Results 1 to 19 of 19
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    louisville ky
    Posts
    139

    Two transducers in use! A bit confused

    I have a helix 10 mega SI unit, I have the mega transducer on the boat and also a 2D transducer attached with the Y cable for depth reading at hi speed. I am
    confused about which of the transducers is used for depth at idle speed/ I assumed that all depth reading would come from the 2d ducer. I say this because I can put my hand under the 2D ducer at idle and no change I put my hand under the mega ducer and depth goes crazy so reading is coming from the mega. At on plane speed I get depth but is has to be coming from the 2D ducer. In sonor settings I have the mega imaging ducer selected Is this correct?

  2. Member Wayne P.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Charlottesville, VA
    Posts
    30,308
    #2
    Using the Y cable, the 2D crystal in the MEGA SI transducer is not connected (no wires). The added 2D transducer is connected in its place (wires). The added 2D transducer provides Depth/2D sonar all the time.
    The MEGA SI transducer provides left and right Side Imaging, Down Imaging, and temp all the time.

    The Y cable plug that connects to the display has the same circuits and connections as the MEGA SI transducer by itself, there is no change in the unit function.
    Wayne Purdum
    Charlottesville, Va.
    Helix 12 CHIRP MEGA+ SI G3N/G4N, Helix 15 CHIRP MEGA SI+ GPS G4N
    SOLIX 12 SI/G3, Helix 8 CHIRP MEGA SI+ G4N, Ultrex 80/LINK, MEGA360,
    MEGA LIVE, LIVE TL

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    louisville ky
    Posts
    139
    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Wayne P. View Post
    Using the Y cable, the 2D crystal in the MEGA SI transducer is not connected (no wires). The added 2D transducer is connected in its place (wires). The added 2D transducer provides Depth/2D sonar all the time.
    The MEGA SI transducer provides left and right Side Imaging, Down Imaging, and temp all the time.

    The Y cable plug that connects to the display has the same circuits and connections as the MEGA SI transducer by itself, there is no change in the unit function.
    Wayne that is exactly what I thought! But while the boat is in the water at Idle as I mentioned before I can put my hand under the 2D ducer and no effect in the depth reading I put it under the Mega ducer and the depth reading is effected. What do you think? The attached 2D ducer is giving depth reading at on plane speeds.

  4. Member Bob G.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Milton, Vermont
    Posts
    6,087
    #4
    The 2D transducer can't tell if your boat is on plane or not, that's not how it works with a Y cable as Wayne described above. Where is the 2D transducer mounted that you can put your hand underneath it while on the lake? Did you do the install?
    2006 Triton TR-21 XD, Mercury 225 Pro XS, S/N 1B287870

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    louisville ky
    Posts
    139
    #5
    The 2D ducer is located on exterior of the transom. Yes I did the install. Everything working right but find it confusing that I am getting depth readings from the mega ducer and not the 2D ducer with a Y cable installed.

  6. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Hemet, CA
    Posts
    4,653
    #6
    There is no way possible to get depth from the Mega transducer if the y-cable is correct and working because there is no physical connection to the 2D crystal in the Mega transducer.
    Wes
    Helix 10 MSI+,MDI+,Ultrex IPilot
    2023 Phoenix 818
    Never assume there's a tomorrow

  7. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    FTW Texas
    Posts
    2,416
    #7
    Disconnect the 2d transducer from the y cable. That should should show ya where 2d is coming from

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    577
    #8
    I forget the actual syntax in the menu, but there is an option to be set to 2D or Auto on an SI unit.
    What is yours unit set to?
    I noticed if my SI unit is set to Auto, then the depth reading jumps around a bit more and is different than my other two units that are strictly using the 2D source.
    When I switched the setting from Auto to 2D, then the depth on that SI unit stayed matched to my other two units.
    I'm thinking yours is set to auto and the unit decides on its own to use the SI transducer for depth when you did your hand test.
    Console [HELIX 10MSI G3N || HELIX 10MSI G3N]
    Bow [HELIX 12 CHIRP SI GPS G2N] || RC-2] || [HELIX 10MSI G4N] || [M360 UNIVERSAL MOUNT] || [Mega Live]
    ULTERRA80/US2/IPLINK-60" BT || 2xAS ETH 5PXG || Victron IP67 12V/25A || [NoCo Genius GX2440 24V/40A]
    [X2 GROUP 31] x 3 || [Battleborn 31 lithium]
    Alumacraft Voyageur 175/Yamaha VF115LA

  9. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    louisville ky
    Posts
    139
    #9
    My unit is set to Auto that might explain it. I will give this a test this weekend when I go fishing. I will post the finding Sunday. I know my Y cable is working correctly because i get good depth reading on plane when the mega ducer is complete out of the water.

