Topic: 899SI darker left side

[Folka]

Hi.
I just recently put my boat in the lake and started  testing my newly bought 899SI (first SI unit I have owned). At first I was impressed with what I saw on the screen, but quite quickly I realised that the left side picture is a lot darker and with less details than the right side. The sensor (XHS9HDSI180T) is mounted on the right side of the transom. The engine is creating some shadows if it is tilded down in the lowest position, but with a minor tilt upwards, this shadow dissappear. I enclose some snapshots comparing left and right side drinving by the same object in oppposite directions

[Folka]

Same objects, but now on left side

[Folka]

I checked if something on the boat was shading the sonar, by turning the sensor in an angle Close to vertical instead of horisontal which can bee seen since the depth is claimed to be 19 meters, when true depth is like 2 meters. Engine was tilted up from the water, which can bee seen in the middle of the Picture when the shadow disappears. I do believe that by doing this and still ahev the darker Picture on the left side, it shows that it is not caused by anything disturbing the signal on the boat (engine or keel). SW is 6.82. Any ideas about why I donīt recieve the same Picture on the left hand side as on the right hand side?

[newkid4si]

One possibility is the transducer is not level left/right (port/starboard). My guess is the right side is tipped down.

       Mike

[ITGEEK]

I had this same problem early on with my 1197, but my right side
was darker than the left.
A later software update cured it.

If your transducer is level, you may want to try a software update.

[Folka]

I did check with a spirit if the sensor was level. It is a little bit hard to judge since the water in the lake were my bot is isnīt too clear...But what I could tell was that it was just a little bit askew (?) towards right side. This is in line with your answer, Mike. But on the other hand, wouldnīt a test like rocking the boat from side to side then create a picture which is sometimes darker, sometimes brighter, depending on if the sensor is being pointing more to the right side or left side? I mean, moving the boat from side to side would temporarily overcome the askewity when the boat is tilted in the opposite direction as the sensor is unlevel? I did that test when I was moored. See Picture below. First time I looked on the Picture, I couldnīt really see the difference. But now, when looking on it again, maybe there is a tendancy that the Picture gets brighter every now and then (at the frequenzy Iīm rocking the boat) Also the test I show above when tilting the sensor backwards from the boat, if it would have been the sensor being unlevel, wouldnīt left side of the picture have brightened up?
I will try with a new software today to see if that helps out and I will have a look again on the flatness of the sensor relative bottom.
Btw, sorry for any grammar or Spelling mistakes. Iīm not natively English speaking...

[Folka]

I have now sligthly turned the sensor towards left-no difference. Also SW updated to latest version- no difference

[newkid4si]

Anyone in your area with a similar unit that you could attach to your transducer or let you attach your head unit to their transducer?
Trying to isolate the cause to the transducer or head unit.
Could you remove the transducer from the boat and attach it to a pole that could be lowered over the transom? This would give a greater range
of movement tilting left/right. Lowering below the boat would help eliminate something from blocking/reflecting the signal on the left.
Your doing just fine with the English.

          Mike

[ITGEEK]

I did check with a spirit if the sensor was level.

When this spirit was alive, did they know anything about
transducers?

Sorry, you left an opening.
Have you checked that your transducer is physically clean?
You might have a two pound crab that's taken up house on the left side.
Just trying to eliminate everything.

[jgcox6]

I had the same problem...turned out to the transducer.  If I had my range set to scan 80ft out..i would only get info out about 30ft..the rest was dark.  Boat was level as well as transducer.  I called HB support...they had me send it in and they sent me another one. Worked great...can't believe how much i had been missing.

[Folka]

Now Iīve checked with a new sensor, I wouldnīt say that helped. If anything, it became worse. Especially at depths below 10 m (30 feet something for those of you who havenīt adapted to SI units )
I also noticed that my old sensor produces som grainy Pictures on the right hand side now. I canīt say if this happend after I turned the sensor sligthly to the left or after I did update with latest software. What is normally the reason for such a grainy pciture on one side? Some more questions:
a) should the sensor look horisontally, frontways or backways? In some forums I have read that the sensor should point slightly frontways  to ensure to get turbulance free water and in some forums horisontally...
b) what is the drawback of having the sensor mounted too low relativr to the boatīs bottom? My sensor is right now not in level with the bottom but about 1 cm below (Like ― inch). Anything to be gained by moving it up?

