motors by creating a Faraday Shield effect using the motor's housing.

The above video and instructions probably should warn that the added ground wire should be fused at 2~3 amps if the TM is US2 Sonar equipped. Serious damage to a sonar unit or its wiring or a fire could develop if a trolling motor battery ground connection were to ever become corroded and the trolling motor battery ground and cranking battery grounds are already shared in the bilge*.....sonar/gps units have no fuse protection on their negative power. US2 connected cable shields and sonar gps power ground wires suddenly carrying 30 or more trolling motor amps melt quickly.

The added ground wire, during high current trolling motor use, always will result to elevate the TM skeg slightly above actual battery ground voltage,. This may result in some amount of undesirable electrolysis currents between the trolling motor skeg and the boat engine's lower unit such as *whenever a jump start swtch or charge on the run device is also installed or if the trolling motor negative battery has been ground strapped in the bilge directly to the cranking battery's ground. Usually in non-salt/brackish waters or on fiberglass boat hulls, the electrolysis damage is negligible.

[AllyFishing]

The ground wire was installed under the TM head (clamshell). I will post a pic tomorrow. Did not need to drill into the TM skeg and install a ground from there.

Awesome, thank you!! I really want to see this!! I still have some interference on my bow touch in the slow to medium TM speed. It is most apparent on my downscan on 800 kHz. If I choose high chirp on 2d I get solid black lines down the screen so chirp is useless for me til I get my interference reduced. I have the MK choke installed on my TM power wire too.

[keith47]

Pics that you guys requested. Thanks for all the advice. Hope you guys can get your problems solved.












2014 Legend Alpha 21
Merc 250Xs

[Hookerz Tackle]

If I remember right when I pulled the cover off the head of my Xi5 there wasn't anyway to ground it.. I may be wrong though..

[AllyFishing]

Pics that you guys requested. Thanks for all the advice. Hope you guys can get your problems solved.












2014 Legend Alpha 21
Merc 250Xs

How was that green wire spliced in? I hate to ask but could you remove the electrical tape?