Topic: speed and spray

[netman]

Hey been using my unit everyday for up to 8hrs at a time. Love my 997 now that I know what I'm looking for and understand the unit.
My question is I lose depth at speeds above trolling speed. I would like to run half throttle or better and see bottom depths for covering more water.  What do I need to do to get this done?
Also when I'm running my transducer is spraying water up faily high behind the boat. Is my transducer setting too low??
One other question....is there a card I can buy for my unit that has the OHio River depths?  I would like to find deep holes without riding around all day going slow looking at my unit.  Any help here would be appreciated. If there is no card available is there such of a creature in river charts or maps?
As usual Thanks in advance. Sorry I have not been on here in awhile but I'm busy fishing the river everyday.

Thanks
Randy

[Jolly Roger]

Hi Randy,

the waterspray can be reduced by taping the gap between the bracket and the transducer. The spray or "rooster tail" is actually produced by the water that passes through this gap and then is reflected by the upper side of the transducer. Humminbird once offered a rubber piece that goes in between there. Don't know if it is still offered, but call customer service and ask. For the meantime taping with 100mph tape should do.

About loosing ground reading at high speed. Raising or lowering the rear end of the transducer might help a little to get better readings at planing speed. Otherwise you might want to go for an in hull / through hull transducer in association with a splitter cable.

Hope this helps and tight lines!

Harry

[sonar2000]

Randy, as you browse thru these topics you will find that we seem to be having problems above  trolling speeds with the bigfoot transducer. . Some boats work fine others not so good. Transducer location is everything. It appears that for reliable displays abuve trolling a thru hull might be the option. Re-Locating the existing transducer might help some.  If you can post pictures of your xducer and the location on your boat.  We can better understand your concerns because as has been said.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  chuck

[Humminbird_Greg]

That rubber plug was only for the smaller Compact Side Imaging (CSi) transducers Harry and is packaged along with the transducer.  It will not work on the larger HDSi transducers.

Yes please post some pictures of your boat Netman.  There are quite a few on here that are capable of suggesting transducer mounting locations or adjustments.

[soretoe]

I get good readings at 49 MPH with the HD transducer.

[cbgeorge]

I have a large boat, 26' bayliner,  the ducers are almost 2' under the water, and when I am up to top speed, I get a lot of spray behind  my boat too

[netman]

Today before I took out to the water I raised the foot up some. That took care of the spray and now my unit reads the depth at cruising speeds.  The graph quality at cruising speeds is not very good but I'm more interested in the depth at higher speeds. I will take a photo and post tomorrow.
I will also try to get some pics from my unit now that I know what I'm doing.  When I run over my hoop nets you can see them real well.  I'm looking at getting some footage of fish in gill nets right now.
Thanks for everyones help.
I am totally satisfied with my Hummingbird 997.
Randy

[Humminbird_Greg]

I will also try to get some pics from my unit now that I know what I'm doing.  When I run over my hoop nets you can see them real well.  I'm looking at getting some footage of fish in gill nets right now.

Now that will be cool to see!

[Jolly Roger]

Thanks for advice Greg.
I thought the rubbers were also available for the bigfooters.

Randy, I'm looking forward to see your pictures.

Soretoe: 49 mph! You're breaking my heart  .

Regards / (slow) Harry

[Llunker]

Hey Netman,

Hope this helps ya--i talk quite a bit at one time to Eddie@humminbird and he suggested for the fast Bass Boats to do this

"I would highly recommend you install a puck transduceer in your hull as well for high speed running. The 2d sonar will always read from the inhull puck and the SI and temp comes from the SI transducer. Both transducers are connected to the unit via our Y cable.

Parts: XP 9 20 (in-hull shoot thru ducer) and a AS SIDB Y (y cable)--which actually takes the 2-d portion out of the SI transducer and places it with the new ducer in hull

You want to mount the SI ducer up high enough that it is only in the water when at idle speed."


I run two ducers with my 1997 Nitro Bass Boat with a 120hp motor....

Hope this helps ya

Bobby

[blharr4400]

Randy,

Sounds like you have it figured out but if it starts giving you problems here is my two cents.

I have an 1197 with the HDSI transducer mounted on the jack plate of my boat and another puck style Thur hole in the bottom of the bilge at the back of the boat.  They are connected to the unit with a Y-cable which is really nice as there is no switches to flip or menu settings on the unit to change based on what I am doing with the boat. ( 2d comes from Thur hull and temp and SI/DI come from the HDSI transducer)

Now with that said I see my max depth to 200 feet as I am never in water deeper then 100 feet and I can keep my depth to the mid 50 mph range.... faster then that and I loose it.  Now here are a few things to keep in mind as to why I don't care if it reads at speeds faster then that.

1)  At 55 mph + you have to remember what is on the screen is already quite a ways behind you when you actual see it.

2) You have no business running 55 mph+ in unfamiliar water as things happen before you can stop when you run into shallow water.

3)  I would hope you are watching where you are going and not staring at your graph at that speed so you don't run me over.