my depth sounder has gone wonky - 5212 Garmin

R

River Bank

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Messages
115
Fluid Motion Model
C-248 C
Vessel Name
RIVER BANK
Hello

I need some help.

My Garmin 5212 sounder in my 2010 R25 is flashing on and off and is giving repeated false depth soundings (i.e. flashing on 43 feet then blacks out, then 6.4 feet then 32 feet etc).

It is all over the place.

Have gone through the manual, but they don't seem to have a trouble shooting page.

Had the boat hauled this morning and there is no transducer affixed to the hull, so I expect it is a thru-the-hull arrangement, but what do I know.

What to do?

Bob
 
Bob: Some transducers, the ones that shoot thru the hull, that develop problems have a couple of remedies. If yours is one that is filled with mineral oil then you'll need to check to make sure it has enough oil inside of its housing, if not this could cause the problem. Another problem that comes up is that the sealant that holds your transducer to the hulls interior has lost its grip and the transducer is not secure and needs to be re-bedded.

Let us know what you find,

Jim F
 
I have similar issues with my raymarine sounder. Other possible issues could be the power, unit could be sensitive to voltage flucuations, check and clean connections.

Try readjusting the gain manually. The bottom composition could be a factor.

Try turning off all power to the unit to reset it by turning the battery switch off.

These were all suggestions I received. For me, the issue is so intermittent that I can't really tell if anything is helping or not.
 
Just went through this with our 2012 R29. The software needed an update. Very simple fix, just download latest update on an SD card from Garmin site and plug into side of chart plotter. System does the rest automatically. Also make sure gain and range is set to 'Auto'. Once reset our depth stopped flashing and all was well in the world again. Sometimes easiest solution is the right one.
 
Call Garmins help line and ask them to walk you through the update. Their help line is probably the best in the business for a publicly traded company.
 
You need to locate the through hull transducer if an update does not work. On my 2010 25SC it is mounted aft starboard side about 12" from the keel. Mine had stopped working and it had become unattached to the hull. The factory uses an epoxy to secure the transducer to the hull. The transducer is made by AirMar, model P79 , I called them (803-693-0777) and they recommend using the fluid reservoir. AirMar will tell you where to buy the part online. I bought the reservoir, secured it with 4200 (recommended by another tug owner who experienced same problem) and per their instructions filled it with RV antifreeze. All is good.
It is a fun job, take the rear seat apart and you will be inverted most of the time. Once you find it you have to actually grab it and make sure it is secure. Mine was loose just sitting in the epoxy cup.
 
Before you go crazy. Disconnect all power to the sounder unit. This will be a major re-set. See what happens. If that does not work go to plan "B" , Gansett Ranger's fix. Make sure you have a couple of beers handy.
 
Hello Bob,

I've seen this before. If the depth is flashing that's a good thing, that tells me the transducer is working it just can't find the bottom. First thing I'd check would be the gain, this needs to be set to AUTO. If the depth is set to say 50ft and you go past that depth the numbers with flash at you. You also want to make sure your Zoom is set to, No zoom and range is set to Auto.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
-Kenny
 
I would like to thank all of you that offered suggestions and advice to my "wonky" depth sounder problem.

A special thanks to "Kenny" from Seattle who hit the nail on the head with his suggestion that I had somehow changed the depth range (shown at the top of the sounder/fishfinder screen) from "Auto" to "70 feet" and didn't change it back after exploring with a flurry of random button and setting changes.

Lesson learned, don't fiddle with the settings unless you know what you are doing!

I am most grateful to you all for taking the time and trouble with your postings,

Bob
 
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