Is There a "Trick" to Playing Back a Sonar Recording With Mega 360 Sonar Source?

[SLYDoggie]

I just installed my new Mega 360 yesterday and also updated my Solix 15 G2 SI+ to the new V3.890 software. First, I spent 42 years in IT and we had a cardinal rule... Don't change two things at the same time. If something goes wrong, you won't know what caused the issue.

I was having recording issues in the 3.750 SW so I tried a recording today to see if it was now working. The good news is that V3.890 seems to have fixed the pixilation and "blockyness" that was happening to previous sonar recordings under V3.750. The problem is that it won't playback the Mega 360 part of the sonar recording. All the other items look fine... Chart, DI, 2D. When I look at the recording it shows the Recording Source as 2D, DI, and 360. It even shows 360 on the recordings list. When I play the recording back, however, I just get the base Mega 360 panel (like it looks when the devices is out of the water) with the message "Pinging Disabled" at the bottom. The other sonar sources play away as they should but nothing in the 360 window... either in partial screen or full screen mode.

Since I added the Mega 360 and updated the software together, I don't know if

1. Something is broken with 360 in Sonar Recording Playback in V3.890
2. It didn't work under V3.750 and still doesn't work
3. Dummy error and I just don't know how to make it display (this is hopefully it).

My question to the community is, has anybody has done Sonar Recordings with Mega 360 and successfully played them back? If so, is there something I'm missing?

I really heavily use Sonar Records to learn how to better tweak sensitivity, contrast, frequencies, and etc by playing an image back and working with the controls to see how to get the best image possible.

[jym]

I just installed my new Mega 360 yesterday and also updated my Solix 15 G2 SI+ to the new V3.890 software. First, I spent 42 years in IT and we had a cardinal rule... Don't change two things at the same time. If something goes wrong, you won't know what caused the issue.

I was having recording issues in the 3.750 SW so I tried a recording today to see if it was now working. The good news is that V3.890 seems to have fixed the pixilation and "blockyness" that was happening to previous sonar recordings under V3.750. The problem is that it won't playback the Mega 360 part of the sonar recording. All the other items look fine... Chart, DI, 2D. When I look at the recording it shows the Recording Source as 2D, DI, and 360. It even shows 360 on the recordings list. When I play the recording back, however, I just get the base Mega 360 panel (like it looks when the devices is out of the water) with the message "Pinging Disabled" at the bottom. The other sonar sources play away as they should but nothing in the 360 window... either in partial screen or full screen mode.

Since I added the Mega 360 and updated the software together, I don't know if

1. Something is broken with 360 in Sonar Recording Playback in V3.890
2. It didn't work under V3.750 and still doesn't work
3. Dummy error and I just don't know how to make it display (this is hopefully it).

My question to the community is, has anybody has done Sonar Recordings with Mega 360 and successfully played them back? If so, is there something I'm missing?

I really heavily use Sonar Records to learn how to better tweak sensitivity, contrast, frequencies, and etc by playing an image back and working with the controls to see how to get the best image possible.

I don't think you can get all 3 views in the recording. if you look at Wayne's post#10, thread: http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1096034 , his explanation of how the sonar is connected indicates that 360 is off when SI is on. I can't test this since we have two units networked. One is connected to the Mega 360 transducer and the other is connected to SI/DI/2D transducer, so we don't have a y-cable.

I'm glad you brought up the topic. I had forgotten how useful that is to learn how the settings truly affect your view. Next time out, I'll do some recording. I wonder if I will get SI, DI and Mega 360 views since we are networked.

[SLYDoggie]

I don't think you can get all 3 views in the recording. if you look at Wayne's post#10, thread: http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1096034 , his explanation of how the sonar is connected indicates that 360 is off when SI is on. I can't test this since we have two units networked. One is connected to the Mega 360 transducer and the other is connected to SI/DI/2D transducer, so we don't have a y-cable.

I'm glad you brought up the topic. I had forgotten how useful that is to learn how the settings truly affect your view. Next time out, I'll do some recording. I wonder if I will get SI, DI and Mega 360 views since we are networked.

Yes, I realize that you either get 360 or SI but not both. In my case, the recording is made while viewing 360, DI, and 2D. That is also what I'm trying to play back. I get 2D and DI in the playback but not the 360 image. During playback I just get a message in the 360 window that "pinging is disabled".

