Team Response
New Member
Sailing around the Bristol Channel our depth sounder only works intermittently, in clear water it works fine.
Has any body got any advice ?
Has any body got any advice ?
Depth Sounder
- Thread starter Team Response
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Coaster
Well-Known Member
Do you believe a lack of water clarity corresponds directly with malfunctioning of the depth sounder? That seems rather unlikely.
What is the unit? How old is it? Where and how is the transducer mounted? What boat is it on? How long has the problem been apparent? Let us know these and any other relevant facts and some helpful thoughts may emerge.
One thought straight away - if the bottom is liquid mud or similar, i.e. if there is no well defined bottom surface, depth sounders often produce incorrect readings, sometimes absurdly so.
What is the unit? How old is it? Where and how is the transducer mounted? What boat is it on? How long has the problem been apparent? Let us know these and any other relevant facts and some helpful thoughts may emerge.
One thought straight away - if the bottom is liquid mud or similar, i.e. if there is no well defined bottom surface, depth sounders often produce incorrect readings, sometimes absurdly so.
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Team Response
New Member
Transducer
Response is a one ton racing yacht, see attached photo for position of transducer. The unit is B&G and is about 8 years old. The yacht has been previously sailed around the Thames and Holland with no problems. On the trip round from the Thames it would play up occasionally however since arriving at Portishead it doesn’t work 90% of the time. www.yacht-racing.co.uk
Response is a one ton racing yacht, see attached photo for position of transducer. The unit is B&G and is about 8 years old. The yacht has been previously sailed around the Thames and Holland with no problems. On the trip round from the Thames it would play up occasionally however since arriving at Portishead it doesn’t work 90% of the time. www.yacht-racing.co.uk
Blue_Pearl
Well-Known Member
We get exactly the same problem - B & G depth sounder shows dash dash dash when in extremely turbulent water ......... Portishead lock, river Avon and of course spring tides in the channel like yesterday !
A little un-nerving sometimes but it normally comes back to life after a few seconds.
A little un-nerving sometimes but it normally comes back to life after a few seconds.
sarabande
Well-Known Member
it looks as if the transducer face has been anti-fouled. Perhaps worth taking the paint of carefully, and trying again ?
Blue_Pearl
Well-Known Member
Have a look at page 215
http://www.bandg.com/upload/BandG/Documents/Manuals/hercules_200004.pdf
Possible cause could be incorrect location of transducer, something in front of it causing aeration? However it does admit in the system manual that the 4 floating bars could also appear in turbulent water. They also say it's ok to paint the surface of the transducer with a thin coat of anti foul - making sure no air bubbles are present when you do so.
I've not read the manual fully, but it may be possible to adjust the gain of the system ............ You could also try calling the guys in Tinley Electronics and asking one of their service technicians.
http://www.bandg.com/upload/BandG/Documents/Manuals/hercules_200004.pdf
Possible cause could be incorrect location of transducer, something in front of it causing aeration? However it does admit in the system manual that the 4 floating bars could also appear in turbulent water. They also say it's ok to paint the surface of the transducer with a thin coat of anti foul - making sure no air bubbles are present when you do so.
I've not read the manual fully, but it may be possible to adjust the gain of the system ............ You could also try calling the guys in Tinley Electronics and asking one of their service technicians.
zlod
Well-Known Member
My NASA depth sounder has never liked the area up by The Shoots and does not particularly like Portishead Point. I put it down to turbulence and there being a muddy bottom with little gradation between the muddy water and the muddy bottom.
Morpheous
Well-Known Member
I mounted a new one inside the hull last year cos my through hull one gives spurious readings in the same areas. The new one is attached to a garmin fishfinder and so gives a graphical readout. In turbulent waters they are both pretty hopeless but on the fishfinder I can usually see a more concentrated line of interference where the bottom is! Neither of them work going through locks and if we are planning they are pretty hopeless too. Fortunately when coming in to Cardiff they both seem to work quite well - thats where I think we need them most at the moment, the track into Portishead is well known.
Team Response
New Member
Hi thanks for the imput, have tried it with and witout antifoul think may try putting it into the Baltic ! think this may solve the problem what part do you think may work?