Axiom Questions

[morfez]

Good afternoon,

I bought the AXIOM 9 RV Multi-Function Display with RealVision™ Transducer, just installed at the boat and tried it in a few fishing trips, good technology but I’m having some problems with the equipment.

The main problem is the max depth of the real vision (90m, I knew of it when I bought it) I’m planning on improving the equipment by buying the CP370 sonar, the main recommended transducers are mainly through hull, which I don’t really like because I really like to keep the integrity of the hull.

First question, I called westmarine and they told me to buy the CP370 and install it with the CPT-100 transducer. Is this perception ok? What are the pros or cons? Will this combo work perfect?

Next question, when I got the equipment I told west marine I need Navionics + for Gulf Coast of México, they sent US card, they are asking me to call raymarine and make the swap directly, you think this will work?

Last questions, at some points of the fishing trip, the transducer is sending some crazy information to the display, attached is the picture, any thoughts on the causes? Maybe bad installation or inteference?

Thank you,
EM

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum EM,

Q1. I called westmarine and they told me to buy the CP370 and install it with the CPT-100 transducer. Is this perception ok? What are the pros or cons? Will this combo work perfect?
A1. CHIRP/DownVision Transducers (ex. CPT-100) are not compatible with the CP370 1kW 50kHz/200kHz Sounder Module. While the recommendation to add a CP370 to support operation in depth greater than those which would be supported by the RV transducers, the CP370 would need to be interfaced to one of the 600W or 1kW transducer's found here.

Q2. When I got the equipment I told west marine I need Navionics + for Gulf Coast of México, they sent US card, they are asking me to call raymarine and make the swap directly, you think this will work?
A2. This was either an incorrect recommendation or you have misunderstood the WM salesman. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject. As indicated within the reference FAQ, the chart card is pre-populated with navigational cartography for US and Canadian waters and may SonarCharts may be added to the chart card for local waters. Alternatively, the MFD may be purchased without a Navionics+ chart card and then a Navionics Platinum Plus chart card providing coverage for the area of operation may be purchased from an authorized Navionics Dealer.

Q3. At some points of the fishing trip, the transducer is sending some crazy information to the display, attached is the picture, any thoughts on the causes? Maybe bad installation or interference?
A3. What was the charted depth of the water when this problem was observed? How fast was the vessel moving when this problem was observed? When the vessel is adrift, engines in neutral, and engine RPMs increased, is any noise observed within the sonar plot?

[morfez]

Thank you very much for you quick response, since I installed the Axiom with RV I've gone sea fishing 4 times, each time at some point of the trip the axiom start showing in the RV option a lot of color bubbles behind the vessel, like the ones in the picture, at the beginning I thought it was done because the vessel was neutral and we start moving, but this bug happened also at trolling speed with no slowdowns but we might be hitting 100 m because the depth is not shown.

Also, when leaving the dock, even in small depth (3m) the display isn't showing the depth, it just showing the dashes like the ones shown in the picture, the installer told me it might be interference of some cables, any thoughts?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

EM,

While 100m may be stretching the capabilities of RealVision 3D, you should most certainly expect to have the system report bottom when operating in 3m of water depth beneath the transducer. It is quite possible that interference may be responsible for the reported symptom ... see my prior response concerning how to test the effects or engine noise. Generally speaking, transducer cables should not be bundled with other cables or noise may be picked of from the other cables.

[morfez]

I'm reading at the west marine shop that with CHIRP the transducer can go up to 900' , is this apreciation ok? if it's ok I'll try it on the next fishing trip

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

EM,

The specification provided by WM for the CHIRP (conical) sonar supported by an Axiom RV MFD's fishfinder circuitry when interfaced to a RealVision transducer is correct. It is indeed recommended that CHIRP (conical) sonar be used for fishfinding in waters deeper than those which are supported by RealVision 3D sonar.