Clicking sound over my vhf

[TheOtherLine]

Okay. Been doing the rewiring and for some reason, I am getting clicking sound over the vhf radio. I've isolated it to the Garmin gps. In other words, it ONLY does the clicking sound when the Garmin is powered.

At first it sounded like it was replicating the pinging sequence of the sounder but I don't think that's it. I ran the power on separate circuits. Still clicks.

I played with moving the VHF antenna cable around and away from the other lines (transducer and power), still clicking.

Any clue what it might be? The only thing I wired differently was that this time I tapped the furuno into one of the garmin nmea outs so I could capture the gps position on my furuno when I hit "Mark".

 

[DaleH]

Temporarily removing that tapped conn to the Furuno will prove that's the issue. But to prevent it, any wires should be separated (from other units) and twisted, pending enough slack in wires to do so. I know Furuno units always come with small (ceramic??) filters to be snapped around some wires when noise issues.

 

[TheOtherLine]

The only thing I wired differently was that this time I tapped the furuno into one of the garmin nmea outs so I could capture the gps position on my furuno when I hit "Mark".

If I can mis-direct yer post............

Explain the reason to connect FF to GPS? If yer hit "Mark" (I suppose this is Garmin's MOB key) you will save position in GPS. Can you also save a position in FF? Is Mark a key on FF? At any rate, wouldn't saving L/L in GPS work?

I connected my GPS to FF (in office) for fun. GPS would transmit L/L info to face of FF. So what :?: . I have this info on GPS anyway. Seemed to me redundant info that only cluttered FF.

What am I missing?

The advantage is that often times, you will have already run past a "spot" that looks interesting. By the time you hit "mark" on your GPS your lat/lon will be close, but not exactly on the "spot".

The furuno feature allows you to temporarily suspend picture advancement, displays a cursor that you can move to the exact spot on the display that you found interesting, and then when you are right on the "spot", gives you those lat/lon numbers. Close enough is a thing of the past with this feature.

In my picture example, the cursor is the location where I realized I ran over a small cut, and hit the "mark" button on the FF. The red line represents where I moved the cursor and captured the gps #'s on that spot.

You can then take those lat/lon #'s and save to your gps waypoint list and eliminate all the clutter.

 

[TheOtherLine]

Temporarily removing that tapped conn to the Furuno will prove that's the issue. But to prevent it, any wires should be separated (from other units) and twisted, pending enough slack in wires to do so. I know Furuno units always come with small (ceramic??) filters to be snapped around some wires when noise issues.

Now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing the filter. I know what you are talking about. It's a barrel shaped thing that snaps around the cable. Let me go see.

Happy to report that everything else is shaping up real well. The starboard piece, to which the mini bus was attached to turned out well.
Going to remove all of those red telephone wire connectors and use the bus. NOT, because they didn't work fine, just hard to clean them all up and zip tie them.

Bad news is that I shorted my vhf when I was trying to isolate the clicking (power wires touched). Fortunately, Boaters World had the same radio for $109.
:roll:

 

[sparky]

The filters are ferrite toroids, and work pretty well.

If you want to get very technical, here's a guide on audio noise in RF signal circuits.
http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/RFI-Ham.pdf

 

[DaleH]

The filters are ferrite toroids, and work pretty well.

If you want to get very technical, here's a guide on audio noise in RF signal circuits.
http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/RFI-Ham.pdf

You 'da man Sparky! For the life of me, I could only think of 'ceramic' and not the word 'ferrite'. Thanks for the link to that source too, will be awesome for the historical record and future searches .

 

[FishPimp]

not to kidnap the topic completely......
do you guys think that filter would help alleviate the clicking noise I get when using my trim tabs?
It sure would be great if it did.

 

[TheOtherLine]

not to kidnap the topic completely......
do you guys think that filter would help alleviate the clicking noise I get when using my trim tabs?
It sure would be great if it did.

You are getting a clicking noise on your VHF when you deploy or retract your trim tabs?

 

[FishPimp]

my bad for not being more specific. please forgive!
I am getting a clicking noise on my stereo when using my trim tabs.

 

[TheOtherLine]

OK. Here's the latest on the clicking thing.

I called Icom and they ran me through a few tests. Bottom line is that when I disconnect the vhf antenna from the radio, the click stops. So, we know it's the antenna receiving junk from somewhere. I could re route either the antenna cable around the stbd side, or the garmin ducer cable around the stbd side but was not looking forward to doing either at this point as I am burned out on wiring at the moment.

Interestingly enough, when I took the boat off the lift and in the water for electronics trials, the clicking STOPPED. So, there's got to be something going on around the lift. Maybe the ant is picking up the elec from the motors, or maybe the ducer is pinging the bottom beams and that's what I'm hearing.

In any event, I don't sit at my dock and talk on the VHF so for now, I'm going to let it be.

I actually am getting a great signal/transmit as a respondent to a radio check request was reading me loud and clear from 30 miles away!!!

 

[MaxOut]

The noise is comming from your transducer. Not a good idea to operate fish finder with transducer out of water. When in water the echo is absorbed (water represents a load on the transducer). Running a transducer out of the water is like holding your foot on the gas pedal in neutral. Should not damage anything but explains your noise. :wink:

 

[MaxOut]

not to kidnap the topic completely......
do you guys think that filter would help alleviate the clicking noise I get when using my trim tabs?
It sure would be great if it did.

You are getting a clicking noise on your VHF when you deploy or retract your trim tabs?

Ground Looping on power line from DC motor. Check grounds on VHF and trim tabs. Make sure they are grounded on a common buss as close to the battery as possible. A power filter will help if placed on the main power + line on the trim tabs. Make sure you get one appropriate in amperage to the max draw of your tabs. I would correct wiring instead of adding a filter if it was mine. The filter is another place for problems. Another way to elminate noise may be to run a ground from the common the the shield of your VHF antenna connection.

 

[TheOtherLine]

The noise is comming from your transducer. Not a good idea to operate fish finder with transducer out of water. When in water the echo is absorbed (water represents a load on the transducer). Running a transducer out of the water is like holding your foot on the gas pedal in neutral. Should not damage anything but explains your noise. :wink:

Makes sense to me. So, the antenna is receiving the pinging from the transducers signal and transmitting it through the radio. Is that what your saying? That would make sense because, as i said, when I disconnect the vhf antenna, nothing comes through the radio.

 

[MaxOut]

The noise is comming from your transducer. Not a good idea to operate fish finder with transducer out of water. When in water the echo is absorbed (water represents a load on the transducer). Running a transducer out of the water is like holding your foot on the gas pedal in neutral. Should not damage anything but explains your noise. :wink:

Makes sense to me. So, the antenna is receiving the pinging from the transducers signal and transmitting it through the radio. Is that what your saying? That would make sense because, as i said, when I disconnect the vhf antenna, nothing comes through the radio.

THATS IT

 

[BuddahB]

I get a clicking sound through my stereo and I know it's from the transducer..... :wink: