Depthsounder Question
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I tried using a depth sounder with a fish finder at the same time and they did not work at the same time..
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I have Raymarine at the helm and older Horizon instruments on the bulkhead with separate transducers for both. No point removing the old horizons; backup is good. Just for grins I tried running both at the same time. The readings were completely wacked. Depths were all over the place. On their own each worked just fine. Reason for switching from the Horizons was slow response. Several times I ran aground (a common occurence on Barnegat bay) and then watched the display tick down from 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2, which is fine except my draft is 4 feet!
I have Raymarine at the helm and older Horizon instruments on the bulkhead with separate transducers for both. No point removing the old horizons; backup is good. Just for grins I tried running both at the same time. The readings were completely wacked. Depths were all over the place. On their own each worked just fine. Reason for switching from the Horizons was slow response. Several times I ran aground (a common occurence on Barnegat bay) and then watched the display tick down from 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2, which is fine except my draft is 4 feet!
We just had this conversation on Franklin's post and I have a Autohelm(Ray Marine) depth with the transducer midship and I installed a Garmin black box fish finder that integrates with my GPS/Chart plotter and installed the transducer in the bow of the boat and I have no problems with either one and there both always on, did I get lucky by separating the transducers far enough from each other?,will having both cause harm to either one?
RAD—
It may just be that you're lucky and the depthsounder and fishfinder are operating on different frequencies... depthsounders usually use 50-200 kHz for their transducers, where as fishfinders usually use 200 kHz, since they need the higher resolution to define the fish. Your depthsounder may be operating on a 50 kHz transducer, so there's no intereference. BTW, even if they were on the same frequency, they really wouldn't harm each other...just interfere.
It may just be that you're lucky and the depthsounder and fishfinder are operating on different frequencies... depthsounders usually use 50-200 kHz for their transducers, where as fishfinders usually use 200 kHz, since they need the higher resolution to define the fish. Your depthsounder may be operating on a 50 kHz transducer, so there's no intereference. BTW, even if they were on the same frequency, they really wouldn't harm each other...just interfere.
Ross a good question!!!! I was using my depth sounder and my son wanted to look for fish. Neither worked at the same time. So I turned off the depth sounder. I actually bought the fish finder as an emergency backup when my old depthsounder died. $79 at Wal-mart. When I bought a new depthsounder I kept the fishfinder. If I had a good place to permantently mount the fishfinder I would use it most of the time. But with a cockpit traveler I am afraid that the fishfinder display will get wrapped by a line and broken. The depth sounder is flush mounted just below the companionway.
Thanks sailingdog ... I'll ck the Raymarine manuel and see if it specs the units operating frequency. If it's different form a new "fishfinder' transducer frequence the two should be able to work compatabily, as is the case w/ "Rad".
Ross, 2 reasons, ...
redundency, and, by placing the fishfinder transducer close to the bow, the graphic bottom contour representation would be a further help when navagating shallow waters like the Keys ( besides, I can watch the fishes swimming around under the boat..
, )
Ross, 2 reasons, ...
redundency, and, by placing the fishfinder transducer close to the bow, the graphic bottom contour representation would be a further help when navagating shallow waters like the Keys ( besides, I can watch the fishes swimming around under the boat..
, )
My back-up depth sounder is 40 feet of line with a chunk of lead at the end. Some guys use a 3-way swivel and a bobber and a large sinker separated by line the length of their minimum depth and just cast this out in front of the boat. If the bobber sinks, there is plenty of water if it floats, there ain't.
I have an older signet depthsounder, with the transducer behind the keel, and a Lowrance dual frequency fishfinder/gps with an airmar transducer in front of the keel. When both are on I see a series of short small horizontal lines moving up the display of the fishfinder as it scrolls, clearly interference, although it is just a minor inconvenience. The Signet only really works in shallower water (less than 75 feet) anyway, otherwise it likes to read 18.8. I'm not sure if having the FF/GPS on makes this worse or not.
Why have them both? Because I find it easier sometimes to see the Signet from anywhere in the cockpit while the Lowrance is mounted at the helm. Also it is sometime important to know what the depth is under different parts of the boat in very shallow water.
Ross - my backup is the forward scanning lead based keel. What the boat goes bump, it's a shade under eight feet deep. Now I know why its called 'Canoe Passage'. Warning... this technique is usually followed by some fiberglass repair.
But the bobber suggestion very interesting. My other alternative is to give a kid my polarized glasses and send them forward. That finds rocks that are just a few feet down, but if one is 6 or seven feet under, they don't always see it. I could give them a rod and keep them busy.
Why have them both? Because I find it easier sometimes to see the Signet from anywhere in the cockpit while the Lowrance is mounted at the helm. Also it is sometime important to know what the depth is under different parts of the boat in very shallow water.
Ross - my backup is the forward scanning lead based keel. What the boat goes bump, it's a shade under eight feet deep. Now I know why its called 'Canoe Passage'.
Warning... this technique is usually followed by some fiberglass repair. But the bobber suggestion very interesting. My other alternative is to give a kid my polarized glasses and send them forward. That finds rocks that are just a few feet down, but if one is 6 or seven feet under, they don't always see it. I could give them a rod and keep them busy.
Casting depth gauge. I saw a depth sounder that you throw with a rod like a fishing lure that is wireless and transmits the depth back to a reciever. A high tech version or Ross' bobber.
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