Aqua Vu camera issues

[Dogzlife000]

Today, I fired up the Aqua Vu Z-60 in preparation for another season of ice fishing and the screen was blank!! After messing around with it a bit, I found out that the connection was open at the crimp point where the cable meets the camera. Anyone else seen this issue?

The reason I ask is that Nature Vision wants nearly $100 to replace / repair the camera and cable ($90 plus my expense to ship to them) and I would sure hate to plop down that kind of cash only to find out that this is a common problem and have the thing screw up on me again. In addition, Nature Vision suggested that I could jury rig the camera by “making a loop in the cable near the camera” to close the connection. Based on this comment, I am under the impression that they have heard of this issue before. Since I use this system only for ice fishing and never with the lead weights, I am also under the impression that there is a potential design issue at the cable / camera junction. Is this the case or do I just have an infrequent and unusual issue? How about the Marcum cameras; any similar issues with these?

Pete

[minnbowhunter]

i had a problem with my marcum with water in the camera housing. I called and talked to one of the gurus and he told my they have never had a housing leak and to check my cable for cuts. Sure enuf about 4 ft from the housing there was a split in the cable. It looked like I had pinched it somehow. Anyway they shortened the cable by 4 ft and good as new. All it cost was the shipping cost.

[RobertELee]

I have the same issue as you dogz. I think its because I used it and I took it out of the water for few minutes and there was water sitting in the connection and it froze and opened it up a little and the connection got loose and the next time a dropped it down the hole the screen started to shake and eventually it stopped working. So I'm in the same boat as you, buy a new camera or go pick up a new Marcum that I've been hearing great things about. I'll probably break down and buy a Marcum just for the heck of it.

[ddsbyday]

Ditto, I could tell the connection was bad at the camera so I (against the manufacturers instructions tryed to fix it myself. You can not!! the camera cable junction is sealed. I had my dad take it to Brainerd and he was told that the camera must have been snagged and then forced to cause the problem. Had to buy a new one with the trade. Never was forced. I only hope aqua view is addressing this problem because I will go in person next time.

[Dogzlife000]

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I had my dad take it to Brainerd and he was told that the camera must have been snagged and then forced to cause the problem. Had to buy a new one with the trade. Never was forced. I only hope aqua view is addressing this problem because I will go in person next time.

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Yep, same with me. Mine was never forced, froze, dropped, etc. NO abuse whatsoever. If this truly is an issue with all Aqua Vu cameras, I too sure hope that they have it resolved, or atleast sincerely stand behind there products.

Pete

[JP Z]

Dogz,

That WAS an issue with the old Z-Frame units. Now if you look at the Fish Cameras. Coming off the monitor is a pigtail with the connector so that it doesn't cause stress on that connection.

[Dogzlife000]

Quote:

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Dogz,

That WAS an issue with the old Z-Frame units. Now if you look at the Fish Cameras. Coming off the monitor is a pigtail with the connector so that it doesn't cause stress on that connection.

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JPZ, I did notice the potential issue at the monitor / cable junction and reinforced that area with tape the day I purchased the unit. No issues there for me. My problem is at the underwater camera / cable junction. Specifically, the point on the cable immediately above the metal crimp band on the underwater camera.

Speaking of the new fish shaped cameras, IF there truely is an issue at the camera / cable junction, and the manufacturing methods and materials have not changed, I would think that risk of failure has increased significantly due to the abuse a large pike could impart to the camera. After all, anyone who has speared pike is well aware of the shear force and impact a decent size pike can subject a decoy to.

Well, in the meantime, I have looped the cable at the camera and got the thing working again, but ofcouse, I fully expect failure at some point down the line. The jury is still out on whether or not it's worth the investment of properly repairing.

Pete

[92python]

I have had numberous problems with my various Aqua Views (2 Jrs., 2 Z 60, and now the original that still works well) but they have always fixed the problem without charging me other than 1 way shipping.