vhf makes noise with fish finder

My vhf makes a chugging noise every second while my fish finder is on. When i unscrew the antenna wire on the vhf the noise stops. I seperated the antenna wire from the others and bundled it up by itself. Still makes the same noise. The only thing i changed from this year to last is I installed all new wires and bought a new 3 foot center console antenna and put it on my c.c. dash about 5 inches away from my fish finder. last year i had the whip antenna maounted on the gunwale and everything was fine. I have all my wires running to a brass screw terminal block nice and neatly so i have easy access to them.the same as before. i really don't want to have to fish the vhf wires through the tunnel directly to the battery terminals. Maybe my antenna is too close to everything. any input would be appreciated.

Re: vhf makes noise with fish finder

What brand VHF radio and what brand FF?<br /><br />I have the same problem. I own a Standard Horizon handheld VHF and a Lowrance LMS-320. I was getting a cyclical static on the VHF. It stops the instant I turn off the transducer. It does this no matter how far apart I try to keep the devices on the boat. The static is bad enough I don't like to leave the VHF on to monitor weather or channels. <br /><br />Standard Horizon blames Lowrance, Lowrance blames Standard Horizon.

Re: vhf makes noise with fish finder

Can you detach your new aerial and move it around the boat to see if you can find a place where it doesn't cause this problem. I think you need to increase the physical separation of the two units (aerial and f/f head unit) from what you say you have done to the re-wiring etc.

Re: vhf makes noise with fish finder

Some radios will create an RF field because of coiling up extra antenna cable.That is possible anyway. Or try running an inline noise suppresser on the radios power supply...It's like a resistor that goes inline of your 12 volt feed.Used to be available at radio shack..Some mobile ham radios use these..

Re: vhf makes noise with fish finder

I was gonna suggest the same thing as Gary did.<br />Rob