fcv 1100

[nicko]

Hi all, I have just installed a fcv 1100l and a ss 264 wide 200hz and a 50 bl12hr i had to set the unit up with the manual transducer setting as the unit does not have the 264 in its pre set transducers but i also had to set the 50 bl12hr in manual as there is no option to set one in manual and the other from pre programed transducers. I took it out today for the first time and found that both transducers hold bottom well but i had to have the gain on full. I thought that the screen should be fully cluttered with that much gain. I had reset the unit back to factory settings before the test run. Not sure where to start with settings but think the gain needs to be increased in the settings menu so that it dosent need to be all the way up on the rotary dial
Thanks Nick

 

[Johnny Electron]

niko
The software selection of the transducer model just pre-fills in the freq and tells you what the taps should be set to for that model transducer. The key is the TAPS. You will find little but the Furuno Japan made transducers in the listing. For Airmar and others you must select MANUAL SET as you have done, then ensure you have selected the proper freq for the high and the proper freq for the low. The very important part to the setup is to ensure you have set the tap settings (jumper wires) at the back for the FCV1100 for the proper setting for your transducer. Have you set your tap settings?

 

[nicko]

Thanks for the reply Johnny. I have set the taps i rang furuno in australia and was told tap b for the 200hz 264 wide and the 50 bl 12 is set to c. I have also raised the gain in the tr/tx menu will take it out and check tommrow if its better.

 

[Johnny Electron]

nicko
If you just set your tap settings for the first time, I would not set the internal gain settings up until you have tried the unit again. You might end up going from low gain to too much gain. You can always set the software setting higher after looking at the default settings with the proper tap settings. Happy Fishing.

 

[Snips]

Nicko,
Two other things to check, I know this may sound silly but make sure that the 50Khz transducer is plugged into LF and 200Khz into HF. I was just on a fishing trawler last week that had the transducers swapped. My first tip off was they had the 1100's gain set to eight while at the dock (2fm) and the display wasn't totally filled with noise. The other item is the wiring on the transducer plug itself, the wires should be on 2 & 4 with the sheild on pin 3.

Snips

 

[nicko]

Thanks again for the replys i have checked the wiring and plugs and its all right i went out again today with the gain ajust up full and still had to run high gain here is a few photos dont worry about the black spot on the screen ill get to that later

there should be three photos there Thanks nick

 

[nicko]

photos in shallow water as you can see the gain settings are high clutter is on 1 for both high and low

 

[Snips]

Nick,
In your third picture I can see that your 200Khz side is out performing the 50Khz. Clearly something is not correct. In that shallow of water, using that much gain, if the system is wired and functioning properly your display should be saturated with echoes. The track record on the 1100 had been solid and since both channels are weak, it points to either the wiring or transducers. Just for a test, reset the HF channel for 50Khz, for this test you don't need to change the tap setting. Please post a screen shot of both channels running at 50Khz using the same gain setting.

Snips.

 

[nicko]

so you are saying to run the 200hz tranny at 50hz is this right

 

[Snips]

Nicko,
Yes, just for a quick test. Take a screen shot and then you can set it back. Normally at the same gain setting you should see more/stronger returns on 50Khz than 200Khz. In the picture below you can see how much stronger the second echo is on 50Khz compared to 200Khz, Right now you have just the opposite.

 

[nicko]

I havd changed the 200hz to 50 hz on the high side and here it is also is a photo of the 50 bl 12hr as you can see its wetfaced so gain should not be a issue
Thanks Nick

 

[Snips]

Nicko,
The placement of the transducer looks a lot better but there still is something going on so go ahead and reset the HF frequency back to 200khz. Let me ask you this, has the sounder with these transducers ever worked correctly? Does the cable for the 50BL-12 go directly to the transducer plug? Do you a <P/R> indication anywhere on the display?

Snips

 

[nicko]

i have only just bought these tranduccers and the lead goes straight to the plug on the unit . This is the first time i have used this unit also i just bought it. I was thinking that something is wrong with the head unit. I have had a look at the power reduction and it is set to off also. Im going to burrow a fcv 1150 off a mate and hook up my lf transducer and see hoe it goes.
just to doubble check the tap settings are tap c for the 50 bl and tap b for the ss 264w 200 hz

and the wiring is 50hz
red-pin 2
black pin 4
sheild pin 3


200hz
blue pin 2
black pin 4
sheild inner and outer pin 3

temp off 200hz into temp outlet
brown pin 2
white pin 3

Thanks Nick

 

[nicko]

looking through the furuno usa website it shows tap settings for 264 wide 200hz as tap a i have been told by furuno australia and another electronics retailer to use tap b

 

[Snips]

Nicko,
That is the correct wiring. Using a FCV-1150 will be a good test to make sure the transducers are OK. Sometimes we are more conservative on our tap setting recommendations, but what you are seeing is not tap setting related. I am now concerned its the 1100 itself, whats the story on that black spot?

Snips

 

[nicko]

I have just bought it from a bloke that has refitted his boat with new electronics Radar sounder ans plotter was told that it worked fine but had a black spot on the screen

 

[Snips]

Nicko,
Interesting, there may be more to that black spot than he was letting on. Here is a screen shot from a transducer test I was doing with an FCV-1150 today, your test should look close to this with zero gain.

Snips

 

[nicko]

i used my mates 1150 today with my transducer and it was fine so im taking the unit to get checked out
Thanks for all the help its a great fourum and a credit to furuno for setting it up
i will let you know how i end up

Nick

 

[nicko]

can i use the 50bl12hr tranny on a fcv585 while i get the 1100 looked at i know it dosent have the same power but is still better than the p 66 that i was using on it.

 

[Snips]

Nick,
I have never tried that combination so I don't know how well it would work. If you wanted to try it I would suggest using a MB-1100 matching box. These boxes were designed for Furuno's 1Kw transducers, we had a few customers connect higher power ducers into them with so-so results. Depending how long your 1100 is in the shop I might just use the P-66 with the 585.

Snips