Minn Kota Terrova 24v causing interference on my Garmin 93SV

I tried it all... totally separate wires away from any power wires for the TM, I tried grounding the TM to the main battery and trolling motor battery, I tried grounding the skeg to the main and TM batteries, I tried a Ferrite Toroid ring. No matter what I do, the interference is a mess on my Garmin unit and I can't figure out how to get rid of it aside from turning the gain way down.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Here's an update video guys: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4GrlIxsnK-IhNE

[@jkn24089]

Exact same issue with 12v terrova. Ridiculous the problems we have for the amount of money we spend. Glad you said it does it with the us2. I was about to get rid of mine to get one with the us2 as mine don't have it

[@DanRichardFishing]

Glad I saved you from more disappointment lol!

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hey guys, just another small update but without any real progress. The motor is still at the MK dealer and I am waiting for them to talk to another contact I made with a corporate representative in Canada. I did some chasing around last week trying to get a hold of either party and I was promised that I will get word next week. I told the dealer that at this point, I would accept simply replacing the motor with an Ultrex if I can get deep discount. More to come...

[@DanRichardFishing]

So just an update on this... I JUST brought the motor to a Minn Kota repair place yesterday, so stay tuned!

[@TackleboxJohn]

Any updates

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@TackleboxJohn As of today, the MK dealer where I have my motor spoke to someone at MK corporate management to see what can be done further. So now we're going to wait to see what this person comes back with.

[@1981kjamison]

If you have an on board charger just wire a switch to disconnect, so your grounds are not connected to the battery when you want to use your finder. worked on mine.

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@1981kjamison I had this issue before I installed the onboard charger unfortunately, so I know it's not that.

[@TackleboxJohn]

Dan Richard Fishing did you get this fixed?

[@DanRichardFishing]

UPDATE - OK I have an update of sorts - Basically the motor is giving off significant RF noise within a foot of the motor, so any transducer that is within a foot of the motor (let alone attached to the barrel) is getting hit with the interference and so far the explanation seems to be "this is just how it is", which seems ludicrous. Everything has been checked and tested and nothing is out of place. So the only test we need to do, which we can't because it's winter here and everything is iced over is to test running a ground wire from the skeg to the negative of the garmin unit. I've put in a call with MK corporate to see what else they suggest, but it looks like we may have to wait until the spring to try this test. If this doesn't work, I am going to have to find a way to get the transducer away from the motor. It's also interesting to note that the authorized minn kota repair place has the exact same motor in their shop and they tried this motor and it has the exact same issue!

[@Fishhon]

I talked to a Garmin Rep today about this same issue, he suggested taking a piece of pliable aluminum like from a dryer vent and place it between your transducer and the trolling motor. He says this will help block the interference. I have not tried it yet but when you are having these issues you will try anything to find a fix. Also try running multiple Ferrite rings around your transducer cord near where it connects to the fish finder. Make sure you are running your power source for the trolling motor on a separate battery than your fish finder.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Dominic, I actually tried the ring (you can see it in the video) as well as all separate wiring etc, nothing helped. The aluminum thing is interesting, but it would not help correct the issue with the US/2 puck. To be honest, if I have to start wrapping metal or rubber around the barrel of a motor, I think Minn Kota should step up and flat out replace it.

[@MrQuispamgolfer]

I have exact same problem with GT40 transducer on my Motorguide GPS Xi5. Returned the GT40 and got the GT20 (non side scan) unit. The GT20 transducer does not pick up any noise from Xi5. I loose side scan though with GT20 though.

[@DanRichardFishing]

So in my situation, BOTH the Garmin transducer and the built in Minn Kota transducer get the interference with the same intensity.

[@DillonHuffmanOutdoors]

My friend has a motorguide wireless motor and we just hooked up a Garmin Striker 5CV and are having the same issue. Have you tried contacting Garmin?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Garmin said it was 100% the TM, not the gear. To be fair, this wasn't an issue at all on my MK PowerDrive, it started as soon as I switched to the Terrova.

[@randyfuhrman3949]

Dan, Any new updates that fixed the issue? Thanks in advance.

