520c's, I finders and Lowrance customer service

[Luke Musto2]

I was reading the HDS-5 post and I thought I was over my disappointment with Lowrance, but I guess I am not..





I want to echo Jim B's sentiments.



Ive run Lowrance for 4 yrs now since I got my first bass boat and have had nothing but problems with the 520c units.. I upgraded from the 135 about 1.5 yrs ago to networked 520c's on the bow and the dash. When I got my new boat in June it had a 520c at the console and I added on of my 520's to the bow.. Up to this point in time Ive had three different 520's fail. Two were within warranty and the last one just recently failed in late Nov and was out of warranty.. Customer service has been a royal pain in the ass.. Every tech/rep Ive spoken with(other than Linda) was arrogant and seemed like they didnt want to help at all..



In one instance they sent me the replacement within a month of my returning it.. ..

In the second instance I waited 6 weeks and with multiple phone calls still nothing. Linda from the store was able to rectify the situation once I finally got in touch with her..



This last time I still havent shipped the unit back as they want $212 for a new head unit. WHen I inquired about upgrading as I really believe the 520c's are junk. THe CS rep wouldnt even give me the opportunity to TALK to someone who could authorize the upgrade as it would take a series of managers to do this as they arent in the business of selling units just servicing them. When I inquired about the warrantee they said for $212 you get 6months on the new 520c.. OH JOY... Dont do me any favors...



I called Linda at the store and she has yet to return the two messages I have left for her.. At this point Im basically stuck with these junk units and no hope of any credit on an upgrade..



ANother ***** I have us that when TV went digital, it thru off all the iFinder H2Oc's so that they cant lock on satellites.. Lowrance accepts no responsibilty told me send them 160 bucks and they would send me another one..Cmon.. There was mass failure by every Ifinder in the US, and they basically said screw you..



Most reps, as people have said, are arrogant.. They wont give you the time of day.. Even though I have three 520c's( one thats defective) and an ifinder and wanted to buy an HDS-7.. Humminbird here I come..

 

[Greg Meyer]

In the recent past Lowrance was purchased by a European based company... Nuff said... Mr. Walters...your job is getting easier... LOL

 

[Dan J.]

Weird... I was using my H2Oc last week in FL and had no issues. Are you sure it isn't a localized interference problem? :huh:



No comment on the CS issues there. It sure has changed in the last several years.

 

[Rich Eder2]

I have had nothing but Lowrance since 86 and have never had a failure.I have a332C and a 510 now working flawlessly.I can't comment on CS because I've never had to use them.Good luck.

 

[Luke Musto2]

With the H2Oc's it depends upon date of manufacture.. The tech said after a certain date they knew there would be a problem and they changed the frequency they operate on so that the Digital TV didnt interfere.. Mine was/is now almost 3 yrs old.. Still turns on and searches except that it doesnt lock on to any satellites. If you look at reviews on the web, you'll see a dozen postings with people with similar problems same as mine

 

[TritonGlenn]

I don't know what tech you spoke to, but he either fed you a line of bull, or there was some miscommunication somewhere. I was about to go into a long discussion of the frequencies produced by GPS, but a quick search gave me the exact info I need, so I can cut and paste instead of typing it all out. Read this, and I'm sure you will understand that what that "tech" told you was incorrect.



Start:

All satellites broadcast at the same two frequencies, 1.57542 GHz (L1 signal) and 1.2276 GHz (L2 signal). The receiver can distinguish the signals from different satellites because GPS uses a code division multiple access (CDMA) spread-spectrum technique where the low-bitrate message data is encoded with a high-rate pseudo-random (PRN) sequence that is different for each satellite. The receiver knows the PRN codes for each satellite and can use this to reconstruct the actual message data. The message data is transmitted at 50 bits per second. Two distinct CDMA encodings are used: the coarse/acquisition (C/A) code (a so-called Gold code) at 1.023 million chips per second, and the precise (P) code at 10.23 million chips per second. The L1 carrier is modulated by both the C/A and P codes, while the L2 carrier is only modulated by the P code.[40] The C/A code is public and used by civilian GPS receivers, while the P code can be encrypted as a so-called P(Y) code which is only available to military equipment with a proper decryption key. Both the C/A and P(Y) codes impart the precise time-of-day to the user.

