Lowrance (or for that matter any FF) Terminal plug care

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Originally Posted by ProfessorLongArms

I've had my Hook5 for about a year.
I've gotten to the point where I test it before loading it on the truck...

I agree. My electrical systems seem to get screwed up easily too. I test my FF and bait tank before each fishing trip.

A good flush of fresh water and scrupulous cleaning when I get home. I clean the connectors with contact spray. I blast them dry with a pressurized air bottle, then a good coat of dialectic grease.

I replaced all of my wire connectors with heat-shrink connectors. In the past I've filled the connectors with silicone caulking before applying the heat gun. The silicone squeezes out as they shrink and the result has been good.

Lately I've been covering all shrink connectors with brush on "Liquid Electrical Tape" from Home Depot. Same for the push on battery connectors - pushed in place then painted with Liquid Electrical Tape to seal them.

IMHO, electrical systems pretty much need regular cleaning and maintenance. Otherwise I'll be wasting time fiddling when I should be fishing.

[alanw]

I've got about 4 years on my Dragonfly FF so far with no connector problems. Just a dab of dielectric grease once per season, always disconnected and freshwater rinsed after every trip.

I always connect/disconnect power at the battery and not at the FF connector.

Only issue I had once was at the battery terminal to FF wiring crimp connectors, which are inside the kayak, fixed by soldering the wires and using waterproof marine shrink connectors.