Structure Scan Depth Reading

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slug
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Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by slug »

I've got an intermittent issue with my HDS10 in structure scan mode displaying depth. Doesn't appear to be any pattern to this (ie rough/smooth water, different depths, etc) - it will show depth, then just go 'blank', then show depth again.

It may show depth for a few minutes, then go blank for a few seconds (or go blank for a few minutes) then back to showing depth for a few minutes (or a few seconds), etc, etc

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with their Lowrance units? The unit is 7/8 years old - not sure if it was doing this from new as in the early days I was too busy staring at the images, then gave away looking at SS at all for quite a while - just getting back into utilising SS again over the past 12 months.
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nomad
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by nomad »

Maybe something to do with the angle of the transducer or boat speed? Mine stops reading at higher speeds although yours still shows the structure
Jer
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by Jer »

I've got HDS 5 gen 1 with structure scan gen 1 and I have the exact same issue.

Doesn't matter what speed I'm doing; stopped, slow troll, full speed, the depth from the structure scan can randomly read 0.4m. The side and down scan will continue to show the actual depth through it's image.

However, changing over to traditional sonar will show a depth and doesn't have the same issue. So I suspect it's an issue with the structure scan transducer or the structure scan unit.
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grumpy
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by grumpy »

nomad wrote:Maybe something to do with the angle of the transducer or boat speed? Mine stops reading at higher speeds although yours still shows the structure
As with what Nomad wrote mine also does this if the transducer angle has been knocked up by a stick. Also higher the speed more often it stops reading.

Cheers grumpy
A mans boat is a sign of his strengths and weaknesses???? (and wealth)
anyxcuse
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by anyxcuse »

i have a hds10 and have the same issue.
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by Jer »

grumpy wrote:As with what Nomad wrote mine also does this if the transducer angle has been knocked up by a stick. Also higher the speed more often it stops reading.

Cheers grumpy
Next time it happens I will have a look/feel where the transducer is sitting. However this issue has occurred in the past where I have been trolling for any given amount of time, the depth and picture of the side/down scan is perfectly fine and randomly the depth will disappear. After any amount of time, it can be 1 minute or 5 minutes, the depth will come back again.

Hopefully it is as simple as the angle of the transducer.
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dannett
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by dannett »

When I first got mine I had this issue constantly, particularly in shallow water. I moved my transducers around a heap and raised the outboard 2 inches and no longer have issues. It seemed to be a combination of wash off the skeg and being too close to the other transducer. Separating them to about 300mm made a big difference.
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dannett
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by dannett »

That said you actually have a nice image. All those lines on the left scan, that's your skeg. Mine does the same, especially at troll speed. Despite the transducer being in front of the skeg, lowering it actually reduces the amount of interference I get. Counter-intuitive I know, but give it a go.
slug
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by slug »

I emailed a support ticket to Lowrance and here's the response (and kudos on their promptness) :-

Check the mounting of your normal transducer this is where the depth will be coming from check that it has not been knocked up.
Regards
Paul Wilkinson
APAC Technical Support
NAVICO


So what he is saying is the SS digital depth reading actually comes from the broadband transducer?? Don't think this is correct for a number of reasons:-

1/. I'm sure I've had the Sonar and SS screens running dual screen and when the depth drops on SS the sonar still reads fine (I'll verify this when next on the water).
2/. There own marketing material suggests different (see pics below - different readings from the same transducer???)
dannett wrote:That said you actually have a nice image. All those lines on the left scan, that's your skeg. Mine does the same, especially at troll speed. Despite the transducer being in front of the skeg, lowering it actually reduces the amount of interference I get. Counter-intuitive I know, but give it a go.
Yeah I figured the clutter on left scan is skeg or boat keel as the tranny is mounted on starboard side of hull. I can live with it - not so much of an issue in anything over 3mtrs.
dannett wrote:When I first got mine I had this issue constantly, particularly in shallow water. It seemed to be a combination of wash off the skeg and being too close to the other transducer. Separating them to about 300mm made a big difference.
This may be closer to my issue. I'd be lucky to have 100mm separation between the two trannies - however if this is the cause, I'm happy to live with it as all else appears to run OK.
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dannett
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by dannett »

Paul is wrong. I lost my skimmer and the downscan provided good enough depth that I carried on without it for a few trips.

That' an excellent picture, I wouldn't do anything that didn't let you return to that configuration. Mine were less than 100mm apart as the manual said to have them as close as possible. Moving apart helped a lot, but then I broke them because they weren't in a protected location anymore.
slug
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by slug »

dannett wrote: ....... then I broke them because they weren't in a protected location anymore.
I'm hear'n ya - I'm on my 3rd LSS transducer :banghead: - with the size of the fukkas they're sitting ducks when u get too tight in to 'structure' - and at $300 odd a pop, OUCH :cry:
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dannett
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Re: Structure Scan Depth Reading

Post by dannett »

slug wrote:
dannett wrote: ....... then I broke them because they weren't in a protected location anymore.
I'm hear'n ya - I'm on my 3rd LSS transducer :banghead: - with the size of the fukkas they're sitting ducks when u get too tight in to 'structure' - and at $300 odd a pop, OUCH :cry:
That's why both of mine are now mounted "thru hull" in front of the skeg.
IMG_5377.JPG
IMG_5373.JPG
But then the pod design on mine is a bit different to most. You can see the broken mount of the old skimmer where I tried to get it further away from the structure scan in this picture.
IMG_5378.JPG
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