Helix 9 2D/GPS depth reading probem

[WayneM1946]

Well, I got back to the lake today. The 2.11 SW update did not fix the problem. Still seems to read the depth OK on plane, but loses the bottom and the sonar at idle/fishing speed.
Here is what we tried today:
I mounted a Helix 7 GN2 Side Imaging unit that a friend of mine had on his boat. We used his known good SI transducer, XNT 9 SI 180 T mounted on my jackplate, but he forgot to bring his power cable so we used the power cable already on my boat
Mostly worked well but we lost the bottom intermittently several times. He said the unit had not ever done that before.

So My Question is:

Can the power cable cause this without the head unit going off and having to be turned back on. I don't think so, but this just seems like too much of a coincidence.

Wayne

[Wayne P.]

Well, I got back to the lake today. The 2.11 SW update did not fix the problem. Still seems to read the depth OK on plane, but loses the bottom and the sonar at idle/fishing speed.
Here is what we tried today:
I mounted a Helix 7 GN2 Side Imaging unit that a friend of mine had on his boat. We used his known good SI transducer, XNT 9 SI 180 T mounted on my jackplate, but he forgot to bring his power cable so we used the power cable already on my boat
Mostly worked well but we lost the bottom intermittently several times. He said the unit had not ever done that before.

So My Question is:

Can the power cable cause this without the head unit going off and having to be turned back on. I don't think so, but this just seems like too much of a coincidence.

Wayne

There is no difference in power cables and no difference in the 2D piezos.
Power cord is PC-11 and 2D piezo is 83/200 kHz.

If you lost depth when on plane using a jackplate mounted transducer, that is because the transducer is not in the water when on plane. AND even at a fast idle speed there is no water on the transducer.

[WayneM1946]

Did not lose the bottom on plane. Losing the bottom at idle/trolling speed. Both the Helix 9 G2N 2D/Chirp/GPS and the Helix 7 G2N SI work fine on plane, but lose the bottom at fishing speed. The Helix 9 rarely reads the bottom going slow, the Helix 7 only lost the bottom on two or three occasions, every time when slowly searching for brush piles at idle or on trolling motor.

Wayne

[Wayne P.]

Well, I got back to the lake today. The 2.11 SW update did not fix the problem. Still seems to read the depth OK on plane, but loses the bottom and the sonar at idle/fishing speed.
Here is what we tried today:
I mounted a Helix 7 GN2 Side Imaging unit that a friend of mine had on his boat. We used his known good SI transducer, XNT 9 SI 180 T mounted on my jackplate, but he forgot to bring his power cable so we used the power cable already on my boat
Mostly worked well but we lost the bottom intermittently several times. He said the unit had not ever done that before.

So My Question is:

Can the power cable cause this without the head unit going off and having to be turned back on. I don't think so, but this just seems like too much of a coincidence.

Wayne

Explain that when you state it worked on plane.

[WayneM1946]

The Helix 9 that has been in my boat since May has a shoot thru transducer in the bilge. Works OK on plane. Looses the depth and SONAR when idling or on the trolling motor. I did the 2.11 SW update. Did not make a difference, still doing the same thing.

Today we mounted a friends Helix 7 SI transducer on the jack plate of my boat and hooked it up to his Helix 7 SI head unit. That unit also lost the depth on two or three occasions at SLOW idle speed while searching for brush piles. It worked most of the time, but would intermittently lose the depth. We had it hooked up to the power cable that has been on my boat all summer because he forgot to bring his power cable.

Wayne

[bobcoy]

WayneM, At the risk of feeling like an old man. I am very confused by much I have read in this post that is already 3 weeks old! I think it would be of benefit to describe the whole picture of your installation of units and transducer mounting. Unit by unit transducer and cabling(Y cable or not). Location by location. List speed at which condition happened (not description but actual GPS speed). Then maybe we can help you figure out what is happening. If this seems like too much trouble just ignore the post. Bob

[WayneM1946]

I will try to take some screen shot pictures next time out. It may be a while this time of year. I am not sure why what I have posted is unclear. Maybe the screenshots will help.

Wayne

[bobcoy]

Screenshots may help but to figure out your unusual conditions the "what is hooked to what is essential". I think possibly the terms used are a bit vague.(Idle,on plane(speed matters). My confusion is not being able to visualize how at higher speeds you can get better sonar returns. Bob

[WayneM1946]

I don't know how that can be possible either, but that is what is happening. That is why I am looking for help.

When I started this thread, I had one Helix 9 Sonar/GPS only, (NO SI OR DI) hooked up to ONE shoot through transducer in the bilge. It was on the boat when I bought it but had just been installed right out of the box by the dealer I bought the boat from using the transducer and cable that came with the Helix 9 right out of the box. It had zero hours on it.

My boat has a hot foot on it and when I refer to idling, the boat is in gear with my foot off the hot foot, that is as slow as it will go. I guess I never looked at the speedometer at that point, but I would guess no more that 2-3 MPH. Depth reading at that point 90% of the time is 1.9' or disappears altogether.

When I get the boat on plane, which is about 20 MPH or slightly less, depth reading most of the time appears normal and I have tested that all the way to 60 MPH.

The other testing I did with the Helix 7 SI G2N was yesterday. Prior to yesterday, I had nothing except what I listed above on the boat. The Helix 7 was hooked up just as a temporary installation for testing because it does not belong to me. Used the standard transducer for the Helix 7, XNT 9 SI 180 T, mounted to the Bob's Jack Plate on my boat using a Transducer Shield L-bracket and Transducer Shield. We had to use the power cable that was already on my boat because my friend forgot to bring his power cable. It worked reasonably well but also lost the bottom on two or three occasions at idling speed (In gear, foot off the hot foot). I actually paid no attention to the SI on plane because its not in the water anyway.

I will get screen shots to visually show what I am saying as soon as I can.

Until then, lets just let this thread die. I don't know how to better explain what I am seeing.

Wayne

[bobcoy]

Am clear on what you have now. The thing that pops out at me(because you have only the in-hull transducer) Is possibly a somewhat loose transducer and when on plane you may be getting water(which at idle is in a different place) that makes a better sonar signal. This was used as an indicator that the puck is not adhered to hull properly. Add some water to the bilge, if the signal is better means needs to be remounted or replaced. Still just one possibility that might explain your situation. Bob

[WayneM1946]

Bob, I will try that next time out. It never occurred to me to do that. I assumed that since it worked on plane, it had to be mounted correctly. You know what they say about assume, some times it makes an ass-out-of-you-and-me.

Wayne