Depth finder

hey guys...we have a lowrance depth finder on our 2000 Malibu Sunsetter LXi and it continualy flashes 0.5 no matter where we are on the lake. Is there a way to reset it or another way to fix it?

Thanks for all the help!!

Check for residue on the bottom of the hull sensor maybe?

Did it ever work on the present boat, or any other boat?

Check first the aim of your transducer and that it's not covered by a leaf or other junk.

Could also be knocked ajar and aimed at the hull or half way out water.

Lastly, try it with all the other electronics turned off.

On my fishing boat, a fluorescent lamp will send enough noise back through the 12 V hook up lines to thoroughly fuzz up the display.

... and there are reset options.

Press the 'menu' button twice in fast succession and see if "Reset Options" is a choice.

You can download a simulator of your depth finder and teach yourself its functions pretty easily.

Taylor- we already check the sensor and everything looked fine.

JB- It worked when we first got the boat.
Its not a fishing depth finder it just has a small screen on the dash with numbers in it and no buttons.

Sorry for the hijack, but does anyone know of a good depth finder to get. I always here people say they don't work or they are not accurate. I would like one but only if it is accurate...any ideas?

Thanks

ohh ... still, I'd check the transducer mount. If it's a through-hull mount, it can't have loosened. It's got to be tight still. Can't have air in the transmission path.

I have the same model (Lowrance 3000). It started doing the same thing last year. Mine is the glue in the hull type transducer with no hole in the hull. Is this the same as yours? After ordering 3 different ones, they finally sent me the right model (in-hull transducer). I got the Uniden QT206i model. It looks just like it. It cost $100. I haven't done the install yet. I'd love to learn that it could be reset! Please let me know if you find a fix!

Jman

Through-hull transducers can be problematic.

If you are using a through-hull transducer, I would suggest to not epoxy it to the bottom of the boat. If it is glued down already, try to pry it off & mount it using the "water box" method.

I've used a similar method to what is suggested in the following article:

http://www.tomneale.com/tips13.html

I built my "water box" by cutting a cross section out of a sturdy platic cup. I stuck the plastic cylinder - about 3" tall - to a flat spot on the floor of my bilge, dropped the puck transducer into the cylinder & filled with water.

This works much better than when I tried to expoxy the puck down. I tried two different spots & it never gave a good depth reading.

I think my brand is a hummingbird, the setup was less than $100 for all hardware needed.

The "flashing" reading generally means that the transducer, the part on the hull that reads the water depth, is not getting a good reading. Some of the time, this is because you're not over a solid bottom on the lake and the transducer doesn't get a solid "bounce-back" of the signal. More often, however, it means that the transducer or puck is not property sealed to the hull. This was the case with mine. My puck is mounted on an angled hollow plastic piece that would make it parallel to the horizontal bottom (or the floor of my garage). Inside the plastic there needs to be liquid, generally antifreeze - not water. If the plastic piece comes unglued from the hull or the puck on top becomes loose and the liquid drains out, the puck/transducer will not send/receive a good signal through air. In this case you have to take it off, clean up the hull and re-seal the plastic part holding the liquid.

I learned a lot about depth finders fixing mine. Once I got it, the fix was a piece of cake.

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/614394.html?1219291342

This posting my be helpful.

I can't get the current transponder to budge from the bottom of the hull. I even put a pipe wrench on it. I wonder what I could loosen the glue up with?

Jman