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Random Quote: Always remember to pillage BEFORE you burn! (Intro to Viking, U-Trondheim)
I just installed a Lowrance LCX-113cHD fishfinder on my boat. I have an Airmar B260 thru-hull. I also have the 200/50KHz "Skimmer" transom-mount xducer that came with the sonar, but I don't have that mounted. I tried both transducers and when I select 50KHz frequency, I just get 60' depth flashing on the screen and no image to speak of. I made sure that 200/50 was enabled on the sonar setup page. Tried playing with the sensitivity, ping speed, etc. No dice. Set to 50KHz, the sonar acts as if theres not xducer attached. At 200KHz however, the sonar works perfectly. But at that frequency the cone is too small to see my downrigger balls with the thru-hull mounted so far forward on the boat.. I've also tried putting the Skimmer transducer in the water temporarily onthe end of of 2 x 4, and the results are the same. Could my head unit be bad? Is there some "secret" Lowrance command that I'm not aware of? By the way, I have the latest s/w 2.4.0 for the 113, and there is no broadband black box. I'm really stuck here, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I'll be bummed if I have to return the 113 to the factory...8-[
Could I be in demo mode on just the 50KHz frequency? The 200KHz works fine. If I was in demo mode, would it just sit there and constantly blink "60 ft" for depth? It does the same thing if I unplug the ducer.
I did a LCX 3000 install which drove me nuts with the same symptoms as you describe. As I was looking at the split display I noticed that the 200 khz presentation was just too perfect...like an endless loop tape, while the 50khz just sat there, but showing the correct depth. It might have been the wrong conclusion to reach, but it got me thinking, so I opened the manual, found how to turn Demo Mode on or off...it was on. Turned it off, selected 50khz / 200khz, and PRESTO! ..Joy in mudville.
BTW, DON'T operate the unit without the transducer connected.
Hmmm. I made sure that the sonar "simulator" was turned off, but I thought "Demo Mode" was something the unit automatically went into if it was powered up without a ducer attached. According to the manual, as soon as you connect a ducer it's supposed to automatically come out of demo mode. I looked through the manual and couldn't find a menu setting to turn this off?
If you upgrade your unit to the latest beta-software(2.4.2 BETA), you will be able to select more precise what transducer you're using, like the B260, M260 etc etc...maybe it will help you.
I talked to Lowrance tech support today, and the only advice they could offer was to try a complete system reset (cold boot). With unit off, hold Zin+Zout together and hit power button. He speculated I might have gotten the software stuck in some state where is only does 200KHz. His only other advice was to send the unit back for service. That would knock me out of action for at list a month; so I wouldn't do that till the end of the season. If the reset doesn't work, I guess I'll have to limp by on 200KHz for now.
Just an update on this problem for "badbait". Last winter I contemplated sending the 113 back to Lowrance so they could check it out for me. But since they wanted a minimum of $400 (w/o S&H) just to take a look at it, that option was off the table. In the spring I pulled my old 1988 thru-hull, which I had initially reported was a B260 (not!), but upon removal turned out to be some other ancient Airmar unit that I couldn't determine the model number. Anyway, it was old and tired. I replace that with a new B260 with the high speed fairing (DFBL260 #106-82). All is good now and both 200 and 50 frequencies are working great. I guess the 50 element in that old transducer just wan't compatible with the Lowrance (but it had worked ok when I had my old 1995 Ratheon v850 in the boat). But the new x-ducer seems to have done the trick. I forgot how much better the wider beam of the 50KHz frequency view helps when searching for fish/bait in Lake Ontario!
Just an update on this problem for "badbait". Last winter I contemplated sending the 113 back to Lowrance so they could check it out for me. But since they wanted a minimum of $400 (w/o S&H) just to take a look at it, that option was off the table. In the spring I pulled my old 1988 thru-hull, which I had initially reported was a B260 (not!), but upon removal turned out to be some other ancient Airmar unit that I couldn't determine the model number. Anyway, it was old and tired. I replace that with a new B260 with the high speed fairing (DFBL260 #106-82). All is good now and both 200 and 50 frequencies are working great. I guess the 50 element in that old transducer just wan't compatible with the Lowrance (but it had worked ok when I had my old 1995 Ratheon v850 in the boat). But the new x-ducer seems to have done the trick. I forgot how much better the wider beam of the 50KHz frequency view helps when searching for fish/bait in Lake Ontario!
-Steve D
Actually the older 50 K was compatible but it just needed an Airmar Lowrance PigTail conversion cable.
You can wire most Airmar transducers that were being used for other systems to a Lowrance head but need to know the correct color code crossover. Most sonars just use the same color for color connection but not for Lowrance.
If you buy a current Airmar transducer listed for use with Lowrance of course it already is configured correctly if the last letters on the code are "BL".
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Last edited by semperfifishing; 07-10-2011 at 11:16 AM.
Yea, you're probably right. I had purchased a Lowrance extension cable, and then using the schematic for the old original transducer in my Raytheon manual, and the schematic for a lcx113-compatible Lowrance thru hull, I spliced the two cables together based on a conversation I had with a tech at Airmar. I knew the temp wouldn't work because of differences in that part of the circuit in the old system, but I thought I got the 50KHz part or it right. However, since it never seemed to work since I first installed the 113, I must have gotten something wrong. I probably should have run it by you guys first. But it was worth installing the new x-ducer with the high speed fairing, as now I can get a perfect picture of what's underneath me, even when running out of port at speed. Really helps cut out a lot of the time we used to speed trolling around aimlessly hoping to stumble on some fish/bait. Now we can just stay up on plane until we find a spot where we want to drop down and start fishing!
Yes, I had considered purchasing the wide beam SS270W when I was looking for a new transducer. But the Airmar tech said it hadn't been tested with a Lowrance fishfinder and couldn't guarantee that it would work with my LCX113c. That's why I went with the B260. I don't see the B271W listed on the website, but I'll keep that in mind if any of my friends decide to upgrade. Thanks for your kind advice...8-)
No 50KHz on Lowrance LCX-113cHD Sonar 
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