Transducer Adjustment

[BigTerp]

FINALLY got my boat and motor combo running good. It's a Tracker Sportsman 1648 with a '94 Johnson 50/35 jet on the back. Had her out last night by myself for the first time since we got the motor running good. Sonar reads good at low speed and at rest, but when I get up on plane the bottom reading turns to crap and the depth numbers blink, which I'm guessing means a bad reading? I have a Lowrance X-4, nothing fancy, but would like to get it to at least give me an accurate depth while running at speed especially since I'll be runing pretty skinny water with the jet motor. I had a small rooster tail from the transducer while up on plane, maybe a foot or two above the transom. I was by myself and have a stick steer setup, so no way to take a peek and see how the transducer was running in the water. Do I need to drop the transducer down? Adjust the angle? Or should I wait until I can have someone in the boat with me who can look to see how the transducer runs in the water?

 

[Ranchero50]

You'll have to play with it. I angled mine but it didn't make much difference. With experience, I know when to back off the draft through the nasties.

 

[krawler]

Sounds like you might need to adjust it deeper in the water.


https://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowrance-Documents/US/SONAR-DSI_INSTALL_EN_988-10169-001.pdf

https://support.lowrance.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1001&PARTITION_ID=1&secureFlag=false&TIMEZONE_OFFSET=&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=2879

 

[T Man]

krawler » 6 minutes ago[/url]"]Sounds like you might need to adjust it deeper in the water.


https://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowrance-Documents/US/SONAR-DSI_INSTALL_EN_988-10169-001.pdf

https://support.lowrance.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1001&PARTITION_ID=1&secureFlag=false&TIMEZONE_OFFSET=&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=2879

A rooster tail indicates it is too deep in the water, not too shallow.

I have the Cuda 168, which was replaced by th4e x4 and I always had the same problem. It couldnt keep up with the boat speed. I bought a Humminbird 561 and love it. I have the Cuda on my bow, and it is unreal how many false hits it gets that the humminbird doesnt. The humminbird was 150, but I wish I would have spent the extra 50 and bought the DI model.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks for the suggestions!! I'm not concerned with the rooster tail since it doesn't come back into the boat, just thought that might help diagnos my problem. My main goal is to hopefully get it to be able to accurately read depth at speed. Not worried with the bottom image, just the depth. Here is a few pictures of how it is currently setup.

 

[Jimbo_in_NC]

Its plenty deep. You could angle it forward a touch helps with keeping the ducer face wet while running. Also look at the hull forward of the ducer for any area that could aerate or disrupt the water flow. I have had to move many ducers for this reason. If all else fails setting the ducer in a bed of Silicone inside the hull works as a last resort. Place the ducer ontop of a bag of water sitting on the hull to test the reading before you glue it in place.

 

[TNtroller]

I've found it very difficult to keep bottom lock with a skimmer type ducer while at speed. Can also use plumbers putty to find the best spot inside but most ducers don't shoot thru tin hulls very well. Temp will be off a few degrees for a while until the hull has been in the water for a bit as well

 

[muskiemike12]

Your xducer is mounted too low. You want it so 1/2 of it is above the bottom of the hull and 1/2 below. Looks like you need to raise it about an inch. I would move it to the left more away from that rib, bunk and tie down strap.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks for the suggestions!! Going to try and get her out again today, if the rain holds off. I'm definitely not planning on mounting the transducer inside the hull. As far as moving it to the left, right now it's dead center between two ribs. Don't think I want to be closer to either rib? The ratchet strap doesn't get in the way while trailering. The tie down strap is just temporary until I can get a pvc frame built for a new 10 x 20 tarp I just bought. Going to play with some adjustments today. Moving it up, tilting it down, etc. as suggested. I know you want the transducer to be half above and half below the hull, normally. But I read you want it a little deeper to get readings at speed. Am I wrong?

 

[muskiemike12]

Not true, putting it deeper serves no useful purpose. I had a skimmer transducer on a boat that ran in the low 60's and had no problem reading bottom. Of course I had to adjust the gain to about 75%. You are not going to mark fish and there will be lots of clutter on the screen, but you can read bottom.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks. I'll give it a try moving it up. My units gain is set st 100% by default. I get about 26mph top speed. Any suggestions on what I should set my gain to?

 

[muskiemike12]

Don't run your unit on auto. Use the manual settings. You're going to have to play around with the gain/sensitivity and grey line settings. It will depend on depth of water and bottom content.

 

[Team Colibri]

I agree with everything Muskiemike said.



My tinny does 34 knots, and the skimmer is mounted on a plate that runs on a frame/ rail, making it easy adjustable without tools. This is great for bad ramps as well, since I just slide it up until it's protects by the hull if I fear it might touch bottom when launching or retreving the boat on the trailer. I find that only adjusting 3-4 mm can make a huge difference on the readings at speed.

Those ribs can cause problems. It might help to move the skimmer backwards a bit, by using a sternsaver or something else that builds a bit so you get the skimmer further away from the ribs and into calmer water.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks.

I was able to move my bracket all the way up, which has the transducer sitting right at about 50/50 above and below the hull. I'll have her out this Saturday duck hunting and will try to play with my units settings as well as adjustments on the transducer. Thanks again!!

 

[T Man]

Good luck tomorrow....our season is still more than a month away.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks man!! Tomorrow is the last day of the first split. Missed opening day last Saturday because we had a Maryland football game to go to. Next split starts mid November.

 

[BigTerp]

Ended up with 2 wood ducks Saturday. Saw a decent amount though.

Took the boat back out yesterday and ran her for a good 2 hours. Ran about 8 gallons of gas through. I raised the transducer bracket and I know get a bottom depth at speed, but not a bottom reading, which is fine with me. Transducer does get kicked up on occassion just from water pressure I guess. Need to tighten it up a bit more. But honestly where we were running yesterday my eyes are never on the sonar, just straight ahead trying to pick my lines through the nasties.