Lowrance HDS5X lost bottom readings

[TR21HP]

I have a year old Lowrance HDS5X and first time out this year I lost the bottom reading. The screen has power but no bottom reading. Any ideas what the problem could be?

[PerchJerker]

Sounds like a bad transducer. The first thing I'd try is to test your HDS-5x on another transducer, or test another unit on your transducer.

[TR21HP]

Thanks Perchjerker,

I'm sure the transducer is ok as I have hooked my other Lowrance to it and it read just fine. It's a glassed in transducer. I have a couple of inline fuses I am going to look at that may be the problem.

[BobT]

Maybe a little off topic, like we always stay on topic, but I might be in the market for a new sonar unit for my console. I don't care to pay for a GPS ready system as I am perfectly happy with my hand-held GPS but I have found it difficult to find color sonar with larger screens. One of the units I've been looking at is the HDS5X. Mind if I ask what you think about the unit aside from your recent issues?

[TR21HP]

BobT,

The unit operated well all last year. The resolution is very clear and the operation, though different than the LCX series of graphs, is similiar enough to pick up rather quickly. The options with regards to color and other setup functions is outstanding. The only problem with this unit and this unit only is that if you need to do upgrades you need another HDS unit, connect them with a cable and remote upload the upgrade from one to the other. If you are to buy this unit I would make sure all the upgrades, and I believe there is only one, is done to the unit prior to you taking it home.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Sounds like the same issue as with the older system. Plagued many a Lowrance user.

[Rippin_eyes]

Did you go through the transducer installation menu.... possibly you are running on 50 hrz turn your sensitivity up it could be to low.....

[thrax]

Bob T - for the price diff between the sonar only and the GPS/sonar combo get the combo, satisfied with your handheld or not. You then get a MMC slot and can do any software updates etc very easily that way. You will not be disappointed if you buy an HDS combo of any size.

[BobT]

Thanks for the tips. I'll keep them in mind.

[TR21HP]

Chris,

Thanks for the response, I was wondering if that could be the problem as I did a hard reset prior to this and, of course, the unit defaults to factory settings and I lost all my custom settings. I will try that.