What is wrong with this Garmin sounder/side scan?

[PROS]

I always had trouble making any sense of the image I get from Garmin Echomap 95SV.
Was on fairly shallow water when I turned on the side scan going into a drop of as you can see from the image.

The issue is that left half of the return on the screen is always faded regardless of depth and location.
Basically I cant use the left side of the side scan.
I thought maybe the outboard leg is blocking the signal and lifted the engine completely out of the water, still no change.

The image on the right displayed is also not what I would expect the return for the area.
I did a drive by fairly close to Tangalooma wrecks to test the outcome but again nothing that you would expect to see on the screen.
The image in general looks very distorted and lacking an clarity.

Any idea?

Traditional sonar seems to be working as normal.
Dont really use down scan option to compate.

Max

IMG_9131.jpg

[Spaniard_King]

Can you put up a pic of your transducer installation.. side and rear view would help?

[scottar]

At a guess the sensitivity of either the transducer element or the set is way down on one side. Not familiar with the particular unit - can you vary the gain or other parameters for the sides independent of each other. If you can't, download any GPS information to a SD card and give the thing a reset for starters. See if there are any software updates next. If neither of those fix it, talk to your retailer to see if they have a test transducer to try or find a mate with the same unit and test your display on their boat.

[Rodman]

Ask ChocolateMoose he seems to be the guru about sounders. I will be interested to know as I am about to buy a 95sv.

[chocolatemoose]

i think you have hit the edge of the known world. be careful if you travel any further left. Ye be dragons!~

it looks very much like someting is interrupting the left hand side beam. lot of surface noise on the right hand side. how is the transducer looking?

[PROS]

Below are the pics of the transducer in question

IMG_9196.jpgIMG_9195.jpgIMG_9194.jpg

Scottar, I dont think there is such function to reduce the gain on one side. At least I havent found it yet.
I will definately follow your suggestions of reset and software update.

Moose, I get the same result on the left side even if the outboard is completely out of the water.
I dont understand the surface clatter you mentioned on the right side also, pics were taken at very slow speed under 10kms and water was clear.

[Linedropper]

Transducer is way too low and the stainless bracket protruding below the hull on tje right side is a big no no. Needs to come up a couple of inches but looks like you will need to fill the holes for the bracket screws and start again.

[odieman150]

Transducer is way too low and the stainless bracket protruding below the hull on tje right side is a big no no. Needs to come up a couple of inches but looks like you will need to fill the holes for the bracket screws and start again.

What he just said.

[PROS]

Transducer is way too low and the stainless bracket protruding below the hull on tje right side is a big no no. Needs to come up a couple of inches but looks like you will need to fill the holes for the bracket screws and start again.

LP, I understand and agree with your suggestion of transducer being too low.
Transducer was relocated further down within the last couple of weeks to see if sounder will hold the bottom better on high speed.

Below are the pics of how the transducer was located normally, from old photos.
I have to admit although most of the bracket was above the hull level, a small corner section on the right side comes out of the hull level.
Same problem ith side scan was occurring with this setup as well.

IMG_2280.jpgIMG_2279.jpg

The boat had a complete paint job recently and I still cant get my head around drilling holes so I glued a piece of sacrificial plastic board over the bottom of the transom and attach the transducer bracket on it. Basically I can drill holes anywhere on the board without the need to refill and damaging the paint work.
Lifting the transducer up is no issue.

I am not sure if this will fix the side scan issue though?
In the first pic above of the side scan shot, our speed was just under 10kms, basically displacement speed over relatively flat water/

[scottar]

The transducer placement will not be the issue with the image.

[Owen]

There's a couple of cases of this on the hull truth
Seems to be bad contacts in the plugs was the main culprit.

[PROS]

There's a couple of cases of this on the hull truth
Seems to be bad contacts in the plugs was the main culprit.

Owen, big ask but are you able to copy any link?
Tried THT before posting here but I couldnt find anything similar.

Many thanks for your help,

Max

[Owen]

http://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-e...roblems-2.html