Depth Sounder

[emilanderson]

Okay I saw a couple posts about this... My depth sounder goes in and out frequently. Like we were in several areas of 150-200ft water and the sounder was consistenly reading 30ft. I used the chart to know it was wrong, but severly annoying especially since some of the bays we rolling into were only about 6-7ft at zero tide. I saw a couple people said chuck Raymarine (not willing to spend $15-20k to do that), but has anyone else had a better solution? I am due to haul out for bottom pain next month and need to know if I need to pull the sounder and if so what did you all use?

 

[Comodave]

I have a Raymarine system and the depth sounder works very well. Have had Raymarine on my last 4 boats. Great customer support. Have you talked to them? Is the transducer a through hull or shoot through the hull transducer? Have you checked the connections on the transducer?

 

[emilanderson]

I have a Raymarine system and the depth sounder works very well. Have had Raymarine on my last 4 boats. Great customer support. Have you talked to them? Is the transducer a through hull or shoot through the hull transducer? Have you checked the connections on the transducer?

Raymarine has been so-so support wise so far. I have a 2014 ST44, and it has the thru hull style that looks like a boat shape kinda. Connections all seem fine, firmware is all updated just really super inconsistent.

 

[dhays]

Okay I saw a couple posts about this... My depth sounder goes in and out frequently. Like we were in several areas of 150-200ft water and the sounder was consistenly reading 30ft. I used the chart to know it was wrong, but severly annoying especially since some of the bays we rolling into were only about 6-7ft at zero tide. I saw a couple people said chuck Raymarine (not willing to spend $15-20k to do that), but has anyone else had a better solution? I am due to haul out for bottom pain next month and need to know if I need to pull the sounder and if so what did you all use?

I have the same problem. For a long time I kept getting the DSM error message but for the last several months it has been behaving as you describe. I have checked all the connections and they seem to be solid. I don’t need a depth sound often, but when I do, I REALLY need it.

 

[Comodave]

What DSM do you have? We had a DSM300 that we bought in 2003. Had itfor almost 10 years and it started to lock up. Called Raymarine and long story short, they replaced it with current module for no charge. Was talking to them the next year and they replaced the new unit with a newer one. I think that is pretty great support. They have always been very responsive when I call them.

 

[menzies]

What transducer do you have?

Some transducers have liquid inside - often distilled water or alcohol. If some leaked it creates an air bubble which will distort the reading.

Check you transducer as the simple answer first, before looking at more expensive solutions.

 

[dhays]

What DSM do you have? We had a DSM300 that we bought in 2003. Had itfor almost 10 years and it started to lock up. Called Raymarine and long story short, they replaced it with current module for no charge. Was talking to them the next year and they replaced the new unit with a newer one. I think that is pretty great support. They have always been very responsive when I call them.

I am not sure, I think it is the DSM300 but I would have to check.

What transducer do you have?

Some transducers have liquid inside - often distilled water or alcohol. If some leaked it creates an air bubble which will distort the reading.

Check you transducer as the simple answer first, before looking at more expensive solutions.

I did that a couple months ago. It isn’t a liquid filled transducer.

 

[Comodave]

If it is a DSM300 there was a known problem with them but it was a long time ago that they were replacing them. They replaced mine around 2013. If it is a DSM300 I would call and see if they will still replace it. They are really way out of date but why not ask?

 

[boater3]

Please share the exact model #. You can look through Raymarine's or Airmar's website if you need help figuring out and can't see a model # on the unit. If there was a known issue or recall as a poster above stated, you can try contacting Raymarine for help but good luck since the FLIR acquisition. I have the style that sits in the hull and it wasn't working and I figured out it needed coolant. Works pretty well now, at least for what I need it for. Might consider that as a temporary fix so you at least have something.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Experience speaking here. Shooting through the hull for depth does not work! I even got elaborate using transducer gel (ultrasound gel borrowed from the hospital) I built wells to hold water or gel, erratic at best.No Good. A knowledgable tech recently told me that transom mounted transducers have come a long way, but I am still concerned about the turbulence.

