Question reguarding Furuno 600L with Airmar bronzr thru-hull transducer - The Hull Truth

treedawg · 04-30-2005, 06:36 PM

I have a Furuno 600L with an Airmar bronzr thru-hull transducer and high speed fairing block. When I purchased the boat I had it installed by the dealer which turned out to be nothing more than a hack. Several weeks ago I haired a well respected professional to properly install the transducer and fairing block. He was forced to destroy the old fairing block to remove it and he charged me $350.00 for parts and labor which was fine as long as my problems were solved.

I haven't seen another unit to compare this one to side by side so I'm not really sure what the unit is capable of.

When I got the boat from the dealer the unit was washing out at 20-30 MPH. After the repairs the unit is keeping contact with the bottom but but I'm getting a broken pic of the unit so if I were lucky enough to pass over some unknown structure I'd never know it. Is this typical of the unit or do I have other problems.

I purchased this unit new in June of 04 based on rave reviews I'd read from current Furuno 600L owners, but I'm far from impressed at this point.

PLEASE HELP!!!!

TD

Sea_Dad · 04-30-2005, 07:15 PM

what do you mean broken pic?

See if you can snap a pic of it with a camera.

swamppro · 04-30-2005, 08:07 PM

Is it losing the bottom for quick moments? It might be getting water turbulence. Also, check your gain settings.

treedawg · 04-30-2005, 09:54 PM

This is what the bottom looks like

___/ _______ - - - - - -------- -----

That's what I mean when I say the pic of the bottom is broken...

TD

Sea_Dad · 04-30-2005, 10:14 PM

I've never seen morse code on a FF before,

I would still suspect the transducer installation.

Does it break up when your at rest or moving or both? IF it's both or at rest, then crank up the gain on it and see if it still does it, if it only does it moving it's the transducer installation.

treedawg · 04-30-2005, 11:07 PM

It only happens when I'm moving at speeds over 15 knots. I can try to crank up the gain and see what happens.

TD

John_Madison CT · 05-01-2005, 07:54 AM

Yes, run her in manual and juice up the gain.

JimBo1 · 05-01-2005, 08:00 AM

I would guess that the problem could be traced back to your transducer. I had a thru hull on my Contender connected to a 600L and I never lost the bottom at any speed.
Note; If you are in shallow water (less than 20') be sure you have the unit set at 200HZ not 50HZ or you will probably get the skips that you described.
The only time that I would loose bottom readings was if I was behind a Tug or another similar big prop boat that was kicking up some bottom sediment in the shallows of the ICW.

Sea_Dad · 05-01-2005, 08:48 AM

sounds like either the transducer has been located behind a strake or something that is creating bubbles underway, or it was installed with the front of the transducer lower than the rear of it.

With the front lower it will cavitate and cause poor performance underway. The guy that installed it should be contacted to see what he says. He may have to pull it off and trim the fairing block so that the front sits closer to the hull. It needs the same slope down (~4 degrees) from front to rear as the transom mounted xducers need. The slope has to be relative to the hull bottom.

Thom · 05-01-2005, 05:23 PM

You didn't say if the boat is on a trailer or in the water. If its on a trailer I think you can fix the problem for less than a buck and in about a half hour. If its in the water you're screwed.

Tilt the transducer just a little bit forward of where it is now. You will accomplish that by loosening the large nut on the transducer's stem from inside the boat. Don't remove it, justloosen it up about a half inch or so. Then step on the transducer stem, but not on the cable. When you start to feel it tear loose from whatever adhesive was used to seal it quit and get under the boat. Take two stainless steel flat washers (3/8") with you. See if the transudcer seperated where it meets the fairing block. Usually that is where they will pull apart and the fairing block will be stuck to the hull. That is what you want. if its not sepearated there take a length of wire leader material, a couple of feet, and wrap it around a couple of sticks and use it as a saw to seperate the top of the transducer from the bottom of the fairing block. Now slip one washer between the fairing block and the transucer on each side at the aft end of the transucer. Now go tighten the nut back down. Your transudcer will be exactly where it was but it will now be tilted forward just a degree or two more than it was before. Go run it, I'll bet it works just fine now.

Thom