[@Boydflatsfarm]

Ever get a resolution to this? I have the same issue. I’ve tried everything you have and still have the interference...

[@DanRichardFishing]

In the next week or so I will be testing a solution on the water - I'm going to run a ground wire from the skeg to the negative terminal of my main battery. Unfortunately the boat has to be in the water to test this, so I have to wait until all the the snow melts, water dries up in the yard and get the boat out, which is soon!

[@allen-gt5ng]

Mine is doing the same thing and I'm using a transom trolling motor I havent yet tried it with separate battery even screwed transducer to a wooden pole hung off front of the boat and same thing

[@DanRichardFishing]

In my case, the issue comes up anytime the transducer is within a foot of the motor. If I moved it away from the motor, it's fine. You definitely need to run a separate battery for your sonar.

[@mathyou35]

I just bought the 73 dv striker and it does the same thing down view is completely blocked out if the motor is running.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Did you ever figure out why?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Another update... I received a call from the repair place yesterday and they confirmed that they are able to re-create the issue in their test environment. They spoke to a Minn Kota technician and it was suggested to check the brushes in the motor for arching or contacting the barrel as well as verifying all the grounds. This was all checked and nothing was found that caused the issue. So next they are going to test the main control board by swapping in a new one and seeing if that fixes it as well as resistance testing the armature. We shall see! At least they are able to re-create it in their test environment, meaning it confirms my conclusion that this is not related to the boat wiring or a grounding issue.

[@joedoe9551]

I know your solution, the battery's that run the trolling motor and run the finder cannot be near each other it's creating bypolarity

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@joedoe9551 my batteries that run the trolling motor are about eight feet away from the main battery so that's definitely not the issue. In the video I also show the graph being powered by a battery that's sitting on the ground not even in the boat and it still does it :( Glad this worked for you though!!

[@garydudash924]

Did you figure out what the fix was for this issues? I have the same problem and cannot stop this issue from happening.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Gary, this is still happening and in a couple of weeks I will be bringing my Minn Kota in to a service place to have them make sure that the brushes inside the motor are not arcing, apparently this can also cause interference that cannot by fixed by any method OTHER than fixing the arc problem. I've spoken with MK and Garmin and this is pretty much the last thing to try. I will definitely update you when I do it and let you know if it works.

[@allanhise4122]

I"m having this exact same issue with my Ultrex and Helix 10. I have tried everything you mention in this video to no avail. I never had this issue before I got the ultrex.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Have you tried isolating the transducer mounting bracket from the barrel of the trolling motor with a piece of rubber? It's the only thing I never tried.

[@sonnywetherington3532]

Get the Xtm 9 Wide Di 20 T for your trolling motor and it will fix your problem!

[@jondoe7528]

You probably blew the 3 amp fuse in the head of the ultrex

[@peteross2293]

my question is, why is this still a problem with all TM's and FF's ?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Apparently the new units from Lowrance and Garmin are guaranteed not to cause any with the new brushless motors. MK needs to up their game.

[@higradergoldpanner406]

Don't forget, if you put your Garmin on it's own battery, that clears the screen too! I use those 12v 7ah sealed batteries, one lasts a day. I just bought the same batteries in Dakota lithiums. Made a small wood tray, srewed the Garmin to it and strapped the battery in behind, now I can move that Gramin from the rear seat to the deck casting seat cause the Garmin comes with 20' of TD cable

[@DanRichardFishing]

Yeah part of my testing was putting the Garmin unit on a totally separate battery with totally separate wiring and it didn't make a difference :(

[@jbird68]

I just bought a used EchoMap 73dv on eBay to mount on my Terrova. I currently have a Lowrance Elite-5 mounted using the us-2 transducer and adapter cable. I have not noticed interference on that unit. I got the 73dv to replace the Elite-5 but since my boat is still in storage I have been using it for ice fishing and have not installed it on the boat. After finding this video I am hoping someone has found a fix for this issue. Keep working on it.

[@DanRichardFishing]

I've given up and going to the Garmin Force at the end of the season...

