Some help trying to troubleshoot a Helix 7 issue

[siwash]

Hey folks,

I purchased a Helix 7 G4 with MEGA Si a couple of months ago.  First 2 outings in May it seemed to work fine.  I went on a trip to PAB last week and it kept shutting off.. I just got off the phone with Hummingbird and the person walked me through troubleshooting options.  She concluded there's nothing wrong with the unit. We tried it on the power source at the bow and it worked (24 V lithium I use for my trolling motor). 10.8 V appeared on the status setting of the unit when I tried it on my 12 V battery source so it's not getting enough power. She thinks it's either my power source (battery?) a fuse? or could be the hummingbird supplied wiring.

One thing that does happen additionally is that when the unit is powered up, it shuts off once I start up my motor again.  This has been happening since I had it installed. Again, the battery it set up on is a 12V that cranks my motor and runs other electronics (lights, etc). I brought this up with the guy who installed it for me and he said it's normal.  I found that odd because I don't recall any other fish finder unit powering off when I started up other motors/ boats I've owned.  Based on this limited info, what does it sound like it could be?  How can I isolate the issue? 

 

I appreciate any help with this! Thanks in advance! 

[Fisherman]

Your motor takes a lot of amps to start and when the Helix "sees" the power drop, I'm guessing around 10.8, it shuts off.  Run the Helix from one of the trolling motor batteries.  

[glen]

I run my ff off the main batt. No problems.  I have heavy gage wire to a fuse panel under the dash then humming bird wire from there.  
 

the issue is the person who did the install.  Wired wrong.  
 

[siwash]

Thanks guys... if I run off my trolling motor battery I already have a Helix up at the bow also running off that battery.  Shouldn't be too much to have another sonar unit off that battery will it?

[fishdawg]

Your deep cycle trolling motor batteries should only be used for that.

[siwash]

I am using a reducer (12v Step Down Converter) for the hook up of the Helix hummingbird up front (because the battery is a 24 V lithium) and the finder up front has been ok... 

Can you explain further, fishdawg?

 

Edited June 19 by siwash

[AKRISONER]

few things here and Ill just try lay out the "rules" of boat rigging

1. Your trolling motor batteries are for your trolling motor exclusively. More importantly, with brushed trolling motors, you absolutely do not want to be running your electronics off of those batteries, you will encounter significant interference as well as massive voltage fluctuations when running your trolling motor at high speed. Now have people done it, especially in very small boats where they only have 1 battery...yes, but its 2025, 30 amp hour lithiums that will easily run a 10 inch screen plus a livescope for an entire day are on amazon for $160, enough said.

- DONT RUN ELECTRONICS ON A TROLLING MOTOR BATTERY.

2. Your screen is shutting off, meaning your starting battery is experiencing such a significant voltage drop during start up that its shutting down your helix. Your reading 10.8v on the unit during regular operation, thats extremely low. Your starting battery is tired.

While voltage can be impacted by a variety of factors, including line loss, poor connections and under guaging your power cable, 10.8 is so low that it would imply that you have a battery that is going bad. your 12v battery, is it flooded lead acid? Have you topped it up with distilled water lately? How old is it actually? Do you ensure that you are charging it immediately after every use?

For reference I am running my electronics off of a designated group 31AGM I run 3 10 inch garmins plus livescope and at start up I will have 12.3 volts reading at the console and due to line loss from the front of the boat from the very back I am typically around 12.0 and 12.1 on my two front garmins. Thats on a battery thats getting pretty tired even and is now 5 years old and been abused relentlessly with long tournament days. I even had to throw in an ACR into the mix to try get some juice back to my screens on those real long tournament pre fishing days. I wasnt making it through a day anymore. Hell, I cooked my 2 group 31 agm's that were running my trolling motor in 2.5 seasons, i limped them through the end of the year last year and it was not good!

TOO LONG DIDNT READ, GET A CHEAP LITHIUM FOR YOUR ELECTRONICS AND BE DONE WITH IT!

Edited June 19 by AKRISONER

[siwash]

Akrisoner, I responded to your PM before  read your post here! 

[siwash]

1 hour ago, AKRISONER said:

few things here and Ill just try lay out the "rules" of boat rigging

1. Your trolling motor batteries are for your trolling motor exclusively. More importantly, with brushed trolling motors, you absolutely do not want to be running your electronics off of those batteries, you will encounter significant interference as well as massive voltage fluctuations when running your trolling motor at high speed. Now have people done it, especially in very small boats where they only have 1 battery...yes, but its 2025, 30 amp hour lithiums that will easily run a 10 inch screen plus a livescope for an entire day are on amazon for $160, enough said.

