Gemlin in the Cabin or GPS

Fishhawk · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:12 am Post subject: Gemlin in the Cabin or GPS

O.K. I haven't been drinking or lost my mind, however:

Last friday when we were leaving for our lake place, I climbed up in Osprey to lock the cabin door for the weekend. To my amazement the GPS was turned on. (It's not that easy to do) The GPS has not been on since the last time she was in the water in May, So I just turned if off and wondered how it got turned on.

Sunday night after returning home my son says " you need to turn off the GPS on the C-dory, it has been on all weekend". I checked it this morning and the battery is now dead.

Has anyone insight into what might be going on and what I need to do about it? It's a 2006 Lowrance 3500.

I don't see how it matters but friday morning I had turned on my Garmin handheld to check battery condition. This was about 40 ft. from the boat.

It has been hot lately with a chance of rain so all the windows were closed, could high temps turn the thing on?

I'll be standing by for your wisdom,

Dan

Wandering Sagebrush · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:57 am Post subject: Re: Gemlin in the Cabin or GPS

Captains Cat · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:24 am Post subject:

Dan, I'm not sure what's turning it on either but it's not a good thing...

I had left my 182C on for a week or so and it permanantly "burned" the map image lightly into the screen Shocked

Just like a CRT would do, that's why you use a screen saver on a computer, although it's an LCD display, not CRT. You could see the map image in the right light, even with the thing off. Make sure you turn it off with the switch on the GPS itself. Turn it on again and then off again.

Charlie

Fishhawk · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks Steve,

I think It's a "Gremlin Plagued System".

Yea, I normally have the battery switch off, but I've been workiing on the lights and it was on. Might be a blessing that it happened in the yard, though.
A dead house battery makes us less than effective boaters. I will get some jumper cables for the boat as a result or maybe query the Brats about permantly connecting the batteries together with a switch in between.

I'm trying to get ahold of Lowrance, but their phone's been busy for 2 hrs.

If I have to I'll throw a little switch in the power cable coming in the back of the unit. That should take care of the problem.

Doncha dist hate it when your expensive toys develop minds of their own!

Dan

Jazzmanic · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:32 pm Post subject:

I just installed a Lowrance LCX-27c on the boat and they "required" a switch be installed on the the power line and the NMEA 2000 line. I understand this saves a lot of problems with burned out GPS pucks so I'm glad I did so. Maybe this had something to do with your unit turning on. Hope it all works out.

seabeagle · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:41 pm Post subject:

I'm not familiar with your setup but, does it have a wireless remote control option like my Garmin 5208 does? Possible RF or IR interference.

Chester · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:12 pm Post subject:

Some Garmins have a setting that automatically turns the unit on whenever there is power. Could this happen after some delay?
Our unit did this when brand new and the dealer switched it off.

DaveMar · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:58 pm Post subject:

Hi Dan,
I think that if you hold the power button in for a few seconds the power will go off, what you might be doing is just turning the brightness or contrast on your screen down. Sorry that I can't ckeck for sure the boat is in camp, but I have a 3300 and I am sure that's how mine works. Hope this helps.
Later Dave,

DaveMar · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:47 am Post subject:

Hi Dan
Here's a link for you

http://www.lowrance.com/upload/Lowrance/Documents/Manuals/GlobalMap3500C_0156-081_121704.pdf

Later Dave

Fishhawk · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:54 am Post subject:

I finally got a hold of the Lowrance tech support concerning my 3500 turning itself on.
Apparently this has occured on other units but rarely.

"Send it in for replacement" is what I was told, but then when he found out that I was not the original purchaser that changed. For $212.45 it could be replaced.

Since there are no other problems with the unit, I asked if a second on/off switch could be employed to deal with the problem. Sure, go ahead and try that was the response.

I'm happy with Lowrance's way of handling the issue, $212.45 is a good price for a new unit if I need to go that route.

Thanks all for your responces.

Capt Dan