Issue with humminbird helix 7 reading in deeper water

[Richard Metzger]

This is my first season with a helix 7 SI.  Earlier in the year when fishing mostly in depths above 10 or 12 feet it was working beautifully.  The first time I used it in deeper water (22ish feet) with minimal structure I noticed a problem.  I was getting a fuzzy read out of the bottom in my sonar and the DI and SI were all fuzz.  Once I got back about 15ish feet it would go back to perfect clarity. It also seems to work when there is a significant piece of structure in deeper water.

 

 I messed with every setting I could think of as well as resetting to all factory settings and no luck.  I tried humminbirds customer service and the guy I spoke to didn’t really have any great ideas.  He suggested I go out on a lake and call them again, this is difficult for me as I live in a very rural area with minimal cell service.
 

 I thought maybe someone online would have had a similar problem and could help before I call them again or have to send the unit back?  I couldn’t post the images I took of the problem on here as they were too large so here are links:

 

https://ibb.co/J3ktgYb
https://ibb.co/2Zh0ZW8

 

thank you, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a video I took of the problem.  You may wanna fast forward to 30 or 40 seconds in 

 

https://vimeo.com/438365619/recommended

[Tim Kelly]

Check your transducer position. It might not be pointing straight down, so loses bottom when you go past a certain depth.

[Richard Metzger]

Thanks, I have adjusted the ducer and to several different positions, nothing.

[Tim Kelly]

In the video it almost looked like it was reading the thermocline as the bottom. 

 

If you've reset to factory defaults and it's doing it it pretty much has to be the transducer angle, the sounder doesn't care what the depth is, it either works or doesn't. Does it do the same thing when the motor isn't running? 

[Richard Metzger]

On 7/15/2020 at 11:34 AM, Tim Kelly said:

In the video it almost looked like it was reading the thermocline as the bottom. 

 

If you've reset to factory defaults and it's doing it it pretty much has to be the transducer angle, the sounder doesn't care what the depth is, it either works or doesn't. Does it do the same thing when the motor isn't running? 

Yes, it makes no difference whether or not the motor as running.  I had the same thought about the angle.  I’ve tried moving it around and no luck.  I spoke to humminbird again and they agreed with me that there is a good chance the transducer is simply defective and they’re sending me a new one to try.  

[Tim Kelly]

Good luck. Hope that resolves it for you.