Humminbird 580 erratic depth problem

You have to be moving for it to make an arch..  If you are just sitting there or slowly drifting/moving like in a yak you will get a flat line every time

Oh I was wondering about that...thats probably the real problem i'm seeing here

Well, the fish is probably moving too ...

-Allen

The fish has to move into and then out of your sonar cone at a relatively constant speed to make an arch.  This normally happens as the boat moves over the fish, but as pole stated it can happen the other way around (fish swimming through a stationary sonar cone).  more often than not, when drifting in a yak,  a school of rockfish will appear as a loosely grouped cluster or series of blobs

Scroll speed makes a difference as.  Too fast and you get smear across the screen.  Too slow and you don't get enough screen updata time before a faster moving fish swims through your cone.  Fiddle around with it.

-Allen

i have a 500 series humminbird and i get actual pics of a outline of a fish and the depth when theres fish around. i just got to figure out how to tell where there at so i can catch them.  Now this is all Lake fishing i havent been to the salt yet or a river.

SG

Check the connection between the transducer and the fishfinder. Clean the terminals, especially the power connections with a paper clip. I prefer to have my transducer attached to the hull(I use Lexel). If it is not attached correctly, you'll know right away. If it's done right, it will stay that way.
In really shallow water the sonar signal bounces off the bottom and off the hull in kind of a resonant frequency deal and I get nothing but garbage on the finder. Turning it off and back on again usually clears it.

Wanted to see if anyone else had this problem w/ their FF and how to remedy it.

The problem is the depth reading is constantly changing. It bounces around a few feet and then sometimes gets a really shallow or really deep and goes back to bouncing around. It's not too hard to deal with since it's always a ballpark figure but it's getting annoying. I'm using the foam puck filled w/ water method and always make sure to squeeze the 'ducer in until water gurgles out. The surface of the of it isn't exactly perfect but not bad by any means.

Any ideas?

Z

Z,
Obviously, you're experiencing erratic depth problems because your transducer is inside your hull instead of where it's supposed to be.... IN THE WATER!   

BTW, aren't erratic depth problems a relatively minor issue when compared to your erratic behaviour problems?   

Here are two simple "in the water" transducer installations.

Obviously, you're experiencing erratic depth problems because your transducer is inside your hull instead of where it's supposed to be.... IN THE WATER!

Most transponders work fine shooting through the hull. Usually, only the water temperature is affected because it takes the hull about an hour or so to become the same temperature as the water.
We have had trouble with an externally mounted transducer on our power boat; bubbles coming off the hull were producing false readings.

Obviously, you're experiencing erratic depth problems because your transducer is inside your hull instead of where it's supposed to be.... IN THE WATER!   

It's actually done fine in the past. I figured it out yesterday. When I out in the trans I need to wet it and then wipe the bottom of the trans. It looks like it's gotten rough and bubbles attach when it first touches the water. Wiping it seems to do something w/ surface tension and the bubbles no longer attach.

BTW, aren't erratic depth problems a relatively minor issue when compared to your erratic behaviour problems?   

Got me there..  ....... .... But that's all cured w/ I go kayakfishing.

Z

Bubbles in water or in the goo you mount the transponder to the inside of the hull will definitely give you bad readings.