Transducer tuning help

[reelscreamercharters]

Running Furuno TZ13x with 165T/265LH-PM488 transducer. My returns on my traditional side just seem off compared to my old Garmin with b75h. I’m sure it just needs some fine tuning.

Im mostly bottom fishing inside of 100’ but do venture out to 200-250’ish. As of now it’s set running on 170khz frequency and I feel like my returns on hard bottom and fish just up off the bottom just aren’t quite there.

Any tips on some tuning to help get better returns?

 

[Johnny Electron]

The DFF3D multi-beam is not really full side-scan. The beam is wide an pointing down and not so much direct to the sides like normal side-scan. While the DFF3D can use the side elements to give you a side-scan type view, this still remains a downward aimed beam to the side of the 120 degree wide-beam. In fact, when you add a true side-scan transducer to the boat; the DFF3D side-scan selection will no longer be available because the real side-scan will be the better of the two for that purpose by a long shot. One can not compare a wide multi-beam with a single beam sounder or even side-scan for that matter. I like to tell people the DFF3D is your big broom for sweeping and finding targets to go after and then the sounder is used when you are trying to get a more detailed look.

 

[reelscreamercharters]

The DFF3D multi-beam is not really full side-scan. The beam is wide a pointing down and not so much direct to the sides like normal side-scan. While the DFF3D can use the side elements to give you a side-scan type view, this still remains a downward aimed beam to the side of the 120 degree wide-beam. In fact, when you add a true side-scan transducer to the boat; the DFF3D side-scan selection will no longer be available because the real side-scan will be the better of the two for that purpose by a long shot. One can not compare a wide multi-beam with a single beam sounder or even side-scan for that matter. I like to tell people the DFF3D is your big broom for sweeping and finding targets to go after and then the sounder is used when you are trying to get a more detailed look.

Correct but that transducer has a single beam element as well. The single beam element is what I feel like isn’t performing as it should. I’m assuming the frequency needs to be played with just not too sure which frequency I should start with

 

[Johnny Electron]

165T/265LH-PM488-12 has a 12-pin connector instead of a pigtail for connection so it can connect to the internal Fish Finder of a TZT3 or XL. It contains the DFF3D elements along with the same CHIRP elements contained in B265LH. If someone purchased the pigtail and then wired on a 12 pin connection, it might have a bad connection/joint. If the 12 pin version is connected it is still very important to go into the fish finder setup and select the B265LH transducer as the fish finder transducer source. The B265LH has been a really good model and normally provides really good all around Chirp performance. This of of course can not be used while a Side-Scan is connected to the same machine. Side-scan could not be used on the same machine because only diplexed CW or single Chirp can be used if Side-scan is on the same XL unit. As long as this is the only transducer connected to this one machine and it is setup; it should work well. If not working well, it would be good to post some photos of the installation along with the shallow and deep water photos, both moving and just floating.

 

[reelscreamercharters]

165T/265LH-PM488-12 has a 12-pin connector instead of a pigtail for connection so it can connect to the internal Fish Finder of a TZT3 or XL. It contains the DFF3D elements along with the same CHIRP elements contained in B265LH. If someone purchased the pigtail and then wired on a 12 pin connection, it might have a bad connection/joint. If the 12 pin version is connected it is still very important to go into the fish finder setup and select the B265LH transducer as the fish finder transducer source. The B265LH has been a really good model and normally provides really good all around Chirp performance. This of of course can not be used while a Side-Scan is connected to the same machine. Side-scan could not be used on the same machine because only diplexed CW or single Chirp can be used if Side-scan is on the same XL unit. As long as this is the only transducer connected to this one machine and it is setup; it should work well. If not working well, it would be good to post some photos of the installation along with the shallow and deep water photos, both moving and just floating.

The 12 pin of the 265 is plugged into the back of the unit. I’ll go and make sure all the correct transducers are connected and will snap some pictures. Thanks for the help!