depth sounder quit working, OHMing a transducer?..

centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
my clipper duet depth meter quit working altogether recently...
it used to work properly, then it started acting up and for awhile it would only work when setting still and not underway, but sometimes even then it would say "out"... but now it does not show any reading at all.

the speed indicator part of the system does seem to work but may not be calibrated properly, (works ok at 2-5kts, but at 6kts and above it reads high, 10kts...

I removed the transducer cable from the rear of the head unit and attempted to measure the ohms of the cable and transducer... and I get nothing. i have wiggled the cable all along it looking for a short while the multimeter leads were hooked up, but could find no short in the line that made a connection.

there is a signal from the contacts on the head unit, but it seems to be more of a low voltage signal.
as i dont know the parameters, it means nothing to me other than there IS a signal, even though it may be wrong...

one other thing that is probably normal but may possibly have contributed to a failure?,
I have two depth sounders, and when they are both on, the duet would jump around from 3ft to 256ft.. randomly and quickly.

I moved the transducer from its old location of setting in the bilge to a location where i could access it better. and the system worked fine without the interference, but since that time it has quit working with nothing on the screen other than 0.

can someone tell me how to troubleshoot the system and what I should be seeing on a properly operating unit? Thanks
 
C

Chief RA

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Nov 26, 2012
2,315
Catalina 250 Bodega Bay CA
Centerline: How old is this thing? Is this going to draw on my old US Navy sonar concepts? What kind of outer substance is on the transducer? Chief
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Chief RA said:
Centerline: How old is this thing? Is this going to draw on my old US Navy sonar concepts? What kind of outer substance is on the transducer? Chief
Click to expand
It is sold by nasa marine and Im assuming its about 10yrs old, but the nasa duet is still being sold today and they look the same as the one I have.
the outer housing is plastic like every other piece of electronic boat gear.

As i understand it, almost all transducers used in the sporting/fishing industry use the same technology and there are only a couple of manufactures that build the transducers to spec for the various companies that sell depth sounders.

I was hoping to find there was a simple test to find out which of the components in this system has failed...
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,701
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
You can't "test" a sonar transducer without the lab equipment to do so. It will read open circuit on a meter...

Best you can do is put a stethoscope on it and listen for the "pings" or "Clicks".. If it is pinging then it is working. No clicks/pings not working. You have about a 50/50 shot of whether it is the display or transducer...

You can not use two depth transducers simultaneously if they are the same frequency or even close to it. Use one or the other or they will both give errant readings. Dual freequency transducers usually have a greater than 120kHz spread between the frequencies and the unit is specifically tuned and built for use with a dual frequency transducer.. Using two 200kHz transducers or one 210kHz and one 200kHz will almost always result in interference and odd behavior..
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Maine Sail said:
You can't "test" a sonar transducer without the lab equipment to do so. It will read open circuit on a meter...

Best you can do is put a stethoscope on it and listen for the "pings" or "Clicks".. If it is pinging then it is working. No clicks/pings not working. You have about a 50/50 shot of whether it is the display or transducer...
Click to expand
you have confirmed what I thought, but was hoping I was wrong. Thanks
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
If you've gotten 10 years from a Clipper setup you've done good. While some of their gear is very well regarded (like their battery monitors), most of their instrument range is viewed as 'budget kit' in their home UK market. Their wind instruments are particularly flakey. Lots of sailors think NASA stands for Not Another Shite Anemometer. I personally have went through several on a old boat.
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Jackdaw said:
If you've gotten 10 years from a Clipper setup you've done good. While some of their gear is very well regarded (like their battery monitors), most of their instrument range is viewed as 'budget kit' in their home UK market. Their wind instruments are particularly flakey. Lots of sailors think NASA stands for Not Another Shite Anemometer. I personally have went through several on a old boat.
Click to expand
It wouldnt be my first choice, but its what was installed when we bought the boat.
i talked with the people at clipperusa a just abit ago and they said from the symptoms, they are sure the transducer has gone bad.. they said they sell a lot of them.
I think i will take the gamble and see if a replacement solves the problem.
 
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