Panoptix PS-21 & PS-30 report

[DonnieG]

I had a good day today. First trip with the PS-21 & PS-30 Combination. It went better than expected & I caught a few crappie. I used the PS-21 the most as I was not familiar with it like my PS-30.

The first picture is my 360* transducer in the run position and the 2nd is the deployed position. It is stowed in the boat when on the road.





Next is a couple of pictures of the PS-21 with the TM running and then the TM off. I am picking the TM up with the PS-21 but the PS-30 is clear.Can someone explain this to me? However, it does not really interfere with the overall image after getting use to it.




Next is the PS-30


My Panoptix transducers are about 4" below and 18" behind and to the left of my TM.

[Larry3215]

Nice setup!!!

I'll post some thoughts on the interference later....

[MonteSS]

When I had the PS21 wires taped tightly and neat to the Minnkota shaf I had the TM interference you show.

Now they are run more loosely and almost no interference. Looks like crap tho And I know I will pinch one in the scissor mount eventually.

[Larry3215]

He is using a transducer stick for the Panoptix, so his wires are separated already.

Donnie - how is power being supplied to the Panoptix and the trolling motor - do they share a battery connection?

[DonnieG]

He is using a transducer stick for the Panoptix, so his wires are separated already.

Donnie - how is power being supplied to the Panoptix and the trolling motor - do they share a battery connection?

Larry, I have a #10 power wire from the cranking battery going to a terminal block at the bow..The #10 wire is in a trough with no other wires..The terminal block is for the 7610 & the 2 transducers. Nothing else is terminated on this block.

Thanks for your help on this..

PS: I guess all PS-21 owners have to separate the 2 wires that are together from Garmin...The PS-30 wires are separated.

[Larry3215]

How is the trolling motor powered - separate batteries?

Is there an onboard charger for all all the batteries? A common ground?

Do the trolling motor power leads run next to the Panoptix leads at any point?

I only separated my PS21 leads at the very end where they plug into the power supply and the MFD.

[DonnieG]

How is the trolling motor powered - separate batteries?

Is there an onboard charger for all all the batteries? A common ground?

Do the trolling motor power leads run next to the Panoptix leads at any point?

I only separated my PS21 leads at the very end where they plug into the power supply and the MFD.

Separate trolling motor battery- yes

I have a 2 bank charger for the trolling motor & for my cranking battery..Each charger negative lead is grounded to the individual battery negative post. My 2 batteries are not bonded negative to negative..However MG recommends doing this for a 12 volt TM..

I don't think my TM leads are anywhere near my transducer leads but I will check

Did you have this type interference when you got the PS-21?

[Larry3215]

I would first try disconnecting both charger leads from the trolling motor and see if that makes a difference.

Then I would try bonding the negatives on the batteries and see if that helps.

If none of that helps, then maybe a ferite ring on the trolling motor power leads.

I dont have any interference from my trolling motor, but I have no transducers mounted on it and its battery is completely separated from anything else.

[rocket man]

I assume I will have Interference also. I mounted mine on the barrel of the TM. Will this show up out of the water with TM running? I might have to test.

[DonnieG]

I assume I will have Interference also. I mounted mine on the barrel of the TM. Will this show up out of the water with TM running? I might have to test.

I tested my PS-21 in the garage this morning with the TM running......"NO INTERFERENCE"...can't figure that out..Interference on the water, but clear in the garage...

[Larry3215]

That could be a few things.

The trolling motor wont draw much power at all when its out of the water - no resistance to the turning blades. At lower power levels, there will always be less electronic interference generated.

Also, the grounding paths are different when the motor is in the water. You could have some ground loop type things going on. This is vaguely related to bonding the battery grounds and/or disconnecting the charger leads as possible fixes. Depending on how and where the noise is being generated, sometimes it helps to connect things up and sometimes it helps to disconnect things.

I lean towards the less power = less noise as the main thing here though.

[DonnieG]

That could be a few things.

