misbehaving depthsounder

[bshanafelt]

My sounder is a Furuno LS4100,* it has both 50 and 200 htz frequencies.* The display unit is only 2 years old, but the transducer is 13years.

Normaly, this unit does and outstanding job of displaying depth.

During the last few days I have been getting erratic signals.* Not only will I get a blank screen, but often the readings are WAY off.* 1000 ft in 15 ft for example.

*

It seems to be able to hit once in a while on the 200htz setting, while the 50htz setting hardly even shows any signal, but is always wrong.

*

Would anyone know if this is sounds like a transducer going bad?

*

Thanks

*

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

Is the transducer outside the hull?* Any chance there is crud growing on it?* I have a similar problem and assume it is growth on the transducer.

 

[bshanafelt]

transducer is a thru hull. mounted about 1/3 from the bow just to the port of the keel - pretty much the perfect location. No growth, just hauled for bottom paint this past June, so that is not it.

Also, it pretty much suddenly started acting up.

thx

 

[Edelweiss]

Had a simular experience, last year. *Thought it was my 6 month old chartplotter/sonar, it wouldn't read any deeper than 22 feet and said the water temp was 96 degrees. *A friend had a spare transducer and we plugged it in and hung it over the side in 100' of water. *Sure enough the transducer (thru hull) had failed. *I just hauled out for bottom paint last year, crud!!

 

[Larry M]

bshanafelt wrote:
.....last few days I have been getting erratic signals.* Not only will I get a blank screen, but often the readings are WAY off.* 1000 ft in 15 ft for example.

Would anyone know if this is sounds like a transducer going bad?

*

Thanks

*_______________________________________________________

When you turn the unit on, and it is in the automatic mode, does the depth scale change*incrementally as if the unit is hunting for the bottom?* Disconnect the transducer from*the back of the unit.* If there is no*change on the display, it is you transducer.