End.



So you see - there is no "changing frequencies" on newer units. Your unit picks up one frequency, and one frequency only - 1.57542 GHz (L1 signal). If you change the frequency, you don't pick up the GPS signal from the satellites, which have been the same forever.



I just sold my older Ifinder Hunt last year, and it still works fine to this day (sold it to a friend). On my newer Ifinder Hunt C, haven't had an issue either.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Luke Musto2]

Thanks Glenn..



I understand but something must be up.. See below..



So basically I now have another reason to go to Humminbird.. The tech that I talked to,most recently, his name is Mike basically thru me a crock of $hite! Unfreakinbelievable.. Now Im even more pissed off.. :angry:



Here's some four reviews from Amazon alone detailing the same problem..

By T. McCabe (Sandy Spring, MD) - See all my reviews





I have had this unit for about 18 months but have used it only 6-8 times - never in foul weather. It worked fine at first - with TOPO downloaded maps onto the MMC card and a Navionics card for marine use. Always locked on fairly quickly. Displayed maps beautifully. Now, after not using it for about 4 months (the batteries removed for safe storage) the unit will not lock onto satellites regardless of how long it's left on or despite performing soft and hard resets. The built-in Lowrance software on it is actually newer than what's on the latest Lowrance software update page - which makes no sense at all. Lowrance's minimum repair rate is $149.95 plus shipping since the 1 year warrenty has expired!! I might as well buy a new GPS - a non-Lowrance unit this time! The price and features are very attractive. But beware, I think it's a very inferior product in the long run. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:





GPS will not lock!, December 7, 2009

By Coz - See all my reviews



My Lowrance H2O C is like new, never dropped or abused. It worked fine when I first got it. I stored it for a few months and now it will not lock on GPS at all. I have tried reloading software, soft boot, hard boot, still nothing. Support only says to send it to them with $150 and they will look at it. NO WAY! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

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Lost Waypoints, July 3, 2009

By J. Stone ""firefighter"" (Auburn, Tn. USA) - See all my reviews





I purchased this product 2 years ago. It is used to mark waypoints on my favorite lake. I purchased the Fishing Hot Spots chip for it and proceded to mark favorite fishing places. It worked fine until this year. Now it will not lock on a satellite so all these waypoints that are on it are worthless. I have not contacted Lowrance about the problem, but after reading the other reviews there is no need. I thought about buying an antenna for it but hate to spend the extra money if it still doesn't work. Until Lowrance gets there act togeather they are history for me. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

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no gps lock !!, May 2, 2009

By Lisa Bowen "P.Bowen" (Anacortes, WA. United States) - See all my reviews





I have used this gps about 7 or 8 times over 2 years, and now I get no gps lock. Lowrance says send $150.00, or wait until a new version comes out. A friend also bought one of these units after seeing mine, and now his won't get a gps lock. I don't know what is causing this problem, but I do know that I will never purchase another Lowrance product

 

[fatrap]

I've got a 522c and a 510 both work great with no issues. I've been using Lowrance since the fist green box. No problems that I didn't cause. sorry to hear about your issues.

You want to get me started on Minn Kota powerdrives I'd be glad to give you horror stories.

fatrap

 

[TritonGlenn]

Luke,

I know you are upset, and there is really nothing I can personally do at this point to make you change your mind. If I owned the company, I'd be all over the customer service issues like a homeless man on a ham sandwich.



I will say this though (and I know it isn't much of a consolation, but it's all I have to offer). For every person ticked off and "through" with brand X, going to brand Y, there is another person that owns brand Y and is fed up and "through" with them, getting ready to go to brand X. Brand Z isn't without fault either, as they have their share of customer service issues too. I wish you weren't leaving Lowrance, but I realize that you feel wronged, and I've been in your shoes on that subject (different companies, different product), so I understand your decision to search elsewhere.



