X-15 Locked up!

[EB]

I actually feel guilty posting this, after all the bad press I read about this unit I still went ahead and bought one. I guess I really am a glutton for punishment. Anyway I've used the unit on the water half a dozen times (sonar only) and been pleased. So since everything was going well I decided to screw it up by adding the mapping package and ordering some Navionics maps. Before I did anything I downloaded and installed V1.9, and checked under setup to make sure it was loaded. So I got my maps today, already loaded onto a MMC card, I put it in the unit and click down to Map Data to select Navionic maps, hit enter, and BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP It won't stop, the screen flashes, and it comes back up to the screen as if I had just turned it on. I try this two more times (getting madder) but now it gets even better. When the unit comes back on, as soon as it gives the "GPS Position Aquired" cue, off it goes again. I'm just really frustrated, probably more at myself for buying the thing than anything else. Does anybody have any clues??? Thanks for letting me vent, it helped. Eric

[Eyez]

Gee, I didn't know the thing was running windows 98 for an operating system :)

Seriously, I'd double check your MMC card, make sure it's plugged in properly, and that it's not defective. If everything was working fine until you added that, start there. I don't know anything about the X15, but I make a living trouble shooting and fixing computers and that type hardware and software.


good luck,
Eyez

[wildgerman]

You have to reboot the x-15. Do this exactly as written! Hold down the Pages key then push and hold down the ON KEY until the x-15 emblem appears on the screen. Then Release the ON KEY (still holding down the pages key) the unit will beep and the U.S. map will apear on the screen, Then RELEASE the PAGES KEY and the x-15 should be ready to go. Good luck.

[wildgerman]

You have to reboot the x-15. Do this exactly as written! Hold down the Pages key then push and hold down the ON KEY until the x-15 emblem appears on the screen. Then Release the ON KEY (still holding down the pages key) the unit will beep and the U.S. map will apear on the screen, Then RELEASE the PAGES KEY and the x-15 should be ready to go. Good luck.

[ezmarc]

Bear with it EB, I felt the same way not so long ago, but am now tickled pink with mine. I still have a 350A and all my waypoints right next to it though. Wish I could help but alas, it's all new to me too, sounds like you better call Lowrance in the morning. Good luck!!

[EB]

Just thought I'd let everyone know how it turned out with my X15 that was locked up. After several calls to Lowrance, and unsucessful tries to reboot the unit I was told to send it in today for repairs since now even the sonar portion had stopped working. I explained to the customer rep that I am leaving on an out of state fishing trip one week from today and I NEED THIS UNIT. He did not seemed concerned in the least, in so many words said you are SOL. I said that I would be willing to overnite the unit to get this thing back ASAP, and at that point he said he would need a credit card number so they could charge me $20 to overnite the unit back to me. But he would not promise that it would be before Thursday. I have owned 4 other Lowrance products before this unit, but I will tell you candidly that this will be my last. I feel that this unit was released to the public long before they were done with the R&D on the unit. I think the three software upgrades in a month are evidence of that. All I was looking for was some help with a problem with something that is brand new and is now broken. I would have thought that they would have just shipped me a new unit, as long as I provided a credit card number to make sure I returned the defective one. But they said they wanted to see if they could fix mine instead, but if they can't then they'll send me a new unit. I have been involved in customer service my whole career in one form or another and these people have done everything possible wrong. This unit is supposed to be top shelf stuff by a world class company, I really feel cheated by the way they have handled the entire matter. Thanks for letting me rant, I'll climb off my soapbox now. Eric

[Moose]

EB I FEEL THE SAME WAY.YOU SHOULD REALLY E-MAIL THEM AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY.
GOOD LUCK!!

[FreashH20]

Customer Service makes or breaks companies with high ticket items. Pinpoint was breaking new ground a few years ago and they backed it up with exceptional service. I had the main motor go out on a 2 month old unit and was leaving in 6 days on a long fishing trip. They overnighted me a new motor with return delivery for the broken unit. Made the trip had a new motor that worked and they have a customer for life.

[Team Alto]

I've been having problems with the sonar side, tried a new transducer - it helped on the lockup but still it acted up so I sent it in. I sent it next-day UPS on Monday with a note on it saying to send it back next-day, it arrived at Lowrance Tuesday morning. Thursday I got thinging about if they would send it next-day so I called them at noon, they said they already sent it out on Wed - Thursday afternoon a Fed-X truck delivered it and I was not charged - I'm in Wisconsin. They just replaced the unit.

Bob

[Jerry]

I have the X15CT and have had alot of problems with it but I have found the customer service to be very helpful and they overnighted me a transducer without asking for a credit card. I have to try the hard reset to see if it helps. I do agree that they put this unit on the market to soon.


Jerry
NPAA 255

[EB]

I am planning on contacting Lowrance via certified letter about this product and my experience with their customer service department. To whom should I address the letter? I'm sure alot of people think I'm making a big deal out of this but I think Lowrance needs to step up to the plate and admitt they made a mistake by introducing this unit when they did. Why not offer an additional two years warranty for free, or loaners to people like myself, or at least a spot on their web page where we can actually see that they acknowledge the problems with this unit. Ignoring this issue will not benefit either Lowrance or the customers who purchased them. Good luck to all you MN guys on your opener! Eric

[Someday]

If you are a former Lowrance owner and you purchased an X-15, or 16, before May 31? (I THINK) you will get an additional 2 years warranty. I'm not positive of the purchase before date.
Stephen

[BigBass]

EB I agree... I got "0" help from Lowrance on my X-15MT. I just want to now return the F'n thing. This is so stupid. I have had my unit for 2-3 weeks and the thing still doesn't work.

People wonder why PinPoint haven't released their GPS unit yet... It's because they give a rip if their customers are happy with their products or not.

Lowrance needs to step up to the plate and back this product. They haven't done it yet!

BB~

[EB]

Just wanted to say that I got a call from my wife saying that I did get my NEW X15 back from Lowrance today. I called them on Tuesday to ask if the unit had been shipped yet and the gentleman said "we just received it Friday". I asked if any of my comments about leaving on a fishing trip on Thursday had been noted by the person who I talked to last week, he said they had not. But, he said that he would immediately get this taken care of and call me back within half an hour. Lowrance called right back and said that they would not be repairing my unit, but replacing it, and it would go out ASAP overnight. Here's the only thing that concerns me about the problems I had with the mapping portion of the unit. They said that there might be some type of bug in the software on the MMC I bought from Navionics. When I purchased the maps I also had them load them onto an MMC that they supplied. Now I'm afraid to put the MMC in again before I leave on my trip. I have a Magellan 6500 C map chartplotter in the boat and I think that I will use that until I get back. I hope this thing works, but I just wanted to let you know that Lowrance did step up to the plate on this. Eric

[3strikes! you're out]

I will not have to worry about Lowrance's warranty. As far as I'm concerned a Lowrance unit will not be in my future.