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  1. #1
    Member SoonerFan's Avatar
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    Apr 2007
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    Question TM Interference on Helix 10 SI G2

    I'm hoping to get someone to point me in the right direction to cure the interference in my new Helix 10 SI Mega. I have done a search but the results come back rather broad and unrelated to my problem. The facts.....

    Installed new Helix and Ultrex last week.

    The wiring in the bow panel was turning into a plate of spaghetti so I added a Blue Sea fuse box to the bow. I ran 16 ga wire from the Johnny Ray wiring blocks at the cranking battery through a switch to the fuse box. The fuse box has the Helix, the heading sensor, a digital clock/air thermometer, and a indicator light.

    Also behind the bow panes is the 24v TM cables as well as the factory wiring for the tilt/trim and anchor light. All this wiring gets a little crowed together....my first concern.

    Here's some pics of how the transducer and I-Pilot link wires are routed....


    Here is a couple of examples of the interference I'm getting.....






    Easy to see when the trolling motor is on and off. The depth also jumps from actual depth to something much more....usually 18 or 19 feet but once I saw it reading 524 feet.

    I'm assuming that my first step would be to get the power to the Helix off the fuse box and run dedicated wire to the battery. Should that be shielded wire?

    Should I try to get the wires coming out of the panel into the Helix separated from the transducer cable? How about the close proximity to the trolling motor battery cables?

    I have seem posts referring to ferrite rings to help with this....what size and where do I find them?

    I'm just trying to get pointed in the right direction before I start tearing everything apart.
    Don't worry Ma'am....
    I'm only here for the
    Bass.

  2. Member
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    Jul 2012
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    Cohutta Georgia
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    #2
    I had similar issues. I found some ferrite rings that came with a home theatre system and installed them on the cables. Helped a little. So then I rerouted the trolling motor power cables as far from the 360 cables as possible and that made a huge difference. I basically zip tied them to each side of the hull under the bow panel.

    Greg

  3. Member
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    #3
    Every situation is different, but I would run 10 ga wire from the cranking battery (positive and negative), to a 20 amp resetable breaker on the positive side.... then from the breaker to the blue seas fuse block. Negative side will run from battery to the negative side of the blue seas block. This would give you a better power supply than the 16 ga wire. This may not do a thing for your interference, but it will for sure supply good clean power for these and future electronics you wish to add.

    You might also try disconnecting the battery charger from the cranking battery and see if you still get the interference. I have heard that it's possible to get some back feeding interference through the charger wiring from the trolling motor batteries. That would be something easy to try. Also, make sure your transducer and graph cables are as far away from the trolling motor power wires as you can get them. Don't coil up your extra transducer cable..... put it in a figure 8 bundle and tie it up. Those are the easy starting places.
    Joe

    2000 Viper Coral 202
    2001 Mercury 200 EFI

  4. Member Ohio Archer's Avatar
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    Nov 2015
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    #4
    Call HB for the ferrite ring. They will send you one free of charge.
    2018 Skeeter MX1825 w/175 Yamaha 4-Stroke
    80# MK Ultrex w/ I-Pilot
    HB Helix 10 SI Mega, HB Helix 9 SI, Helix 9, Garmin 106SV
    USAF Ret

  5. Member SoonerFan's Avatar
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    Apr 2007
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    #5
    Thanks all for the advice guys.

    I have been getting an education on this subject the last couple of days. I'm going to start with the simplest first; adjust the noise filter on the Helix and disconnect the charger from the cranking battery. I'll play with that Saturday at the lake and see if there's any improvement.

    Next week, time providing, I plan on taking the Helix off the fuse box and running another line on the starboard side of the boat so it will be nowhere near the the 24v trolling motor cable on the port side.

    Hopefully there'll be some improvement but if not I will get the ferrite ring from HB and run a ground from the lower unit of the Ultrex to the negative battery post. I'm wondering if grounding to the negative at the TM receptacle on the bow wouldn't do the job? Electrically it's the same...right?
    Don't worry Ma'am....
    I'm only here for the
    Bass.