I should also say that I do have the Y Cable so I get the DI and 2D from the regular Solix Transducer.

[SLYDoggie]

I solved my problem. I had a thought on one thing I hadn't tried and it works. The Mega 360 has to be on and in the water for playback but the 360 image still won't display until I go to the Sonar Settings (on upper right of screen on Solix or use the power button) and turn off Sonar pinging. When I do that, I get the 360 image along with the DI, 2D, and Chart during playback.

I have tried all kinds of other option permutations of M360 powered off/on, in/out of water, and Sonar Pinging off/on. M360 powered on, in the water, and Sonar pinging off is the only combination that works for me. I'm not sure this is how it is supposed to work as I never had to turn off Sonar pinging when doing sonar playbacks before getting the Mega 360.

[SLYDoggie]

Tried a few more combinations of options to try to play back a recording with Mega 360 sonar and the only way I have found is still to have the Mega 360 on, in the water, and the sonar pinging turned off on the Solix. Surely there is a way to play back recordings with 360 sonar source without having to have the Mega 360 on and in the water. I would love to do some recordings to play back in the comfort of my home while I play with the settings to ensure I know how to get the best image possible.

Anybody else have a combination that would work without the Mega 360 being in the water and on?

[G48]

Tried a few more combinations of options to try to play back a recording with Mega 360 sonar and the only way I have found is still to have the Mega 360 on, in the water, and the sonar pinging turned off on the Solix. Surely there is a way to play back recordings with 360 sonar source without having to have the Mega 360 on and in the water. I would love to do some recordings to play back in the comfort of my home while I play with the settings to ensure I know how to get the best image possible.

Anybody else have a combination that would work without the Mega 360 being in the water and on?

I just queried my rep about it because I tried this otw and just got a blank m360 view..Tried all the different views and zero m360 playback. I also noticed and this may just apply to me but I was not able to select the my sources for playback as in previous s/w versions. It seems whatever unit I was using for recording it defaulted to whatever source it could find for a recording source and that was it. Source tab would not open up to tick mark the boxes for the source I wanted to use for the recording.

[SLYDoggie]

I just had a chance to do some additional testing and experimenting with Mega 360 recording playback.

Here is what I discovered:

• Playback at Recording frequency only (Mega or 455)

• Playback at Recording sweep speed only

• Playback at Recording range or lower

• Playback can turn Contour mode on & off

• Playback head unit has to be connected to M360 and the M360 mist be in the water. This rules out playing back in the comfort of your home.

• Once you have successfully played back a recording with M360 in the water, you can move it out of the water and it will continue to work.

• To get a successful M360 playback, you must cycle sonar pinging... if it's on, turn it off or, if it's off, turn it on. You have to do this with each separate recording. It will play back everything else except the 360 part until you cycle sonar pinging... I believe this to be a SW Bug.

• Once you have successfully played back a recording with M360 in the water, you can move it out of the water and it will continue to work.

• As was mentioned above, you are not able to change the Sonar Sources for playback. Touching this does nothing... You aren't taken to the Sonar Source tab. I think this is part of the SW Bug.

[Wayne P.]

I just had a chance to do some additional testing and experimenting with Mega 360 recording playback.

Here is what I discovered:

• Playback at Recording frequency only (Mega or 455)

• Playback at Recording sweep speed only

• Playback at Recording range or lower

• Playback can turn Contour mode on & off

• Playback head unit has to be connected to M360 and the M360 mist be in the water. This rules out playing back in the comfort of your home.

• Once you have successfully played back a recording with M360 in the water, you can move it out of the water and it will continue to work.

• To get a successful M360 playback, you must cycle sonar pinging... if it's on, turn it off or, if it's off, turn it on. You have to do this with each separate recording. It will play back everything else except the 360 part until you cycle sonar pinging... I believe this to be a SW Bug.

• Once you have successfully played back a recording with M360 in the water, you can move it out of the water and it will continue to work.

• As was mentioned above, you are not able to change the Sonar Sources for playback. Touching this does nothing... You aren't taken to the Sonar Source tab. I think this is part of the SW Bug.

You can eliminate the water part by shorting out the wet switch. I use this since it is easier than with a penny or rigid copper:

Chore Boy® Ultimate Copper Scrubbers | Pure Copper Scouring Pads (choreboyscrubbers.com)