Topic: Quick cable connection for towfish

[Rorofr]

Hello All,

I'm currently building my first towfish. It is almost finished and I will post some pictures soon on this forum. I hope to make my first expermiments this week-end.
However, I have one question : how to easily connect my towfish to my 798c without having to use my screw driver ?
Let me explain a bit my situation : I currently have a thru-hull plastic SI tranducer. I will continue to use it as my main transducer. However, I want to be able to quickly disconnect and replace it by my towfish transducer (a compact SI transducer). I see on Humminbird that there are two Y-cables : one that seems to allow separating SI and standard tranducers and the other that can separate two SI tranducers.
Both of them seems not to be what I need : I understand the second Y-cable will just split left and right side onto two separate transducers but will not allow me to completely switch from one to another.

What are you using for this task ?

Ronan.

[Rickard]

Hi Ronan,

We are all eager to see your fish and your results! I have the same situation and switch between a hull mounted SI ducer and the towfish using a short extension from the unit to a convenient location at the helm. Both transducer cables are routed to the same location. When I switch tranducers I have to turn off the unit (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT) before separating the connectors and then I change tranducers by pushing in the other connector in the extension and restart the unit. This is not too convenient and somewhat messy, but it works. HB has a transducer switch (TS3) that will do the job in a safer and quicker way. However, it's not clear from the TS3 manual if the unit needs to be shut off before switching.

Regards
Rickard

[sonar2000]

Rickard.  That is a good question on power on/off/on.  I know that having a long cable attached to the unit can burn up the transmitter if no transducer is attached. So until we get a definate answer  maybe a caution to do the power on/off/on until this is resolved is a good idea..
I will ask some question and see what I get back...
I would also suppose that if at no time a cable no longer than 15 feet without a transducer part of the switching cableing then the switching might be ok..
Chuck

[Rorofr]

Thanks Rickard, this TS3 switch is probably what I need. I will do my first experiments with my screw driver and if successfull I will use this switch.

[Humminbird_Greg]

You do not have to power the unit down to change transducers if you are using the TS3 Transducer Switch.  Just make sure that the second transducer (towfish for you) is connected when you switch to it though.

[sonar2000]

Greg, can you confirm that if you switch transducer and you are using longer than normal cables that there is no issue with burning the transmitter out.  I have a concern that if the switch is selected a position that only a long cable is attached that there will not be a concenr with that .

Does the switch have some impedence match to prevent that from happening...I am only concerned that a long cable could be attached to the switch and the transducer such as a tow fish is not attached at the switch time..
Chuck

[Roddy]

Rorofr: Any EXT cable pluged into the unit without a transducer will COOK the unit!!!!!! Don't try it!!!!!

I use a TS3 switch from a 1198 to two (2) 180 xducer's. Just push the switch and change xducers From tm mount to tow fish.

If there two (2) differnt type xducer's installed at each switch change you need change the xducer settings in sonor drope tab. pain in the Butt!

Enjoy Roddy

[Humminbird_Greg]

Greg, can you confirm that if you switch transducer and you are using longer than normal cables that there is no issue with burning the transmitter out.  I have a concern that if the switch is selected a position that only a long cable is attached that there will not be a concenr with that .

Does the switch have some impedence match to prevent that from happening...I am only concerned that a long cable could be attached to the switch and the transducer such as a tow fish is not attached at the switch time..
Chuck

I doubt that I could get confirmation of that Chuck as the TS3 switch was meant to be used between two transducers.  Each of those transducers could have up to 50 feet of cable.  If you have made your own transducer or extended the cable with something other than the standard cable extensions we sell: than you may be on your own here.

[sonar2000]

The reason I ask is that you sell 30 foot lengths of cable. If you have a 30 foot cable and then plug a transducer into it that is where the problem could occur. That is when you have the cable in place but not the transducer.  All humminbird products.
The switch allows for some user customization so wondered if HB thought of the possibility of an non-terminated cable on one side of the switch.
There should be some sort of caution on the documentation about this...
Chuck..

[Rorofr]

Thanks to all for your explanations and warnings. Indeed, I need to be careful when using my towfish.

[Jolly Roger]

I have the TS3 mounted to switch between the fish, the transom mount transducer and my 981. It worked ok last year. As Roddy already said, when switching between the fish and the transom mounted transducer I have to adjust the settings occassionally.

Both transducers are directly plugged in the switch without any extensions in between.

Regards from the sandbox / Harry

[sonar2000]

Greg, thanks for the answer.  I just wanted to caution the possibility of a long cable that was not terminated so that guys would not expose the unit to a transmitter burn out...
Chuck