Humminbird 899 Side Image Transducer.

I was on the water monday and was playing with my settings. I turned it to the 800khz setting and it was reading. Now the image was extremely washed out because of too much power (I believe this was the reason) because I was in 3fow when I was messing with it.

My question is..... I thought the 899's stock transducer wasn't capable of running the 800khz. I was planning on buying the HD transducer, but I have it already there would be no need for it. Is this possible? I bought my graphs and had installed with my boat new. How do I know? I need to test it out in deeper water I guess.

There is a kind of misnomer about the stock XNT 9 SI 180 T in the forum conversations and it not being able to take advantage of the 800kHz frequency like the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T upgrade xducer ...

Both xducers have the same amount of SI piezoes (1 left and 1 right) ...

The difference is ...the piezoes in the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T are manufactured by design to efficiently vibrate at 455kHz and 800kHz ...

The piezoes in the XNT 9 SI 180 T are only designed to efficiently vibrate at 455kHz ...

The 899ci SI has 2 separate SI frequency functionality possibilities that tell the SI transmitters what frequency(s) to send to the SI piezoes ...:

*The "HiDef Sidescan" Transducer Select menu setting tells the SI transmitters to fire at 455kHz or 800kHz (dependent on the "Image Frequency" setting under the sonar tab) ...

*The "Sidescan" Transducer Select menu setting tells the SI transmitters to fire at 455kHz (the only "Image Frequency" menu setting when the Transducer Select menu is set to "Sidescan") ...

If the stock XNT 9 SI 180 T is connected to the 899 ... And the "Transducer Select" menu is set to "HiDef Sidescan" = the SI transmitters can fire at 455kHz and 800kHz ...but the SI piezoes in the XNT 9 SI 180 T will not vibrate efficiently when the "Image Frequency" is set to 800kHz ...

The SI transmitters will send the 800kHz signal ... And the SI piezoes will vibrate with the 800kHz frequency signal ... Just not efficiently ....

Clear as mud ...??

Rickie

I think I got ya! So.... ur saying that my stock transducer is capable of sending a 800khz signal, just not capable of recieving it back to develope a nice image? So I will be needing to upgrade my transducer. I wish I would have known about the trade in option when I bought my graphs. They were just so new to me when I got it, the only thing I knew about them was that they came in a box. hahahahah

Most all piezoes are manufactured to vibrate efficiently at either a "single resonate frequency" or "dual resonate frequency" ...

Piezoes will vibrate at most any frequency signal that the transmitter sends to it ... Just not as efficiently as the designed frequency(s) ...more efficient vibration = stronger sound pulse = more reflection from echo targets = more received echo data to process ...

Your 899 can operate at a "single resonate frequency transmit" = "Sidescan" Transducer Select menu choice ...
Your 899 can operate at a "dual resonate frequency transmit" = "Hi Def Sidescan" Transducer Select menu choice ...

Your stock XNT 9 SI 180 T can vibrate at both the 455kHz and the 800kHz transmit = "Hi Def Sidescan" Transducer Select menu choice ...

With the stock XNT 9 SI 180 T attached, the 800kHz frequency transmit will not vibrate the SI piezoes effectively enough to create a strong enough sound pulse to make good SI images ...

Will the stock XNT 9 SI 180 T work on 800kHz ...?? ...Yup ...

But not as good as the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T ...

Rickie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rnvinc

Most all piezoes are manufactured to vibrate efficiently at either a "single resonate frequency" or "dual resonate frequency" ...

Piezoes will vibrate at most any frequency signal that the transmitter sends to it ... Just not as efficiently as the designed frequency(s) ...more efficient vibration = stronger sound pulse = more reflection from echo targets = more received echo data to process ...

Your 899 can operate at a "single resonate frequency transmit" = "Sidescan" Transducer Select menu choice ...
Your 899 can operate at a "dual resonate frequency transmit" = "Hi Def Sidescan" Transducer Select menu choice ...

Your stock XNT 9 SI 180 T can vibrate at both the 455kHz and the 800kHz transmit = "Hi Def Sidescan" Transducer Select menu choice ...

With the stock XNT 9 SI 180 T attached, the 800kHz frequency transmit will not vibrate the SI piezoes effectively enough to create a strong enough sound pulse to make good SI images ...

Will the stock XNT 9 SI 180 T work on 800kHz ...?? ...Yup ...