[rnvinc]

Sharpness will make the image grainy looking...Try turning the Sharpness Off...(even tho the cloudiness looks to be worse only on the right side as yet)...

The xducer face should be level with the water's surface...the suggestion to lower the "tail" of the HDSI down is only necessary if the positioning of the install is creating bubbles across the face of the xducer..

The only disadvantage is moving the HDSI lower is the possiblity of the HDSI being damaged by waterbourne objects...

Try the Sharpness Off and post more images for diagnosis...

Also try setting the Beam Selection menu under the Sonar tab to 200kHz...( I get weird results with any beam selection containing the 83kHz)...

Rickie

[Folka]

The reason for putting sharpness to medium, was to increase the grainy looking picture, to be able to show on this forum. The grains (?) are there even when turning sharpnes off. How do I back in software versions on the unit? Are older versions of software still available at himminbirds homepage? I have the recent software on my computer, but the software the unit was delivered with (6.82), I donīt have.
There are some noise filters on the unit. Is there anyone of these effecting the SI sensors? Or are they all for the traditional 2D+ DI?Iīve tride them all, I Think, but I canīt say that I see any difference...

[rnvinc]

Your unit came with 6.820...is this still the version presently in your unit...??

If you have updated past this original version, you can call HB and request 6.820 ...or you can email Greg directly asking for it...
________________

The Noise filter under the Sonar tab is to help with outside electrical interference...it affects 2d/DI/SI....

Graininess doesn't usually show up the same as interference...graininess is usually too high a Contrast setting or Sharpness setting...or an anomoly in the software itself...

Graininess can also be a problem in the xducer or the unit itself...

I think it would be a good idea for you try reverting back to your original version of software and then post some more images for diagnosis....

Remember...it is never recommended to revert to an older version of software than originally came on the unit...

Is there someone you know with a SI unit you could cross test with...??

Rickie

[Folka]

Today everything worked fine with the unit again. No grainy Picture. Strange.... Still the left side is darker though, but I think I will wait until the fishing season is over here before sending the unit in for inspection (I guess they donīt repair it at the agent here in my copuntry but have it shiped back to Us for inspection/repair, which means I will not see the unit for 2-3 weeks or so)

My question regarding filters was not concerning the electrical filter, but the filters in the unit (I would say the filters on algorithms in my daily work...) There are some filters like switchfire, sensitivity for 83kHz sensor, Surface clutter, etc ,etc. Those were the ones I meant. Which of these affect SI, if any? The manual is not vey clear, at least not the translated manual I got with the unit...

[Humminbird_Greg]

None of those affect the Si sonar Folka.

[PeekRhol]

Folka, have you found anything more about this? I have the exact same problem, with the left image being darker on sidescan than the right. Everything else works fine.

[rnvinc]

Folka, have you found anything more about this? I have the exact same problem, with the left image being darker on sidescan than the right. Everything else works fine.

PeekRhol...can you post a screenshot showing your issue...??

Also can you post pix of your xducer install from the rear and from both sides...??

Rickie

[Folka]

I havenīt found a solution to my problem. However, by coincidence a person with a boat in the same port as I have mine asked me what I thought about my sonar. It turned out that he had a SI sonar also, so now I have another unit which I can check with on my boat. I will try to do this in coming week. His is working fine, so if it works on my boat, I know the unit is the probelm

[PeekRhol]

Here are some shots of my unit as mounted. And a screen shot of the problem, and some thoughts about possible causes so far.

Can't see any screen variation between left side of screen on downscan or normal sonar.

There is no rooster-tail at speed so transducer probably not sitting too deep.

The leg of the outboard is not in the way of the transducer.

The transducer appears to be level with the boat, on trailer and when in the water.

Screen colour does not vary with speed.

