Need a little HDS help

So, I'm starting to play with the HDS a little bit and try to figure out how and where to do stuff.

One thing that's driving me nuts is my Side Imaging. With it running at 100' left and right, the first 30' is iluminated beautifully, but it's dark past that. Yesterday, I changed it to 50' and the last 10' is still dark. I was thinking that my transducer possibly was angled down too much, so I adjusted it on the water with no change. Thinking I may have it reversed, I adjusted it up on the water and still no change. Now confused, I rotated it in increments from 0 degrees to 180 with no change. I'm thinking I've got a setting that's giving me a weak return and not necesarily the angle of the transducer that is the problem. Any suggestions?

'Nuther deal is I noticed yesterday that my Side Imaging and Regular 2D depth readings are some 1.9' different. I was thinking that since I have a US/2 and SI transducer all ethernetted together that I really don't know which transducer is feeding which output. Where do I determine and change that? Then again, if 2D is off the front and SI is obviously off the back, there really shouldn't me that much of a difference since I don't have any depth offset calculated. The SI ducer is on the jackplate and if I had to guess, I would say there is only at most 1 foot of elevation difference and most likely in the 6" range. ??

Any thoughts or ideas on either issue would be appreciated.

Wannabe...

My HDS7 is off the us/2 and they are always a little over a foot apart--?????

Inherent in these off brand units. Try HB and the problem will go away:)Rofl

1. what your setting for your lss-1. I usually keep mine at 800 khz 80-100ft and contrast 72-74.

2. you can change your 2d keel set in your sonar menu options. Usually you going run deep on your TM, because it hang lower the transom transducer.

Thanks Jason. Will check it and report back.

Wannabe...

Yeah, that contrast setting is right around what mine is set at. I get some truely amazing pictures.
I keep my side image around 3 - 4 times water depth.

If I switch my ducer to 455kz I think the contrast is set around 50 +/-

There is a post "HDS discussions and interpitations" started by Crappiegirl as you figure things out how about sharing with the rest of us.

Let the smoke out of the transducer. Give it room to breathe. You choking it.

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Originally Posted by Cane Pole

Let the smoke out of the transducer. Give it room to breathe. You choking it.

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Maybe I've got to recheck that 455 setting. I haven't used it in a while. I'm over 50 my memory has faded....
What settings you using?

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Originally Posted by crappiemax

Maybe I've got to recheck that 455 setting. I haven't used it in a while. I'm over 50 my memory has faded....
What settings you using?

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I change mine anytime I don't like the view. Nothing improves or gets worse if you don't push a button. I mostly use 800Kz on SI. And I use the 3X rule.

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Originally Posted by Wannabe...

So, I'm starting to play with the HDS a little bit and try to figure out how and where to do stuff.

One thing that's driving me nuts is my Side Imaging. With it running at 100' left and right, the first 30' is iluminated beautifully, but it's dark past that. Yesterday, I changed it to 50' and the last 10' is still dark. I was thinking that my transducer possibly was angled down too much, so I adjusted it on the water with no change. Thinking I may have it reversed, I adjusted it up on the water and still no change. Now confused, I rotated it in increments from 0 degrees to 180 with no change. I'm thinking I've got a setting that's giving me a weak return and not necesarily the angle of the transducer that is the problem. Any suggestions?

'Nuther deal is I noticed yesterday that my Side Imaging and Regular 2D depth readings are some 1.9' different. I was thinking that since I have a US/2 and SI transducer all ethernetted together that I really don't know which transducer is feeding which output. Where do I determine and change that? Then again, if 2D is off the front and SI is obviously off the back, there really shouldn't me that much of a difference since I don't have any depth offset calculated. The SI ducer is on the jackplate and if I had to guess, I would say there is only at most 1 foot of elevation difference and most likely in the 6" range. ??

Any thoughts or ideas on either issue would be appreciated.

Wannabe...

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Structure depth reading. I believe this reading follows the soft/hard bottom area depth. Observation. Watch this reading. You have plenty of time to observe before you get your 1 fishie.

No depth offset for DI.

A'ite, so I was back at it. Noticed that if I changed my Side frequency from 800 to 455, the picture clarity got noticibly better. Are ya'll running on 800 or 455?

Past that...I was fishing, so didn't change nothing else.

Wannabe...

I mostly stay on the 800

Just on a lark, I was mashing buttons and found the frequency button and mashed it. Night and day on the clarity...course, I was spider rigging at .2 up to .5 (because of dang wind) at the time. 10 to 15' of water. Maybe higher speeds lends itself to the 800? Still haven't sat down at the console and really worked with it while idling.

One other thing I noted is that I'm getting pretty good interferance at 2.5 on the Terrova. Got no issue at power settings above or below, but 2.5 just about fills the screen. Kind of hinky.

Wannabe...

On my Terrova I had to take it to a MK authorized dealer and get a ground installed to get the interference out.

Update on my interferance. Yesterday I was out and at 1.5 I was trolling along and caught a dink. While taking it off, I dropped the fish and it fell on the back side of the FF wiring and flopped around. Noticed my FF picked up some severe interferance. Realized the fish moved the wiring to the point of setting the Transducer cable on top of the power wire to the TM. Moved it and no intereferance. Checked again on the higher settings of the TM and no interfereance as long as I maintain a seperation of an inch of so. Figure that must have been what was giving me the interferance from before.

