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View Full Version : Conflicts with running 2 depthfinders?



wasabi
03-31-2008, 04:38 PM
I'm thinking of adding a second depth finder for the front of my boat as I often sit or fish up front and can't see my console mounted display. I currently have a Lowrance and will probably be looking for a used depthfinder for up front. I guess I'll install the transmitter on the bottom of my bow mount trolling motor since I don't know where else I could mount it.

Will I get interference if I install another Lowrance unit? What if I use a different brand?

nathan_h_britt
03-31-2008, 05:01 PM
it depends on what type of unit you get and if the trolling motor and depthfinder is on the same battery circuit.
I have a cuda 168 on the back for running and a hummingbird wideye on the front(transducer mounted to the trolling motor), they are all on the same circuit. the cuda on the back is fine but the hummingbird doesn't show the depth when the trolling motor is engaged. so if you do apply a depth finder on the front make sure that the power is on a different circuit or different battery all together.

PA BRED
03-31-2008, 05:40 PM
Capt Wasabi,

I have two Eagles mounted on my smaller aluminum bass boat and don't have any interference. My front transducer is mounted on the bottom of the trolling motor using a stainless hose clamp. The aft xducer is transom mounted. I don't even have intereference on the front unit when I'm operating the trolling motor.

If you're worried about interference on the front unit or if you get interference when operating the trolling motor with the xducer strapped to the motor you may want to buy a mount that fits the motor shaft and that offsets the xducer off to the side and away from the trolling motor.

All loads are powered from the same battery.

Dan

f26tiger
03-31-2008, 08:00 PM
Lots and lots of interfernce when I run both of mine together. I was told this was common. When both were on I was seening marks everywhere.

racn35
03-31-2008, 08:42 PM
I have no problems what so ever with running both of mine at the same time. I have a Lowrance and a Garmin on my 21ft Wahoo with no problems at all.

On the other hand for my catfish boat - I have a Eagle Cuda 168 sonar and a Eagle Cuda 320 sonar/gps and the sonar units work but pick up each others marks because they run on the same freq}

wasabi
04-01-2008, 08:31 AM
Hmmm, some have interference and some don't.

PA Bred - are yours the same make and model (or same frquency)?Racn35/Jamie has 2 Eagles but gets interference because his are the same freq. I'm wondering if yours are different and that is why your's works?

racn35
04-01-2008, 08:41 AM
the eagles have the same exact wiring and trans ducer- the models are the same just that 320 has a built in GPS like a handheld with no antenta......

i think that eagle is made by lowrance as well .....but thats another boat paired w/ the garmin

South Paw
04-01-2008, 10:52 AM
A couple years back I had a jon boat and two humminbird fishfinders, different models, but same frequency. The fishfinder in the back would show a school of fish when there weren't any. It made who ever fished with me CRAZY. In any event, play it safe and pick a 2nd fishfinder with a different frequency. For the money, my opinion Garmin is hard to beat.

Good Fishin

31footer
04-01-2008, 12:59 PM
I've read that if they have dual frequency's make sure that they are on
different frequency's. 50 on one 200 on the other

PA BRED
04-01-2008, 05:34 PM
Wasabi,

I have the Cuda 128 (100 watts RMS) mounted on the trolling motor and a Fishmark 320 (188 watts RMS) transom mounted. Both use the same xducer that operates at 200 kHz with a 20 degree cone angle.

The trolling motor is a MinneKota 50 lb thrust model, if that makes a difference.

On the lake that I typically fish the water depth is about 45 feet max but I'm usually in 25 feet or less. With a cone angle of 20 degrees and assuming a xducer separation of 16 feet the area scanned by the base of the cones would not overlap in 25 feet of water so they shouldn't interfere.

I don't know why I don't have interference when they're operating at the same frequency unless it has to do with the cone angles as explained above.

Of course, may I just got lucky:yes:

Oh, and I'm no fan of these Eagles but when my Hummingbird LCR 8000 finally gave up the ghost their price was right to install two in the boat.

Dan

CapitanAmerica
04-03-2008, 08:30 PM
General rule is two transducer running at the same time will cause interfearence on the most sensative unit, even if they are a like one is more sensative than the other. Going slow
it may not be a problem. You can aslo run the transducers at different KHZ. A transducer mounted at the front of a boat and the rear may not cause any problem, if they are far enough apart. fresh water bass fisherman do it all the time. Biggest problem would be at higher speeds.
I didn't read all the posts on this, if all of this has already been said, sorry.