Raymarine forum

I have a ES97 MFD and a B164 transducer which is listed as a transducer that can be connected directly to the MFD on page 100 of the installation guide. However, in the set-up menu on the MFD, the B164 is not listed as a choice. What is the proper way to configure the B164 with the ES97?

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Don,

The ax7, cx7, e7D, ex7, and eSx7 MFDs may indeed be directly mated to the A80173 version of the B164 transducer (Note: other models of this transducer are offered by Raymarine and Airmar, Inc.). When interfaced to a 1kW or 2kW transducer, the Fishfinder application's Transducer list (MENU->SET-UP->TRANSDUCER SET-UP->TRANSDUCER) should be as follows when interfaced to a 1kW transducer such as the B164 (Note: the list will not fit on a single screen and accordingly must be scrolled to view all transducer options):
- B256/M256
- B260/M260/SS560
- R99/R199
- B258
- SS270/B264
- B164
- R209/R299

Is this same transducer selection list presented on your MFD? If not, then please respond with the installed transducer's part number. This part number is printed on the tag affixed to the plug end of the transducer's cable.

The tag says
Tilted Element B164-29
50/200khz - Glq

PN 41-457-2-01
REV 2

B164 does not show in the menu.....

Don,

As hinted within my initial response, Raymarine offers different versions of the B164 transducer. Airmar, who produces the B164 transducers for Raymarine, also produces versions of this transducer whose varying designs are intended for use with fishfinding products of other manufacturers. The version the B164 which you have specified is the Mix & Match version of the B164-20 for which Airmar, Inc. offers adapters to mate the transducer to Raymarine MFDs having internal 600W sounders and 50kHz/200kHz Fishfinder Sounder Modules (ex. CP370). In this case, it is recommended that the MFD's internal fishfinder circuitry be reset (MENU->SET-UP->SOUNDER SET-UP->SOUNDER RESET) as an initial attempt to resolve this problem. Should the transducer list specified within my initial response not then be displayed by the MFD during transducer selection (MENU->SET-UP->TRANSDUCER SET-UP->TRANSDUCER) of the Fishfinder application, then there would appear to be a problem in the adaptation of your B164 transducer or within the MFD's fishfinder circuitry. The latter condition may be tested by interfacing a compatible Raymarine 1kW 50kHz/200kHz transducer to the MFD's transducer socket and then comparing the Fishfinder application's transducer list to that specified within my initial response. Should they differ, then it would indicate a problem within the MFD's fishfinder circuitry necessitating that the MFD be sent to Raymarine’s Product Repair Center to be bench checked / serviced. Should the problem be fault isolated to the transducer adaptation, then it would be recommended that Airmar, Inc. (603.673.9570) or Gemeco, Inc. (Airmar’s US distributor (803.693.0777)) to address the issue with your transducer's adaptation.

I had a C97 before upgrading to the ES97 which had the same issue identifying the B164. Could this be a software issue with the lighthouse software? I never checked the transducer selection on the old C97 before I upgraded the software and only noticed it was wrong when I checked which transducer was installed. I spoke with the AIRMAR people and they confirmed it was a mix & match B164. They said to check the adapter cable to make sure it is a MM1-DST-RAYA and if it is then "Transducers either work or don't work" and since I am getting readings in the fish finder it is working. I'll check the cable but it has the correct plug to connect to the C97 and ES97 so I am thinking the tag will have the correct number.

Don,

The problem reported would not result from a LightHouse software problem. In a nutshell, 1kW and 2kW 50kHz/200kHz transducers which have been designed for use with Raymarine fishfinding products feature a sense line which presents a 3kOhm resistance to the fishfinding product. Should the Raymarine fishfinding product not detect 3kOhm resistance on the transducer's sense lead, then the Raymarine fishfinding product will assume that the transducer is a 600W transducer and the a/c/e/eS/gS-Series MFD's transducer selection list will display the transducers options listed below:
- P58/P65/P66
- P79
- P319/B117/SS555
- B66V/B66VL
- B744V/B744VL/SS...
- B45
- B60/SS60

However, should the Raymarine fishfinding product detect 3kOhm resistance on the transducer's sense lead, then the MFD's transducer selection list will display the transducer options specified within my initial response. Accordingly, should the MM1-DST-RAYA cable (should feature a 9-pin plug on the end to be connected to the MFD's Transducer socket) not provide the 3kOhm resistance between the transducer's sense lead (pin 5 of the plug to be mated to the MFD's transducer socket) and ground lead (pin 6 of the plug to be mated to the MFD's transducer socket), then the MFD's transducer selection list will display the transducer options specified above and it would be recommended that Airmar be contacted to determine why the Airmar adapter cable is not providing the required 3kOhm resistance for a 1kW transducer. Should 3kOhm resistance be measured between the cable's sense lead ground lead, then it may indicate a problem with the MFD's fishfinder circuitry and it would accordingly be recommended that the MFD be sent to Raymarine’s Product Repair Center to be bench checked / serviced.

The part # for the adapter cable is 33-594-01. It is an AIRMAR cable. I checked resistance across pin 5 & 6 with my Fluke 175. It was zero. Could the installer of the prior C97 have used the wrong adapter cable? Is it the cable that provides the resistance or should I check the pins on the mix & match transducer cable?

DFMott,

It is indeed the Mix and Match Cable which would be responsible for supporting the expected 3kOhm resistance for Sense. Please understand that Raymarine is neither the manufacturer of the currently installed transducer, nor the Mix & Match adapter cable which has been mated to it. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing the limitations of support for third party products..

As had been indicated to you by Airmar and verified by me via a quick Google search, the Airmar MM1-DST-RAYA Mix & Match Cable (I believe that this cable is also identified by Airmar part #33-666-01) has been designed to interface the Airmar 1kW Mix & Match transducers (ex. your 41-457-2-01 B164) to a Raymarine ax7, cx7, e7D, ex7, or eSx7 MFD (ex.. your eS97). A quick Google search of Airmar's part #33-594-01 indicates that this is a Mix & Match Cable specifically designed for a Furuno fishfinding product, not for Raymarine fishfinding products. Should the Airmar 33-594-01 Mix & Match Cable have been previously installed onboard for use with the c97 MFD (and it appears that this is the case), then the c97 MFD would have likewise only listed the 600W transducer options specified within my earlier response. To correct the reported issue, it is recommended that the Airmar 33-594-01 Mix & Match Cable be replaced with the MM1-DST-RAYA Mix & Match Cable (Airmar part #33-666-01) as had been recommended by Airmar. Per the FAQ referenced above, it is recommended that Airmar, Inc. be contacted to verify the information within this response.

I ordered the new cable but I am a little confused because the transducer port of the MFD that the cable plugs into only has 7 sockets - not 9. Therefore, it will not accept a 9 pin cable unless I break off pins 8 and 9. My C97 also only has 7 sockets on its transducer port.

Don,

Should you have ordered the correct cable from Airmar, Inc., then it should not be necessary to perform any modification of the cable to permit it to be mated to the MFD. Should you not already have done so, then it is recommended that Airmar, Inc. be contacted to ensure that you have ordered the correct cable. Note that the diagram that I posted earlier shows a nine pin plug with four unused pins.