The big thing is: Customer service can make or break a company. Some companies don't realize that until it's too late. They may put out a fantastic product, but the first time one of their widgets breaks and their customer service blows the customer off, or treats them badly, they may lose that customer. Do it enough times, and the company starts having problems staying in business and retaining their customer base.



On the other hand, I've owned product that worked "ok", but I've had to use their fantastic customer service a few too many times. The first time, I was impressed, so the broken item didn't bother me at all. They overnighted me a replacement, so the "Wow! factor" was there. The second time, I was a bit annoyed that I had to replace the product twice in one year, but their excellent customer service and another overnight express shipment smoothed things over. The third time, I was very annoyed, as I was on number 3 in less than 18 months. They won me over yet again by upgrading me to a better model - an "improved model" meant to take on the stresses of big water. Worked fine for a year, and then it broke too. At that time, I made a decision - Even though their customer service was second to none, and definitely showed their concern for the customers satisfaction, the actual manufacture of this piece of equipment wasn't meeting my needs. So I moved to a different brand. I'm still on my original one, installed in 1995.



I read customer complaints online as well, but take them with a grain of salt. I read those exact same customer complaints. Problem with reading those is - the same person could be continually complaining using different login names, or having friends complain about the same thing for them. Also, those complaints never show the full story. I had a friend that was ticked as could be with a company because they wouldn't take back something that HE broke. He got online and pitched a fit about it. I confronted him about it, as I knew that he broke it. He said "It doesn't matter - they should stand behind their warranty". I explained that it was a warranty - not an insurance policy, and that warranties don't cover things like abuse and negligence. He was so ticked off at me, he didn't speak to me for a while, but finally admitted that I was right. When I asked him if he bought a new one, his response was that he complained so much, the company finally gave in and gave him a new one - under "warranty", even though he KNEW it wasn't a warranty issue. This kind of thing is the reason that so many companies are hesitant to approve warranty work over the phone. They want to see the product before making a determination over whether it was caused by manufacturer issues, or negligence by the consumer. I can understand your side though, when seeing that others have reported a similar issue that you have. However, please think about how many of these units Lowrance has sold, compared to the relatively small amount of complaints recorded on these sites... and then factor in that you are only hearing their side of the story.



I hope you enjoy whatever electronics you plan to buy, and that they serve you well for many years.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Luke Musto2]

Glenn, I'm just needing a place to get this off my chest.. Ill be alright eventually. Im not a big conspiracy theorist, so I cant buy that the countless posts I've read regarding the H2O's are the work of one person.. Im not sure anyone would care that much to make repeat posts months apart with different usernames in several locations..



The part that the bastard lied to me is really really frying me.. Ive been happy with their products when they worked but not at all happy with the customer service aspect.. Maybe if I make myself the thorn in their side that wont go away, they'll allow me to upgrade, but Im not sure I can do that as I dont know that I can be "that" person.



You asked me to think about something.. Here is something for ya..

Think about how many people who when their H2Oc went belly up, just 1) tossed it or

2) ate the $160 bucks that Lowrance asked for and never bothered to post a message about it..



I can guarantee for every post you read there are probably 50 to 100 that didnt bother or didnt research it and even realize it was widespread issue.



Bottom line is: Ill either get over it or become a HB SI user..

At present Im not sure which.. I'll certainly be ordering something soon.. That is for sure.. Wonder what I could get for a set of used 520c's on ebay.. Been looking but havent seen any inthe past few days..

 

[Mini]

Linda Colt is no longer working for Navico/Lowrance. See my post from today.



There seems to be a pretty good market for the 520's used.



I think I will be switching to Humminbird for my next purchase....

 

[Luke Musto2]

Thanks.. Im doing the same.. Im done with Lowrance, even though I have to admit that the Downscan images, Ive seen are truly amazing..