Minn Kota Universal Sonar Transducer Sensitivity

[enduro67]

I have a Minn Kota Trolling motor with the Universal Sonar Single Frequency transducer (200KhZ).

I am using it with a Lowrance LCX-27C on the bow. I have a LCX-28C on the dash with a standard Lowrance transom mount skimmer tranducer.

The standard Lowrance tranducer shows much more detail than the Minn Kota Universal Sonar. I have swapped the displays back and forth and turned up the sensitivity...it just seems that the Minn Kota transducer is not as sensitive.

My question is has anyone else observed this.

Is the Universal Sonar II any better.

I called a Minn Kota rep and they say they can test it...don't really want to pull the motor off right now if it won't help.

[enduro67]

Let me rephrase the question....

Is anyone out there using a MinnKota Universal Sonar or USII with a Lowrance graph that is completely happy with it's performance. (Meaning good fish echoes, good bottom hardness distinction, good shad marking, etc)

[Surface Tension]

I'll say this.

A day on Lake Superior in a buddies boat.

His Lowrance seemed like the return signal wasn't all there.

Mind you we're in deep water. If you can't mark thermoclines, suspended fish, bottom, bait fish, and the downrigger balls your pretty handicapped out there.

We'll he had a MinnKota Bowmount with Universal sonar and never used it,,yet.

Yep, I put it done and hooked up the Lowrance. Bingo, his ducer was bad and the Minnkota Universal Ducer saved the day.

I used a lot of sonars and am very familiar with how they should work. I saw ZERO performance problems with the Minnkota Universal Ducer.

[goose89]

The US on my Terrova is better, IMO, than my transom 'ducer. I often have my Terrova down, even if not needing it, because it's more consistent / clearer than my counsel / transom unit.

[mamohr686]

I have a US2 hooked up to my X-135. I like that I don't have to worry about transducer cables getting sheared off when I'm stowing my TM. I used to run a lowance High speed transducer off my TM and I don't notice any difference, compared to the US2. I remember a while back there was an article comparing the Minnkota US to the factory transducers, on both humminbird (non-side immaging) and lowrance units in bass and walleye boats magazine. The water test showed virtually no difference in sensitivity and ability to read echos ,between the factory transducer and US. Both manufactures recommend using their own factory transducers.

[enduro67]

Thanks for the responses. I have not been able to find any bad press on them so mine must have a problem.

I plan to pull the motor after this weekend and take it to get tested. I'll post back the results in a few weeks.

[katoguy]

No shop will be able to determine anything. If it works, it works.

The sound wave from the crystals is probably just getting weaker. All transducers do have an optimal lifespan based on usage.

[enduro67]

Well I took the motor to the shop. Of course they tested it in their tube and said it was ok. I had them replace the transducer anyways.

Ran it over the weekend and it worked much better...showed shad and good fish echoes.

Plan to flip the dash unit around so I can see both at the same time this weekend and do a trolling pass over the same structure just to see how much difference there is between Lowrances puck and Minn Kota's.

[The Dogger]

You will get a better reading from a transom mounted transducer to a Lowrance than you will with the same lowrance using US2.

The guys that want the ultimate and most accurate transducer reading will do it this way. This is also for the guys that know how to read what they see to extreme detail. For most people the US2 is just fine.

The story u said here, sounds like it still was a bad US2 and the new one fixed it.

[enduro67]

Well my problem was actually two fold. Overall sensitivity of the trolling motor transducer was never as good as the Dash unit. I originally had a LCX520c graph on the bow so I figured it was partly due to the lower power vs the LCX28C. So I bought the LCX27 the first of this year for the bow and it did seem to improve the performance but I never did a head to head comparison (too busy fishing). I was able to marks shools of crappie and detect brushpiles and stakebeds on Ky lake so I was happy with it's performance.

Over the last month the bow unit started losing track of the depth from time to time and the color line was real thin and it flat out quit showing any fish returns at all. So I put a external puck on the trolling motor to test the display and it was fine. Finally got a slow time my fishing so took the motor in for a new puck.

That fixed the really poor performance issue...now the question is will it show fish as good as the transom.

I am going up to Minnesota in July and last year had trouble marking walleyes with the bow mount so had to flip the dash mount around so I could watch it as I trolled...hopefully the new display and US puck will solve my problems...I plan to take my spare lowrance puck for the trolling motor along just in case.