WB4IUY

Thanks, I tried that, but no change. Going to ClearVu mode at 455khz seemed to solve the problem, so I'm thinking there's a problem with the low freq sonar part of the transducer.

Gonna run it a bit and see how I like it. So far, ClearVu seems to generate better returns on cover and fish, just used to the old school classic sonar screens.

Ok, I've had somewhat of a breakthrough with a workaround. For some reason, this issue is related to the lower frequencies of traditional sonar and my transducer. For nearly 3 years, the system has been working fine at the factory defaults. Yesterday, I switched to ClearVu (455khz) and I can now read and lock on to the bottom as shallow as 1.2'. I can also read depth at 80+' and see activity while at 20mph, something I've never been able to do on the pontoon boat in traditional sonar mode. This isn't a "fix" for the original problem, but it does allow me to keep using this setup for the time being. I'm beginning to think there's a problem with the lower frequency part of the transducer.

I've had this 7SV about 3 years. The boat is always in the water. It has worked well until recently. Nothing has changed with the boat, transducer, or settings. It has begun to sHow about 1-1/2 feet of surface noise at the top of the screen as a yellow band. I can turn the noise filter "on", and disappears. I do t mind that, but I'm wondering if it's related to this problem: it no longer locks on and shows depths less than 8.8 feet. Anything below that, and it just flashes the last known depth. It does this, even with the engine off and no boat movement. The transducer is clean. When I move to anything more than 8.8 feet, it locks in an works correctly. Again, I never saw the yellow band at the top until this started. I've reset to factory sonar defaults, no change. The transducer is a GT52HW. Have any of you experienced this issue?

I bought a new boat with a 7SV on it last fall. I've been wrestling with the manual, discussions in various groups, and videos for setup and operation. I feel pretty comfortable with it, now, and love the contour mapping. The problem I'm having is in getting the contour maps into active captain on my phone. I was on the phone with Garmin support, again, another 1-1/2 hours Friday, they couldn't help. The tech insisted my unit has a card slot, which the 7SV Striker vivid does not...it uses internal memory and wifi. After charting, it shows that it uploaded my charts to the Garmin community, but when I go to "my maps" on my mobile device, it says I have to register my maps. I sync the phone with the plotter, it says ok and that my maps will be registered automatically. When I go to the Garmin Quickdraw Community to download, none of my maps are there. I'm lost on how to simply get copies of my plotter's maps to my phone for backup. I want to buy a 9SV for another boat, but I'm not gonna do it if I can't back up / copy my mapping. Garmin seems to be unable to understand my problem. Besides seeing similar comments elsewhere, I never find an answer. Do any of you know how to do this? Thanks, Dave

Thanks Tom. He's checking the jack plate settings now. It's a manual version where you move bolts into different holes to set the height. He said it was a bit low and working on that. Still wondering why it won't rev above 5000. Runs great, thinking it would be misfiring if it were starving for fuel on the top end?

Thanks for the tips, guys. We're pretty sure the P2P is too deep. He's used to dealing with the chime walking thing, the previous setup on his Triton was a '99 225 Optimax w/4-blade (same prop as now), and would push the boat around 78mph on the GPS. He's gonna check the P2P and adjust that. Just can't get the motor to turn past 5000 rpms /60 mph with the current setup. Runs great, no misfires, no alarms on the SmartCraft, throttle body looks to be almost 100% open with the hot foot all the way down. Power head has passed the break-in period. Everything seems OK otherwise. Still looking ?

OK, I found the Factory spec as being 5000-5700 rpm at WOT. With a 4-blade, I'm guessing it would be on the lower end of that. I know the previous engine had a different lower unit. I see the factory spec on the lower unit for '99 & '04 is 1.75:1. Wondering if there's a different lower with different ratio that might have been swapped onto it, if that's even doable? We don't really know that the '99's lower end (the motor that pushed the boat faster) is the original, it was destroyed in a log crash on the lake, so we can't swap to it to test. I never rode on the boat with the old engine, but he said the boat was considerably faster with the previous engine, and also rev'd higher with the same prop.

