1st time recording and using Humviewer questions

I'll include a snapshot from Humviewer to illustrate my 1st question. This is a snap from a recording being played back in HV. The right side of the SI, in all 6 recordings done that day, show a different clarity of the water column from the left side; there is no such difference in the playback when I review it on my 598. Can anyone offer any insight on what I'm doing wrong?
This is the supplied transducer mounted to the transom, just off center to the right side of the keel line. I'm pushing the boat stern first to keep my oar strokes out of the display.

2nd question, if someone were interested in taking a look at this recording to see if it looks the same on their unit or version of HV, what portion of the file or what file extensions would need to be sent along? I see folders with the recording number on it with various files and extensions in there, as well as DAT files and XML files. This recording is about 8 minutes long

3rd question: I marked various waypoints as I went along, simply to remind myself that there was something interesting there that I wanted to look closer at. I have the box to show waypoints checked but I don't see any indicators on the HV playback; what should I be looking for?

I'm using version 86 of Humview.

If the cloudiness in not showing on your unit ...there is something in Humviewer causing this ...

2. I will PM you my email address ...

When you open the RECORD folder on the card ...there will be a folder labeled R0001 and a .DAT file right under it ... I need the .DAT file ... Can you zip the entire RECORD folder ...?? I can extract it out myself ...

3. There should be a small red diamond at the point in the SI image where you marked the waypoint ...

Did you select Waypoint in the Utilities button and then click some where on the image to set the waypoint ...??

Rickie

PM incoming.

Regarding the waypoint, it seems that HV will allow me to make new points using the procedure you describe but doesn't show the ones I made as I went along.
Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding how it will work. I'll play it again a few times.

Thanks for your help. I'm getting the hang of it; its the details that are getting me.
Ken

Edit to add: In HV, under the "Tools" tab, the "show way points" and "show user tracks" are not enabled for me. The option to create a way point as you described above works if I want a new one; can't seem to display the ones made on the water.

Hey Ken ...

Here is the snapshot from my Humviewer using your .DAT file ...

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...pssm1qve6q.jpg

I think you have something going on either in the unit or in the xducer and it's just not showing as prevalent on the unit itself ... (Humviewer uses different processing to render the recording than the unit does)..

Do you have access to another SI unit where you could test your unit on their xducer or their unit on your xducer ...??

Rickie

Unfortunately, no I don't. I fish on my own most of the time; don't know anyone else who has any electronics.
Hmmmmmmmm........
You have the same results I do; I went through all the color schemes and it show up in them all and it shows up at any playback speed as well.
Thanks for taking a close look at it.
Ken

Now the waypoints in Humviewer ...

Humviewer will not show the waypoints that you created in the HB unit ... Waypoints go directly into the HB unit memory and are not part of the recording data being written to the card...

The "Show Waypoints" under the "Tool" tab in Humviewer will not be active until you actually create waypoints in Humviewer ...(I think you've figured out how to create new waypoints in Humviewer)...

To export the waypoints from Humviewer ...

Click File Export ..
Choose to "Save in" ... Someplace you can remember ...
Enter a "File Name" ...
Then click the drop down arrow at "Files of Type" ....and choose "Humminbird files *.gpx
Then click "Save"...
A popup should show asking what files to save ...
Select "Waypoints"...
Unselect "Boat track" ... I don't usually save this ...
Select "No track points"...
Click OK ...

Then open Humminbird PC and move this .gpx file into HBPC where you can upload to a SD Card that can then upload the Humviewer waypoints back into your HB unit ...

Rickie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 6poundtest

Unfortunately, no I don't. I fish on my own most of the time; don't know anyone else who has any electronics.
Hmmmmmmmm........
You have the same results I do; I went through all the color schemes and it show up in them all and it shows up at any playback speed as well.
Thanks for taking a close look at it.
Ken

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I suggest you play this same recording back on the unit and capture some snapshots from the recording and then post them here ...

Crank up the SI sensitivity a little hot before you capture the snapshot to maybe highlight this issue better ...

A snapshot on the unit (from the live recording you've already made) will also give Greg something he can comment on ...(the bosses won't let Greg play with Humviewer...it's espionage or something I'm sure)...

Rickie

OK, that explains that then.
I just won't worry about the waypoints during playback; I'll know where I've been pretty much on the ponds I fish.

I just checked the snapshots I took on my first trip out and I can't see any obvious clouding in any of those, even zoomed in until it get too pixelated.
May be useless information for my potential problem, though.

edit: just saw your post; could I have had the sensitivity up too high to start? I don't remember what it was set at but it was pretty clear water, calm conditions and a soft bottom; I know I was playing with it along with other settings but to be in all 6 recordings I gotta believe its not the main problem.

I replayed the recordings with the sensitivity way up and the contrast at both ends of the spectrum and I can see it now on the right side, just like in HV.
Guess I'll be contacting customer service at some point in the near future.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 6poundtest

I replayed the recordings with the sensitivity way up and the contrast at both ends of the spectrum and I can see it now on the right side, just like in HV.
Guess I'll be contacting customer service at some point in the near future.

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You will still need to capture some screenshots from the unit ... HB will want to see them ...

You can capture screenshots during the recording playback ...

During recording playback ... Press the 4way cursor to freeze the screen scroll ...
Then set the SI Sensitivity high enough to show the issue ...
Capture screenshots to SD Card ...

Sidenote: The unit will be creating a waypoint at the physical GPS antenna position of where the boat was during the recording process ...

You may want to delete these waypoints from your waypoint library (created when capturing the screenshots)...
These waypoints will have a "S" prefix assigned by the unit ...

Rickie

Great thread. I have just used the information learned from this one.

Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RCC

Great thread. I have just used the information learned from this one.

Thanks.

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This is exactly why I try to answer all questions in the open thread (unless a PM is necessary for privacy issues)...

There are those reading behind the scenes other than the original Poster than can benefit ...

Glad my info helped you also RCC ...

Rickie

Attached are some snapshots taken from my playback. 30 and 31 are taken about 2 minutes in to my recording, in amber 2 and brown colors.


Sensitivity is 15 and contrast is at 2, no sharpness. 32 and 33 are taken at about 4 minutes in, same color schemes for reference, sensitivity 12 and contrast 2. 34 is a different recording still showing the fuzz.

It definately doesn't seem as prevalent in the HB screenshots ...

Do you have other recordings that show this same cloudiness in Humviewer ...??

Rickie

I made 6 recordings and I'm pretty sure they all show up in Humviewer. I'll have to doublecheck. I'm having computer issues tonight so I may not respond right away.


Edit: yes, they all show up in HV.

I took another trip yesterday to the same pond and had the same results on the right side readout. It was pretty choppy on the water and I think I actually had the transducer come out of the water a time or 2 as I had black lines show up and it gave me an idea. I snapped the picture of my stern with 'ducer attached. Could its nearness to the surface be responsible in any way for my issue? This boat with the flat bottom really floats high on the surface. It seems I'd get it on both sides if that the case. With the clutter mostly near the bottom on the playback pics I previously posted I'm guessing its not the issue.

Black horizontal lines (gaps) in the SI image can definately be the xducer coming completely out of the water ...(Especially with your type of lightweight boat style) ...

Cloudiness on one side of the SI image is usually an issue with either the piezo on that side or the transmitter on that side ...

Your issue is more prevalent in Humviewer than in the unit itself ... This is simply because of Humviewer's different processing of the raw recording data ... And the fact that the PC screen has better resolution than the unit screen)...

The easiest test would be to cross test with either another head unit or another xducer ...

You might think putting out a request in your state forum for anyone close to you that would be willing to help with cross testing the unit ...

And it still wouldn't hurt to call HB and see what they say ... They may be willing to send you a xducer for testing ...(especially if the unit is still in warranty)...

Rickie

I think I know your problem with right side fussing,try defaught your unit and if it clears up it will be your transducer cable is roll up improper ,had that issue with 798 and 998 until I finally got it figured out,always right side and will do it more if you are near right hard bank that may be as far as a few hundred feet away

Gene, my cable is rolled up for convenience, except for about 4' on the transducer end and a foot and a half or so on the plug end. On the first recording, that Rickie posted the Humview snapshot of, the right side of the boat would have been pointing our into the deep water of the pond on all 6 recordings. What did you have to do properly roll up the excess cable?

Next time I'm out, I'll try resetting the unit to factory defaults and see what it looks like. Thanks for the suggestions.
Ken

HB recommends that the excess xducer cable be coiled into an 8" coil ...and then "figure 8" the coil back onto itself creating a 4" coil ...

Do not zip tie this coil too tight as zipties can actually damage the wire ...

Rickie

Wow, that's pretty tight. I'll see what I can do. Right now its about 10" round, loosely captured at the top and bottom of the circle with 2 bread bag paper covered wire ties.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 6poundtest

Wow, that's pretty tight. I'll see what I can do. Right now its about 10" round, loosely captured at the top and bottom of the circle with 2 bread bag paper covered wire ties.

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There's supposed to be some kind of interference eliminating properties of the "figure 8" ...

I doubt if the coil size is that important ...

Rickie

Is this what it should look like?

http://i59.tinypic.com/2116hwi.jpg

Now take that figure 8 and fold the top half (of the figure 8) onto the bottom half (of the figure 8) so that the finished total coil is only 4" in diameter ...

Rickie

OK, I'll do that next. Any reason for dielectric grease on the plugin for the transducer to assure connectivity? I've got an email contact in to HB with a response back suggesting steps to try; just thinking of other possibilities.

Some swear by dielectric grease ... Others condemn it ...

I think on pins like these ... It just creates an attractant for dirt collection...

Rickie

There is no joy in Mudville this evening. I took the unit out again this afternoon for a test after coiling the extra lead as suggested and resetting back to factory default and if anything, the playback is worse. I even moved to the stern seat to be sure the 'ducer was fully under water and tried things while moving both directions.
I have only one other thing to try and that is not plugging it in to the portable setup that my 570 was using. I'll mount the new base somehow and plug the transducer cable direct to that mount although I doubt the portable mount is the problem.

Bummer...............

If eliminating the portable mount shows no progress ...

I think it's time to call HB and get a paper trail started ...

Rickie

UPDATE:

I sent the head unit and the x-ducer in for evaluation and it appears there is no problem with the 2. There is a note on my repair tag indicating that the conditions I am describing are a known issue when the chart speed is at 2, which is where I was recording based on my travel speed of between 1-2 mph. They hope to address it in a software update at a later date. A note also indicated they tested the transducer and found no problems with it. They upgraded the software version, too.

Service from HB was lightning fast; they received the box on Tuesday and I had it back on Saturday, a 4 day turn-around including the shipping time back to me ! I wish they'd have sent back the original HB box with it, though.

I took it out for a short test today amongst the snow flurries and made numerous recordings, with chart speed of 1,2 and 3; 2 does seem to give me the best picture in real time. Same issue does show up in Humviewer so I guess it's just the nature of the beast. I'll just live with it on my little rowboat. Someday, I'll find a motorboat and stick it on there for a test run and see if there is a problem at higher speeds and chart speeds.

Come on spring, 2015!