Cuda install issues

I installed a new Cuda 300 on my kayak on Sat and took the boat out for a spin on Lake Washington to see how it would work.  I ended up having issues where the display would go completely black for a while, although the depth readings seemed consistant with what the NOAA charts were indicating for a given spot.  I also wasn't marking a whole lot of fish, but don't really know what to expect.

I tried to use the water in foam puck install but am not really thrilled with the foam I used--any ideas where to find a jumbo pool noodle or similarly big piece of closed cell foam this time of year?  I initially suspected that there was some issue with the water having leaked out of the bath and am inclined to replace the water with grease in the near future, but the blackouts were intermitant and seemed to be somewhat correlated with depth. 

I ended up doing a bunch of zig-zags over drop offs and didn't clear things up much.  Deeper water tended to increase the chance of the screen going black, and it wouldn't really clear up till I went shallow again.  However, I couldn't find a good rule as to how deep was problematic--some times it was going from 100 to 120 feet, others it was in more shallow water around 60-80 feet.  I appreciate any thoughts you guys may have.

For foam, the best I've found are not the pool noodles. They don't seem to have the density needed to keep the water in place for long enough. I prefer the blocks of foam sold as quick and easy kayak/canoe supports for temporary mounts on cars. These are very dense and cut easily. Shaped and fitted to the transducer properly, no water leaks out at all. Even when lifting my yak overhead, completely upside down, the water is still in place when I get home.

Jay

Make sure the transducer was pushed all the way down in the foam and in contact with the hull. 

CJB, PM me, I am in the Seattle area as well, live north, work downtownish, and Spot generously donated a chunk of closed cell foam to me and I am willing to pass down the karma. 

The black screen issue is what plagued mine as well, and also tended to start in deep water, and didn't want to resolve when I went back in shallow, although depth would still be accurate.

Thanks for the input guys.  I saw your 2010 about the Cuda, Lee, and noticed how similar the problem seemed.  Did you ever contact tech support and get meaningful info from Eagle?

I managed to find a nice 2" thick styrofoam cooler on Monday, made a new mount out of it and glued it down with RTV silicone.  If the weather cooperates on the weekend, I will see if the problem persists with the new mount.

No, I didn't pursue support from the manufacturer.  I opted for a color unit in a higher price bracket.