Fishfinder / Depth Sounder Inoperable

[JShaferSB]

Three weeks ago I took delivery of a brand-new Cutwater 28 LE. On our maiden voyage home to Santa Barbara from Long Beach I had the first opportunity to test out all of the Garmin electronics (there is a lot for me to learn moving up from a 1995 Pro-Line CC). I managed to figure out everything I needed to navigate through the Channel Islands fairly easily, the Garmin gear is for all intents and purposes intuitive and easy to operate. GPS and radar & autopilot work great...but...my fishfinder does not function properly. I wasn't too concerned as I traveled through open water, but the next weekend I really wanted to get to know the systems better. Again, I could not get the sounder to work. Most of the time the depth data is blank and sometimes it just flashes a depth that I know is not accurate. I was able to score a nice Yellowtail by sight-fishing the birds schools, by now I am a bit concerned. This past weekend I just went out for an hour-long cruise around Santa Barbara harbor with the sole purpose to see if I could get my depth finder to work. Even in the slip I cannot see the bottom. Where do I begin the trouble-shooting process?

Here's a screen shot:

 

[asm777]

Congrats on your new C28 LE!

Are you seeing something like this?

Have also experienced intermittent issues with our sonar not working and here's what Cutwater told me based on above photo:

Sonar: this could be due to the fluid in the cup that holds the transducer having leaked a bit. It needs to make 100% contact with the transducer to work properly. Losing bottom like what you experienced is a symptom of this. We can have a look.

I'd give the guys at LBYS a call and see what they say. They're looking into this for me this week and I'll report back once it's resolved.

[Edit: just realized this is in the ask the factory section. My experience with Cutwater has been fantastic and they've been great in addressing and resolving any issues. I'm sure they'll get you up and running ASAP!]

 

[Osprey]

Have you checked out the Gain and Depth Range settings? Generally the Auto setting works okay but in some instances manual is better. One could also try different frequency settings. Another check is sounder's error code LEDs. Details can be found in the sounder's installation manual. If you see a slow blinking green light the sounder is operating properly. Red, solid or blinking, indicates a problem. For a GSD 22 a slow red blink means a wiring/poor connection problem, solid red - a software problem. A fast red blink should generate an error message on the chartplotter. To clear error codes one need to power the sounder off then on again.

 

[Andrew Custis]

Congrats on your new boat! At the top center of the screen, change the zoom to "auto" by pressing that center tab showing the zoom level you are on. The sonar will work good with depths under 200'.

Thank you!

Andrew Custis

 

[JShaferSB]

Have you checked out the Gain and Depth Range settings? Generally the Auto setting works okay but in some instances manual is better. One could also try different frequency settings. Another check is sounder's error code LEDs. Details can be found in the sounder's installation manual. If you see a slow blinking green light the sounder is operating properly. Red, solid or blinking, indicates a problem. For a GSD 22 a slow red blink means a wiring/poor connection problem, solid red - a software problem. A fast red blink should generate an error message on the chartplotter. To clear error codes one need to power the sounder off then on again.

Thanks Osprey,I did play around with the different settings, but none seemed to change what I was seeing.

I haven't had a chance to search error codes yet, no sure even where to look for them. I'll have to consult the manual.

Where would I find/see the LEDs?

 

[JShaferSB]

Congrats on your new boat! At the top center of the screen, change the zoom to "auto" by pressing that center tab showing the zoom level you are on. The sonar will work good with depths under 200'.

Thank you!

Andrew Custis

Thanks Andrew, that was the first thing I tried, but it did not seem to make any difference...?

Whether I am in 20' of 100' of water I get no depth reading...

Where exactly is the transducer located on a C-28? A poster above in this thread made reference to a cup.

Is this something I should be concerned with?

Thanks in advance for your support..

 

[Osprey]

The error code LED are mounted on the sounder module (look for "Power"). This module is installed behind the dash of the helm station. On the R27 there is a door located in the v-berth for access to this behind the dash location.

 

[JShaferSB]

Well, I learned a lot today, thanks to the great staff at LBYS. I have to say as a blanket endorsement that LBYS has been a fabulous company to work with throughout the boat-buying process (heads above the rest I dealt with)..

As suggested above, I found the transducer underneath the forward hatch in the v-birth, and the unit was just laying there unsecured from the cup, and there was obvious pink antifreeze residue around the unit. I suspect that when I ran through some rough water that it simply popped out?

I have to get some more fluid and refill/test again, but I am also a little bit concerned at how the transducer secures to the cup (and also how much to fill?). Even when re-inserted, I was surprised at just how in-secure the transducer is when installed. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this a common problem? Am I doing something wrong? If not, what can I do to prevent the ducer from popping out every time I run upswell? Tape it down with duct tape?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions..

Best regards,
--Jon

 

[Brian B]

Well, I learned a lot today, thanks to the great staff at LBYS. I have to say as a blanket endorsement that LBYS has been a fabulous company to work with throughout the boat-buying process (heads above the rest I dealt with)..

As suggested above, I found the transducer underneath the forward hatch in the v-birth, and the unit was just laying there unsecured from the cup, and there was obvious pink antifreeze residue around the unit. I suspect that when I ran through some rough water that it simply popped out?

I have to get some more fluid and refill/test again, but I am also a little bit concerned at how the transducer secures to the cup (and also how much to fill?). Even when re-inserted, I was surprised at just how in-secure the transducer is when installed. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this a common problem? Am I doing something wrong? If not, what can I do to prevent the ducer from popping out every time I run upswell? Tape it down with duct tape?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions..

Best regards,
--Jon

You should be able to find the installation instructions online for that particular transducer. I have the Airmar P79, the cup holds 2.4 oz of Propylene Glycol, the transducer assembly has an O ring and bosses on the locking ring fit into the base, press down and turn clockwise.

 

[Crazy Heart]

I have a new Cutwater 28 which I purchased last fall and I have only been out on a shakedown cruise. I got too busy last fall to boat so I have had the boat in winter storage since. But when witerizing I noticed the same problem with the transducer. I knocked it out when checking the shower sump. Same as you I am unhappy with how it fits into the cup. Perhaps we are missing an O-ring as Jon mentioned. I will get into the boat this weekend and look at it again.
P.S. We are registered as Bluemoon. We did this before our purchase and I have noticed that there is a follow tug nut with that name. No problem as we have named our boat Crazy Heart. I need to reregister under that name. I will try to unregister Bluemoon when I figure out how.
Jerry & Colleen Walker
Pleasant Grove, Utah

 

[BB marine]

Good discussion ! We took delivery last weekend of our 26 Cutwater and went thru all systems . All electronics were working properly . We went out for sea trial and noticed a slight intermittent sonar reading . I have experienced that in previous boats during operation normally" terbulent water ". I didn't give much thought to it . When we throttled up and ran in 2' sea's experienced some pounding " not bad " we lost all reading and now no reading . I did look at the transducer next to the shower sump I didn't see any propylene but I really wasn't looking for it . I will look into it more today also didn't know about LED Fault behind helm . Thanks all

 

[BB marine]

We went to the boat Friday and looked into the transducer issue . I spoke with the service tech. And both agreed the problem was in the transducer . When the cover was removed the Propylene glycol level was low and o-ring was missing. Cutwater must have forgotten to install it . We installed O-ring , filled reservoir and installed cover . When installing the cover make sure the cover is square with the housing , a light push down approx 1/4 to 1/2 turn the cover will fit into the locking tabs and will spring up slightly when locked into place properly . Our test run proved out , there wasn't intermittent readings so all is good with Depth sounder .

 

[Crazy Heart]

I have looked more closely at my transponder and found that I do have the O-ring in place. However, when I tighten the transponder into the cup,it pops loose. I can feel it fit into the proper location, but it is not tight. If I continue to tighten it the tabs pop out, presumably by passing the slot. I recently installed a stainless steel hose clamp around the cup. This solves the problem.

Now my question is, will the stainless steel clamp affect the performance of the transponder? I don't understand the electronics involved. I don't have the boat in the water for a test, so I haven't been able see if it works. Thanks for any help.
Jerry Walker