The trolling motor wont draw much power at all when its out of the water - no resistance to the turning blades. At lower power levels, there will always be less electronic interference generated.

Also, the grounding paths are different when the motor is in the water. You could have some ground loop type things going on. This is vaguely related to bonding the battery grounds and/or disconnecting the charger leads as possible fixes. Depending on how and where the noise is being generated, sometimes it helps to connect things up and sometimes it helps to disconnect things.

I lean towards the less power = less noise as the main thing here though.

This one might be hard to find..I took my transducer stick over to the running TM and laid the PS-21 on the TM...No interference..

[LWINCHESTER2]

Well, this post will probably be of little help. Many years ago I had problems with interference from the trolling motor. I was running the MinnKota Maxxum that incorporated the battery saver and infinite speed control technology. I did all kinds of stuff and was able to minimize but not eliminate it. When I saw that running it at max speed did not cause interference I concluded the problem was the battery saver and infinite speed stuff. I bought a MinnKota Edge 70 that has neither technology. Right now I have 2 Vexilar xd's, GT50, GT8, PS21 and PS31 all mounted on the trolling motor and all the cables wind around the trolling motor harness and down the shaft. No interference. I wear out a trolling motor every 3 years and this is my third Edge 70. I have a spare in the garage right now ready to go when this one quits. It's just a choice I made as to the features the more advanced ones offer or getting rid of interference once and for all. Maybe not for everybody.

I do see where people are able to resolve this issue. But I still see others with Humminbird units and MinnKota motors that never resolve it. Johnson Outdoors owns both and can't completely resolve this? Imagine how many tech support calls they get for interference. I'll stick with the Edge 70 until someone offers a newer, better one that they flatly state up front will not cause sonar interference.

Off the subject: I sure wish someone would make a scissors mount with user replaceable parts kit for when these mounts wear out and get loose, sloppy and noisy. The mount always wears out before the motor.

[Larry3215]

This one might be hard to find..I took my transducer stick over to the running TM and laid the PS-21 on the TM...No interference..

I dont think this is the kind of interference that can be transmitted that way. When you're in the water, there are two types of signal interference.

One is sonic. The trolling motor is generating sounds that happen to mix the wrong way with the sonar signals the transducer is generating.

Two is electronic noise - which could be generated in several different ways and come from different sources inside the TM - see lwinchesters post.

Its almost certainly #2 and the noise is probably passing through the wiring/grounding one way or another.

[DonnieG]

Leonard, I didn't have any interference on any set until I installed the PS-21 as seen in the image above..PS-30 has no interference.

My TM wires come out of a side trough at the bow and they are in the vicinity of my transducer cables, but not touching. They have the split like plastic cover over them. I think I will try to wrap them in some HVAC duct tape(silver on one side) and see if that helps..Something to do while I am confined to the garage due to the weather..

[rocket man]

Just a thought, but the ps30 is shooting down and the 21 is shooting a forward beam right past the TM. Next time out try turning the 21 toward the back and see what happens. The sonar beam might be picking up the brushes on the armature cause its shooting right past it.

[DonnieG]

Just a thought, but the ps30 is shooting down and the 21 is shooting a forward beam right past the TM. Next time out try turning the 21 toward the back and see what happens. The sonar beam might be picking up the brushes on the armature cause its shooting right past it.

I will give that a try the next time out..

[Treeguyus]

PM sent donnie

[DonnieG]

Thanks Gary, info sent via PM

[Todd Driscoll]

Donnie, sorry it took a while to respond to this thread. I was waiting for the lead Panoptix engineer to get back in after the holidays. He indicates that the trolling motor interference you are experiencing (2 or 3 weak lines) is normal, and results from the methods used to reduce bottom clutter. I have had the exact same interference with my PS21, and as you indicate, this minor interference does not affect how I use it at all (doesn't mask any fish or structure).

Relative to PS30, it also has the same type of trolling motor interference, but it presents itself in just a single line, mostly off the edge of the view.