Can't Get Lowrance to Read Depth When On Plane

[Unk]

Just getting back into fishing and purchased an new boat ( G3 Sportsman 1610 ) with a stern mount Lowrance Hook2 4x bullet transducer . First time on the water I found that the Lowrance set up would read perfectly when at idle but , when any throttle was applied , it either gave no reading or grossly inaccurate reading . I assumed this was due to turbulence so I lowered the bullet transducer as far down as it would go on the factory installed mount . This did not help . I called the dealer and they suggested I purchase a Johnny Ray, LLC JR-3 Speed Reeder Transducer Bracket . I did this and installed the unit with the trim as far down as I felt comfortable doing . Still have the same problem . The transducer is located between two bottom ribs/chines . The Yamaha motor has a right handed prop and the transducer is mounted approximately 5-6 inches to the right of the prop ( literature suggest at least 3 inches to the right ) . 

If anyone could offer a suggestion on how I can fix this problem , I would appreciate it . Thanks .

[Team9nine]

A picture would really help, but sounds like you’re still getting too much turbulence. You'll either have to lower the transducer further, likely by moving the mounting bracket down, or further away from the engine, to the next opening between strakes - or the other side of the engine.

[Jig Man]

Please post a pic before you move anything.

[WRB]

The TD must be in the water on plane. The engine prop wash is behind the TD unless you are in reverse. What causes poor bottom reading is air or boat bottom obstructions. Use a flat board on the boat planing surface with the TD down, it should be 1/2” below the board surface that replicates the water surface. If the board can’t lay flat, move the TD where a flat surface is within 3” to the centerline of the boat bottom in front of the prop. 

Go to your manual Sonar unit settings and increase the ping rate.

Tom

 

[Unk]

I appreciate the help from everyone . I will post a photo like you ask for as soon as I can . I believe 200K is the max file size . Again , thanks for your help so far .

Ron

[Unk]

I will try to attach a photo of the transducer set up . In the photo , I have readjusted the transducer after reading Team9's comment above . It is now about 1/2 to 3/4 inch lower than when I last tried it out on the water . Sorry for the poor perspective in the photo - taken with my phone and reduced to about 168K . Thanks again for the help .

Ron

[cyclops2]

Is this a new or used boat that the dealer installed the everything on ?  

 

The above idle problem. In Neutral & Drive ?

 

Everything looks brand new.  Have the dealer make good on the problem & get your money back on that Jonny Ray bracket.

 

I think some mechanic left a completely loose connection in your boat. Take it back . Tell them to fix it. No more money.

[Unk]

Cyclops2 , Brand new boat and rigging . I have no idea if the Lowrance was installed by G3 or the dealer but would guess G3 did it ? Problem does not happen if at idle level rpms - or even slightly higher - regardless of neutral or drive . 

Ron

WRB , This unit is the bottom of the Lowrance line and I don't remember reading in the literature that the ping rate can be adjusted on this unit . I'll go over the literature again to be sure I didn't miss something . Thanks .

Ron

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[cyclops2]

Then it is a bad unit OR installation.  They never did test run the boat and F F. Have them find a repair............. NOT you.

[WRB]

Trying to understand why is the TD mounted on extended mount on a plate? The only explanation is the you have a tunnel hull or V bottom? The right placement is between the livewell intake and drain above the trailer roller using the standard mount.

Tom

[Team9nine]

Agree with Tom. Something isn't right here. This isn't a step or tunnel hull, right? Just a plain single (slight) v-hull bottom? Like a big fancy jon boat. I can understand current location because of the factory installed transducer plate, and subsequently the extra transducer bracket. I'm thinking you just don't have the adjustment correct on the new bracket yet. You'll need to adjust the transducer angle down some to make sure you get full clean contact with the water. Sometimes the transducer itself can caught turbulence if you have it too flat or slightly kicked up. So hard to tell from that picture alone.

 

For others reference: bracket specifics

[cyclops2]

Just above idle ?   in N or F  ?   Please 

[Unk]

Cyclops2 , Sorry , I tried to answer your question in an earlier reply . The problem does not happen at RPM under 1000 regardless of whether in neutral or drive . 

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[Unk]

Team9 , Yes , slight modified V hull . Was unsure why G3 welded on the extra transom bracket unless it was to hang a transducer from . As I said in the post with the picture , I have lowered the transducer 1/2 - 3/4 inch as per your original suggestion . Have not hit the lake yet to try this new setting . Will keep trying , Thanks .

[cyclops2]

If it does  not work in Neutral ?  THe F F is a reject. There is NO   NO   NO problem with bracket, angle or anything else. Take it back to who bought & installed the F F.    The F F is either a reject. Or there is a very loose connection somewhere.

[Unk]

Cyclops2 , I'm sorry but I'm not really good at communicating on the forum . Old and tech challenged. The Lowrance unit works just fine when in neutral and , also , works perfectly when in foward at VERY low RPMs . Just won't work when I try to run at any speed .

Ron

[cyclops2]

You said it has the same pronlem if engine is speeded up in Neutral. So there is a problem with the unit itself. The installers NEVER CHECKED their work...........They need to repair or replace the problem.   Get a good mechanic.

[Way2slow]

Sounds like the problem is RFI from the motor.  This can be caused by the ignition emitted through the air or by the motors charging system and emitted through the power cable.  Similar to the old days when, if you ran the Sonar off the TM battery, every time you used the TM, it would make the screen do weird things. 

