Is my Lowrance elite 5X pooched,,,, NO IT,S NOT, Thanks guys

[Garnet]

Lowrance have a shallow water setting and a deep water setting. If yours is wrong you need to read manual theirs a procedure to change it.

[Dara]

On my HDS you have to tell the machine the model number of the transducer.

There should be a tag on it and you pick from a list in the meneu

[BillM]

Time to buy a Humminbird

[riddickulous]

I have a Elite 4x and I have similar issues in 100' water, with my jig disappearing halfway down. I chalked it up to current pushing the jig out of the cone but I always suspected it was something else.

 

I usually required some tinkering with surface clarity and noise reduction to improve the scan. I don't understand why surface clarity would affect my sonar strength 80' down but it seemed to have happened. Try to keep clarity and noise reduction at lowest possible settings.

 

Frustrating... sometimes i play with the sonar more than i fish..

[Garnet]

Birds are 5 x worst for interference low voltage.

[quickme]

have you played with the frequency? One works better than the other ( i think its 200) After I changed my frequency it made a world of difference.

[misfish]

I have both units paired back up with thier original ducers now. I will try them out after work tuesday now as Im pooched myself after today.

 

Thanks for all the replies so far.

 

And yes Quick, I did try all frequencys. Even split screen and flasher.

 

 

I guess you won't get much road rash on the transducer when it's in the box of the truck. I forgot it wasn't on a REAL boat.

 

 

Smart ass.

[misfish]

I have a Elite 4x and I have similar issues in 100' water, with my jig disappearing halfway down. I chalked it up to current pushing the jig out of the cone but I always suspected it was something else.

 

I usually required some tinkering with surface clarity and noise reduction to improve the scan. I don't understand why surface clarity would affect my sonar strength 80' down but it seemed to have happened. Try to keep clarity and noise reduction at lowest possible settings.

 

Frustrating... sometimes i play with the sonar more than i fish..

Like I said, my Elite 4X, has been flawless. My only reason for upgrading was for a larger screen.

[misfish]

Did a quick test this morning, even though it was off the docks here 10 fow. The 5 had it,s own ducer back on. Fired it up and it went back to factory setting. I played with it just to see if I got any kind of interference. Seem to be ok. Hooked up the 4 and it seemed to be the way I had it at the end of the hard water season. Next test will be deeper water. Something tells me the ducers might not be interchangeable,OR, what Garnet said about the wires being close together, might be the issue. Will find out soon enough on the deep water. Will test them both out exchanging ducers. In the mean time, I will fabricate a holder for the skimmer ducer to use on the toon.

[misfish]

Today I took the elite4x out just to try the ducer. Just to make sure it wasnt the ducer. It worked flawlessly. I even marked my jig in 122 fow. So it,s not the ducer.

 

I need to make a holder for the elite 5x ducer before I try it out. I am pretty sure, the ducers are not compatible. My next outing will tell me though, with the 5 set up with it,s original ducer.

[Pikeslayer]

Brian (et al),

I just finished bringing my HDS 7 Gen 1 back to life (Spincast's fault ) with a full operating system and background files restore.

I highly recommend watching this series of YouTube videos featuring Lowrance set up. It is a bit dated and features earlier generation Lowrance's but the basics are the same with today's technology. Jocelyn from Angler's Outfitters is considered the the Lowrance Guru. Lots to learn here.

 

[misfish]

Thanks Simon. Nice to hear from you.

 

Lets see if this helps me out.

 

I have one set up I have done. Have yet to try it out in deep water. If the winds are favorable this weekend, I will get to try it out.

 

Thanks again.

 

B

 

Edit to add, I have taken Garnets advice. The long duser wire I have coiled up and wrapped with electrical tape. Keeping the power cord away from it. Also not wrapping it around the EMT pipe.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Brian B

[Garnet]

Go one more step. The transducer cord wrap in around a piece of plywood. Remember I said every wire has electrical field around it including transducer cord. When you wrap in ball that field is like a coil. Ups the power and messes with your unit.

[Salmonidstalker]

When I was at Radio World a few years back there was a big sale on those Elites. The employee did tell me at the time that for deep water they perform poorly. I went with the humminbird. Life's short, buy a good unit. Lol

Edited June 10, 2016 by VXP

[Headhunter]

I have to admit that I am surprised that they don't use a shielded cable for these units. It can't cost much more than an un-shielded cable. Just like a mic cable has to be shielded due to the low level of signal being susceptible to outside interference.

HH

[misfish]

Today was the day to put all I was told into work on the finder. Between a few sites,I had lots of recommendations.

 

First this was to pair up the unit with it,s own duser. Then make a holder for the ducer for the toon. Then make a holder for the ducer cable to wrap around. Got a set up from a guy on the LSB that has the same unit.

 

Im pleased to say, the unit worked flawlessly.

 

Some pics of what I did.

 

Holder that would set up on the foot peg. This worked great. If the spoon went out of the cone, I was able to move the holder with my foot and see it on the screen.

 

 

 

Nylon piece I cut out to wrap the cable.

 

 

No matter what I did, I could not make the finder do what it was doing before with the ice duser on it.

 

Clear pic. No, I didnt get the fish I was playing with.

 

 

A BIG THANKS,to everyone that helpped out here.

[leaf4]

Cool setup, and is that an old cutting board? If so that's a sweet repurpose into something useful lol Newfie engineering

Edited June 17, 2016 by Lucas F

[misfish]

Cool setup, and is that an old cutting board? If so that's a sweet repurpose into something useful lol Newfie engineering

 

Thanks,

 

It was a piece I had laying around. Truth be told, it was for Terrys anchor rope on his toon, but I needed it more.

[Garnet]

That looks perfect to me. Save a trip to city

[Terry]

always a bridesmaid never a bride

lol

[Garnet]

I'm also a use what I have guy.

 

I had 4 spinnerbait racks with bigger cut outs. With a little high end duck tape I taped them all together and wrap my duser cable. What can I say it worked.

[misfish]

I'm also a use what I have guy.

 

I had 4 spinnerbait racks with bigger cut outs. With a little high end duck tape I taped them all together and wrap my duser cable. What can I say it worked.

 

Cool idea. I had it out again today. Went as far as 93 fow. Marked the meegs and the small williams. So looks like I learned a bunch from alot of yas..

 

Thanks again gang, G. pm,d ya.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Brian B

[Old Ironmaker]

My old ice transducer arm would work perfectly for your toon. A portable Eagle Ultra that works like new 22 years after I got it and still use it occasionally on tinnies on back lakes.

 

I am glad your unit is working Brian, now go get them pesky fishes. We got skunked this AM, not even a farm animal.