Topic: 1197 sonar issues after updates, questions..

[EJP1234]

First I just downloaded an older version of software here and un-updated the most recent software to see if that would fix the bug...

Here are the symptoms. At first the sonar would work find, then the 2D would be all over the place at all different speeds. I utilize the y cable with both the thru-hull and the SI transducer. Nothing I did in the settings seem to change anything to fix the issue. I can be in 10' and I read anywhere from 2' - 3000' and it jumps all over the place on the digital read out. The actual actual color picture really doesnt show anything. I could be in 10' over a hard bottom and using clear mode and it looks like it's in max mode and I am in 50' of the densest grass bed ever.

Everyone I have talked to said the my 2D transducer must be bad? I dunno..  I went out to un-hook the y cable and just put both the SI and the 2D wires out to test seperately tomorrow, problem is they aren't long enough... so my question is, if I unhook them individually from the y cable will the other still work? In other words, leaving the y cable hooked to the 1197, but detaching the 2D to see if the SI will then read as normal sonar properly, will this work?

Hopefully it was just the software? I dunno, I spoke to HB and they were supposed to be sending me a shipping label with a RA#, but thats been a while and I havent seen anything.. Im getting frustrated.

I also have a 858C on the bow, and though I have the RF interference figured out for the depth picture, then digital readout is all over the place everytime I hit the TM. Yes I am using the US2 and yes I checked fuse, twisted the us2 feeder to make a choke etc etc etc...

uugghh, atleast they are not leaking like me Lowrances did though! 

[Humminbird_Greg]

EJP1234,
Does the 858c work on the US2 without the trolling motor running?  If It does, than try testing your 1197 unit on that transducer.  The 1197 can use the US2 transducer and this will show you whether the problem is in the unit or the transducer(s) or AS-Si-DB-Y cable.

If that works than I would try connecting the AS-Si-DB-Y cable between the US2 transducer and the 1197 unit and test it again.  This will show whether the AS-Si-DB-Y cable is causing the problem or not.

If that checks good than I would try pouring enough water into your hull so that the inside-the-hull transducer is covered in water and test it all again with the AS-Si-DB-Y cable back in place.  You may have to temporarily disconnect your bilge pump for this so don’t forget to reconnect it!  If it works now this shows that your inside-the-hull transducer is starting to come loose.  You should be able to remove and re-install it.  Otherwise you need to install a new inside-the-hull DualBeam (XP-9-20) transducer.  Don’t forget to test it before attempting to epoxy it in place.

Disconnecting one of the transducers from the AS-Si-DB-Y cable will not work to test the 2D sonar of one transducer versus the other.  The way the AS-Si-DB-Y cable works is that it hardwires the unit so that the 2D sonar is always coming from the inside-the-hull 2D transducer.  Unplugging this transducer means there is no connection to the 2D sonar at all (the 2D sonar of the HDSi transducer is not connected to the unit when using the AS-Si-DB-Y cable).

You will need to contact the Humminbird Customer Resource folks again about the Trolling Motor RF interference and see what else they recommend.

[NITRO898]

I have had the same issue, I disconected the Y cable and pluged in the duel beam transducer directly in the 1197 there is no sonar at all? When I connected the si transducer all works well. Is there a setting on the sonar menu for transducer select? when using only the duel beam transducer, I dont want to change out a good transducer

[sonar2000]

You might try going to the sonar menu tab then selecting "transducer select" then use the left or right cursor to select the type of transducer you have installed at this time...
Chuckj

[jgollihar]

I am having the same issue with my 1197. Took it to the lake to trouble shoot and here is what I did. I unplugged the dual beam from the y cable and It worked fine until about 20mph. Plugged the dual beam back in and unplugged the si ducer and it worked fine until about 40 mph. Now when I bought my unit, I could run 60mph and never lose bottom. Nothing has changed except updating my firmware. To rule out a puck coming unstuck I filled the bilge area with water, and it did not make any difference.
Could it be that the Unit is processing data faster than the transducer is sending it, causing this glitch?
I am going to re install version 4.97 (the original that came on the unit when I bought it) and see if the issue I am having goes away. If it does, then HB needs to do some serious thinking about their updates. If it doesn't fix it, look on EBAY, there may be an 1197 up for sale.

[ITGEEK]

The 5.7 update should be out soon for the 1197.
You guys might want to wait and apply that one and retest.
I'm sure the update will contain a few fixes.

[Humminbird_Greg]

jgollihar,
When you say that you unplugged each transducer, are you meaning that you unplugged it from the AS-Si-DB-Y cable and plugged it directly into the 1197 unit?

If so, the water in the hull test is not always 100% and it could still be a matter of the transducer starting to delaminate from the hull, or it could be that the transducer is starting to fail, or (and I hope it is not this one) your hull is starting to delaminate.  This is assuming that nothing else on the boat changed that could affect the way it finds over or through the water.

You could also try testing your 1197 unit on someone else’s boat that uses a Humminbird unit that reads at high boat speeds as this would show or eliminate the 1197 unit as the root cause of the problem.