[TG11] e127/ B744 can't see fish

[Captain Starbucks]

Hi,

I've had this unit installed on my boat for about 4 years. I've never been able to see fish unless they're big and right under the boat (albacore). I can see the bottom just fine, even at speed but after watching countless hours of video's and countless hours of trying to adjust everything, I never seem to have any luck. I've also just left everything on Auto and still no luck. I know there are fish there because my catch rate has been good. Once I adjust the sensitivity up high enough to see the downrigger [censored] (12 lbs at 55 feet) the screen is so cluttered up I wouldn't know a fish if I saw it. I'm expecting to see 5-30 lb salmon.

I operate in saltwater in the Pacific Northwest.

Can you provide any clues as to what is wrong?

Boat is a Shamrock Mackinaw 270 straight shaft. Transducer is mounted upstream of the shaft and has a high speed fairing block.

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hello Captain Starbucks,

Since you don't seem to have had any answers to your question, I'll see if I can help (I'm in Australia so don't know the boat/location.)

For a sounder to perform well it needs a good 'signal-to-noise ratio', that is a loud echo signal relative to the background noise level. Poor performance results when the signal is weak or the background noise is strong (loud.)

I've put a lot of background info and some diagnostic test information on this page. I'd suggest having a read through this, taking some diagnostic images as I describe there, and then posting them back here so that I can have a look and see whether you have weak signal, high noise or a combination of the two. Then we'll be able to look at how to tackle the problem.

Tom

[Captain Starbucks]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply. I didn't have my notifications turned on so didn't see your response.

Anyway, I discovered the 'factory default' setting and pressed it. Now I can see everything and am actually quite impressed with the sonar. I'm not sure what the previous owner did to it but I'm happy now!

Thanks again.

Rob

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Good to hear! Happy fishing.

Tom