Topic: Getting Poor Performance with 899 ci in deep water

[JGESox]

Gentlemen--
I am using a 898 and an 899 on my helm.  One as a chart plotter and the other for depth and side scan.  I asked for a thru-hull 50/200 transducer be installed in my new fiberglass Lund.  Am having trouble marking fish, bait and thermocline.  Questions:
1.  How do I know what transducer is actually installed?  Can I determine that from the head unit?
2.  How to specify 50 kHz frequency for deep water applications?
3.  What other adjustments can I make to improve deep water performance?

Thanks,

Captain Guy Lopez

[rnvinc]

The xducer model number is printed on the cable about 1ft from the connector end ...
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The 50kHz frequency can only be accessed by changing the "Transducer Select" menu to "Dual 50/200" ..which also shuts off the SI transmitters and removes the SI views from the Views Rolodex ...

If you have the 50/200kHz thru hull hooked to the AS SIDB Y cable along with the SI xducer ... and the "Transducer Select" menu set to any of the SI selections ...the unit will transmit the 83kHz /200kHz frequencies thru the 2d piezo designed for 50kHz/200kHz  ...which may not get satisfactory results when viewing any of the 83kHz 2d views ...

Changing the "Transducer Select" menu to "Dual 50/200" will give new options in the "Beam Select" menu for 50kHz, 50kHz/200kHz, and 200kHz ...

Experiment with the "Water Type" under the Sonar tab dependent of the depths you are fishing ...

Experiment with "Switchfire" under the Sonar tab to "Max Mode" and "Clear Mode" ...

Set the "Max Depth" under the Sonar tab to a value just deeper than the actual water depth ...this will allow the unit to work more efficiently on pings that can't find bottom ...


Always run any Type Sonar Sensitivity as high as you can stand an acceptable amout of clutter ... Lower Sensitivity settings just filter out weaker echoes (that you may want to see) ...

Rickie

[JGESox]

So, are you saying that I cannot use the sidescan feature with a 50/200 transducer?

GSL

[Bob B]

I'll chime in til Rickie Checks in........

Your answer is yes......the 50/200 transducer is a 2D transducer .... The unit menus will change to act with that transducer type and you will not have SI with that selection.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Capt. Lopez,
Bob B is right about not being able to use the 50kHz 2D sonar and Si/Di sonar at the same time.

Some questions that will help us help you troubleshoot this:
Is that an inside-the-hull transducer or a true Thru-Hull that mounts from underneath the hull of the boat?

Has this ever worked in deeper water or is this the first time you have used it that deep?

Does this setup work in shallower water?

Did you check to see that the correct transducer was installed (check the ID bad on the cable near the connector)?

Which unit is this happening on and have you tried your other unit?

Are you using a two-transducer setup on your boat along with the AS-Si-DB-Y cable?

[JGESox]

 

 




 
Answers to questions below:

Some questions that will help us help you troubleshoot this:
Is that an inside-the-hull transducer or a true Thru-Hull that mounts from underneath the hull of the boat? Inside the hull

Has this ever worked in deeper water or is this the first time you have used it that deep? No but I may not have had the right selections in the menu.

Does this setup work in shallower water?  Yes, fairly well but not as well as it should.

Did you check to see that the correct transducer was installed (check the ID bad on the cable near the connector)?  Dealer assured me it was indeed a 50/200

Which unit is this happening on and have you tried your other unit? Neither unit showed fish marks, bait, or the thermocline on Lake Michigan.

Are you using a two-transducer setup on your boat along with the AS-Si-DB-Y cable?  the thru-hull and the SI transducer on the transom on the AS-Si-DB-Y cable.

GSL

 




 



 Here are answers to the questions posed below.

Some questions that will help us help you troubleshoot this:
Is that an inside-the-hull transducer or a true Thru-Hull that mounts from underneath the hull of the boat? Inside the hull transducer.

Has this ever worked in deeper water or is this the first time you have used it that deep? No, not properly but I may not have had the proper selections in the menus.

Does this setup work in shallower water? Yes, fairly well but not as well as I'd like.

Did you check to see that the correct transducer was installed (check the ID bad on the cable near the connector)?  Was told by dealer it is indeed a 50/200

Which unit is this happening on and have you tried your other unit? Neither one gives good fish, baitfish or thermocline signals on Lake Michigan.

Are you using a two-transducer setup on your boat along with the AS-Si-DB-Y cable?

[Humminbird_Greg]

GSL, I would still see what the label on the transducer is as we do not make an inside-the-hull 200/50kHz transducer.  So this is either not a 200/50kHz transducer or the Dealer is using some other type of transducer as an inside-the-hull transducer.  While this can work, it would be best to confirm what is installed.  While you are at it, I would see if the Dealer actually water tested the inside-the-hull location prior to epoxying in the transducer or did they just guess where to install it.