Topic: Question about Picture Quality 1199

[NitroFish]

Hello Everyone,

First side imaging unit I have owned. I am questioning the quality of the images I am getting.

The down imaging is really troublesome. I have these vertical lines that seem to distort the image (see arrow). It has never been "clear" like you see advertised or in other anglers posts. Occasionally I see these vertical lines which don't allow me to see anything at all. Is this a possible interference issue? The down imaging is nearly useless because I can't see clearly whats below the boat.

The side imaging I can make out however I believe it could be better as well. You can see the lines when you are looking at the bottom of the water column (see arrow). The side imaging shows fish well. I can see how I would never want another unit without side imaging again however I think the picture could improve. I have fiddled with the settings, up and down with sensitivity, contrast, and sharpness.

A little background about my setup. I have an 1199 and 999. The transducers feed into the 1199 via y cable so I can run the 2d at higher speeds ~37mph. I also have the GPS puck with HS.


What do you think could be causing this?

[rnvinc]

It's hard to tell from a Humviewer image ...

Can you post screenshots from the unit ... ??

I'm guessing you have something on the transom reflecting part of the sound pulse ... jackplate, livewell screen, another xducer, trim tabs ... Etc ...

Please post a pic of your transom from the rear and from the side ...

Rickie

[NitroFish]

I will try and get some unit screenshots, photos of the back and side of the transom and get them posted tonight.

[N9Phil]

Try raising your motor up a little.  I see something similar until I raise my motor.

Phil

[NitroFish]

Here are pictures of the transom. The SI transducer on the right side is not hooked up to the unit. I added the left side SI transducer while having the same issue with the right side. The far right transducer is a lowrance DI transducer. I do not run the two units together otherwise I get a lot of interference.



I get better images with the Lowrance DI currently which why I am thinking that there must be something wrong with my setup. Would I need to extend the transducer further from the transom?

I will work on getting a screenshot soon.

Thanks for your help with these newbie questions. I love the side imaging but just have to get it right!!!

[NitroFish]

Ok guys here are some screenshots. Also is there a way to skip forward in a recorded fishing trip. I recorded hours worth, it is super painful to sit and watch that screen...

[bobcoy]

Are you drifting? .2mph is not quite enough to get good imaging pic's. Your chart speed needs to be set to 1 at that speed. 2mph with a chart speed of 2 or 3 should give you better pic's. Bob

[NitroFish]

No I was not drifting, just trolling along slowly. As soon as I would start seeing fish I was pitching a jig where the fish were. Crappies, walleyes, and the occasional pike.

I am definitely a believer in this technology after using it only a few times.

When I was fiddling with the playback today I was thinking speed could be the issue. The little pencil like protrusions from the bottom must be from the individual "slices" from the beam or am I over thinking this?

[bobcoy]

That is a good reason to closely match chart speed to MPH. A good rule of thumb. Also the si adjustments contribute to overall quality. But keep in mind how pretty the pic's are is not as important as you understanding what you are seeing. Bob

[rnvinc]

The HB SI beams reach all the way to the surface on both sides ...

You are getting reflections from the xducers to the right ... These reflections are the lines you are seeing in your Right SI running parallel to the center line ...

These same lines are also evident in the DI images ...because the HB DI images (in the SI units) are computer generated from the data received by the SI piezoes ..

You will need to either ..:
*Remove the left xducers from blocking your right SI beam ...
*Add another HDSI to the right of all the xducers and connect to the left HDSI with the AS SILR Y cable (allowing left SI to come from the left HDSI and right SI/2d and temp to come from the right SI)
*Live with the lines in the right SI running parallel to the center line ...

Your images actually look very well (except for the Chart Speed issue the guys have mentioned) ...

ps .. The lowrance DI will not have beam blockage issues because it's DI beam doesn't cover to the water's surface like the HB SI beams do ...

Rickie

[NitroFish]

Thanks for all the feedback and diagnoses. I think I will remove right SI transducer, and move the Lowrance transducer to the trolling motor.

I may have to live with the 2D sonar where it is though. I really want to have good readings at higher speeds.

I'll post some shots after removing those 2 transducers. I may even get it done today before I go fishing tonight.

Thank you again for your help with this!