Lowrance HDS Gen 2 Downscan problem

[Prof T]

I'm wondering if anyone might offer a suggestion.

 

I run a Lowrance HDS Gen 2 7 Touch, about six or seven years old with an HDI 83/200/455/800kHz transducer. Regular sonar works fine, but the downscan is iffy but OK down to 45 ft only. Any deeper and there is no display at all. Im guessing a bad crystal in the transducer, but before I hang out $125 is there any way to know for sure? Is it typical for those to weaken with age?

 

I've thought of swapping my unit onto another boat with the same setup, but nobody left in the water that I know of here. (Thousand Islands)

 

 

[dbitting]

Have you tried adjusting the angle of the transducer to be parallel to the bottom. Maybe it is at the wrong angle.

[nysrx01]

The crystals can definitely get weak after years of use.

[Prof T]

Issue resolved. After trying every adjustment available and seeing no improvement, I bought a replacement transducer. Tried it earlier in the week and back in business.

 

I have a friend who is a retired electrical engineer who used to work on helocopters for Lockheed Martin. He gave me a great explanation. Even though a transducer is encased and sealed in epoxy, there are tens of thousands of microscopic solder connections in the circuitry. Heat expansion, cold contraction, and vibration are all your enemies. The internal connections get stessed over time, it's unavoidable. 

 

His thoughts: best place for it, in the water - worst place, on the trailer in the winter parked where the sun can get at it. 

 

Food for thought