[@larsvegas1505]

@@DanRichardFishing well i have a minn kota and a motorguide.. and had a helix.. and now a echomap... had the interference on all combinations.. even moving the ducer to the other end of the boat (12feet away) doesnt fix it..

[@higradergoldpanner406]

In my case. Either the trolling motor or start battery caused interference. Worse on TM battery. Alluminum boat I think had something to do with it. So, I used 2 bats. They're cheap as hell.. One would last me about 2 days, and when one dies, charged it overnight back in boat next day, always had a spare charged up. No big deal, plus convenience of being able to move the unit around in the boat.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Yeah having a persistent interference issue is frustrating. for me there's nothing I can do about it so I just learned to live with it until I can get a new motor lol!

[@reggie1251]

I hooked up to a different battery and it cleared everything up

[@benboggess3131]

Any one solve this? Did you try the rubber around the area?

[@DanRichardFishing]

I'm afraid I never got around to trying anything else aside from the ring and checking all the grounds and fuses. I am going to bring the motor to a Minn Kota repair shop in the coming weeks to have them see if they can figure it out. I did try a brand new prop in case the old prop was off balance and causing too much vibration and it didn't fix a thing.

[@jondoe7528]

Did you check the 3 amp fuse inside the terrova its probably blown.

[@DanRichardFishing]

First thing I check and it was good :)

[@ronstewart4241]

Did you isolate between the Garmin transducer and the minnkota with 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch piece of rubber. Try that as then the metal bracket for the transducer is not touching the metal housing on the motor. Good luck!

[@germanshorthairsrus]

Dan does the wire fit in the channel on the terrova?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Unfortunately I did not get a chance to try it, but should I somehow get the boat on the water before I winterize it this week or next, I will give it a shot.

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@germanshorthairsrus Yes it does, I had room for even a second cable. I epoxied it in the channel like some of the tutorials on KZbin show, it worked great.

[@spikedalive]

i had exactly the same problem with my new set up with my minn kota riptide and my lowrance HDx5 .I adjusted the auto sensitivity on the fish finder to -10% and it now works fine and i can still see the fish fine.none of my electrical circuits are wired together as my motor is a 36 volt system and the boat is 12 v so i guess the echos on screen must come from the propeller and not the electrical components

[@DanRichardFishing]

Glad that worked for you! The issue for me is that when I turn the sensitivity down far enough to get rid of the noise, I can no longer see fish or detail. I can't remember but I mention it in the video... I think it was around 70%.

[@spikedalive]

@@DanRichardFishing i don't know about the Garmin but on my Lowrance im not lowering the sensitivity i'm lowering the setting of the auto sensitivity in a single standalone popup window.If you want i'll take a photo next time to show you

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@spikedalive So on the Garmin, you can set the auto-sensitivity to High, Med or Low and then you can manually set it. So when I set the auto to low, it doesn't even make a dent, I can only reduce it by manually setting it to a point where you can't see anything anymore. I think I show it in the video.

[@higradergoldpanner406]

OK, just checking cause I got my 95sv exchanged as it was defective. under certain circumstance the screen auto changed to what i described. So just to confirm, these units do work well on their own battery, no long wires to marine battery... just short wire to a portable battery. I'm thinking Garmin learned their lesson and s/b making them better to avoid interference from trolling motors. This crap reminds me of when computers didn't run with certain software or other hardware.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Haha well you should have zero interference running this to a main battery, you just can't run them to your batteries that you are using for your trolling motor then you're just asking for interference. Although with brushless motors even that's gone now. No need to run a separate dedicated battery, I would never do that that's a huge pain in the butt for nothing... Then you have to either charge that battery separately or you need an additional bank on your onboard charger to keep it charged. Just way easier to run it to your main starting battery and be done with it. But if you have a smaller boat and all you have is a trolling motor hooked up to a battery then yes I think it's a good idea to have a separate battery dedicated just for your electronics.

[@jerrycroner9221]

I am on my last minn kota motor. Turns out according to their rep, my head wiring wasnt assembled correctly. Motor guide here i come.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Wow really?! I am still debating if I pick up an Ultrex this spring...

