I recently purchased a Bottom Line Tournament Max 480 and had it installed up by the trolling motor. Took it on the water for the first time yesterday to try it out and it worked fine for twenty minutes or so. And then the bottom reading became scattered until it was nothing but a series of thin lines, like a jagged bar code. I fiddled with it a bit and nothing changed. Tried it with the trolling motor on then off. Nothing. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Just a quick question before suggesting that you take it back.  In between the time it was working and then not working, did you pull up the TM and if you did, is it possible the transducer cable got pinched or cut?

I did pul up the tm. But I looked for a pinch or cut but found nothing--how "pinched" does it have to be?

Any pinch can cause a wire separation, however it sounds like the LCD went south.

I would say the same thing but the simulation works perfectly. The depth works fine, the temp reading, and the bottom view--all works perfectly in simulation mode. But when I hit "real" it all works excpet for the view of the bottom--a crucial part of the whole process--haha.

a crucial part of the whole process--haha.

I heard that.

Not a pro at repair problems, but I would think it is a transducer problem. It is possible that it "appears" that you have not broken the cable but all it takes is for the outer band of the cable to touch the inner and walaa, no signal. Or in you case nothing but interference. If you have the luxury of testing your unit with a different transducer it would be the simplest way out.

simulation is software program and no transducer required. The problem will not be resolved or trouble shooted from that mode.

Check the bottom of the transducer for any slime. If it's clean, you have a bad cable. I have cut mine a few times with trolling motor. All the graphs do the same thing, cut cable =no readout. ooops. Time to return the unit.

Rob

There is a function in your menu selection called "Reset".  Use it and everything will go back to normal.  It appears to me that the 480 executes a "Let's go Nuts" sub-routine every now and then, especially if you are in very shallow water. i.e.less than 4 ft.

Mike