LOWRANCE service at it's finest!

I have 2 HDS 10s with 2 LSSI transducers, one on jackplate and one on Minkota maxum 101 trolling motor. The bow unit is using the built in u2 transducer for sonar. I have been dealing with trolling motor interference all summer. I have tried every adjustment I can think of--ping speed sensitivity etc. I thought I heard of a Minkota interference kit but Minkota says there is no such thing. They told me to call sister company Hummingbird which I did They are sending me a pack of ferrite rings that they say might help. I called Lowrance and they basically said after spending over $5000.00 in parts I'm on my own. When I was trying to decide between Hummingbird and Lowrance I heard how bad Lowrance service was but NO I wouldn't listen. I was looking around on another forum and a couple guys said they ran a #6 wire between the starting battery and one of the grounds on one of the trolling motor batteries and it helped. Anyone here ever heard of this? Any other ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Z21.

I'd say you need to contact canepole and see what he has to say. I'd also have to agree with Lowrance, you are on your own. Unless you drive your boat to the factory, so they can see exactly what you have going on, how do you expect them to trouble shoot it? There's a lot of information that's not listed here. Like, how many batteries do you have, what battery is your lowrance equipment running on, etc. I'm pretty sure you aren't the only guy in the country that has 2 hds 10's running. I have 2 hds units, with no interference. Beagle man has 3 units running on his boat and no problems. Sometimes it's easier to point the finger at the company that made the product.

A Minkota Maxum 101 is 36 volts. That's 3 batteries for the trolling motor. The HDS 10s are hooked up to the starting battery. All I'm saying is Hummingbird stayed on the phone with me for a half hour or more answering questions and it isn't even their product and Lowrance wouldn't give me the time of day.

sounds more like a trolling motor problem to me.
i had nothing but problems with the u2 tranducers, i don't use them anymore.

Tried 3 different transducers one day. Same problem with all.

Here is your problem. Your reference ground for the u2 is the TM ground. Your Sonar is using the starting ground. There exists a ground loop between the two batteries. This ground loop causes stray currents and this is amplified more with metal boats. Tie the start battery negative to the trolling motor battery most negative. This should improve things. If you lived close by, I would fix it for you.

97% it's the trolling motor cause the interference not the unit. remember you depth finder is picking up signal in the water column. also u may have something else running at the same time too. like live wells, also if you have a bent shaft on your tm or a lots of nick on your blade can cause interference with a depth finder. .etc. I don't see how it's Lowrance CS dept at fault. You have 2 different companies.

You can verify what I said with a digital ohm meter. With power off all equipment, read ohms between the two battery points I suggested. Make sure you calibrate your meter. Tell me the readings.

WE can do that CP I live close to him and have a FlUKE meter. He has 3 trolling batteries should we check each one to the start battery? Or the last one in series.

Yes You're right Jason this is 2 different companys. This is a new $70,000 Ranger bass boat. I do not have a bent shaft, at least not on the trolling motor. I hope you don't think this is the first day this has happened . Do you think I have not tried to turning off everything including the livewells. Canepole there is no doubt in my mind that you could not fix this thing. I have not been on this forum that long and don't say much but read every thing you say because I can tell you know what you're talking about. Don't say we live too far apart because I'll hook up to this thing and drag it down to you and pay whatever to have it right. Yes Wilbur does live by me and I have NO idea what you're talking about as far as checking things with a meter. I know Wilbur is good at these things but all of the shops up here know NOTHING! What I do know CP is you have given me more help in 10 minutes than Lowrance has given me in a year. Thanks and I really mean it.