Garmin Question

[Tony Meola]

Ok, since Garmin can't answer this question about one of their own machines, I figured I would come to the those who have faced about everything.

I have a Garmin GPS with GSD sounding module. Whent the GPS only is on, everything is fine, but when I get the depth finder going I get feed back through my VHF. To the point the radio is useless. Disconect the sending unit and the feedback stops.

Garmin tells me to separate the power and ground. That was already done when the radio and the unit was wired up. So that is not the answer. Plus, I get the feedback also through my handheld. I need to get to the stern of the boat before the hand held stops getting the feedback.

I think the sounding unit is bad, Garmin is telling to shield all the power cables.

Has anyone run into this problem?

[In Memory Walter K]

Tony-Try wrapping the offending wiring with ordinary aluminum foil and see if your problem goes away.

[In Memory of Vicroy]

The ground is probably bad to the sounder module. Run a separate hard ground to it and don't just rely on the interconnect cable ground. If that doen't work, wrap the whole sounder module in aluminum foil and ground the foil - if that fixes it, the module is bad and emitting spurious signals, which is a violation of the FCC regs and Garmin is required to replace it, even out of warranty as I undersand the rules. Its a redio frequency signal vs. the "sonar" signal that's getting in your VHFs - and generated by the internal electronics of the sounder module.

UV

[tunawish]

I've had the same setup in 2 boats now with an older GSD-20 and have no feed back issues ..

Sep ground back to battery tap...

Ray

[jspiezio]

I know it sounds crazy Tony, because you have the unit grounded as directed, but I have to say it does sound like a grounding problem. Separate ground as these guys have said and it may do the trick.

[TailhookTom]

LOL -- my blackberry causes feedback on any old crt televisions - yes, the cheap old beancounter still has a couple floating around -- they work, so they don't go to the scrap heap.

[Tony Meola]

I will give the foil, another ground etc. a try this weekend. The only reason I don't think it is a bad ground is because everything, I mean everything is brand new. I went over it and over it. Plus it effects the VHF. If the foil works I am going to be PO'd since they just replaced this unit. Pus the response I got from them was basically an Oh Well sorry can't help.

I will let everyone know after the weekend what I come up with.

[In Memory Walter K]

I'm surprised at the Garmin Service Department.

[Rawleigh]

Tony: Did they replace just the sounder module, the head unit or both?

[Tony Meola]

Rawleigh

They replaced only the GSD 22 unit. The original unit did not work out of the box. Another fiasco, working on the boat on a Saturday, install the unit, no sounder. Monday call Garmin. Ok now do this and this. Next Saturday, try it out nothing. Call them again on Monday. Repeat this process 3 times before I said enough.

Then it is like, well it could be the head unit or the GSD 22. Fianlly I said well since the GPS works, this works, that works, I doubt it is the head unit. Then they said ok return it. So off it goes. Within 5 days new unit shows up. I hook it up. Works fine out of the box. Then all of a sudden about two weeks later I am getting feed back. first I thought it was some clown with keyed Mike on the VHF, since it was real loud on one channel. Then when I got it on the hand held I knew right away It was the GSD 22.

I am sure it is a bad unit. I am going to try the foil trick this weekend. If it works I am going to ship it right back to them and I will let them know I had to wear my foil hat to make it stop.