Topic: Transducer question

[Stumpy]

Is it normal for the side imaging transducer on my 898 HD to be loudly ticking? I know that the transducer sends pulses to the bottom but all the other birds I've owned weren't as loud as my 898. You can every hear it over the stereo on board. Mark

[spyder357]

Both the 597 and 899 transducer emit an audible high frequency tick. No way i can hear them when submerged in the water or more than a few feet away and I have excellent hearing.

Sounds like yours may be defective?  (are you getting good readings on your finder with it?)

[Stumpy]

Yes, it works great but the ticking is quiet loud. My boat is alloy, would this have any bearing on it transfering through the hull? Also,if I have it on in my carport you can definitely hear it ticking away.

[Rotus623]

I can hear ducers clicking when they are out of the water. If you can hear it over the stereo it makes me think that the EMF pulses are finding their way into your audio system. How are the images?

[spyder357]

Rotus makes a good point, do you have any speaker/stereo cables wrapped around the 'ducer cable?

[Stumpy]

When I said I could hear it over the stereo, I meant from below the water not through interference on my sound system. It ticks are quiet loud when its on dry land also so I'm wondering is this normal. All my other ducer cables have run the same line down the starboard side of the boat without any issues, as is the current 898, so there's no problems with performance just a loud tick tick tick coming out of the ducer at the back. Does the side imaging transducer produce a more auditable noise or do I have a lemon??? Greg have you got any thoughts??? Mark

[Rotus623]

I have never heard either of mine while they are in the water.

[rnvinc]

Of course, the unit will not see bottom with the xducer out of the water...

I think the unit goes into a "bottom search mode" when not in the water... Where it pings at an ascending strength looking for bottom...(the basic concept of the unit thinking it just needs a stronger pulse to reach a deeper depth)...

But I also think the unit shuts off the ping after so many pings and then waits for a short time ... And then searches for bottom again...

Again ....I think....

Rickie

[Bob B]

Rickie......I am not 100% sure either, but I don't think the unit ever changes the amplitude of the ping it sends out.......If it doesn't receive anything back, it just waits a long time between pings trying to hear the ping.

That is where the Max Depth setting can help....setting that at a level a little greater than the actual water depth will casuse the unit to not wait so long for a ping......It doesn't look for anything beyond that Max Depth.

[rnvinc]

Rickie......I am not 100% sure either, but I don't think the unit ever changes the amplitude of the ping it sends out.......If it doesn't receive anything back, it just waits a long time between pings trying to hear the ping.

At least this part of the discussion will be a good opportunity for Greg's input to answer this for sure...

I've been curious of this in the past and just never asked if the strength of the pulse ever changes...

Rickie

[Humminbird_Greg]

The unit may switch from a low or medium to a high transmit power setting but if the transducer has been out of the water for more than a few seconds it is probably already on its high transmit power setting.

Some folks are just more attuned (pun intended) to the sound of transducer than are others.  In years past I could hear them quite well but not so much now.  Any transducer when mounted on a metal hull seems to have this sound amplified.  Not sure why this is other that metal does this with all sounds.  I’ve heard of some folks installing a piece of rubber or wood between their transducer and transom to help get rid of this, but if the transducer is working I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.

[rnvinc]

The unit may switch from a low or medium to a high transmit power setting but if the transducer has been out of the water for more than a few seconds it is probably already on its high transmit power setting.

Some folks are just more attuned (pun intended) to the sound of transducer than are others.  In years past I could hear them quite well but not so much now.  Any transducer when mounted on a metal hull seems to have this sound amplified.  Not sure why this is other that metal does this with all sounds.  I’ve heard of some folks installing a piece of rubber or wood between their transducer and transom to help get rid of this, but if the transducer is working I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.

So the transmit power does increase...??

What happens after that if it still doesn't hear the return ping..and the xducer is out of the water ...??

Rickie

[Bob B]

I learned something else today.....didn't know they changed the transmit power.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Depending on the depth of the water, the unit will change transmit power levels.  We’ve done that for many, many years.  The unit will also vary the ping rate which is probably more of what you are hearing.  I listened to the tick, tick of a transducer for hours yesterday after posting this and (when the transducer was pointed in the air) the unit would slow down and speed up its transmit rate while it searched for a water depth reading.

[rnvinc]

Depending on the depth of the water, the unit will change transmit power levels.  We’ve done that for many, many years.  The unit will also vary the ping rate which is probably more of what you are hearing.  I listened to the tick, tick of a transducer for hours yesterday after posting this and (when the transducer was pointed in the air) the unit would slow down and speed up its transmit rate while it searched for a water depth reading.

This is quite interesting...

Thanks for today's sonar lesson Greg...

I learn more everyday ...

Rickie

[Bob B]

Depending on the depth of the water, the unit will change transmit power levels.  We’ve done that for many, many years.  The unit will also vary the ping rate which is probably more of what you are hearing.  I listened to the tick, tick of a transducer for hours yesterday after posting this and (when the transducer was pointed in the air) the unit would slow down and speed up its transmit rate while it searched for a water depth reading.

So, Greg are you getting any face time with the ONIX yet?

[Humminbird_Greg]

No.. stuck in the office trying to catch up on some paperwork and it’s has been just gorgeous outside yesterday and today!  I’m just about to the point that I’m going to go play with the one they have on display.  Just got to get a few more things done first though.