- DONT RUN ELECTRONICS ON A TROLLING MOTOR BATTERY.

2. Your screen is shutting off, meaning your starting battery is experiencing such a significant voltage drop during start up that its shutting down your helix. Your reading 10.8v on the unit during regular operation, thats extremely low. Your starting battery is tired.

While voltage can be impacted by a variety of factors, including line loss, poor connections and under guaging your power cable, 10.8 is so low that it would imply that you have a battery that is going bad. your 12v battery, is it flooded lead acid? Have you topped it up with distilled water lately? How old is it actually? Do you ensure that you are charging it immediately after every use?

For reference I am running my electronics off of a designated group 31AGM I run 3 10 inch garmins plus livescope and at start up I will have 12.3 volts reading at the console and due to line loss from the front of the boat from the very back I am typically around 12.0 and 12.1 on my two front garmins. Thats on a battery thats getting pretty tired even and is now 5 years old and been abused relentlessly with long tournament days. I even had to throw in an ACR into the mix to try get some juice back to my screens on those real long tournament pre fishing days. I wasnt making it through a day anymore. Hell, I cooked my 2 group 31 agm's that were running my trolling motor in 2.5 seasons, i limped them through the end of the year last year and it was not good!

TOO LONG DIDNT READ, GET A CHEAP LITHIUM FOR YOUR ELECTRONICS AND BE DONE WITH IT!

Lots to digest here! So the battery is in its 3rd season I believe.  Not sure if brand is importantly but I got it at Princess Auto so it's not a "premium" battery.  Nothing fancy.  I suppose the health of the battery can be tested? It is a lead acid battery. I have NOT topped it up with distilled water.  I thought I had bought a "maintenance-free" battery that didn't require too up but I may not know what I am talking about! I'll check when I get back home. I'll take a pic of it.  
 

so could this be a simple Mayer if a battery that needs replacing? If I did that might the unit fire back up and work? The perosn at hummingbird (they were good btw) said it could be the battery but I ignored thst to be honest.  Just figure that a 2 year old battery is still perfectly good.  I did drain it a couple of times were it was dead (accidentally by leaving on a light for a few days). 
 

I'll check on that battery and come back to this thread. 
 

thanks!

[BassMan11]

Batteries are something you can't neglect if you expect it last. You can easily kill a flooded battery in 6 months if not maintained properly or abused or froze etc... especially a cheap one. This will go for your Lithium as well. Need to charge with with a proper charger in a timely manner. If they sit to long dead they go bad. 

I would say this is probably your issue. 

Good luck,

 

BM

 

[BillM]

You're getting voltage drop.   It's probably your stock wiring or a combination of the battery not being fully charged.   Had the same problem in my Lund Pro Sport with my two Helix 12s.   Once I did a dedicated run to the battery with lower gauge wire and installed a distribution box and ran my graphs off that my problems were solved.   

Do not run your graphs off the TM batteries. 

Edited June 19 by BillM

[siwash]

On what setting do you guys charge your batteries when you come off the water?

[siwash]

Seems like what I'm hearing is that I may want to consider a dedicated cranking battery (AGM) and power up my electronics on a lithium battery? 
this is on top of having a dedicated lithium up at the bow for the TM (which is what I have) 

[siwash]

I think I confirmed it's my battery.  I charged it up and now the unit is working. I'm he voltage was at 12.3 or something like that after charging in the status page. I removed the charger and played around the with unit and the voltage dropped to low 11s. So the battery is toast it appears.  Here are the specs on the current battery- should I buy something g with more CA and CAA? I added a pic of my charger to show the status at fully charged:

 

 

 

[BillM]

Group 24.   Replace that with a group 31 AGM and you'll be set

[AKRISONER]

yup, a group 24 is a bit small especially for a lead acid to be running electronics off of all day plus turn your motor over. Lead acid batteries really really do not like being discharged below 50%, and when you completely kill them dead it damages them very quickly. So yes, if you have totally cooked that battery twice and its 2 years old, its pooched unfortunately at least it was a cheapy!

as i said earlier, just from running my trolling motor batteries into the ground, I was running 2x 100 amp hour nautilus AGM's and fried them in 3 seasons. They handle deep discharges better than lead acid but still get tired. 

Lithiums are almost impervious to discharge, the chemisty is different so they dont mind operating at 60% discharge, in fact they recommend storing lithiums at 60% -  70% charge, they actually dont like being fully charged! crazy stuff.