For reliable depth readings get a drill and bore a hole in your hull !! (painful, I know). Buy a brass transducer and mount it properly (or have it done). Believe me, the extra cost and bother is the best investment you will make on your boat!!

pete

 

[wkearney99]

I believe Airmar makes most of the sensors for everyone. It's entirely possible yours is failing. But are the readings dependent on speed? Has it always had problems losing or mis-stating depth? Especially if you're moving? Because that could also indicate poor placement of the sensor, letting turbulence cause trouble.

 

[wkearney99]

And as for checking... I find it VERY HELPFUL to use my cell phone to take pictures of all of the hardware, especially any model/serial number labeling. That way I've got the info handy when I'm not on the boat. Helps a lot later when asking online, at a store looking for something compatible, etc.

There's not too much that's proprietary for depth/speed/temp sensors. Most can be adapted to work with anything these days. Raymarine still holds out trying to make their stuff proprietary, but other DST sensors will work fine with an existing setup.

 

[High Wire]

If you have a cored hull forget using shoot-through-the-hull TDs. Solid glass laminate hulls will work if you scout out a good location first.

 

[emilanderson]

Thanks everyone, I have realized I was woefully unprepared. I will get more info check some of these things and report back. Thank you!

 

[LaBomba]

Experience speaking here. Shooting through the hull for depth does not work! I even got elaborate using transducer gel (ultrasound gel borrowed from the hospital) I built wells to hold water or gel, erratic at best.No Good. A knowledgable tech recently told me that transom mounted transducers have come a long way, but I am still concerned about the turbulence.

For reliable depth readings get a drill and bore a hole in your hull !! (painful, I know). Buy a brass transducer and mount it properly (or have it done). Believe me, the extra cost and bother is the best investment you will make on your boat!!

pete

Sorry Pete but if they didn't work they wouldn't sell them. However it does depend on your hull construction and installation. I installed a new shoot thru on my boat last fall since the boat was in the water. Our boat hull is solid glass and I used antifreeze as a fill. It works incredibly well.

 

[boater3]

Experience speaking here. Shooting through the hull for depth does not work! I even got elaborate using transducer gel (ultrasound gel borrowed from the hospital) I built wells to hold water or gel, erratic at best.No Good. A knowledgable tech recently told me that transom mounted transducers have come a long way, but I am still concerned about the turbulence.

For reliable depth readings get a drill and bore a hole in your hull !! (painful, I know). Buy a brass transducer and mount it properly (or have it done). Believe me, the extra cost and bother is the best investment you will make on your boat!!

pete

Works pretty darn good on my ST44!

 

[syjos]

Experience speaking here. Shooting through the hull for depth does not work! I even got elaborate using transducer gel (ultrasound gel borrowed from the hospital) I built wells to hold water or gel, erratic at best.No Good. A knowledgable tech recently told me that transom mounted transducers have come a long way, but I am still concerned about the turbulence.

For reliable depth readings get a drill and bore a hole in your hull !! (painful, I know). Buy a brass transducer and mount it properly (or have it done). Believe me, the extra cost and bother is the best investment you will make on your boat!!

pete

I recently installed Airmars P79 shoot through the hull 600 watt transducer in Sandpiper. The mount is siliconed to the hull, filled with antifreeze and the transducer installed on the mount.

With a Lowrance DS, I can get depth readings over 1,000 feet in 50 khz and 700 to 900 feet on 200 khz while cruising at 8 knots.

With the old through the hull transducer, I lost bottom at around 300 feet when underway.

My bottom is solid fiberglass, 3/4" thick.

Your hull must be cored or the fiberglass laminates have air bubbles in it for the transducer not to work properly. Or there is air bubbles in the gel or water.

I would never install another through the hull transducer. Drilling the hole, painting the transducer and losing bottom under way is a PITA.

 

[lipets]

Works pretty darn good on my ST44!

with Raytheon?

this one?

or this one

 

[boater3]

with Raytheon?

this one?

or this one

the one sysjos posted. it came factory installed. it was not working initially. i found it had no coolant in it. sealed the leak, added coolant, and it works pretty good for the waters that we boat in.

 

[seadragonbahamas]

One of the possible causes of depth finder erratic behavior and random loss of correct depth is electronic noise interference with the return signal. In my case it was the battery charger system. Only caused interference at certain charge amps. Manifested as radio frequency spikes at the finder frequencies. Shut off the charger when you are experiencing the problem with your depth finder and see if it all of a sudden it works again. Also those 12 volt florescent light fixtures are known to cause depth finder interference.

