First time using side scan

[Fishorhunt]

My 899 arrived today and I watched the videos, read the instruction manuals and then took a nap.

My first issue was that my ram mount didn't come in so I made my own. Since I wasn't sure how I would like it I didn't "plumb" any wires in but it worked great. Can anyone guess what the mount is made from?

I set everything up exactly how the manual said by levelling the boat and transducer mount. It wasn't that hard to do but since my boat is so light, once in the water and I get in the front the back raises up so I made my best guess as to where "level" was. The wife went to the lake with me to check out my new toy and also laid claim to all my insulated goretex. She read on the manual and helped me try to get the settings right but, I was so cold after 30 minutes we had to leave.

I was amazed at some of the images and my wife noticed that every time I spit in the water there would be a speck come up on the side of the side scan that I spit on. I do however have an issue with turbulence from something on the port side of my boat. I thought it was the trolling motor but even when its up I get it. I have an old transducer on that side that could be doing it. ????

Here are some pictures.

[CatFan]

To get your transducer level on the water, take a level and a handful of pennies out in the boat with you. With the boat at a slow idle the way you want to scan, put the level on the deck someplace and shim the back by stacking pennies until it reads level. Count the pennies, and when you get home put the level and pennies back in the boat where they were on the water. Crank the tongue jack until you center the bubble and your boat is sitting just like it does when you are idling. Now you can level your transducer and it will be right when you get on the lake.

[Fishorhunt]

Great idea. Thanks for that tip.

[kickingback]

Make sure the motor is not in the "beam" of the cone. Check with the motor down and using the level mentioned above check to see if anything is in the beam when the boat is sitting in the water. You may need to move the ducer to the most right or left side of boat away from motor so the beam does not hit the motor and blade when scanning. If that old ducer is in the beam then it will show up as well. Use a string and tie it to the sonar and pull it out at an angle from the ducer to see what is "in the beam" from all angles. If the string hits anything then you need to move the obstruction or relocate the ducer.

[rnvinc]

Can you post pix of your xducer install ...??

Including the areas to the left and right of the xducer ...

Rickie

[Fishorhunt]

I will when I get home.

[Danny2072]

I'm having the same problem with mine, when I first installed mine I had it set about a half inch above the bottom of the boat. Recently I lowered it about a quarter inch below the bottom and I started getting the same images in the water column on the left side.
I'm thinking it's got something to do with the water turbulence from the strake on the bottom of the boat. Planning on raising it back to the original position when I get back home to verify that.
if you figure it out before I do let me know please

[Humminbird_Greg]

To know if it is turbulent water causing the constant line next to the centerline: shut the motor off and let the boat drift and even come to a stop. If the line is still there then it is being caused by something (lower unit of the motor, ladder, another transducer,…) physically blocking that side of the Si sonar. If it does disappear when drifting, than it is turbulent water causing it.