Garmin 178C Help?

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Jan 6, 2006
29
Hunter Chherubini 33 Wiarton, Ontario
I have a new Garmin GPSmap 178C that has been behaving erratically. It will work fine for a few minutes then start flashing and/or just shut off. Sometimes it will not allow me to log in and just shut down. Other times it will work fine but will not have bright backlighting - which is useless in the sun. The dealer gave me a new unit and the same problems occurred. I hooked it up to a power supply at home and it seems OK. This leads me to think that it is the boat wiring. I have a 1981 Hunter 33. The GPS wiring is direct from the battery to the steering pedestal with no other electronics attached. Another wire runs the fishfinder but it has no problems. I have tried switching the wires with the fishfinder but same problems. Tried running unit with all other electronics off; engine off; new wire direct to battery - all with same problems. Am I missing something obvious? Do I need an inline filter of some sort? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks, Scott
 

RAD

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Jun 3, 2004
2,330
Catalina 30 Bay Shore, N.Y.
Where is the ground wire terminated?

Are you just trouble shooting the positive wire cause the problem might be the ground Have you tried running a new pair of wires positive and negitive direct to the battery
 
May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
Connections

I would start checking connections from the battery on to the unit. An intermittent problem, particularly on two new units, would lead me to believe you have a bad connection, or connector somewhere in the system. And like Ross says, don't overlook the ground. It can and will cause just as many problems as the positive lead.
 
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