Garmin 160 Blue & Alternatives - Page 2

Michael · 10 December 2003, 00:06

Can you post a pic of the transducer? Some of the other contributors on these forums have had a similar problem - have a search on these forums.

Mike

Rupert Bear · 11 December 2003, 11:00

here you are..

Michael · 12 December 2003, 01:45

Position looks OK to me. What way does prop rotate? If clockwise, then it could cause interference. Maybe marknj might have some suggestions??

Are you out there mark??

Mike

Rupert Bear · 13 December 2003, 19:38

you would have thought if it was prop related the signal loss would be at high speed...............

Michael · 14 December 2003, 22:04

Not sure......maybe at slow speed the prop wash is more likely to hit the transducer than at high speed. At high speed, the transducer would be much lower in the water, and would probably always be ahead of any prop wash?? What way does your prop rotate? If its clockwise I would definitely say that is a possible culprit.

Mike

Michael · 18 December 2003, 23:16

I emailed Garmin tech support. They suggest that the transducer may be lifting out of the water in rough seas. I cannot say this is never the case, so the next trip will involve a guest driver, a communications man to shout out when we lose signal, and me hanging off the transom looking at the transducer as we hit the waves.

I'm feeling queasy just thinking about it.

Mike

Daniel · 19 December 2003, 00:39

Quote:

Originally posted by jwalker
Oooo, you've got them behind the sprayrails. Did you not read the fitting instructions?

Having read the manual is does not say this is a bad place - it also does not say it's a good place. Am i going to make two new holes in my transom this weekned and move it then?

What do you know jwalker that i do not?

jwalker · 19 December 2003, 23:24

A snippet from the Airmar instructions which come with the Garmin sounder.

Alex Brown · 20 December 2003, 10:19

That had better not be referring to my chines as 'hull irregularities'

Yeah, I read that too, but it also said that it had to be a minimum distance from the engine, which I complied with. Any further along the transom, and the transducer would be in the air most of the time, so the only place left was on the flat just behind the chine. I got pics the other day, just need to find the camera lead now.....

-Alex

jwalker · 20 December 2003, 14:10

Well there you go. Easy answer - stick it inside the hull. Problem solved.

marknj · 30 December 2003, 19:10

Sorry for taking ages to reply things have been a bit mad!
Two main things;
For normal prop rotation TDCR should always be on the starboard side.
Face of TDCR should be level with hull not below it, unless you have the 'skimmer' type and you'l get away with it.

Main thing to consider is that there should never be any air between the transducer face and the sea bed. Causes of this can be cavitation, tubulence in any form or trying to shoot through a wood hull.

Hope this helps a little - probably too late though!

Mark

Michael · 04 January 2004, 23:23

As a first option I'm going to get a second transducer and mount it inside the hull. If I still have problems I'll try moving the one on the transom to an alternative position(s). Final solution will be to chuck the 160 and get something else. (Perhaps a bit harsh on Garmin- maybe the problem is the design of the Airmar transducer?).

Mike

Rupert Bear · 05 January 2004, 14:35

The reason I mounted mine to port is that a small outboard is mounted on the other side. This was deliberately put there to keep weight to starboard and balance the prop torque.
I actually find the picture very poor on the sounder, when running over large wrecks that I know the position of I find I can hardly make them out making the chance of finding ones I don't have a exact psoition of impossible.
The Lowrance and Eagle units I have used before where much clearer.

Daniel · 05 January 2004, 14:42

Where does the collective brain of RIBnet think i should move mine to?

Pic taken a few moments ago, drill and silicone at the ready...

Alex Brown · 05 January 2004, 19:41

Well, as promised, here's where my transducer is mounted.... it is quite a large lump, and the last transducer I had with a 160 Blue was much smaller and worked at all speeds.
This thing also pops up from time to time in choppy water. I had to mount it right on the chine, or otherwise half of it would be above the back of the hull, and the other half would be quite deep since the V is quite sharp.
I think I will leave it here unless anyone can come up with any suggestions around that sort of area of the back of the boat (not inside). I am happy that it works upto 15knots, and then again at over 20 knots most of the time.

-Alex