 

[ben2go]

A lot of good points here. I don't have much experience with sonar. I have mounted many transducers of various styles. One transducer kept giving an owner fits. He installed it himself, shoot through hull type. I didn't bother to pay attention to the brand or model. I pulled the TD, cleaned and painted the hull with Bilge Kote, and re-bedded the TD in Dolphinte. I made an arch across the TD leaving the center higher than the rest. I made sure there was no air bubble trapped between the TD and flat spot on the centerline of the hull. It was solid fiberglass cruiser. The owner made a little stand that held the TD tight to the hull. After the re-bed, it worked perfectly. I got the idea from that Ship Shape TV show that used to be on the air many years ago. Heck, it's probably been that long since I did that TD re-bed.

 

[psneeld]

Have installed dozens and dozens of old style and new purposely made shoot thru the hull ducers.


Everyone has worked except for one on an old sailboat and the unit aas only 300W. Even that worked much of the time in some of the modes


I am sorry for those with failures but done well and roperly working equipment, shooting thru a hull is not a big deal.

 

[emilanderson]

One of the possible causes of depth finder erratic behavior and random loss of correct depth is electronic noise interference with the return signal. In my case it was the battery charger system. Only caused interference at certain charge amps. Manifested as radio frequency spikes at the finder frequencies. Shut off the charger when you are experiencing the problem with your depth finder and see if it all of a sudden it works again. Also those 12 volt florescent light fixtures are known to cause depth finder interference.

Thanks when at idle, there is no issue. My mechanic said frequently if it has bottom paint on it or weeds or barnacles or it somehow got scratched up it can cause erratic behavior and we are hauling out later this month to do new bottom paint so we will see.

 

[rgano]

I get it about not wanting to spend a bunch of money to shift away from the brand of all the rest of your electronics just because the sounder is wonky. I felt the same why when a hurricane blew water right through the face of my elderly Furuno AP controller; so I found an expensive replacement on eBay, but not as expensive as redoing the entire boat's electronics!

I actually had three sounders heads and three external 'ducers on my trawler, and it's too long to go into, but the sounders never died while the displays went south all the time. It was nothing to wire up a new display to the 'ducers; I just monkeyed around with the wires until I got a reading representing the depth the boat sat in.

The final sounder I installed with a very expensive bronze boat-shaped 'ducer was a color Humminbird unit. I had considered them bass boat units, but the 343 unit I had employed a control/display at lower and upper helm with a switch to shift between which one was running the 'ducer, and I liked it a great deal.

Nowadays, I am running an integrated system like many have, and I cannot say I like the concept preferring instead the eclectic mix I had on the trawler with some talking to each other and others not as I liked it.

 

[grandbanksbayfield]

Get Airmar?

Just installed an Airmar using the same hole in the hull as a previous sounder. It works great and does not have a protruding object under the boat. They have different types and can be installed parallel to the hull surface without any shims. Based on the deadrise of the hull at the place where they are installed, they use a correction factor of some sort. It works nicely and if you get an expensive one you can watch the bottom as you move over it and see the fish.

 

[rclarke246]

I was losing the bottom OFTEN, especially in less than 10', when I needed it the most!

I decided to do what Beneteau did, starting with their 2014 or 2015 ST44's, I abandoned the original, blue, boat-shaped one, and replaced it with a Raymarine P79 hockey-puck sized beam-through-the hull style.

Great improvement!

 

[Comodave]

When we bought our current boat it had several old unused transducers (3). I have the port engine out right now and just started glassing one of them closed. I also installed a new Marine Elegance head that uses pressure water so that through hull is also going away. I don’t understand why people just cut the cables and don’t actually remove and glass up the old transducer hole. Next year when I pull the starboard engine I have 2 more unused transducers that will go away and also an old bronze plate and will be glassed up.

 

[caltexflanc]

I don't understand why one would reduce the number of depth sounding devices on a boat.

 

[Comodave]

Probably because they were outdated and no longer being used.

 

[Russell Clifton]

I have had issues with our Raymarine sounder. So as a last resort I set it back to the factory default settings, and it has worked very good since. Lost bottom a few times when over 500', but I can live with that. I think it might have been a problem with the previous owner and then myself setting to many custom settings. A very easy fix and the price was right!