ALARM! DEPTH give me a break!

[Joe Lucido]

I have a new marina for the rest of the year Water in this Marina is not great. After having NO problem for the last 4 months at all with the depth gage,I am coming home and the depth meeter starts going haywire in about 18 ft of water and rings non stop all the way home! The gage reads giberish and I believe it might have something to do with the sensor??I don't have a manual on this any ideas? Also my knot meter that is intermiten is also gone permanently. usually it stops and starts...Joe

 

[Pete Peterson]

The depth and speed sensors ...

for my boat are next to each other near the bow (both Raytheon). If they are in the same location on yours, both might have become fouled at the same time. My speed sensor can be removed and the opening plugged for cleaning of the paddle wheel while the boat is in the water. The depth sensor cannot be removed in water. Is the water warm enough for a quick dive to check them out?

 

[Bob Camarena]

Sensitivity

There should be some sort of sensitivity adjustment on your depth sounder. This could be in the form of a screw or knob (generally with a + & - direction, or electronic adjustment via the pushbuttons on the face of your depth sounder. Try reducing the sensitivity a bit. There are a numer of things that could cause the gibberish. I've experienced false readings with grass and, I believe, thermoclines, which are boundaries between water layers of different temperature and density.