Singing downrigger

[wiperhunter2]

Since we are talking about cannon down riggers on this thread, I hope the OP won't mind me posting this here
Have any of you with cannons ever had a problem with the auto stop or auto up not work? This is on two new riggers with the original steel cable. Does the base need to be grounded or something? Do they make them without auto stop or auto up? Ira just got these riggers and they were first used today, one is a mag5 the other is mag10, hard to believe they both did not work.

The auto retrieve function occurs anytime you hit the switch "to raise". A circuit board in the rigger performs this function by sensing ground thru the rigger cable. When the weight clears the water, it shuts off the motor. If the circuit board is KAPUT, the rigger will not come up automatically. You should use #10 wire for hookup to the battery.  Measure the voltage between the boat (assuming the boat is metal) and the DR cable with the boat in the water and the cable in the water.  It should be 0.6 volts give or take a tenth.  If there isn't any voltage being measured, then the battery system is not grounded to the boat.  I'm guessing this is the case and that is why the Auto Up doesn't work.  The Auto Stop will not work if the Auto Up is not working.

If you held the up/down switch in the retrieve position (up), did the motor turn on and bring the ball back up?

Yes it works, it just does not have the auto up or stop. I bet you are right about the wire gauge not being 10 ga. In case Ira doesn't see this post I'll let him know. One rigger not working is one thing but two not working says something is hooked up wrong. Thanks Bob.

If you hold the switch up and the motor works but stops when you release it, then the rigger is NOT sensing ground through the cable and water.  There will be a ton of videos on YouTube that show you how to correct that.  Good luck.

OK, thanks for the info Bob.