Also, I changed the frequency back and forth for the structure scan and it seems that at certain speeds 455 is best and higher 800 is best. ??? Ain't figured that out yet, but I finally took a look at it while idling with the outboard and the pic is fantabulous. Still not crazy about the dark edges at increased ranges, but also turned the auto range on and it seems to do a nice job of making me forget about the darkness out past a certain range for a given depth. Prolly will leave it on auto range permanently.

Wannabe...

We need a class in proper wiring and instrumentation installation. Classes should start with the boat manufacturer and then the dealer. Signal wires should never run parallel to power wires, but we have no choice in many cases.

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Originally Posted by Wannabe...

Update on my interferance. Yesterday I was out and at 1.5 I was trolling along and caught a dink. While taking it off, I dropped the fish and it fell on the back side of the FF wiring and flopped around. Noticed my FF picked up some severe interferance. Realized the fish moved the wiring to the point of setting the Transducer cable on top of the power wire to the TM. Moved it and no intereferance. Checked again on the higher settings of the TM and no interfereance as long as I maintain a seperation of an inch of so. Figure that must have been what was giving me the interferance from before.

Also, I changed the frequency back and forth for the structure scan and it seems that at certain speeds 455 is best and higher 800 is best. ??? Ain't figured that out yet, but I finally took a look at it while idling with the outboard and the pic is fantabulous. Still not crazy about the dark edges at increased ranges, but also turned the auto range on and it seems to do a nice job of making me forget about the darkness out past a certain range for a given depth. Prolly will leave it on auto range permanently.

Wannabe...

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what you are saying about different speeds and different frequency. i agree i to have noticed the difference

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Originally Posted by Cane Pole

We need a class in proper wiring and instrumentation installation. Classes should start with the boat manufacturer and then the dealer. Signal wires should never run parallel to power wires, but we have no choice in many cases.

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that would be great ,not enough help coming from the manufactures .in some cases space is limited but they could do better

800KHz should be better for clarity. 455KHz covers a longer distance.

Dunno CatFan....in one trip (at spider rigging speed) I got a better pic switching to 455. On another, 800 was better...course, 2 weeks apart after a rain on different area of lake...water might have made a difference. Just switching back and forth and playing right now. At idle speed, pic is fantastic on 800 though...Just can't quit fishing to play with it yet.

Could have done a better job on the routing. Next time I'm into that panel, I'll fix the spacing issue. Champion did a good job with it from the factory though...can't fault them. It's the aftermarket installer that goofed this one....some jake leg wannabe. TM wiring is run up the port side, all else the starboard...problem comes from the panel and how I routed the TM power out of it.

Wannabe...

Hey Wannabe, are you adjusting the sensativity a all when you're switching frequency's?
Adjusting sensitivity make all the difference in the world sometimes.

I've run it up and down some and noticed the difference, but it seems that at one time X is good, X+3 sometimes or even X-2 etc. Seems the water quality dictates what sensitivity works best at a given time. Might just be my imagination though.

Wannabe...

I haven't noticed the water quality being an issue but I haven't paid any attention to it either. I can see where maybe all those suspended partices making a difference though. I really should push buttons a little more but I get side tracked by the fishing especially if I see something worth while on the screen.

Lowrance and MK does not play well together. I usually have mine set on 800 but sometimes I will click on the 455. You will need to adjust sensitivity for each setting. Have you gone into the menu and adjusted the noise levels. If all fails, I believe it was bird that has a filter that can be attached to the t-motor to stop the interference.

Wannabe - Post up some structure scan pictures.. I want to see some real world shots to see what that thing is made of....

DoubleG

Immagonna.....one of these days.

Wannabe....

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Originally Posted by DoubleGobble00

Wannabe - Post up some structure scan pictures.. I want to see some real world shots to see what that thing is made of....

DoubleG

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DoubleGobble00- Here is a recent post by Talon on the Illinois board, with some excellent pics and info.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/illin...ml#post1646696

Here is another really good post by Talon with pictures comparing HBird and Lowrance downscan images at both frequencies. Talon is very knowledgeable on these and very helpful when asked for help. He may not have seen your thread, but a pm to him might help.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/illin...ml#post1430573

ttt for DoubleGobble00

i just had a conversation about the SI distance with lowrance. in fact i believe their is now a chart that shows the side distance you will get with the bottom depth you are in. if you are in 3 foot of water---you are only going to get about 9 foot SI. on 800 frequency. you can multiply that a couple more times on 455, but u give up some clarity they say--this is not the exact numbers, but you can get the exact from lowrance. also SI DOES NOT WORK at all if your boat is not moving. it has to be moving.therefore the area you see on the SI before it turns to nothingness black is the SI as far as allowed according to your settings. now that i have said that, the auto setting is what would determine that. if YOU put your SI on manuel and set a distance, i think you will still get the same results, if your near a shoreline, but if you are in deeper water and just want to see the SI SCENERY so to speak, then i think you can get better results, but your depth will stay play a large factor. i just did see a chart somewhere as i was cruising the net and when i find it again i will try to post it here for all to see

Jethro.... Thanks so much... Those images are awesome.... That's what I'm talking bout... Sorry iut took me so long to check back...