Lowrance Triple Shot Transducer
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: General Forums
Forum Name: The Boat Shed
Forum Description: Discuss all things boating.
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134906
Printed Date: 26 Jun 2026 at 2:04pm
Topic: Lowrance Triple Shot Transducer
Posted By: Almo1960
Subject: Lowrance Triple Shot Transducer
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2021 at 8:34pm
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Not sure if this is the correct place to post this but anyhow. So my transducer is having problems reading the bottom during & after coming off the plane. What happens is during the time planing it loses the depth reading (dark band across the top showing 1.0m for example) which I know can happen when your belting along but then when I stop it can sometimes take 1.5-2.0 minutes to read the bottom and give me a proper sonar picture. Once the sonar image returns it doesn't happen again until I'm belting along again. Lowrance have suggested isolating the transducer cable and fitting a ferrite bead. (The cable is bunched with the other cables so this is on the to do list) Their other suggestion was increasing ping speed. 1. Does anyone have any more tips? 2. Which spec ferrite bead do I fit?
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Replies:
Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2021 at 4:16am
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Someone else had issues and I had issues from a beach launch.Was working perfectly well till then.Once home and by chance noticed the transducer had tilted up a bit,tilted back down to where I thought was right and now works.Added a speed paddle to it and thought it was interference but no just angle of transducer and it wasnt up much either .
------------- Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56 |
Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2021 at 6:30am
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Hi, check your transducer angle as suggested and also depth. Photos would help. Side on and end on. You should have good readings even when planning. Set your depth manually to 10m or so deeper than you are when you come off the plane, this will help it find bottom much quicker. Then change back to auto. Does you MFD have the latest software version for it?
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Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2021 at 8:46am
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Initially I had it a little flatter and about 2mm higher at the bracket but picture had a lot of noise however still gave me a bottom reading when planing. I don’t believe the current position is to radical but then I’m no expert. (Scuppers are always up when at sea & yes I have the latest software)   |
Posted By: feeder
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2021 at 9:27am
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I had some problems with a similar type of transducer on a Raymarine Axiom, a couple of mm can make a huge difference, just from looking at your photos, I would think down a couple of mm will do the trick. Also level the transducer with the hull, yours is pointing down on quite an angle. Another tip, do one thing at a time, then test it out, otherwise you are never sure what fixed the problem. Cheers
------------- The only bar to frequent is the Kawhia Bar |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2021 at 11:25am
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I had a lot issues reading on our old 70s hull, that when made sounders wher not in the relms of the ave person. In the end I had to drop, as suggested in other posts, the transducer a few mm deeper than the manufactures and other experts instructions. I ended up still maintaining a slight angle... the angle between the join at the front to the bottom at the back of the transducer. Then caused another issue, mist spray going over, and being dragged into the engine. This is very bad for the engine, slow death. So using a 5L plastic container I cut a template that is held in place behind the transducer mounts. 8 or 9 yrs on never got around to making a stainless or alloy one.  Side note: that rope /bungy on the ground is for solo launching. I actually use it for all launching now. One end goes on the winch pillar, other on the front bollard. Boat slides off, bungy starts to stretch as boat drops off the end roller, and stops just before meeting the end of the white rope. Boat then floats back and its on the end roller of the trailer. |
Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2021 at 5:05pm
I have had a close look at it today using straight edges etc. I've now lowered it which puts the seam exactly in line with the hull at the front and the rear of the t/ducer is 3mm down at the rear end of it. It is now exactly as per Lowrance's installation guide. Cross Fingers. Will report back after next trip which should be Friday 22nd. |
feeder wrote:Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2021 at 7:02am
| That should work. Make sure that you use the seam on the left edge (looking forward) of the transducer, not the centre of the transducer. Mine didn't work until I dropped it down to use the left front seam edge. I had used the seam at the centre of transducer previously. |
Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 23 Jan 2021 at 2:34pm
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Update: It seems the system loses the bottom registration over about 17knts. Here’s an image of what it looks like when it happens and I’ve slowed up. You can’t quite see it but the depth reading is .5m  If I manually select range I can see the bottom but the reading on the left is incorrect.  I’m lost????????????? |
Posted By: feeder
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2021 at 8:40am
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Losing the bottom at 17 knots means you are close to the sweet spot, mine was losing the bottom at similar speeds, another couple of mm down should do the trick, am going out to the coast today, will take a pic of the adjustment marks to show how little it takes. Cheers
------------- The only bar to frequent is the Kawhia Bar |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2021 at 10:58am
As posts above say and finally setup is right on the lowrance instruction manual. Which I do suspect is more for American lakes and streams (???) So as suggested above same angle, but 1 or 2mm lower for salt water with bit more surface chop. But watch for a bit of very fine water spray coming up around the engine. If that doesnt work.. or do so anyway.. reset to factory default settings with advanced options available to play with later. |