[@larsvegas1505]

@@DanRichardFishing I had to return my minn kota maxxum 4 times.. the one i have now is also broken (one of the mounting screws got twisted threads).. but they all had interference.. im now looking at brushless motors..

[@peteross2293]

I'm going to try painting the motor housing with emi shielding paint

[@DanRichardFishing]

Does that exist?? That would be an interesting thing to try! Please let me know if you do it!

[@peteross2293]

yes, m.g chemical makes it, comes in 1 gallon or spray can

[@peteross2293]

will have to use the epoxy type as it is for multi surface

[@DanRichardFishing]

Let me know if it works for you!

[@Inform47368]

Hey Dan you need to put a Ferite ring on your transducer cable, you rap your transducer cable around it six or seven times, look up on youtube under tips & tricks with a guy named doug v.

[@DanRichardFishing]

I did... skip to the 1 minute mark. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYS8iWqaftmcrKc It doesn't work for my issue unfortunately.

[@pandaluresfishing3841]

I have the same problems you solve this??

[@DanRichardFishing]

I'm afraid not, by the time I got around to getting it to a service center, fishing season had started again and I could be without the trolling motor. BUT as soon as the boat gets put away for the winter in the next week or so, I will be bringing it to an authorized Minn Kota repair place and having them look at it. I plan on adding Livescope to my Garmin system in the spring so I have to solve this interference problem. I did try a brand new prop in case the old prop was off balance and causing too much vibration and it didn't fix a thing.

[@higradergoldpanner406]

I'm running an Xi5 with same issues. Tried it all. Best solution is to run the Garmin on a small portable 12v battery w/TD mounted away from skeg. Also... I tested for the TD cable shield grounding. Stuck a needle through outer cable into the shielding and touched all the end connectors and there is no continuity = appears the cable shield is NOT grounded. I don't have access to various other TDs but maybe someone can test other TDs to see if there is solution?

[@DanRichardFishing]

I actually did try a total separate battery not even inside the boat with all new wiring and it still did it! As you said, one solution is not to install the TD near the skeg/barrel but the whole point is to install it there!!! So while yes that works, it's pretty ridiculous that we're forced to do that! For now I am dealing with the interference as it's not the end of the world but will be upgrading the motor and hopefully it will be the end of this saga lol! Good luck on your end! Oh and I can confirm it does this with the built-in US2 transducer, and the 2 difference Garmin transducers.

[@higradergoldpanner406]

@@DanRichardFishing Talk about kikkin a dead horse :-) I also wrapped copper foil around all my 12v supply lines and grounded it the (-) battery for TM, then hockey tape over that and that did reduce the noise, but it's still there. I'm getting a new TD tomorrow from dealer and will report back. Good luck.

[@mporta]

My garmin gt54uhd is 16 ft away from the minnkota and I can't use side and down when the minnkota propeller is on. Traditional chirp is unaffected. Any suggestion?

[@higradergoldpanner406]

@@mporta So, I've resorted to using a rectangular sealed wet battery(7.2ah) which will last about 6 hours at a charge for my Garmin Echo Plus 95sv. The interference I'm getting now, because it on it's very own battery, is not affected by the TM at any setting. The Td is on the transom. It's the Garmin unit itself which is not the greatest in Traditional mode either at 200 mhz or CHIRP. My dealer checked out my Garmin and told me it's up-to-snuff. I get a thick line of white dots (snow) when I hit about 17' of water and it really gets bad lower down the screen when I get to around 30' of water. So, I use Clearview / Downview CHIRP because this Garmin in Traditional view with FISH - ON - Setting only shows suspended fish and can't identify fish at or off the bottom, which I really need for Walleye / Pickerel and the unit also does not offer a BEEP when it does identify fish. I don't even get an "ark" when there are fish on the bottom. In clearview / downview CHIRP it does place a good "dot" when it id's fish but you gotta watch the screen every now and then and with a 9" screen, it takes about 2-3 minutes before they slide off the end, at slow speed. I'm now working on my old 500 series Huminbird getting interference using the Xi5 TD and this is weird.... every odd speed setting (every second one) sends lines up and down the screen so that after speeding up a few time (20 dettings), the screen looks like a Zebra! Go figure but soon I'll test this unit on my neighbour's Xi5 and let you know.... gotta go catch some walleye's

[@mporta]

@@higradergoldpanner406 thanks. Very annoying. Wonder if Motorguide o Garmin Tm have the same issue

[@joedoe9551]

I figured the problem out it took me forever to diagnose it

[@DanRichardFishing]

Happy you go it!! For me I think the only way to fix it is to get a new one lol!

