Topic: Unable to use two locators at once

[muskyhunter]

My boat is rigged with two GPS antennas and two transducers which are independent of each other.  The front transducer is on the trolling motor and the GPS antenna is on the bow.  There is a GPS antenna in the rear and a transducer in the back.  The front connector collector only contains the connectors for the front equipment.  The rear collector connector only has the connectors for the rear equipment.  Each connector collector has an Interlink cable for synchronizing the data.  There are no GPS connections through Interlink.

My unit is a 998.  My friend also has a 998.  We decided one day to put his unit on my dash console while I ran my unit up front.  Whether both units participated on the network or both units were set not to participate, the second unit that was powered on would freeze its display.  For example, I powered up the bow unit and worked normally.  When the second unit was powered up on the console, the side and down scan displays would start reading out and then freeze on the second unit.  The front unit would continue to function normally.  The opposite also held true.  If the console was powered up first and then the bow unit, the bow unit being the second powered up unit would start to display and eventually freeze.  Depth readings were showing 1500 feet in 8 feet of water.

We carefully experimented with keeping the front transducer forward so that the side scan beams would not intersect, which would happen as the trolling motor is rotated.  We also tried to change beam frequencies to see if that would help.  What I don't understand is why the display would freeze on one of the units.  Anyone having similar experience with this scenario, I would appreciate learning how you got around that.  Thank you.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Sounds like sonar-to-sonar interference to me.  Try setting the Noise Filter menu setting higher (possibly to its maximum setting).  If that does not help than try setting the Lower Range on one of the units to a different depth range than the other one is on.  Oh, make sure both units are running the latest software version in them.

[sonar2000]

These units are known to be sensitive to external interference. Some are more susceptable than others.
It all depends on the user and how well he/she insulate the wires and cables form other influences..
Chuck

[Humminbird_Greg]

These units are known to be sensitive to external interference. Some are more susceptable than others.
It all depends on the user and how well he/she insulate the wires and cables form other influences..
Chuck

Except when you are talking about sonar-to-sonar interference.  Than you have to worry about the sonar beams crossing.  Than there are a whole host of factors that are not within the user’s control that influence whether this will happen or not.

[muskyhunter]

Thanks.  I will try the noise filtering suggestion.  Just updated my unit to 5.5 and will work on friends unit.  Based on this information, is it fair to rule out the interlink connection between the units?

[NickO]

Not sure where I'm going with this.... but. Was your friends unit ever setup for use with interlink? It's obvious that your 2 units were and worked fine. But just slapping on another unit without setting up could cause

just my .02

Nick O

[Humminbird_Greg]

The InterLink has nothing to do with sonar or sonar-to-sonar interference.

Nicko is right though: make sure the unit is updated with 5.500 before connecting again to the InterLink.  By the way, you guys are trading waypoints when you do this (unless his unit is set up to not participate in the InterLink system).