  10. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Hemet, CA
    Posts
    4,653
    #10
    I realize this image is based on the older y-cable and HDSI transducer but the new one works the same way. When using the y-cable, no need to make any changes to unit settings for connected transducer because the factory default is for the standard transducer provided with the unit. As shown in the image, it is physically impossible to get 83/200khz 2D from the HDSI or MEGA SI transducer because there is no wiring in the y-cable that allows it to pass from them.

    Attached Images Attached Images
    Wes
    Helix 10 MSI+,MDI+,Ultrex IPilot
    2023 Phoenix 818
    Never assume there's a tomorrow

  11. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    577
    #11
    I believe this setting is what's at play here, despite the fact an ice transducer is not a factor.

    Console [HELIX 10MSI G3N || HELIX 10MSI G3N]
    Bow [HELIX 12 CHIRP SI GPS G2N] || RC-2] || [HELIX 10MSI G4N] || [M360 UNIVERSAL MOUNT] || [Mega Live]
    ULTERRA80/US2/IPLINK-60" BT || 2xAS ETH 5PXG || Victron IP67 12V/25A || [NoCo Genius GX2440 24V/40A]
    [X2 GROUP 31] x 3 || [Battleborn 31 lithium]
    Alumacraft Voyageur 175/Yamaha VF115LA

  12. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    louisville ky
    Posts
    139
    #12
    Okay this might be making a little sense now. From what I read if you have your unit set to DI mode the depth reading are coming from the DI beams? I did have my unit on DI when I had the boat in the water and checking which ducer was giving my depth.

  13. Member Bob G.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Milton, Vermont
    Posts
    6,087
    #13
    If you are using the correct Y cable and have it connected correctly, the mode you are using cannot change the cable configuration. Depth will always come from the 2D transducer. End of story.
    2006 Triton TR-21 XD, Mercury 225 Pro XS, S/N 1B287870

  14. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    577
    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob G. View Post
    If you are using the correct Y cable and have it connected correctly, the mode you are using cannot change the cable configuration. Depth will always come from the 2D transducer. End of story.
    The only thing the Y cable guarantees is that the unit can't use the 2D crystal in the mega transducer.
    It has no control on how the unit derives Digital Depth from either the 2D or DI when Auto mode is selected for Digital Depth Source.
    Console [HELIX 10MSI G3N || HELIX 10MSI G3N]
    Bow [HELIX 12 CHIRP SI GPS G2N] || RC-2] || [HELIX 10MSI G4N] || [M360 UNIVERSAL MOUNT] || [Mega Live]
    ULTERRA80/US2/IPLINK-60" BT || 2xAS ETH 5PXG || Victron IP67 12V/25A || [NoCo Genius GX2440 24V/40A]
    [X2 GROUP 31] x 3 || [Battleborn 31 lithium]
    Alumacraft Voyageur 175/Yamaha VF115LA

  15. Member Bob G.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Milton, Vermont
    Posts
    6,087
    #15
    The OP should disconnect the 2D transducer from the Y cable and see what the depth reads when on plane and at idle.
    2006 Triton TR-21 XD, Mercury 225 Pro XS, S/N 1B287870

