Depth Gauge - It don't work right?

[HoustonPerson]

Up until about last December, the depth gauge always worked perfect in all conditions. But sense about January of the this year it does not work in depths of less than 10 feet or so.

For example you may be out in 40 feet of water, come into shore and somewhere it in water depth of 6-10 feet, it will lock and start blinking, which means it is not working...............it will not work again until you get back out into deep water again.

It will never work in any thing less than 6 feet. Which is a real pain if you are in unfamiliar waters.

So I have a couple of questions:

1. Is this part (the depth gauge) plug and play? OR do you have to rewire the boat to replace it?

2. Anyone have an idea what the problem is?

3. How is it that a depth gauge works anyway? Is it two beams of something converging on the bottom of the lake? Or bounce back? or what?

Naturally, this is something else that needs to be fixed. Twice this last weekend got stuck on a sand bar...friends pushed the boat off........but the depth gauge was blinking at 6.5 feet.............which means that was the last accurate reading it got!

Thanks.

Edited July 5, 2005 by HoustonPerson

[Baddog]

Might the fact that you were in contact with sand bars and now your depth guage doesn't work be related? Could be as easy as cleaning the surface of the sender/reciever.

[Malibudoc]

Several people have asked this question and I've responded with my similar experience as being caused by an uneven bottom that is denying accurate readings. I would ask if the depth gauge works when you are stopped in shallow water but does not work well when you are moving?

Usually tall weeds will throw off the depth gauge reading...

Solution... take 50 gallon barrels of xxx poison and dump it in the lake

Edited July 5, 2005 by Malibudoc

[HoustonPerson]

I clean it real good once before, and maybe it improved just a little. Maybe need a different cleaner?

Flat bottom, no weeds, It does not work in any water clean, dirty, or whatever at the shallow depth.

Funny thing is, it use to be 100% on target, and never blinked before?

[Web]

Your prob sounds very similar to mine. It would blink on the last readable depth and keep blinking until it would start working again. Sometimes it would not work for the entire day, sometime just a few minutes.

It was a year or two ago when I had it replaced under warranty and I cant remember the details of what was wrong. But I think they just replaced the ?transponder ? part ( part attached to hull ) with a different style. I think it had to be siliconed in, not the screw in hockey puck style that was the original style. But I cant remember.

Should be warranty.

[rkgallagher]

We have a Uniden depth gauge on a '02 RLX. We are experiencing similar problems to inconsistent readings. I understand that it blinks when the reading is too deep. When it's shallow, it's not always consisent either. I've noticed there is a setting that you can adjust with the up or down buttons. For example, you can set the alarm to "A3" or something like that.

I'm interested in hearing from other owners with this model and what experiences they've had. What setting do you put it on? Since ours is mounted on the dog leg panel, is there an easy cleaning job I can do to make it work better? What about on the hull? Do most people mount it on the dash?

[Malibudoc]

maybe there is a high mineral content in the water and it is bouncing off the little mineral pieces?

[Lakenut]

Mine will blink the last depth when the sonar signal is lost. Usually deep water at speeds over 35mph. The transducer sends a signal that "bounces" off of the bottom. If the transducer is "pointed" off to one side the signal bounces off of the bottom and travels away from the boat. My guess is that the transducer may have been bumped hard enough to change the direction that the signal travels.

[HoustonPerson]

Mine will blink the last depth when the sonar signal is lost.  Usually deep water at speeds over 35mph.  The transducer sends a signal that "bounces" off of the bottom.  If the transducer is "pointed"  off to one side the signal bounces off of the bottom and travels away from the boat.  My guess is that the transducer may have been bumped hard enough to change the direction that the signal travels.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That kind of sort of makes sense; but the transducer on mine is just a shinny black 2" circle on the bottom of the boat, maybe 10" or so from the V Drive. It does not look like there is any adjustment to it?

[apexeon]

I was having trouble with the depth unit on my response. Having some experience with shoot thru transducers for fish finders I decided to have a look. The puck transducer on my boat is mounted just before the pylon. The sealant that had been used was deteriating from exposure to oil ect in the bottom. I cleaned the hull and the puck. I used some exopyand mounted it back in place. Works perfectly. Cost: 4.67 for Duro 2 part epoxy Time: 30 min

Tips:

1. When you mix the epoxy, do so slowly so as not to make bubbles.

[Lakenut]

the transducer on mine is just a shinny black 2" circle on the bottom of the boat,

Mine is too. Maybe you damaged the transducer itself? The transducer would be my guess of where to start looking for a blame. I wonder how hard it is to replace a transducer in the hull? Through the hull would be easy as apexeon said. Not sure on the in hull. Please keep us informed with your findings. Good luck.

[HoustonPerson]

It goes back to the dealer today........fix the wedge that keeps falling off, the depth gauge, and hopefully the Sony Remote (4 weeks already!)

[HoustonPerson]

It goes back to the dealer today........fix the wedge that keeps falling off, the depth gauge, and hopefully the Sony Remote (4 weeks already!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, two out of three is not too bad.......Dealer replaced the transom remote, and now put in all new screws to the wedge with some sort of super duper glue - something apparently other than lock tight. Looks good to me.

The depth gauge, checked out ok, so they will do some more research on this "ohm thing" - - - I will check the bottom of the boat again, or maybe get someone with better vision to see if that gizmo is damaged in any way, to me it looks ok, but my eyes without glasses is stuck on 20", so I am too close to see it. And will try cleaning again.

[Mazeing5]

I would also like to find a fix for this I have the same thing but mine blinks at 4.5 and use to go to .5. My dealer couldn't find anything wrong with it. just started about a year ago and it never goes below 4.5.

[HoustonPerson]

I still do not have a fix, and have no clue as to what is going on? I don't like it, cause it is not safe in shallow waters.

This last time out, I noticed one other very strange thing about it that I have not noticed before:

If just sitting or idle forward at slow speed in shallow water (anything less than 8' on my boat)........it just blinks at the last know reading - say 6.5 feet...............but if you accelerate and get the nose way up, it will sometimes read correctly.........like all the sudden 4.2 feet.............drop the nose back down and it quits reading correctly again..............it's like the sonar (or what ever it is) is not aiming correctly at the bottom of the lake? Or maybe loose wiring, or one of the weird ohm things?

Two weeks ago I was idling forward at 2' depth of water, next to friends 2002 Bu Direct Drive..........his depth gauge that has always worked showed between 1.5 to 2' back to the ramp...............my just blinked at 6.5 the whole way in..........Man I wish there was a fix for this!

Edited August 5, 2005 by HoustonPerson

[RiverRunner]

Do you have the settings correct on it?

Is there a way to reset it?

Buy a new one?

Edited August 5, 2005 by RiverRunner

[Mazeing5]

Mine works great accept below 4.5 feet just no reading just blinky.

[HoustonPerson]

Mine works great accept below 4.5 feet just no reading just blinky.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I have heard it is sort of common.....but no one seems to know what the problem is...........hope to get taken care of soon, planning a trip to Dallas with the boat and not familiar with the water ways up there.

[Mazeing5]

I wish someone would find a fix.