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PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:11 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:17 pm
Posts: 679
Location: Auckland NZ
SteelHead - which model is that ? I'd like to check it out.


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:28 am 
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Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 2:40 pm
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Stobbo.....I bought Humminbird Model #768, July 4, 2011 from Bass Pro Shops.....they were closing out this model for $199.97 + $15.50 freight.....it was marked down from $499.
This is a very nice fish finder/GPS with a separate GPS antenna.

I owned a Lowrance model LMS-240 that was on my old 18 foot fishing boat....the Lowrance never worked well and was repaired twice under warranty....I gave up on Lowrance at that point.
My own experience with Humminbird has been excellent....my 22 year old portable Humminbird model LCR 400 still works, but I wanted a GPS unit and lucked out with the model 768. :D

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Hood River, OR


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:03 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:17 pm
Posts: 679
Location: Auckland NZ
Sherminator. You have confirmed what I thought would happen with these units :-(

I have wrapped mine up like a mummy with self amalgamating tape - I don't think it will last 5 minutes when it gets into the water (by which I mean I am fairly sure that the tape will unwrap) but it may help.

Over the WE I came across something called liquid tape:

http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/products/289-sealants_and_glues/3725-performix_liquid_electrical_ta.aspx

this appears to be a paint-on rubber coating designed for electrical connections that claims to stick to the proverbial and waterproof it at the same time.


Does anyone have any experience of this product ?


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 6:30 am 
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Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 6:09 am
Posts: 2
Location: Victoria, Australia
G'day guys this is my first post here but have enjoyed reading some great topics and advise here already.
This topic is something that i now have personal experience with. I don't want to say too much as yet as I am just starting the process of a warranty claim.
I hope they are reasonable and I will report back here and other forums I am a member of my outcomes.


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:58 am 
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Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:09 pm
Posts: 187
Location: Perth West Australia
I ended up buying the Elite 5 DSI because it was a larger screen and because I thought the card slot on the 4 was not adequate. The Elite 5 card slot is not much better although it does have sealing by about three thin rubber lips on the cover as it pushes over the card slot.

I inserted the card. Found some 3M all weather sealing tape (which I think is meant for temporary repairs to car windscreens). I cut a neat litle piece to cover the card. Then used a thin bead of silicone sealer on the card cover slot and actually glued it on.

Totally sealed and I will probably not bother taking it off for the life of the unit.

I am also using a fishing reel cover (wetsuit neoprene type) as a cover for the unit.

I have seen a photo of someone with a neat looking splash cover and clear front fact to keep the worst of the splashes off. It all helps.

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Geordie
West Ausie


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:59 am 
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Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:30 am
Posts: 174
Location: Charleston, SC
I own the Mark-4 unit, which is the grayscale cousin of the Elite-4, and has the same card-slot.

I got annoyed with the flap coming uncovered...so I took it off, and took some silicone-sealant and smeared over-it. I don't use the card-slot...standard maps have suited my needs. If I ever need to use it, I can just peel it off and re-seal the hole later...

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:35 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 6:09 am
Posts: 2
Location: Victoria, Australia
I said I would get back to you guys on this so here is my first hand experience.

It all starterd when i rolled my yak the other day.
Well the sounder didn't like it too much and had water inside.
I estimate the sounder was 30cm below water level for about 10-15 seconds.

Yeah they are meant to be IPx7 rated (1m for 30 min immersion rated) but there is a bit of an issue "in my eye's" with the way the card slot seals.
I had electrical tape over the rubber seal so it wouldn't just open up at all.
Mind you on the Lowrance website the card slot is rated as waterproof.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the speed and ease of the service I got.
I took my unit back to where i bought it, C.H. Smith marine who are based in Melbourne Victoria. I highly recommend these guys as a retailer awesome service and price.

I showed them the head unit and they didn't even want an explanation of what happened (although water visible on the inside of the screen may have been pretty obvious). I also told them I wanted my transducer tested while the head unit was going back (there was excessive interference around other boats and yaks even at a big distance).

Well I personally dropped it all in to CH Smith on Wednesday 11am, they then send it off to Navico (Lowrance) for assessment which is in the North of Sydney NSW and I was told probably 2 weeks before its back.
Well Monday at 10am I get a call that a brand new in the box elite 4 is sitting there waiting for me, sent back from Navico :yahoo:

I had heard bad things about lowrance warranties but my personal experience was an absolute pleasure to deal with the above mentioned companies.
I was pretty stressed about all this but I am a very happy man now.

By the way my navionics gold card survived all this too.


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 2:29 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:27 pm
Posts: 731
wow, good that they stood behind their warranty.
I didnt submerge mine, but it got a good deal of splashing in some 4 ft waves, and remarkably the only issue was some corrosion on the exposed pins for the option port. I've since cleaned and covered that connection with a rubber cap (used for car engine vacuum ports).
Fingers crossed, but the only protection I have on my mapcard slot is duct tape over the stock rubber seal. I like elgeebee's idea of using silicone sealant around the area...I dont have or really need the navionics chip at this time.


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