Depthsounder Distress!

[John Mavrovich]

My Navico DS200 (about nine years old) intermittently gives false readings, such as semi-colons, all zeros, rapidly counts up into the 600 foot range, etc. This almost always happens in shallow water (when you need it most of course) and more often than not when my diesel 25XP is running. Any thoughts would be appreciated. John

 

[Tom]

buy a new one

I would just replace the unit. They are not too, too expensive and very IMPORTANT.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Catalina Owners]

Transducer

If it's not a weird/faulty connection, your transducer may be going belly-up. You might try contacting the manufacturer & see #1) what they think & #2) if they sell the transducer alone.If you go for a new unit, look into a high end fishfinder. They not only show you the depth but also the contour of the bottom. Verrrry cool!LaDonna

 

[Rodney Kidd]

Firmware (Software) Update

John,I had a Navico DS200 on my previous boat. I remember that the DS200 had a problem with erratic operation when the boat passed through an area of water in which the water temperature changed. I sent the unit in to Navico, and they upgraded the firmware in the unit and returned it free of charge. Navico was sold to Simrad since and I don't know what kind of support is available from Simrad. Their website is www.simrad.com.Rod KiddC-38 #297, Flying Bear

 

[Rob]

Depth Sounder Solution

Hey John, I just installed one on my boat, and the installation manual said that all sonar units are sensitive to "noise". The noise could be any kind of sonic vibration or electrical interference - ie a running engine, buzzing alternator, etc. So that could be the problem with engine noise.Now - I know this may sound very redneck - but after pricing units, I installed a Lowrance X65 dual-sonar fish finder on my Catalina, and to say I love it is an understatement. It was relatively cheap - $229 for the unit, and $49 for the shoot-through-hull transducer (which does not require a hole in the hull). You can also add a boat speed/water temp sensor for another 39 bucks. The thing I like about the x65 is that it has one digital sonar unit to pound the lake floor, and another one to give a graphical chart on what the bottom looks like. You rely on the digital readout for actual depth, and the graph for obstructions. This is great for us, as we sail on a dammed-up river which is currently 40 feet below normal water level. The people here call it a lake, but I don't. Also - the unit gives surface composition info, so you can see if you are in a good anchor location (mud) or a bad one (rock).Sorry for the length, but this peice of equip really lets me keep my mind on sailing and puts me at ease. Total install time was about 3 hours, with a few breaks. Hope it helps, and if you need to contact me, the e-mail is robrich@austin.rr.com. Best of Luck!