Humminbird 859 Trouble

My depth on my Humminbird 859 DI is messing up in the 2d sonar. The image on the screen is correct, shows baitfish and fish like always, shows the bottom and had the depth lines on the screen so I know pretty close the depth. But the actual depth number is going haywire like im in a foot of water or less. It will say its anywhere from 0.9ft-71feet and constantly changing even though the bottom on my screen isnt. Its mounted on my trolling motor.


Went out this weekend again and now the image on the screen in downimaging is all whited out. Seems like I was washing out the image with too much sensitivity or enhancement. I adjusted the settings around for an hour and could get the screen to clear up some but not near enough to even see any structure on the bottom. The 2d sonor however is still working great as far as images, depth is still going haywire. I restored default settings and that didnt help. Someone please help! Unit is just 3 months old. should I just try to get it replaced?

Trolling motor interference!

Crappielimits makes a good point...

Is this "white out" happening when you step on the TM....??

Is there any other units operating on the boat at the same time...??

Rickie

I didn't even think of interference. I have it on a Minn Kota Fortrex, but it has worked on there fine for 2 of the 3 months I have owned the unit. I also have a Hmminbird 899 on the back. Along with a Lowrance 5x, which I never turn on, and the transducer to that unit is just laying in the back of my boat. Its just made into my console and I didnt wanna take it out and have a huge hole in it where it is. So only 2 units on the boat that are being used is 859, and 899.

I was looking at the transducer after I got off work last night, noticed about an inch long scratch on it. Its very very shallow, and doesnt look bad at all, just a slight color change on the plastic. Dont know when this happened, so dont know if unit started messing up when this happened, or if this scratch would even bother it. Just letting yaw know everything I see that could potentially be a problem.

LowePro,
Generally a scratch in the transducer housing will not cause any problems – unless the scratch was the result of the transducer hitting something.
Try and see if this digital depth problem is only happening in a certain water depth. Example: it only happens when I am in more than 10 feet of water or something like that.
Make sure that either problem is not interference form the trolling motor, your main motor or the other sonar unit.
If you know of anyone else that has a Humminbird DI model unit, try testing your unit on their boat and their unit on your boat. This will help point to where the problem is.

Awesome idea. I will pay more attention to my depth when it starts going haywire. And dont know anyone that has the same unit as I around me, but I will start asking around.

It doesn't have to be the same model unit as yours LowePro, just as long as it has "DI" in the model name it should work.

By the way: what settings are you using on the Connected Transducer and Digital Depth Source menus?

What is the Digital Depth Source?

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Originally Posted by LowePro

What is the Digital Depth Source?

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The larger HB DI units (800/900/1100 series) have a menu selection that tells the unit to derive "Digital Depth Source" from either the 2d piezo data or the DI piezo data...

It should be found under the Sonar tab...

Greg is asking which selection this "Digital Depth Source" menu setting is set to...

Rickie

The larger HB DI units (800/900/1100 series) have a menu selection that tells the unit to derive "Digital Depth Source" from either the 2d piezo data or the DI piezo data...

It should be found under the Sonar tab...

Greg is asking which selection this "Digital Depth Source" menu setting is set to...

Rickie ...
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Rickie what is the best to use

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gotta_fish

The larger HB DI units (800/900/1100 series) have a menu selection that tells the unit to derive "Digital Depth Source" from either the 2d piezo data or the DI piezo data...

It should be found under the Sonar tab...

Greg is asking which selection this "Digital Depth Source" menu setting is set to...

Rickie what is the best to use

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I would think deriving the "Digital Depth" from the 2d source might be better if the user was wanting to try and get higher speed readings from the DI unit ...as the 200kHz 2d cone beam is smaller than the DI fan beam...which could make the unit "track" bottom better...

But on the other hand....deriving the "Digital Depth" from the DI beam might help eliminate possible "crosstalk interference" with a second 200kHz unit on the boat...

(I'm gonna let Greg confirm ...but I think even the smaller HB DI units may also have this "Digital Depth Source" menu selection...)

Rickie

They do Rickie if they are running software version 6.250 (or higher) and the unit is using the Advanced User Mode menu setting.
Actually the DI sonar is better at tracking the water depth when in less than about 10 feet of water. So if you are having problems showing the correct water depth when running shallow, make sure that the Digital Depth Source menu is set to "Auto".

I've never seen that selection option (Digital Depth Source) on either my 998c HD SI or 958c HD. Is that because I do not have a dedicated DI ducer on the 998 and the 958 does not have DI at all?

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Originally Posted by Trout Bum

I've never seen that selection option (Digital Depth Source) on either my 998c HD SI or 958c HD. Is that because I do not have a dedicated DI ducer on the 998 and the 958 does not have DI at all?

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The Digital Depth Source menu selection only applies to the HB DI units...

So Greg...if the Digital Depth Source menu selection is set to "Auto" ...what does "Auto" mean...??

Rickie

That the unit will automatically switch from using the 2D sonar to the DI sonar when in shallow water and switch back when moving into deeper water. Not sure what the exact water depth for this is but would venture a guess that it is at the 10 foot mark.

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Originally Posted by Humminbird_Greg

That the unit will automatically switch from using the 2D sonar to the DI sonar when in shallow water and switch back when moving into deeper water. Not sure what the exact water depth for this is but would venture a guess that it is at the 10 foot mark.

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Now that's interesting...

Thanks Greg...

