Eagle Locator Help

[Keith_MN]

I have two Eagle Cuda 242 locators on my boat (one off the transom, and one on the trolling motor) neither one of which will pick up the bottom, much less a fish. I've spoken to Eagle Customer service, rewired them completely, and tried everything else I could think of without any success. I spoke to the retailer that I bought them from and they claim they sell hundreds of the Eagle Cudas to resorts every year and have never received any negative feedback on them, so they must be a functional unit for the most part.

What I'd like to do is hook one of my locators up to someone elses set-up in hopes of determining if the locators are bad, or if its the way I have them installed on my boat that's the problem.

So I'd like to find someone in the St. Cloud/Monticello area that has an Eagle Cuda installed on their boat who'd be willing to meet me at a lake where I could test out my two locators.

Can anyone help me out?

[PerchJerker]

I can't help you out with unit to test, but here's a few ideas if you havent tried them already.

1. Try using them 1 at a time, with the other turned off, to make sure you're not having interference issues.

2. Try adjusting the angle of the transducers. Sometimes small adjustments works, sometimes bigger adjustments are needed. If it doesn't do anything for you, you can put them back they way you had them.

3. Try using them in deeper water, you'll have a wider cone and be more likely to mark more objects (assuming you can get a bottom lock).

Good luck getting it figured out.

[Keith_MN]

I can't help you out with unit to test, but here's a few ideas if you havent tried them already.

1. Try using them 1 at a time, with the other turned off, to make sure you're not having interference issues.

2. Try adjusting the angle of the transducers. Sometimes small adjustments works, sometimes bigger adjustments are needed. If it doesn't do anything for you, you can put them back they way you had them.

3. Try using them in deeper water, you'll have a wider cone and be more likely to mark more objects (assuming you can get a bottom lock).

Good luck getting it figured out.

PJ, thanks for the suggestions, but I have tried all this with no improvement.

I'm to the point now where I feel like I am going in circles.

That's why I'd like to hook my locators up in someones boat whose locators are working.

Then if mine work I have confirmed that there is a problem with how I have them installe on my boat. If they don't work, then I can conclude that the locators are bad and need to make a decision on what my next locator(s) will be.

[PerchJerker]

You're on the right track with how to diagnose the problem, hopefully you can find someone with the same units who will help you out.

[Surface Tension]

Just an FYI, a lot of Eagle transducer/power cords are interchangeable with your Cuda. Chances are your Cuda is fine and the ducer is shot. 60 bucks for a new ducer w/temp.

If you get up to my area I'd be more then happy to test out your sounder for you. Or send it to me.

[Keith_MN]

Surface Tension,

Do transducers go bad? Based on my conversations with the Customer Service folks I got the impression that a bad transducer was the least likely explanation. And I have two units doing the exact same thing. In fact I ran thru this exact same scenario with two Lowrance X28s that were on the boat when I bought it. Is it possible for 4 transducers to go bad?

I always bring my locators into the house for the the winter, but I have always left the transducers mounted to the boat. Can the cold affect the transducers? Like I said, I have had this conversation with the Customer Service reps at Eagle and they said that its not necessary to bring the transducers in out of the cold. If the transducers end up being my problem I'm going to be have emotions on both ends of the spectrum. Happy to finally have an explanation for my problems, and upset with the bad advice I've gotten from the Customer Service reps.

I can buy a brand new Eagle Cuda 300 for $80, so it would be tough to spend $60 dollars on a new transducer when another $20 will buy me a new locator and transducer.

And thanks for the offer to check out my transducers, but I think I have a lead on a local shop that will check things out for me for a very reasonable price.