Another Help!!! Is this my transducer?

Is this a bad transducer???
At high speed, I lose my bottom lock and reading, with slowing down, it will eventually return.
At a prior time, at the same transom location, the unit worked fine with never a glitch at all speeds.
At one point last year, it changed, showing much scatter on the screen at speed and eventually losing bottom.
I have lowered the transducer, changed the location towards the motor (right now, approx. 1.5 feet to the right of the motor looking at the back of the boat) well as worked with different angles.
Question is, what does a transducer do when it is bad? Does it go bad slowly or one big event?
I have tried different head units, does the same with all.
I am looking for some answers, as next move is yanking the thing off my boat and buying a new tranducer-which will cost money and take time away from fishing, mowing the yard, spending time with the wife, doing jumping jacks, etc, etc, etc.

Thanks for the help guys.

Jeremy

Yup, I’d bet it is time for a new transducer. What causes them to go bad? Collisions with junk in the water big and small are one cause. Poor design and construction are another. Some brands have a track record of needing to replace transducers far too frequently. Regarding collissions… over time the crystal inside can break from the epoxy housing it and the crystal’s ability to generate a clean pulse is degraded. As for your question “do they usually all go at once” they most certainly can and do following a major impact or if a design / manufacturing flaw is at play. But most often they slowly degrade. I can offer Dustin’s Garmins as a sample for your consideration. At one time they marked perfectly but slowly over time they’ve degraded to the point where all he gets now is a depth reading. No bottom is displayed at all. But those head units work fine on other transducers.

Your transducer could have moved a little during use….I would try to have your ducer level to the garage floor or lake bottom and click down one additional notch. so that its just below parrell with the bottom. Your not getting contact at high speeds. did you hit anything? did you run the boat too far on the trailer moving the ducer? Check those things prior to buying a new ducer.

Does whomping ice chunks running up and down the river during the winter count?
Dean was driving.

Quote:

---

Does whomping ice chunks running up and down the river during the winter count?
Dean was driving.

---

Maybe a little. How many years you been slowly beating that transducer into submission?

mine also started doing this on Saturday as well…..the transducer is loose itself in the bracket so possibly tighten it down you think? Sorry to butt in doc but it just happened to me as well.

Quote:

---

mine also started doing this on Saturday as well…..the transducer is loose itself in the bracket so possibly tighten it down you think? Sorry to butt in doc but it just happened to me as well.

---

Definitely start with tightening it down and see if that fixes your issue. Then try re-positioning back to the original location if you still have issues. Chances are whatever “loosened” the mount might have tweaked the entire bracket out of alignment.

Thanks guys, Damn race track

No problem Eric, think James is right about mine.
I have leveled it, lowered it, moved it and tilted it–all the same in the end.
wish it just was a loose bolt.
Might just swallow the pill and get a transducer.

Quote:

---

No problem Eric, think James is right about mine.
I have leveled it, lowered it, moved it and tilted it–all the same in the end.
wish it just was a loose bolt.
Might just swallow the pill and get a transducer.

---

Consider it part of “cost of ownership” when you fish rivers.

Quote:

---

Is this a bad transducer???
At high speed, I lose my bottom lock and reading, with slowing down, it will eventually return.
At a prior time, at the same transom location, the unit worked fine with never a glitch at all speeds.
At one point last year, it changed, showing much scatter on the screen at speed and eventually losing bottom.
I have lowered the transducer, changed the location towards the motor (right now, approx. 1.5 feet to the right of the motor looking at the back of the boat) well as worked with different angles.
Question is, what does a transducer do when it is bad? Does it go bad slowly or one big event?
I have tried different head units, does the same with all.
I am looking for some answers, as next move is yanking the thing off my boat and buying a new tranducer-which will cost money and take time away from fishing, mowing the yard, spending time with the wife, doing jumping jacks, etc, etc, etc.

Thanks for the help guys.

Jeremy

---

I had the same problems you described. Today I tried a new transducer and all is back to normal.

Try a new transducer.

Thanks fish any time!