Help with apex side image installation offshore boat.

[8AnDrEw9]

My buddy has an 50' off shore boat. He bought an apex13 msi+ and two ssth 14HW msi threw hull transducers. He needs two because of keel in center of boat. He's trying to connect the two with a y cable (14 M ID SIDB Y - SPLITTER CABLE) to the unit. The problem is one side is very dark and other looks blown out. I've tried messing with all the settings and reset to factory. I can't get a good image or even close to good. He had the transducers installed by a marina they had to pull boat out of water to install so I'm assuming they are right. Can that y cable be used to split to side image transducers? He bought everything as a package from dealer so I'm assuming it will work. Also is there some kind of special setting for two transducers?Any help would be great. Thanks.

[Wayne P.]

Wrong Y cable. Need the 14 M ID SILR Y ==that cable splits off the left side SI piezo in the starboard transducer and connects the left side piezo in the port transducer in its place.

The 14 M ID SIDB Y cable splits off the 2D piezo and replaces it with another 2D transducer.

DB means Dual Beam--former 83/200 kHz for 2D sonar.
LR means Left/Right

[8AnDrEw9]

Wrong Y cable. Need the 14 M ID SILR Y ==that cable splits off the left side SI piezo in the starboard transducer and connects the left side piezo in the port transducer in its place.

The 14 M ID SIDB Y cable splits off the 2D piezo and replaces it with another 2D transducer.

DB means Dual Beam--former 83/200 kHz for 2D sonar.
LR means Left/Right

I'm sorry I was wrong. That is the y cable he has. I've been doing alot of searching and got mixed up. I'll attach his order Screenshot_20220811-204245_Messages.jpg

[Wayne P.]

I'm sorry I was wrong. That is the y cable he has. I've been doing alot of searching and got mixed up. I'll attach his order Screenshot_20220811-204245_Messages.jpg

In that case, maybe the transducers are connected to the Y cable opposite the way they are supposed to be.

Also need to verify it really is the SILR cable, check the tags on the Y cable.

[8AnDrEw9]

I will double check tomorrow on part number and switch cable to see. Thanks for your help.

[Wayne P.]

I will double check tomorrow on part number and switch cable to see. Thanks for your help.

The cable tags indicate which transducer to connect to which leg of the Y cable.
The DB cable has Dual Beam on one and Side Imaging on the other, have not seen what the tags state on the LR cable.

[8AnDrEw9]

The cable tags indicate which transducer to connect to which leg of the Y cable.
The DB cable has Dual Beam on one and Side Imaging on the other, have not seen what the tags state on the LR cable.

Wasn't able to make it down there today. I told him to check cable part#.... it is the correct cable. Told him to switch the two on y cable. Still has the same issue. One side is very dark other side is blown out/very hot. If you adjust it for the hot side the dark side goes completely black.

[bobcoy]

Missed the part about marina installed. I hope they drilled the proper angle and used the correct angle on the transducer. I hope it is just the cable. Good luck. Bob

[Wayne P.]

And check to see if they were installed backwards.

[8AnDrEw9]

He's out doing a charter now and sent me this image. He's going a little fast but he says it looks the same when around 4mph. Screenshot_20220813-104325_Messages.jpg

[bobcoy]

I think you can rule out the cable. Was the right side always the dark side? There appears something is interrupting the signal on both sides. Maybe electrical interference or something with the placement of the transducers. To me the right side looks like there is a hump on the bottom and it is blocking signal on the backside of the hump or something on the right side transducer is being blocked By something on the outside of the hull. Could be a strake or something else going through the hull to the outside of the right transducer. That is a bunch of assumption for a split second view of the SI function, maybe it might give an idea of possible problems. Bob

[8AnDrEw9]

I think you can rule out the cable. Was the right side always the dark side? There appears something is interrupting the signal on both sides. Maybe electrical interference or something with the placement of the transducers. To me the right side looks like there is a hump on the bottom and it is blocking signal on the backside of the hump or something on the right side transducer is being blocked By something on the outside of the hull. Could be a strake or something else going through the hull to the outside of the right transducer. That is a bunch of assumption for a split second view of the SI function, maybe it might give an idea of possible problems. Bob

Yeah I told him it shouldn't be this difficult. The hard part is the boat has to be pulled up again to look at transducers. I can see where they installed the transducers, where the wires come threw the hull. They installed them way forward in my opinion. They are around 20' back from the bow on a 50' boat. It's actually in the pilot house there's a hatch you can pull up to see them. He said they used fairing blocks to get them level.

[8AnDrEw9]

I think you can rule out the cable. Was the right side always the dark side? There appears something is interrupting the signal on both sides. Maybe electrical interference or something with the placement of the transducers. To me the right side looks like there is a hump on the bottom and it is blocking signal on the backside of the hump or something on the right side transducer is being blocked By something on the outside of the hull. Could be a strake or something else going through the hull to the outside of the right transducer. That is a bunch of assumption for a split second view of the SI function, maybe it might give an idea of possible problems. Bob

And yes right side has always been darker even after the cable switch.

*Edit added.... he also has the unit wired to a fuse pannel that pretty much powers the hole boat toilet,pumps,anchor stuff like that.

[bobcoy]

Have you made any headway with the installation? I would hope they have the installation document. Additional holes in a valuable vessel are not a good thing. Bob

[8AnDrEw9]

Yes i talked to him this afternoon, after telling him to go back over all the connections he said it is fixed. He said he redid all the connections and now it's looking like it should. Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions.

[bobcoy]

Good ending!