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I'm glad you found some helpful tips. My setup is a Lowrance 332C at both console and bow. Each has it's own GPS antenna to pinpoint waypoints. My most valuable points are under the bow transducer where catching a stringer gets honors for a return visit to that same spot. So, I wouldn't want console-set waypoints on the bow unit. My transom antenna is right over the transom transducer, so the console unit captures sonar data matching the coordinates there.

Possibly a great majority of folks agree the 332 was and remains the single best investment for the money. I could have bought models twice the cost, but can't see enough advantages yet to do that. Mine provide everything I need. New with antenna module they run about $650 max, but ought to be coming down since the 550 has replaced it. I'll stick with these until they can't be repaired, and might buy a backup 332C when the price drops enough.

One of the nice features is being able to record sonar along a route. While fishing whatever was on screen gets saved to a blank memory card in the bow unit, while the map card stays in the console unit. When I get home I can review anything I missed using their free sonar viewer. When I see something very interesting I missed on the water, I can set waypoints so I can return to those spots.

I always recommend spending the money on screen resolution first, then color, then power if only fishing inland freshwater lakes. 480 X 480 pixels is now a standard for square screens. It won't be long until that's sub-par. The ultimate goal is a plasma-perfect view. Stick with a 20 degree transducer. If you get a 480 pixel unit you will be far better off than with less, able to get a more sensible image you can interpret easier. If you have that grayscale is OK, but the difference between that and color is about like between B&W TV and color. 480 gives sharpness more like Cable TV compared to rabbit-ear antenna using lower resolution. That usually costs an extra $100 for color, $100 for more pixels.

Jim

The ping rate is how often a sound pulse is generated. In general you need more at speed, less at rest. With the transducer out of the water and running you can often hear the ticking sound of the crystal inside generating sound at the current ping rate setting.

Sensitivity is the ability of the processor to pick up echo returns coming back to the transducer. The transducer broadcasts each ping, then rests an instant to receive echoes. It has to sort out a huge variety of strong and weak signals, separating two weak signals coming from say two fish close together. The higher the sensitivity, the less is missed, but images can end up confused, showing blotches instead of individual items. If bottom isn't showing sensitivity is too low. If a double bottom it's too high.

The best way to get close to an ideal sensitivity is to put sensitivity in auto mode and enable ASP. From there you can go to manual mode with ASP off and tweak the sensitivity up or down a little. Once in manual mode double the automatically selected range. If it shows 0-40 on screen, change it to 0-80. Increase sensitivity until it shows double depth and a second bottom. Then switch back to 0-40' range to view an optimized display. Bump the sensitivity back down if the screen is cluttered or not showing enough detail.

When a lake turns over lots of debris floats up. It's about like filling a dark room with smoke then shining a flashlight through it. A lot of that small stuff will show up on screen, more with high sensitivity. Be sure to get a good bottom signal first then tweak up as much sensitivity as you can stand without too much clutter.

Jim

Jim, TY sent me your way with this issue:

I have one Lowrance 332c at the console, transom mounted transducer with the GPS antenna mounted on the back of boat directly above the transducer. This is the unit with trouble.

I also have a bow mounted Lowrance 332c with a trolling motor mounted transducer and the GPS antenna mounted inside the very front of the boat. This unit is working correctly all the time.

All was working well until we noticed the console unit depth now blinks almost all the time in sonar mode. The GPS seems to be ok, just the depth keeps blinking in sonar mode and the sonar gets screwed up.

They, the transducers, are installed on an 18' Nitro, and are about 17 feet apart. The rear unit is mounted outside on the transom and seems to be mounted correctly and is not loose.

Any ideas to what could be causing the problem?

Thanks, Mark

Make sure the transom transducer connector is tight at the back of the head unit, and there is no corrosion on a pin.

If the temperature isn't blinking 32 the cable and connector ought to be OK and at least half the transducer is OK. Look for a kink or scrape in the cable anyway wherever you can see it. You can temporarily patch a damaged cable, but signals will continually degrade. If the bow unit depth moved to the console blinks after checking out the obvious, there are some things to check out before you replace the transom transducer.

Make sure the transducer is mounted with it's flat belly aimed straight down and remains in position at all speeds. It needs to be clean, smooth black plastic only. A little light fine sanding keeps it in good shape. Remove deep scratches, stains, oils.

Turn off the bow unit leaving the console unit operating to eliminate the possibility of interference head to head. Turn the bow unit back on and look for interference. If so, we can discuss a remedy. If none, operate the console unit in still clean water. If the display is right there, do this: if turbulence from running the outboard starts problems, the transducer needs a new location. We can discuss that in detail if needed.

Eliminate the possibility of the trolling motor, a bilge pump motor, a livewell pump, or other electrical device causing interference by turning them all off, then each back on one at a time.

Your Lowrance has noise canceling features that can kick in in spades so much any signal getting to the unit can be wiped out. Electrical interference is the main culprit. You can turn those features down or off to help solve the sources of problems. Sometimes turning them off will restore an accurate depth, but allows so much clutter on the display the screen is useless except for a depth reading. In that case you go back to the first steps, trying each unit on a known good transducer. If the console unit still acts up on a good transducer, the head unit probably needs repair.

Jim