|
|
| I have had 2 digital trollmaster die in the last 2 years, I thought that the dealer had installed the unit incorrectly, but then my brother had his head unit die this weekend. I had an extra head unit in my boat because I did not want to drive back to Appleton for a new unit from the Bay so we tried to swap the units between boats and neither one would work. The new unit worked in both boats.
So is anyone else having trouble with a digital trollmaster.
The company was excellent to respond to my questions and offered to analize both units and replace them free of charge.
I also had my 3500 Globalmap die this week in the middle of Bay De Noc at 1 in the morning. The unit started to mis-read direction and speed and then it quit working altogether. I would get an error message that said " GPS Module not reconized" |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 1382
| Bay de Noc, Lake Erie, and Green Bay, especially in late season: Always carry an extra handheld battery-operated mapping GPS and a handheld marine radio. Both are less that 100 bucks.
Don't know much about the trollmaster, but know Hutch (Riverwalleyes.com) uses his hard and really likes it. Maybe you could send him email. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 1188
Location: Chicago IL. | Tp be honest we also had some problems with some units, BUT the company fixed everything no charge. Last 10 times out no problem. Bill is a super guy and he will take care of it. If you have any problems, hutch will be able to help you out. |
|
| |
|
| No problems here, thank god....... knock on wood! Don't know if i could fish without it. |
|
| |
|
| Your GPS Module Not Responding is your antenna is bad ! I had mine go out this past spring. Lorance replaced it for free after I read the right act to the guy on the phone. I have heard others have had the same problem with the antenna. Call Lorance and they will FAX you a Toubleshooting Steps to run before you send it in to be sure that it is the antenna. I live in Appleton if you need help I'll watch this thread.
fish-tale |
|
| |
|
| fish-tail,
Thanks for the response, I spoke with Lowrance on the day I got back from the bay and the guy in customer service was great. He gave me a RMA number, told me to send in both the antenna and the unit and said he would cover the unit's repair under warranty and give me the new style antenna.
So now I'm waiting for my GPS and my Trollmaster to return so I can get back on the water, I'm missing my favorite time of the year on the upper bay for the big eyes.
PS |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 78
| My Troll-Master went out late in the summer as well. Unit is just over a year old. GREAT customer service, called explained the problem and sent the unit in. Had it back in about a week, no questions asked. I wish all companies were this reliable and understanding. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 54
Location: Shabbona | Jeez mine was acting goofy at LBD. Finally went bad made the call had parts lickity split..Then goes out again at Red Wing..Once again got new parts Free of Charge can't complain right know.. |
|
| |
|
| Has anyone got an explanation as to what is going bad. Is there something I should be checking like connections at the motor or does how it's wired into the ingition have any effect on operation.
PS |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 859
Location: Appleton wi | Sounds like the Larsen reef jinx to me!  Happy halloween purple skeeter |
|
| |
|
| Now how did you find out I blanked on my last trip to Larsens reef so bad that my fishing partner and I headed up the Shipping channel and tried to fish for Salmon. I would only let my partner use crappy old deep diving lures because I did not want to loose anything worth while on those big old black almost dead put and take fish...
LOL
PS |
|
| |
|
| Purple Skeeter. Good to hear from you again. Congrats on your upper bay success. Go to WC and look up one of my previous posts on Lowrance electronics problems. To make a long story short, bad crimp that was almost impossible to find. I plan on making a day trip to LBDN in the near future. If you don't have any electronics, you are always welcome in my boat. Tight Lines. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 874
Location: Neenah, WI | I hope that I can help you out with the Trollmaster deal. I just finished my 3rd summer with mine. It's not a digital. When Dave's Sport and Marine installed mine they told me not to plug in my on board charger without cutting off all the power in the boat. I have a Perko switch installed on my boat that shuts everything off. After doing that, I've never had a problem. Hope this helps. |
|
| |
|
| Dale,
Do you have a on/off switch that turns everything off and makes the battery charger only connected to the batteries. I thought that might be my problem because my dealer wired my trollmaster into the dash mounted ignition switch of my T-8, but them my brother's died last weekend and his was wired outside of the T-8's power source.
