Lowrance 26c causing FM radio interference?

[insurance guy]

I have a Sony AM/FM stereo in the factory slot on my Lund Pro Angler and my Lowrance 26c mounted within a foot of that and I am getting severe interference with the radio while the 26c is on to the point you can't even listen to the radio. I have another Lowrance, a 102c, on the bow and that's several feet away and doesn't cause any problems with the radio but the 26c sure does. Anybody have any suggestions or experience with this or any advice?

[LMITOUT]

What are you hearing? Intermittant popping/cracking or constant buzzing? Try moving the antenna on the radio away from any of the sonar cabling. They may have bundled the excess sonar cable and the antenna might be in close proximity to this. Try moving the cables around and separate them as much as possible. Also look out for any power leads for bilge pumps or livewell pumps, etc. so that you don't fix one problem and then cause another by getting interference while running the pumps after moving the antenna wire away from the sonar cable.

[insurance guy]

Quote:

---

What are you hearing? Intermittant popping/cracking or constant buzzing? Try moving the antenna on the radio away from any of the sonar cabling. They may have bundled the excess sonar cable and the antenna might be in close proximity to this. Try moving the cables around and separate them as much as possible. Also look out for any power leads for bilge pumps or livewell pumps, etc. so that you don't fix one problem and then cause another by getting interference while running the pumps after moving the antenna wire away from the sonar cable.

---

It's a constant buzz and I will poke around in there tonight after work and track the antenna wire and see if it bundled like you said. Thank you for the response and hopefully I can find it and fix it or I'll bring it back to the dealer as a last resort.

[LMITOUT]

RFI is a tough problem to crack. You might get lucky by relocating the antenna wire from the radio and trying to keep it away from those "noisy" wires as much as possible. Try turning on and off different devices in the boat to see if anything else could be the culprit and not only the locator. I had to move my antenna wire as well. Those nylon zip ties like to bundle everything they can get around, but that's not always the best.

[ChuckN]

I have the same problem with my LCX-25 and radio. I just haven't found the time to figure out the issue. Someone told me to get a filter (power?) for the interference, but I haven't researched it yet. I just play CD's instead if I really need tunes...

[insurance guy]

Okay, I fixed it The antenna wire was laying right in there with the other wires and I took the radio out last night and snaked the antenna wire into the next compartment which made a big difference. I still have to physically move the ends of the antenna wire out in the open to completely eliminate the interference but at least it works and now I can listen to my XM satellite radio in the boat while the big Lowrance is on which is great. Thanks again for the help.

[LMITOUT]

Great to hear that it helped.

Now if I could just get AM in my boat I'd be happy, but at least the FM band is better now.