Lowrance - X-85 depth finder malfuntioning - HELP !

Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

The way you describe the mounting seems wrong, the line that runs
horizontally along the transducer (the seem) should be even with the bottom
of the hull (not the water line) and level when the boat is in the water.
Perhaps you mounted it too high and when you go to the front of the boat or
when you move it comes out of the water occasionally. That would give you
the reading that you're describing.

Rich P


"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

Well, you did say above that you have it pointing "straight astern". I hope
you meant pointing straight down?

Ian, sounds to me like you mounted the transducer too high. See Rich's
instructions...

WW

"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

"go-bassn" wrote in message ...
Ian, sounds to me like you mounted the transducer too high. See Rich's
instructions...

WW

"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

Thanks to everyone who replied. I will try mounting it nearer the
bottom of the hull. Whereabouts on the transom should I mount it I
wonder ? I have a (sort of) V shaped hull and I was concerned about
mounting it too near the outboard in case it interrupted the signal
with the cavitation effect of the prop.

Many thanks again

Cheers

Ian.

I go about 15" or 18" to one side of center on my boat, approximately. As
long as it's in a place that remains submerged all the time and the seem is
level with the bottom of the hull. Yes that does mean the belly of the unit
is below the hull, I promise you won't feel it in the performance of the
boat.

Rich P


"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Ian, sounds to me like you mounted the transducer too high. See Rich's
instructions...

WW

"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

Thanks to everyone who replied. I will try mounting it nearer the
bottom of the hull. Whereabouts on the transom should I mount it I
wonder ? I have a (sort of) V shaped hull and I was concerned about
mounting it too near the outboard in case it interrupted the signal
with the cavitation effect of the prop.

Many thanks again

Cheers

Ian.

"Rich Pierro" wrote in message ...
I go about 15" or 18" to one side of center on my boat, approximately. As
long as it's in a place that remains submerged all the time and the seem is
level with the bottom of the hull. Yes that does mean the belly of the unit
is below the hull, I promise you won't feel it in the performance of the
boat.

Rich P


"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Ian, sounds to me like you mounted the transducer too high. See Rich's
instructions...

WW

"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

Thanks to everyone who replied. I will try mounting it nearer the
bottom of the hull. Whereabouts on the transom should I mount it I
wonder ? I have a (sort of) V shaped hull and I was concerned about
mounting it too near the outboard in case it interrupted the signal
with the cavitation effect of the prop.

Many thanks again

Cheers

Ian.


Thanks Rich. Just one more stupid :-) question. When you say the belly
of the transducer pointing downwards what exactly do you mean ?

I've shown my (extremely) crude drawing skills at the following link.
Would you mind telling me which is the correct setting for the
transducer ?

http://www.gothamvillage.co.uk/transducer.gif

Many thanks

Ian.

http://www.lowrance.com/Tutorials/So...utorial_05.asp

........check the Lowrance Web Site for installation instructions and
operator's manuals. said Huck

"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
"Rich Pierro" wrote in message
...
I go about 15" or 18" to one side of center on my boat, approximately.
As
long as it's in a place that remains submerged all the time and the seem
is
level with the bottom of the hull. Yes that does mean the belly of the
unit
is below the hull, I promise you won't feel it in the performance of the
boat.

Rich P


"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Ian, sounds to me like you mounted the transducer too high. See
Rich's
instructions...

WW

"ian whitcombe" wrote in message
om...
Dear all,

I've just installed a Lowrance X-85 onto my boat and on testing it
found that initially it showed the depth at 0.0 and flashed this
until
some time into the journey where it read correctly for 10 seconds
or
more and then flashed the last reading for some time, then worked
again, then flashed, etc. This went on all day.

I mounted the transducer just below the water line on the transom
pointing straight astern. The cable was routed well away from any
other cabling at all as it ran down the other side of the boat to
the
main electrics.

Does anyone have any idea where I'm going wrong ?

many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Cheeseboy.

Thanks to everyone who replied. I will try mounting it nearer the
bottom of the hull. Whereabouts on the transom should I mount it I
wonder ? I have a (sort of) V shaped hull and I was concerned about
mounting it too near the outboard in case it interrupted the signal
with the cavitation effect of the prop.

Many thanks again

Cheers

Ian.


Thanks Rich. Just one more stupid :-) question. When you say the belly
of the transducer pointing downwards what exactly do you mean ?

I've shown my (extremely) crude drawing skills at the following link.
Would you mind telling me which is the correct setting for the
transducer ?

http://www.gothamvillage.co.uk/transducer.gif

Many thanks

Ian.

ian,

out of respect, read the manual, especially pages 9-13. the online version
is at http://www.lowrance.com/Manuals/Files/X7585_91201.pdf if you don't
have one available. Lowrance describes the installation in detail with
fairly simple to understand instructions and photos. Your installation
should look like the photos on page 12

regards

andrew

"Rich Pierro" wrote in
:

I go about 15" or 18" to one side of center on my boat, approximately.
As long as it's in a place that remains submerged all the time and
the seem is level with the bottom of the hull. Yes that does mean the
belly of the unit is below the hull, I promise you won't feel it in
the performance of the boat.

Rich P


When I first bought the 16' Sea Rayder 175hp jetboat, I mounted a transom
transducer for my sonar just to port of the jet so it would be down in the
water. Jetboats don't have a rudder, as you may have noticed. That
transducer bubble hanging down into the water PULLED THE BOAT TO PORT
something awful! I couldn't believe how much effect it had on the trim!

I solved the problem by epoxying the thru-the-hull button transducer into
the bilge just forward of the jet pump intake. It read much better
through-the-hull, too, than it ever did on the transom mount in all that
turbulence going 50.

Larry W4CSC