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I have a hummingbird piranhaMax 190c fish finder that i tried on saturday. When i turned it on it would say transducer connected but i could not get a bottom line reading. I checked the cable for cracks and found some so i cut it and rewired it still on luck. I could get the temp to work and the transducer would make noise like it always has just no reading on screen. Does any one have any suggestions. could it be the transducer or the unit. Thanks for your help.
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I just bought the Piranhamax 160. took it out to sulphur creek res. to check it out. dont know if it was just too cold or what but could never get it to read very clear. I was a little displeased.
so I went and took the base mount off the boat (4 screws), mounted it in place of the 160 (there are knockout holes already on the 160 base). bolted my humminbird 323 electronic head on and tried it out at the gorge. worked great. I found that the 323 has a real time sonar and a flasher view. I will post some pics later
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oh sorry ESV...about ur problem....I didnt think u could just redo the transducer wires. if u can find another transducer to borrow just to try it out....might help to trouble shoot the problem....also....check the angle of ur transducer in the water.
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[cool][#0000ff]A lot of LCD sonars don't like the cold. In fact, they can freeze up and suffer permanent damage. The first indication is the numbers and marks fading and the display changing very slowly...or not at all. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you were fishing in temps below about 20 degrees then the cold might be the problem. Try it in warmer temps and also try a different transducer. But if it is the transducer you have probably killed your chances of getting a warranty replacement by cutting and splicing the wires.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Suggestions for the future are to keep the unit inside your vehicle (warm) on the way to the lake and then turn it on when you get there...before fishing...and turn on the backlight to help keep it warmer from the inside. You can also make a little foam rubber jacket for the display and tuck in one of those hand warmers or toe warmers in extreme cold weather.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I can't believe how many times I have seen people leave sonars and batteries outside in their trucks overnight and then on the way to the lake and expect instant peak performance in brutal cold temperatures.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks for your help. I checked the cable for cracks and found that my aluminum fishing boat had worn some spots in the cable. I thought that maybe the water was causing it to short out. So thats why i decided to cut the cable and splice it. I figured that my warranty was gone because of that. I make sure that i take my finder in at night to charge it up and put in the truck on the way to the lake to keep it warm. I was fishing out of a hut with a heater so it wasn't that cold. I'll try another transducer and see it that helps. Thanks for you info.
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Hummingbirds seem to be cold sensative. When I use mine it stays in the cab of the truck on the ride there and back. I keep it in a small little cooler to keep it a little warmer. A ice tent w/ a heater going is a plus to keep it operating good. If you dont have a tent keep it in the direct sunlight to keep it from freezing up. A cover w/ hand warmers is a good idea from tubedude. I use a Lowerance now and dont have to worry about the cold messing up the finder. Good luck!!
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