Topic: 2d sonar stops working

[bomac]

 Hey guys, I got a 2d sonar problem. 2d sonar stops working randomly. I have a 997 with 2 transducers one with Si on the back of the boat and another on the inside of the hull. 2d sonar will quit while running of while sitting still. I can toggle the sonar on and off a few times ( while running or sitting still) and it will start working again. Any help? Thanks!!

[Humminbird_Greg]

bomac,
Try disconnecting the transducers from the AS-Si-DB-Y cable and only plug in the HDSi transducer to your 997 unit and test it (we know that it won’t work as high-speeds but it should work at low speeds and when drifting).  If it works fine than the problem is either in your inside-the-hull transducer or the installation of that transducer.  To try and figure out which it is you can try reconnect the transducers and AS-Si-DB-Y cable to your 997 unit and pour enough water into your bilge to cover the inside-the-hull transducer and let it sit a few hours and test it on the water.  if it works better that means that your inside-the-hull transducer is coming loose and you should be able to take it out and re-install it again.  If it does not help it really doesn’t mean anything at all.  Try removing the transducer, clean off all of the epoxy and other stuff from it and hold it over in the water to see if it works.  If it does just re-install it.  If not, replace it.

You can also try cross-testing your 997 unit on someone else’s boat that is running a non-DI model Humminbird unit.  Any non-DI model will do, just be sure to connect up only the power and transducer (not the GPS).  This will show where the problem is (unit or transducer/transducer installation).

[bomac]

Thanks for the info Greg. I'll let you know how it goes.

[bomac]

 Well, I'm afraid of what your answer will be. But I disconnected the 2d sonar and it completely lost the depth, no depth reading at all . Plugged it back in and unplugged the Si and the 2d worked for a while but then started to read 2.2ft again. Also with both plugged in (normal configuration) when I go over a ledge, say from 10ft and drop off to 75 feet vertical, it will lose the 2d and start to read 2.2ft.

[Humminbird_Greg]

bomac,
Was this testing (having only one transducer plugged into the unit at a time) done with or without the AS-Si-DB-Y?
This should have been each transducer plugged directly into the back of your 997 without the AS-Si-DB-Y cable.

[bomac]

No I left the cable in the loop. I just unplugged the transducers individually from the cable. Now you're making it complicated ,hahahaha just kiddin'. I'll try taking the cable out of the loop and plug the individual xducers into the back of the unit.

[bomac]

 Was able to put 997 on a friends boat and it worked like a champ. He only has the one xducer on his boat. SI xducer. Does that tell me it is my 2d xducer that is the problem?

[Humminbird_Greg]

Maybe.  It is either the transducer or the AS-Si-DB-Y cable.  This is why you have to test without the AS-Si-DB-Y cable in the loop.

[bomac]

 Ran unit with SI xducer only, hooked straight to unit, and it works great. Ran unit with 2d xducer straight to unit and it works if I'm moving on the trolling motor. But if I move on the big motor and I have rapid depth changes it shows 2.2ft. As long as there are no rapid depth changes it's fine but when the depth changes it shows 2.2ft. ?

[Humminbird_Greg]

I would say that the problem is with the 2D transducer but I don’t know if it is a partial failure of the transducer or its mounting.  You can try pouring some water inside-the-hull and let it sit a while before testing it again and see if it makes any difference or not.  If it does, then just pop the transducer out and remount it.  If it doesn’t make a difference it could still be the mounting starting to fail, but for all the pains you have to go through to change one of these I would just install a new transducer if it were me.

[bomac]

 Yea, I think I'm just going to change the 2d xducer and see what happens. Thanks for all your help!! I'll let you know the results