Rickie

Ok. I went to Enid on 7/28/14. My depth problem persisted for about 2hrs, then all of a sudden it started reading correctly at around 10 feet deep for about 30 minutes. Then it started going crazy again for the rest of the trip. So my digital depth source should be set to auto right? I couldnt find that digital depth tab on my graph. My down image is staying washed out unless I have my sensitivity to 3 or less, when I do that, It doesnt seem like my unit is picking up smaller objects, or returns. So that eliminates me being able to see fish, or bait schools, and small structure. I think.... Maybe I just dont know my unit like I should. But when I first got my unit the default settings were ok, but I played with the settings and was getting crystal clear images, and then all of a sudden screen in DI is washed out. Without any settings being changed. Dont know what happened, but sure hope we can figure this out. :biggrin Thankyou for you guys time and inputs. Please keep it coming. Im desperate lol.

The "Digital Depth Source" menu selection should be under the Sonar tab in the main menu system ...(you may need to set the "User Mode" to "Advanced" under the Setup tab to see the Digital Depth Source selection under the Sonar tab)...

If you still don't find the "Digital Depth Source" under the Sonar tab...you may not have current enough software to have that feature...

What version of software is the unit running...??

Rickie

As there are several Sensitivity settings in the DI unit....Greg can explain better than I ...on what each Sensitivity setting controls in the HB DI units...

There are global Sensitivity settings and individual Sensitivity settings...

Rickie

How do I see what software im running? I bought it end of march. And if I need to update it, is it a big deal? How do I do that. I am currently in the process of reading my owners manual along with you guys info, so I can understand. It just is taking me a while to read it between work and a 2 yr old. Thanx for yaws patience.

There are a few different ways to show the View screen that shows the software version. Since you are not that familiar with your 859c DI unit I’ll get you to do it this way:
- With the unit powered on and running (on the trailer is fine): go to the Views menu tab in the main menu system.
- Scroll down the listed Views until you see the “Self Test” View listed.
Use the Arrow buttons to select “Visible”.
- Use the EXIT button to get out of the menus and also to continue to scroll through all available Views.
- You should see an additional View while scrolling through the available Views named “System Status” The software version will be listed in about the center of the screen.

You stated: “My down image is staying washed out unless I have my sensitivity to 3 or less”
What are you meaning by “washed out”? Can you post a screen snapshot of what the DI sonar looks like with default menu settings?

Attachment 170411
Here is what i meant about being washed out. But now I am realizing how dumb i am. I have played with all my settings and when i get to where the image is best on what ever structure may b in the water. I get this blur at the bottom. And it all started just all of a sudden bout a month ago. Now guess what else happened about a month ago, water temps raised to above 80 degrees. Ok now I have noticed a trend in this blur, its only occuring at about 14-17 feet deep. So the next image even further supports my hypothesis. A THERMOCLINE!!! I know what one looked like in 2d, but never been around deep enuf water with my di and si until this yr. I feel like a dummy! Never even herd of someone seeing a thermocline with hi def down imaging and side imaging. Now here is something strange to me. My side imaging graph will show the thermocline in 2d and down imaging, but does not show a thermocline in side imaging. Why? My depth thing is still gojng crazy on my down imaging unit, but I guess thats the only thing that is acting up (if what im seeing on the down imaging is truely the thermocline). I can live with that! This pik is what made the light come on in my head.
Attachment 170412

Attachment 170413

Now these 2 photos arent even from the same lake, but did notice the thermocline being at around the same depth. So I was like EUREKA! Now this is just what I think personally. Im very dumb when it comes to technology. So I need someone on here to tell me Im right. That this is a thermocline.

I believe you are correct

Awesome!!!!

Now, one more question... If the water say is 50 feet deep, and the thermocline is 16-20 feet down. In 2d sonar the image clears back up below the thermocline. So will it do the same in down imaging?

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Originally Posted by LowePro

Now, one more question... If the water say is 50 feet deep, and the thermocline is 16-20 feet down. In 2d sonar the image clears back up below the thermocline. So will it do the same in down imaging?

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Most thermocline pix I've seen cover from the top of the thermocline all the way to the bottom...

Do you have a pic of the 2d image thermocline that clears up below the thermocline...??

Rickie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rnvinc

Most thermocline pix I've seen cover from the top of the thermocline all the way to the bottom...

Do you have a pic of the 2d image thermocline that clears up below the thermocline...??

Rickie

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X2 on the thermocline being solid to the bottom all the way to the bottom.

I fished owens lake on thursday and found a 50 ft hole. The thermocline started at 16 feet and ended bout 22 feet. Then the water cleared back up below that. I wish I would have switched screens over to see for myself, but i hung a 3lb channel cat and he was whipping my but and I got distracted. Didnt take a pic, cuz I had been getting alot of phone calls, so I had phone shut off. I dont answer my phone while im fishing unless its my wife calling lol! I will try to get back down there next weekend and look again.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/attac...d=171235&stc=1
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/attac...d=171234&stc=1

Thermocline not reaching the bottom. Down imaging was so washed out, I couldnt see anything in this spot. I have recently learned how to record images on my graph to a sd card so I will b getting alot better at posting images.

That's they way my graphs show the thermocline in deeper water. Clear on top, thermocline and clear from there to the bottom.

I have heard the thermocline and below is free of oxygen. So fish souldnt be below it correct? I have yet to see one below it, I am just wondering if this is a for sure fact. Like even for catfish?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LowePro

I have heard the thermocline and below is free of oxygen. So fish souldnt be below it correct? I have yet to see one below it, I am just wondering if this is a for sure fact. Like even for catfish?

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I was always told that below thermocline the oxygen content is much lower(not free of oxygen) that is why sometimes you may see some of the rough fish as carp, drum etc sitting just below thermocline all depending on water temperatures they find most comfortable. This fish do not need as much oxygen. Throw a crappie/gill & a carp on the shore after a hour the panfish is dead and the carp will live for another hour.

Man I wish Ky Lake had some occassional defined thermocline...

I don't get much chance to see that on my machine...

Great pix Lowepro...

Rickie