But not as good as the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T ...

Rickie

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This explanation helps me understand why a true CHIRP transducer might cost several thousand $$$. There will be transducers that will send out multiple frequencies(so they can claim CHIRP), but they will sacrifice quality for quantity.

I see!!! Thanks man! You have helped me come along way since i started this stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LowePro

I see!!! Thanks man! You have helped me come along way since i started this stuff.

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There's nary a question I didn't ask myself when I started ...

Rickie

Some of the new SI units shipped with an 800 KHz "bug" and mine needed the repair work done.
If yourun 800 KHz it should "settle up" after the 1st full screen marches off...
If it's blown out & only a setting of 1 or 2 seem to work, you might give HB a call with your serial number ready.

I wasn't aware of the upgrade until long after the fact. Will I really see much resolution difference if I decide to purchase the new HD
transducer?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BamaBill

I wasn't aware of the upgrade until long after the fact. Will I really see much resolution difference if I decide to purchase the new HD
transducer?

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Read this to make the decision easier ...

HD vs Compact transducer

Rickie

I am glad I upgraded when I bought my 999 ; I think its worth it. I seldom use 800 because the image isn't that rich and/or I don't know how to sharpen it. I just looked at my images ; they are sharper on the unit and pc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BamaBill

I wasn't aware of the upgrade until long after the fact. Will I really see much resolution difference if I decide to purchase the new HD
transducer?

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I used an 899 for 4 years. I did not know about the upgrade program until I had already used the compact transducer. So I bought the HD transducer. I was sorry I spent the money. Yes there is some difference in clarity but IMHO it was not worth the money. Even though I had the HD transducer my settings stayed on 455.


Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I used an 899 for 4 years. I did not know about the upgrade program until I had already used the compact transducer. So I bought the HD transducer. I was sorry I spent the money. Yes there is some difference in clarity but IMHO it was not worth the money. Even though I had the HD transducer my settings stayed on 455.


Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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That's because you need to go into the Sonar tab menu and CHANGE the selected XDCR to Hi Def from Compact!

You will then have the 800 kHz frequency available in the menu to select frequencies.

I upgraded my 899ci HD SI when I had the chance and it was a big difference, even the 4355 kHz is cleaner.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sfw1960

That's because you need to go into the Sonar tab menu and CHANGE the selected XDCR to Hi Def from Compact!

You will then have the 800 kHz frequency available in the menu to select frequencies.

I upgraded my 899ci HD SI when I had the chance and it was a big difference, even the 4355 kHz is cleaner.

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Very familiar with my sonar settings. I am no rookie or stranger to sonar. I did many comparisons with the 800 vs 455.....All I said was it was not that big a difference IMHO.....some difference yes....but not enough to warrant what I paid for the transducer. So next time don't assume something. You didn't ask me did I change settings you just assumed I had no clue.....

Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I used an 899 for 4 years. I did not know about the upgrade program until I had already used the compact transducer. So I bought the HD transducer. I was sorry I spent the money. Yes there is some difference in clarity but IMHO it was not worth the money. Even though I had the HD transducer my settings stayed on 455.


Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

Very familiar with my sonar settings. I am no rookie or stranger to sonar. I did many comparisons with the 800 vs 455.....All I said was it was not that big a difference IMHO.....some difference yes....but not enough to warrant what I paid for the transducer. So next time don't assume something. You didn't ask me did I change settings you just assumed I had no clue.....

Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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I don't recall saying you were clueless.

I didn't assume, I read that your settings stayed at 455 kHz as quoted above, so I can only go on the information that was provided- which at best was unclear to most folks that would read what you typed.

There's a great deal of difference using 800 kHz as there is using the new Mega units at 1.3 MHz - but they almost constantly need some adjustment to get the most from them.
I have absolutely zero regrets by swapping the HDSI when I ran the 899, there wasn't much difference in price for me, but because you may have paid a high retail price outright - you don't find the difference (to you) worth it.

That's not to say that a person that DOES know about the XDCR exchange program wouldn't find the $85 up charge to bad for the improvement and addition of more functionality.

So maybe if you'd done the transducer exchange, you would have thought the images were well worth the $85 swap.

For every 10-15 people that do the exchange, maybe one feels it wasn't worth it - but I am not one of them, so theres no need to assume anything about me either. :biggrin

Have a nice day...