Edited June 19 by AKRISONER

[siwash]

Thanks guys 

[siwash]

My motor is a 1990 Johnson.  I don't think there's a lithium option for cranking so AGM it is. 
 

too bad cause they are so small and light. 

Edited June 20 by siwash

[smitty55]

2 hours ago, siwash said:

My motor is a 1990 Johnson.  I don't think there's a lithium option for cranking so AGM is. 
 

too bad cause they are so small and light. 

I don't see why it would matter what type of battery it is.

[BillM]

2 hours ago, smitty55 said:

I don't see why it would matter what type of battery it is.

Alternator output.  Some motors are fine with lithiums, some aren't.

[siwash]

For what it's worth Everything I've read states older motors and lithiums dont mix well. With my luck I'll fry something.  
 

Going to go look at the Kirkland AGM if they have them at a Costco today. 

[AKRISONER]

15 hours ago, siwash said:

For what it's worth Everything I've read states older motors and lithiums dont mix well. With my luck I'll fry something.  
 

Going to go look at the Kirkland AGM if they have them at a Costco today. 

Make sure you compare the price between them and a nautilus from CT.

 

the quality of the naultilus AGMs are higher due to who manufactures them.

[siwash]

An update on my battery situation:

So was on Pigeon yesterday for a musky hunt... (fishing was slow! but we raised one fish) and after several hours of casting we decided to troll a bit... i used the Minnkota to troll (we trolled at a high speed) and after 45 min, it just died on us! Geez, when it rains it pours!  It was fully charged before I left... and it can go a LONG time on a charge... usually after a full day most of the battery is still charged. Something was up. When I got home and tried to charge it, it wouldn't charge. I thought my battery was pooched.. so I disconnected the the trolling motor and fish finder connections and now the battery seems to be charging fine. If you'll recall from previous post, I have a Helix 5 connected to that battery via a converter because the battery is a 24 V and the 5 requires a 12V. battery.  I know that I should NOT have the Helix running off that battery but I am going to change this by getting a 30 AMP lithium to run the two Helix's... I'm thinking that maybe something shorted..?  maybe that converter failed?  a fuse?  Will explore today if i have the time! I just hope I didn't cause damage to the the battery, TM or the Helix.  

Edited June 22 by siwash

[AKRISONER]

On 6/22/2025 at 7:09 AM, siwash said:

An update on my battery situation:

So was on Pigeon yesterday for a musky hunt... (fishing was slow! but we raised one fish) and after several hours of casting we decided to troll a bit... i used the Minnkota to troll (we trolled at a high speed) and after 45 min, it just died on us! Geez, when it rains it pours!  It was fully charged before I left... and it can go a LONG time on a charge... usually after a full day most of the battery is still charged. Something was up. When I got home and tried to charge it, it wouldn't charge. I thought my battery was pooched.. so I disconnected the the trolling motor and fish finder connections and now the battery seems to be charging fine. If you'll recall from previous post, I have a Helix 5 connected to that battery via a converter because the battery is a 24 V and the 5 requires a 12V. battery.  I know that I should NOT have the Helix running off that battery but I am going to change this by getting a 30 AMP lithium to run the two Helix's... I'm thinking that maybe something shorted..?  maybe that converter failed?  a fuse?  Will explore today if i have the time! I just hope I didn't cause damage to the the battery, TM or the Helix.  

check your power cable, running a trolling motor on high for 45 minutes will generate a huge amount of heat through the whole system. Any point of resistance at all in your cables will be a very dangerous spot to create fire in your boat. Most specifically if you are using a minkotta plug, ask me how i know, i once had a fire in my boat from running my trolling motor on high for about 15 minutes, the minkotta plug had vibrated and caused the guage of the wire at the connector to reduce, it became a hot spot and an electrical fire started. Its worse on a 12 volt troller, but still not ideal.

Those terrova's seemingly have a shut off of their own even if your breaker/fuse doesnt trip. 

Just out of curiousity, if youre trolling musky, why wouldnt you use your outboard to troll? thats a hell of a work out on your trolling motor and battery. Musky like high speed trolling, and if you wanna slow down throw a bucket or other piece of material tied to a rope off of your boat to create a wind sock.

[siwash]

So I disconnected everything (the TM and the Helix, which was running off a converter). It charged up and I tested the trolling motor after the charge and it's all good, thankfully.

i am going to pickup a lithium so I can run the two finders off that battery alone.  Should i get a 30 amp or 50 amp?  I checked what they draw per hour and the Helix 7 is 0.8 and the 5 is 0.65 per hour.. I think the 30 is adequate for a full day of fishing (say up to 12 hours? 

 

Edited June 23 by siwash