[@thestcroixkid]

Your gain setting to resolve that will actually provide a cleaner screen overall (when in the water) I have the 73c @ helm/stern and i can actually make that same shape you see by pinning the gain and nothing else is even running...i think its a frequency thing...i am no engineer...best thing to do is spot lock in clear water over visibly verified depth and structure and make changes in settings that mimic exactly what you see at the lowest settings possible...(obviously dont just shoot for the cleanest picture, if there is debris etc. you should see it)....caveat: its been said fish can actually "feel" sonar and it can put them off....anyway, if it takes low or lower gain to clear your screen from motor interference....then thats what its there for...just my two cents...please let me know what happens though...i love my garmin and am wrestling with an ulterra/ garmin for familiarity or ulterra/humminbrid for compatibility....

[@DanRichardFishing]

When I was experimenting with this, the problem was that I would have to turn the gain down so much that I was completely losing details on structure and even fish. I am going to be bringing my motor in probably in the next week or two, just waiting to get my truck back from the dealer for some work they're doing.

[@bobbarnhill8557]

I run my 93 SV on Auto low. Or I get the same screen your getting. I think your trying to get a clear picture in the higher settings which is unattainable. Also your ground to skeg needs to be tested in the water. Your grounding your whole system to the lake. Just like your house is grounded into the ground .

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@bobbarnhill8557 I had a perfect;y clear picture when I ran this same setup on a Minn Kota Power Drive motor. As soon as I moved to the Terrova with all the same connections and equipment, I started getting the heavy interference. I did not test the ground this way but I'll be bringing it in to a dealer to check over everything. I didn't get a chance to do it this past season, but now that it's time to put the boat away, I'll be bringing in the motor to get it checked before I install the Livescope system in the spring.

[@Bitemwah]

Buy some sheet lead and wrap the motor housing. Use contact cement to adhere the lead

[@DanRichardFishing]

🤣🤣🤣 you know your motor is poorly designed when you got to start gluing lead to it!

[@higradergoldpanner406]

So, the noise you're getting is it on a white background screen with black "snow" covering the bottom 3/4 screen while in Downview chirp mode?

[@DanRichardFishing]

The noise is blue and purple vertical lines closely clumped together on the screen, completely obscuring whatever the sonar is picking up in traditional sonar view or downview. This is a pretty old video and I did more research since this was shot and had the motor tested several times, this is simply a design flaw in that generation of terrova where the Motorhead gives off a tremendous amount of RF noise which is being picked up by the transducer clamped to the motor barrel. The only way to stop it on this particular motor is to not have the transducer within a foot of the motor barrel, which of course is absolutely stupid because the barrel is exactly where you're supposed to install the transducer in the first place. The only fix is to change motor. This was confirmed by an authorized Minn Kota dealership.

[@billyjack5612]

I see in your video that you didn't install the ferrite bead (RFI EMI Noise Suppressor) that came with your 93sv. Maybe that's the problem! It's supposed to be installed on the transducer cable near to connector at the 93sv unit.

[@billyjack5612]

At least the 93sv I bought with an included transducer had the ferrite bead. Maybe if you bought the 93sv version without the transducer, it didn't have a ferrite bead?

[@DanRichardFishing]

I had a huge ferrite ring installed, didn't help at all. The 93sv didn't come with one that I got, neither did the 95sv. I bought mine separate.

[@billyjack5612]

@@DanRichardFishing at 0.34 in you video, I don't see a ferrite ring on the transducer cable where it attaches to the 93sv? I actually an ECHOMAP Plus 93sv with Transducer. Included with my unit was ferrite ring with instructions to mount it at on the transducer cable close to where it plugs into to the 93sv. In any event... good luck.

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@billyjack5612 In the video I explain I had one installed but it didn't work and I am using the GT52 transducer that came with the 93sv :) At this point we've discovered that they're sore much RF emanating from the motor that any transducer located within a foot of the motor will generate extreme amounts of interference no matter what ferrite rings I put on the cable. So now they're trying to figure out why is it causing so much RF noise.

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@billyjack5612 it's also been suggested to test grounding from the skeg to the negative terminal of the sonar units installation wire. the problem with that is that it can only be tested with the boat in the water not on dry land so I can't test it until the spring.

[@themackguyverchannel7713]

run ground from trolling battery m to starting battery negative.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Already tried that, didn't help :/

[@cheetoz6902]

You need to ground from trolling motor to battery to boat

[@DanRichardFishing]

Already tried every combination of grounding available and nothing helped. Also there should be zero need to ground your trolling motor that way, that's just a workaround for a motor that's not working properly or an old motor. Also your battery should never be grounded to your boat, major corrosion issues on a tin rig and other problems when you do that.

[@anonymous_friend]

Just dropped 8 grand to have my boat professionally wired with electronics, and I get interference on my Garmin when the Minn Kota is running, but get this, I turn it to the highest speed and the interference goes away.

[@DanRichardFishing]

That is REALLY weird. I assume because you bought this all new and was professionally installed, the company that did the install is working on it? No way they should just say it is what it is. Which MK motor is it?

[@anonymous_friend]

@@DanRichardFishing It’s a 36v terrova. The installer said he will have to look at it.

[@higradergoldpanner406]

@@anonymous_friend At top speed the power is feed directly to the motor and not controlled through the electronics, hence no interference.. RFI

[@anonymous_friend]

@@higradergoldpanner406 How could I remedy this?

[@higradergoldpanner406]

@@anonymous_friend Sorry but I wasn't very clear on that... When your MK runs at any speed except top speed, the power is feed through the electronics and causes, apparently, interference. My Xi5 does the same. But with the pedal to the metal, the power is then fed directly to the motor, bypassing the electronics, and that is why you have no interference at top end. As far getting rid of interference... ain't got that beat yet. I'm guessing it's not a big issue for manufacturers and that's why we get no help from them. I'm also guessing it's some sort of manufacturer's defect by-passing quality check. I mean, if you don;t get interference at top end, and only at all other speeds, it's gotta be the electronics on the TM, right?

[@higradergoldpanner406]

So, here's my rant for today. I used my old Portable HB FF 500 series on my MG TM using the built in keel TD and here's what happened. Speeds 1-2 interference, then interference ONLY on every second speed thereafter (no interference in between!) until I hit top speed which, understandably, never has interference. This obviously points to the TM electronics which tells me they can work without causing interference at certain levels, but it also tells me that the FF industry needs to work on offering the public FFinders that can eliminate TM interference.

[@DanRichardFishing]

I absolutely agree.... I think it's actually kind of sad how they each point the finger at the other when you're trying to deal with this. Thankfully brushless motors in the new TMs totally eliminate this issue if you're willing to upgrade to one.

[@Z71Ranger]

I sprayed my trolling motor with Flex Seal 3 coats... I made a real good thick coat of Flex Seal and all my Interference went away...

[@sawyer2813]

did you spray it all the way up the shaft?

[@jrm163]

This video should fix your issue: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qH3JnnWbhNWskKM

[@DanRichardFishing]

Right, so on my list of things I have not tried is grounding the skeg to the negative terminal of the unit's battery terminal or like in that video, the boat. I should not *have* to do this but it has been recommended to me, so I am waiting for the spring to get here to try it. The skeg ground method can only be tested properly with the boat in the water. So once the snow and ice is gone, I will probably try this.

[@DanRichardFishing]

I should mention I DID try grounding the skeg but apparently you have to test this in the water for it to work and I did it on dry land only. By the time I found out, the water was frozen over so had no choice but to wait till spring :(