Posts: 1,051
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Reputation:
0
I recently bought a Garmin 250 sonar and installed it on my boat. It has a dual frequency transducer. A 50 Hz with a 10 degree cone and a 200 Hz with a 40 degree cone. When I am using the more narrow cone I get a good clean display and can see fish and my tube jig without any problem. However when I switch over to the wide cone the screen clutters with stuff and I can't see my jig or fish. If I turn the sensitivity and gain way down I can get the clutter to go away but then can't see my jig or fish. Anyone have any idea's what could be wrong?? Here are the options I have considered...
1. Faulty unit
2. Faulty transducer
3. Interference from something (even happens when motor is off and no other electronics are running)
4. The water at Strawberry has been fairly dirty with moss and yuk and maybe the wider cone is affected by it more???
Anyone have any experience with this?
[signature]
Posts: 2,993
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2004
Reputation:
0
The one thing to consider is no matter whether your unit is set the 10 degree or 40 degree, there is just as much crap in the water so with either setting the screen should show clutter on the screen if crap in the water is the problem. However, thats not the case in your situation. I'm then lead to believe the must be a problem with either the unit or the transducer because requrdless you should be able to see your jig while the gain is tuned back a little because the Berry simply isnt that deep.
[signature]
Posts: 1,919
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2002
Reputation:
0
When using the 50KHZ frequency you get less clutter?
Wow, the 50 is your more concentrated and more powerfull side of your transducer.
If you set your 200 for its optimum performance in say 30 ft of water and then switch over to the 50 the signal should be much stronger and your listening end, or gain, should have to be turned down to eliminate the clutter.
The 50 is for your deep water applications.
Thats an odd one.
I wonder if maybee your wires are crossed and you are really in your 50 when you select your 200.
I know this, I am not much of a garmin fan. I currently have two of them. Not really impressed with either when compared to my others.
[signature]
Posts: 1,387
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation:
0
I have a 240 that run's 200kh and it would do the same thing. it all had to do with grounding it to the main motor the ground was not solid and it had tone's of iterferance once ground good work's like a champ can see a jig in a 100ft no prob good luck. catch em and cook em.........
[signature]
Posts: 1,051
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Reputation:
0
Fishley,
so how do you ground it too the motor?
I've also been thinking (I know its dangerous, as you will see). I've been playing around a lot with the finder while trolling and while vert jigging. I am not absolutely sure that I have tried the 200 Khz mode with the motor turned off. I know the 200 Khz mode doesn't work (too much clutter) while the motor is running and I know the 50 Khz works great weather the motor is on or off. So anyway as I was thinking I remembered that I already have a depth sounder on the boat (came stock with the boat and installed in the dash). I began to wonder if I was getting some interference between that depth sounder and my fishfinder. So I pulled out the boats depth sounder manual only to find that the boats built in transducer is a 200 Khz transducer. So now I am really wondering if I have ever tried the finder in 200 Khz mode while the motor was NOT running (and therefore the boats sounder would also be off). I have done most of my playing around with the FF while trolling because once we found a school of fish and cut the motor to jig then I was too busy catching fish.
So I'm thinking I may be getting some interference from the other depth sounder when in the 200 Khz mode. I need to take the boat out again and try the finder in 200 Khz mode with the motor running (or even with the key turned on because that turns on the depth sounder) and with it off. If I get the interference with the key turned on then I have discovered my problem. If I don't get the clutter with the key turned on but do when I start the motor then maybe like fishley said I'm not grounded correctly. I can also try unplugging the boats depth sounder under the dash.
If it is the boats depth sounder interfering because they are both 200 KHZ then I will need to install a switch on the boats depth sounder so I can turn it off when I am using the boat for fishing (and therfore have my finder on the boat and hooked up) and then flip the switch back on when I am doing watersports with the family and don't have my finder on board.
I think there is smoke coming out my ears..... Am I thinking logically here?
[signature]
Posts: 1,699
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2002
Reputation:
0
I think there is smoke coming out my ears..... Am I thinking logically here?
Bigcat
LOL.
Hooking up a sonar unit shouldn't be so complicated, but then I have never hooked up a Garmin or a sonar unit with dual frequencies before. When the lakes freeze set your unit up for ice fishing thats the best way to get familar with your sonar.
[signature]
Posts: 1,597
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2004
Reputation:
1
If both the sounder & fish finder are on 200 hz. they will definitely drive each other nutso.
[signature]
Posts: 4,139
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2002
Reputation:
0
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]You are definately getting interference from the depth sounder on your sonar if, in fact, they are the same frequency. Turning it off should solve your problem. If I run both my X98 Lowarance fishfinders on my boat at the same time, I also get interference. If I switch one to 200 khz and the other to 50 khz, the interference disappears.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3][/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][black]As far as your cabling goes, you do not have to ground to the motor. A good, clean, UNBROKEN ground to the battery is fine. If for some reason you think the motor is throwing back interference then try hooking up to a battery not connected to the motor. There really shouldn't be a problem. Also something to consider is where you have run you transducer cable. You should not run the transducer cable parallel with a battery cable, like your battery cables going to your motor. This can also cause electrical interference. Your transducer cable should be run away from the battery cables as much as possible. Hope this helps.[/black][/size][/font]
[signature]
Posts: 1,051
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Reputation:
0
[reply]
Hooking up a sonar unit shouldn't be so complicated, but then I have never hooked up a Garmin or a sonar unit with dual frequencies before. When the lakes freeze set your unit up for ice fishing thats the best way to get familar with your sonar. [/reply]
Ok, I think the smoke has cleared now. Yes I agree the hook up shouldn't be that hard. It was actually a pretty easy install. Just need to figure out the details. I have been "building" my ice fishing cooler like BLM and Kent's to house my new sonar for the ice season. It will be ready by first ice. I am looking forward to playing around with the different settings and learning more about the sonar's capabilities.
[signature]
Posts: 1,051
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Reputation:
0
BLM,
thanks for the good advice. I am pretty sure that the problem is the two depth sounders running on the same frequency. I haven't been able to get out to test my theory yet though. Headed to CA to catch king salmon this week so it will have to wait.
My finder is powered directly from the fuse box under the dash rather than directly from the battery so there should be a good unbroken connection. The transducer cable doesn't come within 2.5 feet of the battery or battery cables and I have run the transducer cable seperate of all other cables along the inside rail of the boat. So that shouldn't be the problem. Hopefully when I unplug the boat depth sounder the problem will go away and then I will just add a switch to power it on when not using the FF. Thanks again for the help!
[signature]
