Excess noise/surface clutter - any ideas?

[SysConsultant]

I have an HDS-8 gen 2, LSS-2, and LGC-4000 combo I purchased in the spring of last year. When I put the boat away for the winter (Minnesota) everything was working well. Boat stored indoors in a heated garage (65 degree min.). When I put the boat back in service this summer I first updated my firmware in the HDS-8 to the new version 2.0-45.135. I finished last year on version 1.1.39.43. I didn't change anything else except re-mount the HDS-8 and put some dielectric grease in the cable connectors on the back. So far this year, my HDS-8's sonar and structure scan screens have been cluttered by a great deal of noise that wasn't there last year. See screen shots below.
I've tried everything I can think of to get back to were I was. Here's a list of what I've tried:

• Reset fishing mode.
• Downgraded firmware to version 1.1.39.44
• Re-upgraded to firmware version 2.0-45.135
• Turned off main motor (Merc Verado 150) at key. Then drift with trolling motor circuit off at its main circuit breaker. No difference.
• Tilt main motor up out of water.
• Change sensitivity/colorline settings. I can make the noise go away if I lower the sensitivity enough, but the fish arches disappear too.
• Apply some soap to both transducer bottoms before launching.
• Turn everything non-Lowrance off.

Can anyone think of anything that I might have missed?
shot 004.jpgshot 002.jpgshot 007.jpgshot 002.jpgshot 001.jpg

[vanellies]

This topic has been addressed before. I had problems when my trolling motor was running. I installed one of these on the sonar cables and it went away.

RadioShack® Snap-Together Ferrite Choke Core - RadioShack.com

If you have a different transducer I would hook that one up and see if you get any different results. Just my two scents.

[Nova Kaw 650]

I would check all connections. Corrosion would be the most likely culprit for units that worked good before storage, but work poorly now.

[SysConsultant]

I guess it wouldn't hurt to try a choke, but like I mentioned, the problem exists even when the trolling motor is off and the circuit breaker that connects the trolling motor to the battery is open (tripped). Therefore, I can't see how it could be the trolling motor. I think I had everything else turned off too. But, chokes are cheap...

[SysConsultant]

Nova Kaw - Problem is visible on both sonar and structure scan. They use different cables. Also, the boat was stored this winter in a heated commercial space with low humidity and the HDS was at home in my closet. But, I'll double check. Thanks for your reply.

[SysConsultant]

I have an HDS-8 gen 2, LSS-2, and LGC-4000 combo I purchased in the spring of last year. When I put the boat away for the winter (Minnesota) everything was working well. Boat stored indoors in a heated garage (65 degree min.). When I put the boat back in service this summer I first updated my firmware in the HDS-8 to the new version 2.0-45.135. I finished last year on version 1.1.39.43. I didn't change anything else except re-mount the HDS-8 and put some dielectric grease in the cable connectors on the back. So far this year, my HDS-8's sonar and structure scan screens have been cluttered by a great deal of noise that wasn't there last year. See screen shots below.
I've tried everything I can think of to get back to were I was. Here's a list of what I've tried:

• Reset fishing mode.
• Downgraded firmware to version 1.1.39.44
• Re-upgraded to firmware version 2.0-45.135
• Turned off main motor (Merc Verado 150) at key. Then drift with trolling motor circuit off at its main circuit breaker. No difference.
• Tilt main motor up out of water.
• Change sensitivity/colorline settings. I can make the noise go away if I lower the sensitivity enough, but the fish arches disappear too.
• Apply some soap to both transducer bottoms before launching.
• Turn everything non-Lowrance off.

Can anyone think of anything that I might have missed?
shot 004.jpgshot 002.jpgshot 007.jpgshot 002.jpgshot 001.jpg

I spoke with Lowrance Tech Support this afternoon. They suggested soft reset and then hard reset if soft reset doesn't help. If neither of those procedures work, they want the HDS returned so they can test it. Might have something wrong in the HDS. I have a fishing trip planned for Wed-Fri. I'll try the resets and post the results when I return.

[csurp]

I am sure you will be happier with the 455 kHz setting on the LSS2

after resetting fishing mode, did you reset to "shallow water" mode?

reduce surface clarity to "low"

[SysConsultant]

I am sure you will be happier with the 455 kHz setting on the LSS2

after resetting fishing mode, did you reset to "shallow water" mode?

reduce surface clarity to "low"

Thanks for the advice csurp. After resetting fishing mode, the actual mode still showed "shallow water". How do you reset it? Change to something else and then back? I did play with the surface clarity setting and it didn't make much difference. But, I'll try again along with changing structurescan to 455 kHz. Thanks again for your suggestions!

[fishin couillon]

To me those pics look normal especially the sonar pics 3 & 5...for the sonar portion, have you tried messing with the surface clutter settings? For you downscan view, where/how is the ducer located? Any pics of that?

[SysConsultant]

To me those pics look normal especially the sonar pics 3 & 5...for the sonar portion, have you tried messing with the surface clutter settings? For you downscan view, where/how is the ducer located? Any pics of that?

Both transducers are mounted on the transom within about 2" of each other with the structurescan transducer slightly deeper and closer to the keel. They are mounted in the exact same location that they were last year. I'm packing to head out on a fishing trip tomorrow A.M. so I won't have time to post a picture until I get back. No internet where I'm going.

[SysConsultant]

Both transducers are mounted on the transom within about 2" of each other with the structurescan transducer slightly deeper and closer to the keel. They are mounted in the exact same location that they were last year. I'm packing to head out on a fishing trip tomorrow A.M. so I won't have time to post a picture until I get back. No internet where I'm going.

I did try messing with the surface clutter settings (Lowrance calls it Surface Clarity if I remember correctly). Didn't really have much effect. Does your sonar essentially blank out the top 5' of the sonar scan?

[csurp]

Here are a couple of recent screen shots of mine. In both, I am holding over a school of bass with the boat virtually stationary over them. The fish are moving back and forth and up and down under the boat. The first is full screen downscan and does show the first five feet or so cluttered. Same with the 2-D on the second shot taken a few minutes apart. I am very happy with the performance of my HDS 8 Gen 2's at the moment and I think you are running close to normal.

[SysConsultant]

Cusip. Thanks for the post. Maybe I'm just fishing in shallower water than I was last summer. I'll be fishing the next few days and should have a chance to try all the suggestions. By the way, why do I just get thumbnails when I use the "Insert Image" function in the editor to create a post? The originals I selected to insert were 800x600 .png files. Editor doesn't seem to allow carriage returns either... Weird.

[csurp]

Cusip. Thanks for the post. Maybe I'm just fishing in shallower water than I was last summer. I'll be fishing the next few days and should have a chance to try all the suggestions. By the way, why do I just get thumbnails when I use the "Insert Image" function in the editor to create a post? The originals I selected to insert were 800x600 .png files. Editor doesn't seem to allow carriage returns either... Weird.

these should help

http://www.bbcboards.net/lowrance-ga...reenshots.html

http://www.bbcboards.net/bbc-lounge/...n-posting.html

[Jig_Man]

You can set the upper and lower limits to where the surface clutter isn't showing.

[Bwagner]

Find a fix?

[joebone1]

this thread is 9 years old - I'm sure the unit has long been replaced