I keep reading in different places that you should totally dis-connect your entire boats' wiring when you hook up a charger. I have 5 batteries and 2 onboard charges.... Each battery has a quick dis-connect so I suppose I could do that if that's the answer.
I hope I get my units back soon.... I'm having withdrawl symptoms already.
Thanks
PS |
|
| |
|
| Just reveiced a call from Bill @ Trollmaster and my units are in the mail! He fixed both units free of charge. Very quick service indeed!
When was the last time you received a call from a business that actually did what they said they were going to do and made a followup call to explain what the problem was.
Exceptional customer service in my book!!!
Now if Lowrance can get my GPS and Antenna unit back in the next week, I might be able to get out on the water a few more times before I retreat to the batcave for the winter.
PS
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | PS,
I have experienced the same curtious quick service from Bill. Did he mention what the problem was and if there is a solution on our end? |
|
| |
|
| Dennis,
He informed me one of the units had a "water damaged front" and that water must have got behind the faceplate. He is sending along the damaged faceplate to show the water damage. The other unit had the "pins bent" and that by staightening out the pins the unit tested fine.
Not sure on the "pins bent" idea because that unit was mine and it was permently mounted and was never dis-connected or moved, but I probably did bend the pins the first time I started haveing trouble with it and had to unplug and re-plug it to get it to work.
When I get them back, I'll let you know if there is anything else in the box.
Just talked to my business partner who is up with our group on the Bay and the reports are very good. Lots of fish in each boat after dark running Husky's 110 back in 25 feet of water on Little Bay.
And I'm stuck back here at work with no GPS and no Trollmaster.... I may have to revert to my old method of telling speed... a quick spit into the water and then watch how fast it floats past the boat. Used that method for years on Bago and it worked just fine.... Heck, I might just sell my boat with all that "fancy stuff" and go back to my old 15 foot Sylvan with the Hummingbird Super 30. If I can only find it in the garage attic..... It's going to be a long winter, I might just have to take a vacation down south to a warm place to go crawlering!
PS |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Thanks PS,
Those are two very common problems. Been there and done that with both. I've been seen trying to straighten out those pins on a few occasions because of my own zeal and trying to rig too fast and putting it in wrong. The water problem is one that Bill toils with. Everyone would prefer a completely water proof box and it's just not that simple while keeping costs down to the consumer while allowing repair to the units. If anyone has ever opened the box they see that attempts are made to keep water out. I'd guess that condensation is the real culprit.
I hope you get back on the water soon. I may see you up on the bay. |
|
| |
|
| anybody have a problem with the unit not working until you turn the knob all the way up to get the kicker to rev then back it down to your speed? i noticed last week when running mine the kicker would not rev right. it would feel and sound like it was surging. wonder if i need to tinker with the idle screw or if it has to to do with the unit itself? |
|
| |
|
| Guest,
Quickest way to check the operation of the Trollmaster is to remove the cover from your kicker and observe the servo motor connected to the throttle. When I spoke with Bill fro Trollmaster, he said that the unit is reset to zero when it gets powered up or it will not work and only the red light will glow slightly.
PS |
|
| |
|
| Guest
If your motor is surging remove the cover of the motor. Check to see if your wire harness for the servo motor is laying on or next to a any wires of the kicker motor. I had the same problem. Talked to Bill, he told me to move my wires around and that solved the problem. You can draw juice off the motor or another wire which can travel through the coating on your sevo wiring causing the motor to surge from extra juice.
Lefty |
|
| |
|
| thanks for the advice guys. will check it out. |
|
| |
|
| Just got em back from Dave... one of the units clearly showed where the face plate had shorted out.
Thanks once again to Dave at Trollmaster, great customer service!
Dominic |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 874
Location: Neenah, WI | PS
Sorry I took so long to respond. Perko is the brand name for a round red switch. I think the way it's set up is that the starting battery wires go through that. When it's turned off there is no power to anything. I have an electric start T-8 but everything for the Trollmaster is wired directly to the motor and not to the ignition switch on the dash. |
|
| |
