Adding side Scan and bbds1for 50/200

[Dmc57]

I’m still researching my options on adding side scan to my tzt 3 12” Chartplotter. The cheapest way it appears is to use a bbds1 for my b744v and then hooking the side scan transducer directly to the tzt3.

Is the bbds1 comparable to the tzt3 for the 50/200 transducer? Will the bottom discrimination and accu fish look the same As I have now?

If I go with the dff1uhd will it work the same as the bbds1 with the b744v transducer? it cost twice as much, but would give me future upgrade possibilities.

 

[Johnny Electron]

Is the bbds1 comparable to the tzt3 for the 50/200 transducer? Will the bottom discrimination and accu fish look the same As I have now?

Yes the BBDS1 will work on NN3D to current NavNets (TZT3). The BD should look/work about the same but because of the dedicated circuits it might work a tad better.

 

[Dmc57]

I’ll know soon hopefully. I’ve ordered them.

 

[Dmc57]

Just a heads up to anyone installing the transom mount side scan transducer. You will need to update to 3.5 for the Chartplotter to see it. I was still using 3.01 and it said the side scan was not connected. Called furuno support and was helped right away. Had everything I needed emailed with instructions.

I still have some work to do, not comfortable with the spot I started to mount. The fiberglass was not very thick and I can’t reach the backside, but I can see where a couple of inches of the screw sticking thru. I ordered a jumbo stearn saver pad. I figure go ahead and run the one screw back thru, and hope the glue holds the rest.

Plan on going out Sunday to 100’ or so to try it out.

 

[Dmc57]

Not much to report. I did the master reset after I updated to 3.5. Then I ran around the harbor for a couple of hours making sure everything worked before heading out today. The side scan worked as I expected in the 10’-20’ depth of the harbor. And the bbds1 seemed the same as my tzt3 internal sounder.

Heading out today with my fishing buddies everything seemed fine, we stopped in 60’ and caught some bait, then continued out. About 5 miles short of my fishing spot I had a engine go down. On one engine we headed back, 40-50 miles out running 7-8 mph. We did catch a king trolling, and also picked up some various snapper and porgies on a few stops on the way back.

since we had hours running back I started fiddling with the fish finder settings. The accu fish was working fine, but the bottom discrimination did not. Then I started getting wild depth readings and just a blue screen. Depth would read 600 in 50’. and I just had a blank screen. I was getting a reasonable number in the data box that was different than what the sidescan was reading. So I don’t know where that reading was coming from.

So I’ve got to get a engine fixed, and i hope I just got some setting way out of wack on my bbds1. It’s been a long day.

 

[Dmc57]

Here are a couple of screen pics. Remember I was not having a good day with my 600hr engine tilted up and not running.
With the split screen the data box covered the left side of the screen.

 

[Dmc57]

I also don’t know what was causing the red band.

 

[Dmc57]

Here is a pic of the side scan running along a 8 mph. The cloud on the starboard side was I believe bait. The side scan with my transom mount only worked up to around 12mph. But I was informed that was all I could expect. And I’ve never installed a transducer so this is my first try and location.

 

[Johnny Electron]

@Deep Blue

 

[gtstang462002]

I know that it is advised to use Bottom Discrimination with Accu-fish turned off and vice versa. Running them both together causes issues apparently.

 

[Dmc57]

I’ve heard that, tried them separately. The depth readings and screen look better after turning the range feature to automatic. Went from reading 70’ down to the correct 6’ In the slip.

I imagine that I’ve just got a setting screwed up, while the bottom discrimination has not worked since I hooked up the bbds1 and updated the software, it worked in the past hooked directly to the TZT. And the accufish seems to work.

 

[Johnny Electron]

DeepBlue and I talked about your photos. You seem to be having some type of interference. You can see it both on the sounder and the side-scan. You should consider turning off transmission of items until you can find what might be causing that. Sometimes you can even have a prop nick or a cutlet bearing that can cause some acoustic interference. It also could be electrical. It takes a little detective work on these things.

 

[Dmc57]

Thanks, hopefully the mechanic can get the engine running tommorow and I can address this. The red line wasn’t there all day, but I had a lot going on and don’t remember if I had something turned on at the time different. I was also dragging a tilted up engine, don’t know if that could have any effect.

It looks like I was drifting in the above pic though.

 

[Dmc57]

Well dang, looks like I’ll be buying new engines. So I’ll have to get back with this in a month or so.

 

[Johnny Electron]

Ouch..

 

[Dmc57]

It just keeps getting better, I’ve got a deposit on new engines and the dealer even had them in stock. So I’m now waiting for them to send a trailer and pick up the boat. I borrowed a float platform thing from a friend of mine to clean up my old props.

while I had the floating thing under the engines I decided to lower the boat some. Well somehow I bent my new transducer.

Hopefully it’s not shot, but just one more thing. It does read sitting at the dock, but who knows as I’m not moving, and the depth is screwed up, reading 56 instead of 5’.

 

[Dmc57]

Pic

 

[Johnny Electron]

Sorry to hear. Hopefully once in the water some minor adjustment will get it where you need it to be.

 

[Dmc57]

finally got the new engines past the initial break in and headed out a ways. still not sure what I’m seeing on the sidescan, but it Appears to be working.

 

[Dmc57]