  16. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    577
    #16
    There's something up with the digital depth in the latest software.
    Today I had just my Helix 10 SI and Helix 10 GPS turned on. 2D source was from the GPS unit which was set to sonar off at the time.
    The Helix SI unit was still showing a digital depth reading.
    On the Helix SI unit under network sources I verified the 2D source was set to the GPS unit and it was also greyed out like normal when sonar is turned off.
    Basically the SI unit was ignoring the instruction to get 2D from the GPS unit and it was either using local 2D or local DI, not sure which.
    Console [HELIX 10MSI G3N || HELIX 10MSI G3N]
    Bow [HELIX 12 CHIRP SI GPS G2N] || RC-2] || [HELIX 10MSI G4N] || [M360 UNIVERSAL MOUNT] || [Mega Live]
    ULTERRA80/US2/IPLINK-60" BT || 2xAS ETH 5PXG || Victron IP67 12V/25A || [NoCo Genius GX2440 24V/40A]
    [X2 GROUP 31] x 3 || [Battleborn 31 lithium]
    Alumacraft Voyageur 175/Yamaha VF115LA

  17. Member Bob G.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Milton, Vermont
    Posts
    6,087
    #17
    Quote Originally Posted by tweakjr View Post
    There's something up with the digital depth in the latest software.
    Today I had just my Helix 10 SI and Helix 10 GPS turned on. 2D source was from the GPS unit which was set to sonar off at the time.
    The Helix SI unit was still showing a digital depth reading.
    On the Helix SI unit under network sources I verified the 2D source was set to the GPS unit and it was also greyed out like normal when sonar is turned off.
    Basically the SI unit was ignoring the instruction to get 2D from the GPS unit and it was either using local 2D or local DI, not sure which.
    I don't have a Helix, just an 1198 and an 1199. I'm guessing that the Helix models work differently than mine and magically get a depth reading from a DI crystal while using a Y cable and it can tell if you're on plane or not and decide to use the 2D transducer or not.

    I installed my units and they work, nothing magical about where the depth readings come from.
    2006 Triton TR-21 XD, Mercury 225 Pro XS, S/N 1B287870

  18. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Hemet, CA
    Posts
    4,653
    #18
    Quote Originally Posted by tweakjr View Post
    There's something up with the digital depth in the latest software.
    Today I had just my Helix 10 SI and Helix 10 GPS turned on. 2D source was from the GPS unit which was set to sonar off at the time.
    The Helix SI unit was still showing a digital depth reading.
    On the Helix SI unit under network sources I verified the 2D source was set to the GPS unit and it was also greyed out like normal when sonar is turned off.
    Basically the SI unit was ignoring the instruction to get 2D from the GPS unit and it was either using local 2D or local DI, not sure which.

    Did you have Digital Depth Source on Auto and have a y-cable connected? That would explain why you were getting depth readings coming from the Mega Transducer according to the manual. Now that I know we don't even see that setting on older SI models...LOL If the MEGA units are set on AUTO, sounds like they are capable of getting depth from other than 200khz 2D....maybe 455khz? In that case, the y-cable would allow the 455khz from the MEGA transducers.

    Anyone have some salt and pepper....this crow is starting to taste kind of bad....LOL
    Wes
    Helix 10 MSI+,MDI+,Ultrex IPilot
    2023 Phoenix 818
    Never assume there's a tomorrow

  19. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    577
    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by ezfishn View Post
    Did you have Digital Depth Source on Auto and have a y-cable connected? That would explain why you were getting depth readings coming from the Mega Transducer according to the manual. Now that I know we don't even see that setting on older SI models...LOL If the MEGA units are set on AUTO, sounds like they are capable of getting depth from other than 200khz 2D....maybe 455khz? In that case, the y-cable would allow the 455khz from the MEGA transducers.

    Anyone have some salt and pepper....this crow is starting to taste kind of bad....LOL
    This is part of my suspicion with the mystery spokes when trying to use 360 and the shared 2D source.
    If DI is being pinged in the background, unknowing and unwanting, the 455kHz will crosstalk.
    Console [HELIX 10MSI G3N || HELIX 10MSI G3N]
    Bow [HELIX 12 CHIRP SI GPS G2N] || RC-2] || [HELIX 10MSI G4N] || [M360 UNIVERSAL MOUNT] || [Mega Live]
    ULTERRA80/US2/IPLINK-60" BT || 2xAS ETH 5PXG || Victron IP67 12V/25A || [NoCo Genius GX2440 24V/40A]
    [X2 GROUP 31] x 3 || [Battleborn 31 lithium]
    Alumacraft Voyageur 175/Yamaha VF115LA