Do you own a Hummingbird 343C?

[Lone Ranger]

Has anyone got a Humminbird 343C fish finder? My new one had gone back to Queensland twice, even got a demo monitor to use whilst mine went to Qld which also has the problem and now given a brand new sounder (the whole lot - screen, bottom attachment and transducer) and yet the problem still occurs! No one seems to know what the cause of it is, may be just my boat that is causing the problem?

Problem: When you put the view on split screen, one is suppose to be able to put it on bottom lock, however when you do it, it just shuts down the whole screen and turns itself on again. In the past, occasionally it would just end up with a black screen with green writing on it (software loading language). With my old one they had even reloaded the a new program on it and problem still occurred. However it was noted that the problem didn't occur when outside of the hull, only happens when inside the boat.

Hoping to find someone with the same sounder, maybe you have some idea? Not a facility I would use but just frustrating when one spends their hard earned money on something that seems not to work and it's been ongoing for the last 5 months

[madsurfe]

Hi Carol

this sounds like electrical (magnetic) interference. Something about your setup and position must be ticking it off. Most people have small problems that can be fixed by putting a ferrite core on the transducer and power cable but yours sounds more intriguing, albeit frustrating.

I have used the large ferrite cores from Dick Smith and route my cables through them twice as close as possible to the head unit.

see: DSE

Your hint is

problem didn't occur when outside of the hull, only happens when inside the boat.

You really need to go over the cabling, how did you mount the head unit attachment? on a ram? or just screwed down somewhere. Try the Ferrites and make sure under all your mounts you use plenty of Sikaflex 252 (min std) to insulate against any current flowing through your hull from a power or earth leakage.

I think from memory you said Rod installed it for you so I'm sure he'll see this thread and maybe something will click. It sounds like Humminbird have been pretty good about it. I never had any prob's like yours in the 'ol Muddleduck and I used to get exc performance from my sounder at 27 knots. The STrom on the other hand has been a real pig in that respect and i've only just overcome those issues after modifying 2 design aspects of the hull. My pet hate is cutting and grinding fibreglass.

enough guff! from me.

I hope you get it sorted.

[Lone Ranger]

Thanks JP muchly appreciated, at least got some place to start with now! Ta!