Lowrance HDS 5 gen2 depth malfunction - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

45user · 10-12-2016, 08:54 AM

Hello all,
So my ff has been acting weird lately. It would work (or seems to be working) correctly for the first 2-3hrs then it will give me false depth reading (usually very deep) Does anyone experience similar issue with HDS 5 gen 2? If so was there a remedy to fix the problem? I'm using factory 50/200mhz transducer.
Thank you for your help in advance!
45

kirkdavis · 10-12-2016, 09:01 AM

I had the same problem at LJ. Headed back to the beach my FF was suddenly reading deep. tried reboot...nothing. Finally figured out I was going over LJ canyon!!

ful-rac · 10-12-2016, 09:18 AM

If everything else is good I'd suspect a bad transducer.... It happends

45user · 10-12-2016, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkdavis

I had the same problem at LJ. Headed back to the beach my FF was suddenly reading deep. tried reboot...nothing. Finally figured out I was going over LJ canyon!!

I suspected that and it happened to me before but unfortunately it wasn't the canyon this time.

Btw how deep is the canyon?
Thank you!
45

45user · 10-12-2016, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ful-rac

If everything else is good I'd suspect a bad transducer.... It happends

Any specific brand you recommend that fits hobie outback transducer ready mold? It needs to work in LJ and freshwater.
Thank you!
45

YakDout · 10-12-2016, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 45user

I suspected that and it happened to me before but unfortunately it wasn't the canyon this time.

Btw how deep is the canyon?

Thank you!

45

Ive had depths over the canyon deeper than 1000 feet. Were you fishing over it when this was happening? If your gain isnt high enough, it wont mark bottom at the depth. Try turning up your gain til you get a depth.

YakDout · 10-12-2016, 10:13 AM

Call lowrance, they will send you a new transducer if its bad. I didnt even have to send my bad one in, and it started working again so now I have an extra.

45user · 10-12-2016, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YakDout

Ive had depths over the canyon deeper than 1000 feet. Were you fishing over it when this was happening? If your gain isnt high enough, it wont mark bottom at the depth. Try turning up your gain til you get a depth.

Hmmmm
I just looked up La Jolla canyon and I may have went over that. Yes it gave me over 1000' reading but I was pretty close to the shore I thought my ff was going crazy..
45

ful-rac · 10-12-2016, 10:41 AM

Try it again in a known depth.

rossman · 10-12-2016, 11:03 AM

I had the exact same symptoms on a sonar unit many years ago and what threw me was it would only act up at La Jolla. Like you, I was amazed how close that deep water canyon was to shore and it was right on a line from the launch to the first waypoint that I headed to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 45user

Hmmmm
I just looked up La Jolla canyon and I may have went over that. Yes it gave me over 1000' reading but I was pretty close to the shore I thought my ff was going crazy..
45

45user · 10-12-2016, 11:04 AM

Thank you all for your help!!!
I will try it again and see what happens.
45

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45user · 10-12-2016, 11:09 AM

Now on a different note, my stock transducer is 50/200, is this transducer adequate to use in freshwater?
Thanks again!
45

YakDout · 10-12-2016, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 45user

Now on a different note, my stock transducer is 50/200, is this transducer adequate to use in freshwater?

Thanks again!

45

Yep it will work great.

45user · 10-12-2016, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YakDout

Yep it will work great.

Thank you!
45

Zed · 10-12-2016, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rossman

I had the exact same symptoms on a sonar unit many years ago and what threw me was it would only act up at La Jolla. Like you, I was amazed how close that deep water canyon was to shore and it was right on a line from the launch to the first waypoint that I headed to.

And your analog son pointed it out.

jorluivil · 10-12-2016, 12:54 PM

I had that happen to me in LJ a few months ago but the problem had started a few weeks before that. While fishing in in 125’ of water my FF was reading 700’, I disconnected everything including the battery and even did a soft reset but that didn’t fix the problem. When I got home I cleaned my terminals on both the head unit and the cables, on my next outing everything was fine and has been fine since.

45user · 10-12-2016, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorluivil

I had that happen to me in LJ a few months ago but the problem had started a few weeks before that. While fishing in in 125’ of water my FF was reading 700’, I disconnected everything including the battery and even did a soft reset but that didn’t fix the problem. When I got home I cleaned my terminals on both the head unit and the cables, on my next outing everything was fine and has been fine since.

Thank you! I will clean out my terminals when I go out next time.
Thank you all for great information and help!!!
45

YakDout · 10-13-2016, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 45user

Thank you! I will clean out my terminals when I go out next time.

Thank you all for great information and help!!!

45

http://m.homedepot.com/p/CRC-QD-11-o...30-6/202262505

45user · 10-13-2016, 04:55 AM

Thank you!

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Bruntoj · 10-13-2016, 01:24 PM

I'm confused. Should I be lubing it up with dielectric grease or using this contact cleaner?

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10-12-2016, 08:54 AM	#1
45user Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 576	Lowrance HDS 5 gen2 depth malfunction Hello all, So my ff has been acting weird lately. It would work (or seems to be working) correctly for the first 2-3hrs then it will give me false depth reading (usually very deep) Does anyone experience similar issue with HDS 5 gen 2? If so was there a remedy to fix the problem? I'm using factory 50/200mhz transducer. Thank you for your help in advance! 45

10-12-2016, 09:18 AM	#3
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	If everything else is good I'd suspect a bad transducer.... It happends __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog.

10-12-2016, 10:41 AM	#9
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	Try it again in a known depth. __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog.

10-12-2016, 11:04 AM	#11
45user Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 576	Lowrance HDS 5 gen2 depth malfunction Thank you all for your help!!! I will try it again and see what happens. 45 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10-12-2016, 12:54 PM	#16
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	I had that happen to me in LJ a few months ago but the problem had started a few weeks before that. While fishing in in 125’ of water my FF was reading 700’, I disconnected everything including the battery and even did a soft reset but that didn’t fix the problem. When I got home I cleaned my terminals on both the head unit and the cables, on my next outing everything was fine and has been fine since. __________________ www.facebook.com/Teamsewer

10-12-2016, 09:01 AM	#2
kirkdavis Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: SD County Posts: 360	I had the same problem at LJ. Headed back to the beach my FF was suddenly reading deep. tried reboot...nothing. Finally figured out I was going over LJ canyon!!

10-12-2016, 10:13 AM	#7
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	Call lowrance, they will send you a new transducer if its bad. I didnt even have to send my bad one in, and it started working again so now I have an extra.

10-12-2016, 11:09 AM	#12
45user Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 576	Now on a different note, my stock transducer is 50/200, is this transducer adequate to use in freshwater? Thanks again! 45

10-13-2016, 04:55 AM	#19
45user Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 576	Thank you! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10-13-2016, 01:24 PM	#20
Bruntoj Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: San Diego County Posts: 168	I'm confused. Should I be lubing it up with dielectric grease or using this contact cleaner? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk