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Thread: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

  1. #1

    Question Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    Hi everyone,

    I am just getting started chasing a few ooglies and my first attempt was a good learning experience with zero fish being caught and a lot of line being lost on the 2nd drop.

    I run a Lowrance HDS10 (gen1) with an airmar TM260. I have never really had a problem with this setup until I ventured past about 150m of depth. I changed to deep water setting (I normally run general use) but could not get the unit to read the bottom.

    Can someone with experience and/or a similar setup help me with the settings they use in deep water (150-500m). In particular, ping speed and sensitivity (which I believe is the same as gain).

    Last time went wide was fairly choppy, does this make it more difficult to find or hold bottom??

    Cheers
    Joffo

  2. #2

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    did you change to low frequency?

  3. #3

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    Yes- changed to 50khz

  4. #4

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    Hi, I have a similar setup though gen 2 units. I generally run on the default deep water setting and have had no need to ever change it until I encountered problems a little while ago. I would start by isolating the issue (1) do you have or can borrow a second lowrance unit to check if that’s the issue (2) can you get the transducer tested (3) is the transducer placement angled in a funny way. Until then your just guessing what the problem is unfortunately.

    The chop does affect my readings but i would expect it to still pick up the bottom just with a broken picture.

    As a side note one of my units just stopped reading at depth (200+). After working through the above lowrance replaced it and problem was solved.

    Not good about the line loss either, bust off and tangles are not great out there.

  5. #5

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    Quote Originally Posted by joffo81 View Post
    Hi everyone,

    I am just getting started chasing a few ooglies and my first attempt was a good learning experience with zero fish being caught and a lot of line being lost on the 2nd drop.

    I run a Lowrance HDS10 (gen1) with an airmar TM260. I have never really had a problem with this setup until I ventured past about 150m of depth. I changed to deep water setting (I normally run general use) but could not get the unit to read the bottom.

    Can someone with experience and/or a similar setup help me with the settings they use in deep water (150-500m). In particular, ping speed and sensitivity (which I believe is the same as gain).

    Last time went wide was fairly choppy, does this make it more difficult to find or hold bottom??

    Cheers
    Joffo
    Hi Joffo

    I had a hds 10 gen 1 running an airmar m258 in my last boat. It would read bottom at speed out past 200m. I always ran the sounder on custom never on auto. About 80% sensitivity in 50m or so and the deeper you go the more u need. It would read well on 200 until about 200m and then I’d need to change to 50. Once on 50 it wouldn’t read well past about 10knots but would pick up bottom and fish out past 400m. Imo You cannot leave any sounder on auto in that depth. Being a furuno fan Mine surprised me how well it went out deep. Just have a play while your out there but the m260 is a better deep water transducer than I had so should be the goods.

    Cheers barryl

  6. #6

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    Thanks Barry. I don’t run on auto either. I normally run my sensitivity around 65% in shallow water and I think that’s where I’ve gone wrong in the deep stuff. Fingers crossed I just need to crank it up and I’ll get a good reading. Unfortunately the swell this weekend will not let me get out for a test!

    I’d still like to hear what other people run as far as ping speed and sensitivity go.

  7. #7

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    did you installed that TM260 or was already on boat ?

  8. #8

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    This might be obvious but have you checked the transducer plug and socket at the head unit for any signs of corrosion? Might be losing some power thru a high resistance fault? Happened to me.
    Cheers

  9. #9

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    If you hunt around the various facebook pages related to sounders at the minute there are plenty of posts with reference to a batch of 260 transducers that have had 50KHz element failures. Suggest getting it to a tech dealer to be tested or you may well be chasing your tail with settings.

  10. #10

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    Thanks for the ideas and response gents.

    MyWay - the transducer was already installed before I bought the boat.

    TheGurn - great idea thanks. Ill check the plug.

    scottar - I wasn't aware of the TM260 element failures. I'll have to do some more reading on it. If I try 50kHz in shallow water and I get a bottom reading does that rule out a failure?

  11. #11

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    The only way of testing shallow is direct comparrison against a known working unit.

  12. #12

    Re: Deep Drop Sounder Settings

    You can try to increase ping and you will hear a rapid sound from tranduser at 50 and when you switch to 200 it will sound like clock ticking.
    I'm not saying this is the right way to test it, but it could be same problem I had on my Lowrance with the wiring.
    Also, thanks to "SCOTTAR", he help me sort it out.

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