Helix mega 10 si issues with depth reading

[Vtbuck]

Hey guys, I just installed an Ultrex with Helix Mega 10 SI. Transducer is mounted to TM with TSS bracket. In 2D and DI the unit was having a hard time picking up the bottom. The images looked ok, but the unit would jump around with the depth reading. For example, I may be in 10 feet of water, the unit using auto scale to 20ft. All good, then the unit would jump to 120 depth scale and the bottom is showing all the way to top of screen at 10 foot. Did this with TM running or not. Sometimes it would read twice the bottom depth, and like I was getting a double echo. So in the example above, it looked like a bottom image at 10 foot and 20 foot, on a 40 foot scale. I turned off the sonar on the console unit, same thing. Not sure if this is interference or something wrong with the unit. Will call HB tomorrow.

Thanks for any help!

[Wayne P.]

Do you have RFI from the trolling motor??????

Are you getting cross-talk from another unit???

[Tone357]

Please report to us what they tell you. My Solix does the same thing.

[CSF]

Hey guys, I just installed an Ultrex with Helix Mega 10 SI. Transducer is mounted to TM with TSS bracket. In 2D and DI the unit was having a hard time picking up the bottom. The images looked ok, but the unit would jump around with the depth reading. For example, I may be in 10 feet of water, the unit using auto scale to 20ft. All good, then the unit would jump to 120 depth scale and the bottom is showing all the way to top of screen at 10 foot. Did this with TM running or not. Sometimes it would read twice the bottom depth, and like I was getting a double echo. So in the example above, it looked like a bottom image at 10 foot and 20 foot, on a 40 foot scale. I turned off the sonar on the console unit, same thing. Not sure if this is interference or something wrong with the unit. Will call HB tomorrow.

Thanks for any help!

Any other units running at the same time, what software version are you running, what are your 2d sensitivity and surface clarity set at, chirp on, only in 10ft or less?

[Vtbuck]

It doesn’t look like I am getting RFI interference, but maybe this is a type of interference. I turned off sonar on the bow unit and it didn’t help. I will have to play with the settings, it was on factor defaults since new install and first time on water. Boat is getting serviced so I won’t get it back for two weeks to try things out. Trying to research options first to save time. Will call HB today. When I get boat back I will report what I find. The depth is jumping around in all water depths by the way. 3 feet to 25 Fow. Thanks for help.

[Ranger1107]

I’ve got the same setup and have the issues you described. Tried messing with the settings and hadn’t had any luck. Defiantly interested in what HB advises.

[legendboats89]

I recently had these same issues, I installed a ground wire on the trolling motor, put a piece of rubber between the trolling motor and tss mount, moved the transducer as far away from the tm prop as possible and updated the unit, the next trip out everything worked as it should, not sure what did it but it was one of the things listed above...

[Tone357]

I ended up calling H'bird myself and was told to just restore the 2d settings. It just occurred to me that I didn't have this issue before networking my units.

[bobcoy]

So did it solve your issues? Bob

[Tone357]

So did it solve your issues? Bob

Won't know until I get on the water tomorrow.

[Tone357]

So did it solve your issues? Bob

Nope.

[Fran87]

I'm been having the same issues with depth reading in a Helix 9 SI GEN 1...

[Tv40m]

I had it with this. Double echo and depth reading Issues just like you described. When your first drop you trolling motor it works perfectly until the unit changes depths. Example I'm in 12 ft and the bottom depth is set to 20. But when I got to 20 ft and the bottom measurement goes to 30 it double echos. HB has told me to try everything from sensitivity to surface clutter and it never fixes the issues. Took first unit back to BPS and the second did the same thing. Put my SI unit at the bow---same thing. My neighbors unit does the exact same thing. So frustrating. They just sent out a theirs unit. I will try it lasted this week. Three units and three transducers (minkota, two out the box) and same dang issue. Really regretting changing from Lowrance to HB. Will let you know if I find a fix

[Vtbuck]

Got the boat back so will try this weekend. HB said to reset unit to default settings. If this doesn’t work, then since I have the same unit on console, I will switch out the units and see what happens. If I still have an issue, then I know it’s in the transducer. Will report back.

[Vtbuck]

Updated both units with 1.610 software after resetting units to default settings. Went on water, and still had issues with double depth reading. Paid more attention this time, and both bow and console were doing it. Tried disconnecting Ethernet. Still did it. Changed max depth range to a manual setting from auto. This helped a bit but still would get double echo. On bow changed digital depth source from 2d to auto. That seemed to help a bit. But would still get double echos. Tried messing with other settings, but need to learn more. Never noticed console unit having this issue when networked with 999 at the bow. I also would turn off sonar on console when fishing, and maybe that helped, but still had double echo. Will probably try again tomorrow. I imagine some setting is wrong.

[Wayne P.]

Updated both units with 1.610 software after resetting units to default settings. Went on water, and still had issues with double depth reading. Paid more attention this time, and both bow and console were doing it. Tried disconnecting Ethernet. Still did it. Changed max depth range to a manual setting from auto. This helped a bit but still would get double echo. On bow changed digital depth source from 2d to auto. That seemed to help a bit. But would still get double echos. Tried messing with other settings, but need to learn more. Never noticed console unit having this issue when networked with 999 at the bow. I also would turn off sonar on console when fishing, and maybe that helped, but still had double echo. Will probably try again tomorrow. I imagine some setting is wrong.

Are you getting a double bottom return or double the depth readout?

[Vtbuck]

I am getting what looks like a double bottom return with the double depth readout. What I mean by that is say the unit is reading 10 ft and everything looks fine. Then the unit would change to read 20 feet and be showing what looks like the bottom at 10ft and 20 ft like a double echo. Hope this makes sense.

[Wayne P.]

I am getting what looks like a double bottom return with the double depth readout. What I mean by that is say the unit is reading 10 ft and everything looks fine. Then the unit would change to read 20 feet and be showing what looks like the bottom at 10ft and 20 ft like a double echo. Hope this makes sense.

That is normal, the unit does not forget the depth it has recorded before the depth range change.

[suvowner]

Have you tried switching to max mode and turning down the sensitivity quit a bit, also should try reducing sensitivity of the 83khz beam separately that is an option further down in the sonar menu, lastly set a max depth just a bit more than you will likely ever see in this particular lake You mentioned you are fishing a hard bottom lake so these hard returns are more difficult to deal with. As a last resort you could try selecting salt water shallow instead of fresh water, this changes the algorithm a bit and helps it not get as confused in shallow water if your spending a lot of time around that 10ft or less range

[Vtbuck]

Tried it again, played with settings. I’m going to call HB back, I can’t figure it out and it is hard to describe in typing it our. I talked to a guy at the ramp who had new 12” and 10”mega SI and his is doing same thing. I figure I need to adjust a setting. I tired max mode and sensitivity, but unit will just jump around depth ranges. I was in about 12 fow at one point and unit would jump to read 24 ft, showing echos ar 12’ and 24’. Sometimes it would triple it to around 36’. When it does that it will change the depth range scale, basically filling the whole screen. Sometimes it works fine for 5-10 minutes, then it goes crazy. Frustrating but I will keep playing with it. Thanks for the replies trying to help!