To help isolate the problem, temporarily move the sonar's power cable from the boats wiring to the negative and positive of "ONE" battery on the TM, or just take a separate 12V battery and connect to it.  Doesn't matter that the TM is 24 or 36 volts, each battery is still only 12VDC.  If this cures the problem, then you know it's coming through the boats wiring and you can probably contact Lowrance to see if they have a filter or recommend one you can buy.  The units on the market today are usually pretty good at filtering the DC power, so I would ask them about that if moving the power cable works.

Now, hope that cures the problem, because if it doesn't, that means it's coming through the air.  I'm not even going to get into all the things you would need to do then.  That's where, if it was installed by the dealer, you go back and tell the dealer he's the one that installed it, now make it work, and that you expect all the work to be on his nickel.  

Now, if you are not comfortable with any of this, and the dealer installed the sonar, take it back to dealer and tell him to call you when he has it fixed.  If you don't mind waiting a month, and it's dealer installed, just tell him to fix it.  You bought what supposed to be a functional boat, that included everything.

[Unk]

6 minutes ago, Way2slow said:

Sounds like the problem is RFI from the motor.  This can be caused by the ignition emitted through the air or by the motors charging system and emitted through the power cable.  Similar to the old days when, if you ran the Sonar off the TM battery, every time you used the TM, it would make the screen do weird things. 

To help isolate the problem, temporarily move the sonar's power cable from the boats wiring to the negative and positive of "ONE" battery on the TM, or just take a separate 12V battery and connect to it.  Doesn't matter that the TM is 24 or 36 volts, each battery is still only 12VDC.  If this cures the problem, then you know it's coming through the boats wiring and you can probably contact Lowrance to see if they have a filter or recommend one you can buy.  The units on the market today are usually pretty good at filter the DC power, so I would ask them about that if moving the power cable works.

Now, hope that cures the problem, because if it doesn't, that means it's coming through the air.  I'm not even going to get into all the things you would need to do then.  That's where, if it was installed by the dealer, you go back and tell the dealer he's the one that installed it, now make it work, and that you expect all the work to be on his nickel.  

Now, if you are not comfortable with any of this, and the dealer installed the sonar, take it back to dealer and tell him to call you when he has it fixed. 

Many thanks . I have one final trim position to try on the transducer bracket but don't have much hope that it will help . If it doesn't , switching leads sounds like a good diagnostic to try . Thanks again.

Ron

[Way2slow]

If it's doing this even with the motor in neutral and revved up past 1,000 rpm, nothing you do with trim is going to help.  The problem is electrical and has nothing to do with motor position or transducer depth so anything you try there is wasted effort.  

Now, if it only has the problem when the boat starts moving forward and gains speed, then that has to do with transducer placement.  

It's very common for one to lose depth readings after getting a little speed and this is normally poor positioning of the transducer, or units with slower processors that can't calculate things fast enough, but that usually doesn't happen at slower speeds.

My pontoon quits at about 15mph but I know that's because of where I had to mount the transducer. 

[Fishingmickey]

Unk,

     New boat under warranty? I'd hammer the dealer. If the dealer balks or gives you some kind of BS answer like the Johnny Ray bracket.  See if you can find  out who the G3 rep is that supports the dealer. Contact them/him.  Like Cyclops said the dealer should be bending over backwards to fix the problem. Fire'em him up!

Good luck!

Fishingmickey

 

[Unk]

1 hour ago, Way2slow said:

If it's doing this even with the motor in neutral and revved up past 1,000 rpm, nothing you do with trim is going to help.  The problem is electrical and has nothing to do with motor position or transducer depth so anything you try there is wasted effort

Keith , I must have had trouble explaining myself in earlier post because some folks thought the problem might be happening with the boat in neutral . It is not . It only happens when the throttle lever is in forward and rpm exceeds around 1000 . Folks must have thought I had a big rig with separate throttle and gear levers  

35 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

Like Cyclops said the dealer should be bending over backwards to fix the problem. Fire'em him up!

Thanks Mickey . I totally agree . My problem is that it's a little over 4 hour round trip drive to get the dealer to look at it and I was hoping to avoid that . I know , I know , I should have thought of that before purchase but they had they best deal on what I thought I wanted . 

[cyclops2]

What happened happens a lot more with Covid reducing the great help. available.  f the dealer is no good ?  Start a claim with the Fish Finder company.  It also works.  Good luck.

[Way2slow]

Actuallly, you have a fast idle up for cold starting.  If your control has a big black center, pushing it in keeps it from going in gear and pushing the handle forward gives it gas, with it out of gear. 

Now with that out of the way.  I'm having a hard time telling anything about the picture so I will describe what you should be seeing.  

If you look down the lenght of the bottom of the hull, the transducer body should be centered or a little below centered with the level plane of the hull.  The back of the transducer should be down slightly more than the front, a couple of degrees, so it's actually shooting at a slight angle toward the front of the boat.  Look where the bottom of the hull turns up at the transom, make sure that is a smooth flat area in front of the transducer.  Some boats will have hooks built into the hull there to help the boat get on plane quicker.  The transducer can't be behind one of these.  Even rivets in that area can cause turbulance to will interfere with the signal.  

You don't want the transducer much lower than mentioned, it's too easy to get broken off and creates a lot of drag.

[Unk]

18 minutes ago, Way2slow said:

The back of the transducer should be down slightly more than the front, a couple of degrees, so it's actually shooting at a slight angle toward the front of the boat.

Thanks Keith . Will try tilting the back of the transducer down slightly and play with depth . I'm also going to open a dialog with the folks at Lowrance just in case . 

Ron