It shows the correct depth and then intermittently says a very shallow depth. ihave wipped the transducer and checked it for level and debri. any ideas?

Make sure you transducer is sitting level with the bottom of the boat. Follow the transducer cable down the line from where it plugs into your unit. There should be a tag on the transducer that says which model the transducer is. Go into "setup" in your settings and make sure the correct model of transducer is chosen.

My experience as a user is that turbulence around the transducer can cause mine to flash and the depth to remain static.Is your fault affected by speed? Sounds to me that you have a faulty connection causing the transducer to "not register". I'd check connections and also the integrity of the transducer. Hope that helps...
Best of luck

Might help to tell us what kind of boat - deep V hull 22 ft.? bass boat with shallow V hull? Some need the transducer closer to the centerline of the vessel while others do better more outboard, Naturally they need to be flush with the hull no matter where they are located. Depending on the transducer, you could also try properly mounting it inside the vessel near the transom. Good new is you are getting good info from it. Cheers Pete

Hello. Go to any autoparts store and purchase an aerosol can of electrical contact cleaner. It replaces ozone-depleting CFC's, trichloroethane, HCFC's, perchloroethylene and other carcinogenic chlorinated solvents. It will clean your contacts of corrosion and remove any and all moisture from them. And it will protect them well into the future. I use it everywhere on my craft, and on the trailer.
Spray the product, let it sit for an hour and then spray again. Use a cotton swab to remove any visible crud. Regards, Joe

I'm having the exact same problem. I spoke with the service manager at Faria (Ted) and he was thinking that as long as the gauge is showing a reading, it should default to reading the depth. I'll probably send the guage in to FARIA - they'll repair it for $55. You bring up a good point - maybe the transducer is bad? I put a call in to the Tedmeister to see what he thinks. I'll post if he sheds any light.

I had the same problem and got the transducer changed. It now works perfectly. That could be the problem you are having... bad transducer.

I had the same problem last time I was out in shallow water (in less than 2 metres of water) and I suspect that the problem was weed wrapped around the transducer but won't know for sure until I take it out on the water again. I had another problem re water temp which I'll enter separately.

Hello geld1. Your problem is the transducer, cable or connector. Check transducer with an ohm meter, flex the cable while ohming the restance shouldn't change. The location and mounting of the transducer could be the main problem. Use the the correct gel film including a secure postion support.

Depth: Could be for a number of reasons, too deep for the sounder - check the manual for it's max depth. Dirty water, sounder unable to penetrate through to the bottom. Weed or other debris covering the transducer. Transducer on a swing mount & being pushed out of alignment then dropping back in once stopped.

Speed: Is the speed readout controlled by a GPS or paddlewheel? If it's GPS, check the power connection of the sounder, may be loose which would also cause the depth to 'drop out'. If it's paddlewheel, you're down to bad connections or faulty unit.

The problem is not so much the flat bottom, although they are prone to this problem. The way the sonic waves have to travel through the water is affected by turbulence, especially by air bubbles and cavitation, and by the transducer actually leaving the water, which happens frequently on flat bottomed boats. The best solution to this is to have the unit mounted through the hull so it is completely flush with the hull surface - often they are mounted with a surface flange on the outside of the hull which although thin still causes cavitation around the transducer at higher speeds. about 14 knots will usually interfere with the accuracy of the readings on most hull shapes - forward looking sonars perform usually better. Another thing to check is that the transducer is actually seating right in the housing, if it is not flush with the flange then you have problems - even half a millimetre is too much. check no muppet has painted the transducer with antifouling paint - that never helps, also check if there is a build up of marine growth on or near the transducer - a smooth hull will always keep your depth working until a higher boat speed. if the transducer is growing stuff itself then gently scrape it off - be really careful not to scratch the surface. There are now available non-sonic depth sounders, especially ulf radio signal devices, but I have heard no good reports about them, last i saw they were very expensive and maybe they experience other problems at high speed. there also have been towed devices available that may suit your needs better, although probably a lot of trouble in shallow waters. If you can borrow a waterproof video camera, you could mount it behind (not too close) the transducer, this would be a pain to do, but it may give you an insight into what part of the hull if any is causing the problem (tie the camera to the top of the boat securely in case the mount fails) Hope this helps, sorry but your dealer is not totally wrong :)