It's a 2004 engine. Thanks for the tip. I'm searching for 2004 info now on google. Dave

Been helping a friend with the conversion of a '99 Triton to a '04 225 Mercury Optimax EFI. Changed to a QuickSilver surface mount transmission control and uses a Hotfoot, pile-o-wiring changes for that and the smartcraft transducers. Engine had a new power head installed. We also installed a SmartCraft guage system. It's just come off of the break-in period, runs great, nice and smooth, not dropping cylinders, no alarms on the smartcraft. He installed a 4-blade prop he had on the previous '99 Optimax 225. Boat runs about 60mph, will not turn over 5000rpm. He said his previous '225 Optimax engine turned way over that. I'm lost, this is way outside of my wheelhouse and my experience with my little Johnson 70 ? . I felt like if it were a fuel delivery problem it would be going into alarm and not running good, but that's just my opinion. Any ideas? Dave

Beautiful bass!!! What state are you fishing in?

Yep, worked fine for these ? . That was my first picture post, and I see a couple of pics ore 90 degrees out of whack. Got to pay attention to that in the future. Wife and I headed back there again a while this morning, it's overcast and a little on-and-off sprinkle. Pulled a 6lb'r out of there about a year ago.

Wife and I did a little fishing in Big Branch after dinner Sunday. It's basically little river, not far from the head end. Nothing big, but it's a beautiful place to bank fish and only about 4 minutes from the house.

'Morning! I sent you a direct message on the board with my mailing address. Thanks again! Dave

Hi Richard, Sorry, that's no where near the area I'm familiar with, it's a big place ? Hope y'all have a great time! Dave

Hi Richard, My folks have a place on the NC side near Nutbush that we fish at. Where on Kerr Lake will you guys put in or be fishing at? Dave

WOW! Thanks!! Dave

Here's our little 1996 Stratos 258. 70HP Johnson, pretty much as it all came in '96. Less than 100 hrs when I got it, lived in a garage, until now ? Here's a little 1986 Landau 1048 Jon boat. Very lightweight (62 lbs before the battery, motor, and gear), love the 48" width. We haul it on a repurposed aluminum Triton motorcycle trailer, use an old Minkota Classic from about '85, and love this thing. We run it every week somewhere, millponds, farm ponds, and electric only reservoirs and places like in one of the photos below. Cheap as dirt and loads of fun.

I don't doubt that, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for me. I often fish all day and am comfortable with it. Seems most folks like like baitcast or spinners, but I'm very happy with the Bullets.

Glad I found this site. A friend told me about it, lots of good info to read, for sure! Dave

Howdy Glaucus, I'd love to take that junked Bullet off your hands, if you'll part with it. I have 4 of them, been burning them 3-4 days/week for last 2 years. Can't say enough good stuff about mine. Would love to have one for parts if you want to sell it. wb4iuy@gmail.com Thanks, Dave

Old thread, but here's my 1 cent worth ? Spincast reels have come a long ways. Been fishing about 50 years. I've been using the Zebco bullets for about 2 years, several times/week. Great retrieve rate (29 ipt), 9 bearings, smooth & stable drag, handles braid, quick change reel, smooth brake, casts like butter, no blowups under the hood. Now have several of them and love'm. Dave

I know this is an old topic, but I wanted to throw my 2 cents in... Been fishing probably 50 years. Spin casters have some a long ways... I tried one of the Zebco Bullets about 2 years ago, and love it. Fast retrieve. They advertise something like 5.1:1 ratio, but that's only part of retrieve rate, spool dia, etc comes into play, it moves the line at 29 inches per crank revolution. Does not chew the line as some have mentioned with the older reels, probably because the line is drawn in over a pair of needle bearings. Drag is smooth and stable, is has an oscillating spool for even line distribution, 9 ball bearings, etc. My wife and I fish several times a week, never had one to fail. They handle braid perfectly, I don't see the line twist that I did on the older stuff, we catch a lot of fish and the oldest one seems as good as new. It might happen today, but in two years there's never been a blowup under the cap. Dave