Lowrance graph not showing depth

Hey guys I recently bought a hds 7 gen 3 touch. I bought the unit used. I’m on a fishing trip in South Dakota. First time trying to use it and on the sonar it doesn’t show the depth. Any ideas? It does show water temp. It just has 3 lines for the depth. Thanks

It’s likely your settings. See if you can set to default or reset then.

I tried that and it didn’t work. Lowrance customer service is closed today. Took it to a boat dealer. They tried to update the software and it won’t even read the sd card. He said he would guess unit is shot and lowrance will say I need a new unit. I guess that’s what I get for buying a used unit.

Did you make sure it’s acknowledging the transducer you have hooked to it?
That’s also in the settings

I believe the dealer did but not positive. How do I do that? If it’s showing the water temp then it’s acknowledging the transducer correct?

Be sure your scale for the depth isn’t to deep. Example 300 ft and you are in 15 feet of water.

How do I do that? It was 100 and I was in 5 ft or so. But it still should show a depth shouldn’t it?

Which transducer do you have? I sometimes have to change a few settings to lock on soft shallow bottom with the 83/200 transducer.

boos1906 wrote:

I believe the dealer did but not positive. How do I do that? If it’s showing the water temp then it’s acknowledging the transducer correct?

Select:
Settings
Sonar
Installation
Scroll down to transducer type
Scroll down through the options until you find the kind of transducer you have plugged into it. (See silver tag on your transducer cord)
Select and SAVE that particular transducer type
Exit screen after saving
Hopefully your good to go

You may also need to check your overlay options to make sure they are ON for speed, temp, depth, etc

I will check that all out. I have no clue on the transducer but it’s the 3 n 1.

boos1906 wrote:

I will check that all out. I have no clue on the transducer but it’s the 3 n 1.

Keep playing with it. My 12 locked up once and I played around and got it going although I don’t know what I did.

My unit ,granted it’s a cheaper lowrance unit sucks in shallow water.
I bought it knowing lowrance in my opinion is not a good shallow outfit.
I fish a lot of 5ft and less water,my bad .My helix at the console is a better shallow unit.

boos1906 wrote:

I will check that all out. I have no clue on the transducer but it’s the 3 n 1.

That should show up as an option. Select that one and save it.
Hopefully that works for ya.

Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducer is not listed as compatible with
Gen3. It is a newer Gen ‘ducer for Carbon, Live and newer Elites.
TotalScan is a similar All-in-One transducer that is compatible with
Gen3. You’ll have to verify. A good transducer for Gen3, in my
experience, is the HDI 83/200 455/800 (although it does NOT have
SideScan), it has 2D and DownScan. I ran software version 7.0 in my
Gen3.

I think it’s a 3 n 1 but don’t know that’s the actual transducer. But how do I tell if it’s a 3 n 1?

boos1906 wrote:

I think it’s a 3 n 1 but don’t know that’s the actual transducer. But how do I tell if it’s a 3 n 1?

There should be a silver tag on the transducer cable up by the connector that goes to the back of the head unit.
Look at that and see what it says. It should have the identification of what type transducer you have.

The transducer is rs-232 it says. It says total scan on the unit. Here is one thing I did. I put it in simulate mode and it does show a depth and picture and everything but doesn’t in regular model. Also I checked side imaging and it’s not showing a depth their either. Think I’ve got a bad transducer? I tried to call lowrance but they are already closed.

So rs 232 is your power cable not a transducer cable. And transducer not necessarily shot.
Highly doubt the unit is shot like the dealer said.
Are you doing these test on water?
When you say you don’t have depth. Are you referring to digital read out in the corner or do you not have bottom showing up scrolling across the screen? Or neither? If you are set at 100 and in five feet I doubt you are seeing anything for a scrolling bottom.
Is this the same for 2d sonar and down scan?
Did you buy the unit and install yourself?
Sorry more information needed to diagnose. Lowrance will probably say the same.

Depth doesn’t work in anything. I’ve done tests both on and off water. The unit doesn’t even scroll in sonar. Works perfect in simulate mode

Ok transducer number would help. Is the transducer ticking. Can you put your hand on the bottom and feel anything ticking?

I will try that tomorrow. I didn’t know you could do that. So if it’s ticking does that mean the transducer is fine?

I turned the unit on and I couldn’t feel the transducer ticking. Think it’s bad? I called lowrance and the girl was not helpful and I couldn’t hardly understand her. She disconnected us taking me off hold and it was after 4 and they closed at 4.

Not 100 percent sure if you can on that transducer or not. The older transducers you could.
Have you gone into your settings to see if the transducer is selected like mentioned earlier?
Knowing what transducer you have would be helpful.

It’s the total scan transducer.

And is it selected in your settings?

Yes but there’s two different total scan transducer.

I would try selecting one then the other and see if one of them works. Did you ever find the silver tag on the transducer cable? That should help narrow down which total scan it is that is showing up in your selections

The grey tag shows rs-232. The boat dealer is the one who selected the transducer so I’d think it’s right but I guess it’s possible it’s not. I will try the other tomorrow. It was unknown before he messed with it.

I finally got ahold of lowrance and they determined the transducer is shot.

Again Rs232 is the data power cable not a transducer cable.
How did they did they determine it was shot.