DFF3D setup

[anthony]

Hi guys

I am trying to setup my dff3d for bottom fishinhg at about 60-100 meters but i have some issues. As you can see at attached photo middle row is always giving some signal and making confusion to me.In this way my crossection and history mode is unusable.This is happening only when i get to deeper waters. Until app. 25 meters everything is clear in middle part as well.
Could somebody try to explain which parameters to play with in order to have correct feedback from sonar?
Could i ask if i can get few tips for beginers in order to do a sonar setup for bottom fish fishing.
Thanks a lot for help.
Sorry for bad quality photo.

 

[Snips]

Anthony,
What you are seeing in noise getting into the system. Noise appears differently on a multibeam sounder then a traditional one. Check to make sure that the DFF3D module is grounded and then also recheck that the shield on the transducer cable is properly grounded in the cable clamp.

Snips

 

[anthony]

Snips

My boat electrical installation has only minus and plus from batteries. Minus is connected to all metal parts including engine , shaft , propeller etc...
On the DFF3D i did not connect anything to ground terminal. Should I make bridge between minus and ground terminal ? Or is there another way to properly ground the system?

Just to point out that noise is not there when on shallower water.

Thanks for advice

 

[Snips]

Anthony,
The noise is still there, but the DFF3D's TVG curve is such it doesn't appear. You can tying the ground and negative together to see if that helps.

Snips

 

[anthony]

Snips

Could this noise be caused by bubbles or you are sure it is electrical?

 

[C-Bass]

Good morning Anthony,

Thank you for your inquiry, I can assure you the “torch beam” that you see is caused by noise from something on the electrical side. The photo that you provided is a little blurry so I could not quite see the rest of the triple beam screen so you could have turbulence issues as well.

C-bass

 

[Johnny Electron]

I agree with C-bass. I have saw many cases like this always resolved by ensuring the transducer shield (all of them) are firmly grounded under the grounding clamp as the transducer cable enters the unit, or by finding the source of electrical noise on the boat.

 

[anthony]

Thank you guys for help....i did ground system properly (to the rudder) and there is no more "torch beam" noise.
However i still some issues:

1. When depth is changing fast depth reading is geting lost (is there some setting i could play with to prevent this?)check attached photo

2. Could you tell from other attached photo is there more noise from turbulence?

3. Can i get advice which settings are most important to properly search for bottom fish?

4.Is there a way to do some kind of calibration before fishing?

5. Is it reccomended to keep settings in auto mode for example auto fishing,what about clutter,tvg,auto gain offset

I know there is too many questions but i am trying to learn.....what would be the best way to start learn?

Thanks everybody for help

 

[Snips]

Anthony,
By the looks of the bottom gaps in your second screen shot you are getting turbulence over the face of the transducer. Just know they are no settings that can prevent these gaps from appearing. Down the road you will learn what vessel speed and water conditions will give you the most stable bottom reading. Besides the gaps in the bottom, turbulence will take away any fish targets there may be in the water column.

The DFF3D does many things. I feel the best way to learn how to use it is in it's simplest form, as a single beam down sounder. Once you feel comfortable with the single mode, try the triple beam. Once you have the triple beam down then add the cross section view. Try small steps first. Having the triple beam, cross section and 3D all going at once is a lot of information to digest.

Snips