sidescan: losing source

[coldfront]

Todd, perhaps you can help...or get this to the folks at lowrance...

when I'm out boating...I like to keep my side imaging on...then I'll put the console unit on 'standby' while I work from the front...

after going into the real shallow stuff...and especially weeds...I have trouble re-establishing 'source'...

any idea what's going on?  Usually, I can get out in open water, run a bit ...and it'll come back.

Now, I can tell you this:  I've looked and don't see weeds hanging up on the transducer...



any thoughts? 

[fishin couillon]

Is it like when the regular sonar looses bottom?

[Todd Driscoll]

Is it giving you a "no source" indication, or as FC said, is it just unsuccessfully finding bottom? 

[coldfront]

Todd,
It's a 'no source' message on the screen...and the screen 'stops scrolling'...as I move out of the shallows, sometimes it starts/stops scrolling intermittently.

the screen is 'static' whenever the 'no source' is up...

Hope this helps describe it well enough...any other questions you have, please help me clarify...

I'm not complaining...I'm just wnating to understand...so I can effectively understand address via my behavior... 

[Todd Driscoll]

Personally, I have not observed this problem.  When you get "no source" at the console unit, is the unit on the bow still functioning with LSS (assuming you have an HDS unit ethernet-linked up there), or is it giving you "no source" as well?  I checked with product experts at HQ, and they say that the only time "no source" should appear is if you lose power to the LSS.

[coldfront]

todd,
I run a 'legacy' unit (LMS-480) on the bow...it's not networked...it's a stand along...

the HDS-7 with LSS-1 is the console unit...

the problem only occurs when I'm in extremely shallow water...(less than 2-3 feet)  and I'd almost want to liken it to when I'd take my boat into extremely shallow water with a 'normal' transducer...in that at some point the data keeps scrolling, but the 'depth reading' locks...

In this case, it appears the signal stops...and the 'system' doesn't recognize the sidescan transducer...(if I switch to 'sonar' page, everything is working fine)...it's just the structure scan that seems to be the issue...


Is it possible that in shallow water, specifically shallow water with heavy weeds (like I like to go into when tossing frogs) that the system is being overcome by 'feedback'? 

It's like I've said...I can get back out to 'open' water with some decent depth (say 10+ feet) and it'll eventually come back on it's own...

[Todd Driscoll]

Our engineers say that the "no source" problem with the LSS is not related to shallow water/feedback that 2D sonar is sometimes susceptible to.  They can only replicate "no source" when the LSS loses input power.  They also say that "no source" should have nothing to do with the ducer.  For example, even if you unplug the ducer from LSS, it will not give you "no source", just no data.

[stratos77]

Correct the black box is losing connection/power. Check the wiring.

[Fishton]

I had it on two separate occasions, and both times it was a faulty Ethernet cable.

[coldfront]

I had it on two separate occasions, and both times it was a faulty Ethernet cable.

it was, in my case, a DEU problem....(defective end user)...

Thanks Todd!