Sounder holds bottom at full speed (in sonar mode with highest frequency sonar chosen).

A couple of the photos make it seem like the transducer bracket is tilted, but if you compare it to the outboard leg, it is parallel to the the cavitation plate, and therefore level to the water. Poor camera work unfortunately.

It's plain to see that the motor leg is not in the way, the transducer is sitting right in a channel, and the transom is not in the way.

The only thing that I can see as a problem is that the transducer might be a little tilted up at the front. Unfortunately, I'm a big man, and if I try to hang over the back to check out how it's sitting when I'm running, the back of the boat goes down about 6 inches, and I can't see anything. :-)

Arrrgh!! Just noticed that the request was for the transducer installation from both sides, and I have only supplied a shot from the left side. Sorry. I can do the right side if needed.

[PeekRhol]

Here's an example of a sonar photo taken on the same day around the same time as the side-scan in the previous post. The color appears to be consistent on both sides of the screen.

I have the latest software for my unit.

[rnvinc]

I havenīt found a solution to my problem. However, by coincidence a person with a boat in the same port as I have mine asked me what I thought about my sonar. It turned out that he had a SI sonar also, so now I have another unit which I can check with on my boat. I will try to do this in coming week. His is working fine, so if it works on my boat, I know the unit is the probelm

Folka...have you been able to cross test your unit with the other unit you found available nearby...??

Rickie

[rnvinc]

PeekRohl...

Can you post a screenshot of your SI image with the motor raised up completely out of the way and the boat drifting with no other electronics running...??

Rickie

[Humminbird_Greg]

PeekRhol do you know of anyone else that is running a Humminbird Si model unit so that you could swap units and cross-test with?  This does not have to be another 898 model unit as any will work if you use the 455kHz Si frequency.  This is the only way we have of knowing if the problem is with the transducer or the unit.

Is that a custom made transducer mounting bracket?

[PeekRhol]

Rickie, I am taking the boat out on Thursday, and will do a series of shots in different modes.

Greg, I do not know anyone who has one of these, but have put it out on a fishing forum near where I live. Hopefully someone will help out.

The transducer mounting bracket is a custom, came with the boat. It's pretty solid. It allows me to lower or raise the transducer as required.

[Moose1am]

Get Humminbird to give you a new transducer. There is something wrong with the one that came with your unit.

I had the same problem with my new 898 C SI unit a few years back. I was told to try this and that until the warranty ran out and then I got stuck with the bad transducer. 

I even added 75 lbs of lead weight to the port side of my boat to see if that would correct the boat not being level problem. It didn't make any difference to the lighter colored left side on my screen.  I still think it's the transducer's left elements not working properly. 

Anyone in your area with a similar unit that you could attach to your transducer or let you attach your head unit to their transducer?
Trying to isolate the cause to the transducer or head unit.
Could you remove the transducer from the boat and attach it to a pole that could be lowered over the transom? This would give a greater range
of movement tilting left/right. Lowering below the boat would help eliminate something from blocking/reflecting the signal on the left.
Your doing just fine with the English.

          Mike

[PeekRhol]

PeekRohl...

Can you post a screenshot of your SI image with the motor raised up completely out of the way and the boat drifting with no other electronics running...??

Rickie

Here is a comparison with the outboard leg in normal position and completely raised out of the water. I have included a couple of other shots taken today as well. I reckon it's getting worse. I also notice that the unit is often reading a short press as a long press, especially with the three buttons for the screen view shortcuts.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Well I guess we know it is not the motor blocking the sonar PeekRhol, but we don’t know if the problem is in the transducer or the unit.  With no other unit or transducer to cross-test with it is a guess as to which it is.  Transducers are more susceptible to damage so that would be my guess but I have no way of knowing for sure.

[PeekRhol]

Just an update on this. It may be part of a larger problem. All buttons started responding unpredictably, and the three shortcut buttons above the power button began to randomly read a short-press as a long-press. Finally they quit completely, although the other buttons still worked if I pressed firmly enough.

It is now at the distributors service department. Hopefully not too much longer, I feel blind without sonar.