HDS sonor dropping out

[paulhope7]

Yes I have searched and found a lot of info but still not enough to fix my problem, hence the new post.

Basically, have a HDS 7, worked fine on my old tinnie on general use mode and with "unknown" transducer. Would only fiddle with sensitivity and custom depth and found fish/structure fine.

On my new boat, was installed by the dealer and has never worked properly. Fiddled with fishing mode, installed transducer, worked slightly better but would still drop out over about 3 knots. When looking to move transducer, found the bracket was upside down, so changed this and now works fine up to 20-30m at speeds up to about 15knts but still drops out in patches over about 30m even when drifting or at trolling speeds. Image is a flat line, temperature is still displayed but depth it only dashes.

Questions:
Since it will work fine in shallower water and at speed, I assume the transducer is not damaged or installed incorrectly and there is no electrical interference. What fishing mode should i be using in 80m as have tried fresh, deep and general use with no success. Does anyone know of any other issues that it may be? (ping speed?, manual mode?)

[paulhope7]

Transducer is HST-WSBL (Wide Angle) from memory if this helps

[Ally Bar Raider 98]

Will be to do with mounting or electrical interference. lots of details all over the web on both. Tinnys and sounders as speed do not go together. Air bubbles run along the underside of tinnys and cause problems for the transducer to read through them. Try mounding the transducer further down in the water. I am just starting to get mine better after alot of trial and error! Put a bit of ply or something on the back so you don't end up with heaps of holes in the back of the tinny! only the few holding the ply on. Mount it deep! Might make a bit of a rooster tail behind but you need to get it down in the clean (no air) water. Best of luck.

[Grand_Marlin]

Paul, Ally is spot on with his advice.

Cheers

Pete

[paulhope7]

Will be to do with mounting or electrical interference. lots of details all over the web on both. Tinnys and sounders as speed do not go together. Air bubbles run along the underside of tinnys and cause problems for the transducer to read through them. Try mounding the transducer further down in the water. I am just starting to get mine better after alot of trial and error! Put a bit of ply or something on the back so you don't end up with heaps of holes in the back of the tinny! only the few holding the ply on. Mount it deep! Might make a bit of a rooster tail behind but you need to get it down in the clean (no air) water. Best of luck.

Boat is glass and works fine up to around 20mph when in around 20-30m. The issue is with deeper water and is also not performing correctly when drifting in the deep and the tranny is nearly 1ft underwater. I realize there is a lot of info on the net but so far none i have found has helped

[Wazzup01]

My HDS 10 was dropping out totally when I put the boat into reverse and would lock out and not come back on. It would show 0.2mtr in any depth of water and the only way to reset it was to turn off the unit and even then sometimes it did not come back on. The unit was only 1 month old at the time. I contacted the dealer who put me onto Navico Australia and these guys provided me with a Hard Reset procedure which basically wipes everything and sets it back into original mode it was in when installed. I completed this and also wired the 12v supply directly back to the battery terminals instead of the 12v bus bar in the cab. The first trip after this I could not believe how much better the unit was. I was impressed before this with the performance except for the sonar dropping out but after the changes the unit is working at another level. The only problem is that I do not know whether the reset solved the dropping out issues or rewiring the unit back to the battery.

I run a HDS 10 in a CC625 outsider and can maintain excellent bottom returns at top speed. Cruising speed at 27 knots I am now picking up bait schools and shows of fish which amazes me. I saw these last trip out and thought it was interference until I confrmed it by slowing down and sounding around.

[Wazzup01]

P.S. Remember to have all of your marks saved onto a card before you do a hard reset as it wipes the unit and everything on it!!!!!!!!!!