Posted By: feeder
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2021 at 8:58pm
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Sorry, never got to the coast today, next weekend am going for the long weekend so will take pic then. Cheers
------------- The only bar to frequent is the Kawhia Bar |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2021 at 9:50am
Do a re set anyway.. |
Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2021 at 4:38pm
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Will drop it down another 2 mm and see what happens next time I’m out which should be this week. At the moment I’m set exactly as Lowrance suggest. I’m guessing that as I go faster the boat is rising more out of the water so hence the need to lower it. Be back in touch soon. Thanks for all the tips. |
Posted By: feeder
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2021 at 8:23pm
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Here is the pic of my adjustments, each is about 2mm. Cheers 
------------- The only bar to frequent is the Kawhia Bar |
Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2021 at 2:00pm
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Sent a bunch of photos through to Lowrance tech support who suggested lowering it. They also mentioned that these longer T/Shot transducers are very position sensitive but that they don’t have inherent faults so that was good to know. Just waiting for weather to clear up here. |
Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2021 at 2:33pm
| Can anybody comment on this idea of having the transducer level with the water while planing. I’ve seen videos of people using a spirit level on the gunwale while planing and stacking the the back edge to get a level line which they then transpose to the t/ducer. To me that would suggest the rear of the transducer would be higher than the front???? |
Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 6:51am
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I would imagine that will work very poorly. Every time my readings have deteriorated it has been due to the rear of the ducer raising. Happy to be wrong though. With the rear down slightly any bubbles roll up and around the ducer, rather than along it.
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Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2021 at 9:09am
| Lowered trans, no change. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2021 at 10:11am
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(The cable is bunched with the other cables so this is on the to do list) Modern transducer cables are no where as sensitive as on 'old days' Even so the manuals do say run separate and good practice is run up the opposite side of the boat to the main loom.. My main loom is high up under my gunnels. May transducer cable runs hanging a few inches below on long cable ties that hang from the main cable loom with smaller ties top and bottom of the large cable tie loop. I did not do it because of best practice or anything.. did it because bit lazy and what manual says about routing. It was easier to hang than put the new transducer cable in the old loom. or tie up to it. Its a long shot as what you are getting is not so much electrical interference but lack of signal on the screen... but could also be due to more interference from the high rpms created ed by the engine. Often things like this can be a combo of issues. Another thought.. is the head unit up on the dash in full sun behind the windscreen..? On days like that I throw a rag over the back of the head unit. Before posting this just been back up to look at your pics.. Couple things on those original pics 1/ how close you are to the outside chine. A lot of air is picked up at the bow and travels down the underside of the chine. 2/ The rear view.. the inside (motor side) of the transducer is far too high.. That inside edge, where the moulding join between the top and bottom of the transducer needs to be at least or lower than the straight edge off the bottom of the hull. So I would be looking at dropping till the top edge of the transducer on the engine side is at the straight edge or the hull.. or few mm lower.. Then look at raising to sweet point rather than lowering. Either way the mist kicked up from the transducer is not good for the engine and may get wet backs at the helm as it is sucked back into the boat. |
Posted By: Crochet Cast
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2021 at 10:01pm
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I have the same transducer. Played around with the setup and never seem to get a good reading except just putting along off the plane. Saving up to replace it. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2021 at 9:27am
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I also have the same transducer.. like the older short stubbier one , had a few issues getting right due to hull design pre sounder being affordable days. Also figuring/ sorting out a few custom settings in the sounder. |
Posted By: Almo1960
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2021 at 8:22pm
Update; Filed weld flat where bracket meets bottom of hull and lowered t/ducer even further. Now holding bottom up to 19.5knots. Happy with that. I have been told I could improve on that but this is a huge improvement. Thanks to you all for your input. |
Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2021 at 6:38am
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Use 200khz not High chirp when travelling. High Chirp doesn't work anywhere as well on the plane as Fixed 200Khz. That might help even more
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Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2021 at 10:37am
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That makes me ask the question.. I run sounder full screen (maps on another gps unit.) I have 1/2 chirp one side and 200 the other... What is, is that also the fixed 200 ? |
Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 16 Mar 2021 at 6:40am
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Chirp is a sweep of all frequencies, in a range. I haven't looked into the Lowrance range (in the don't need to know, it works category). You get a lot better definition with Chirp -as in I've seen a snapper inside a bait school whereas with 200Khz it was just a big bait school. That snapper was about 50cm and tasty. I wouldn't have known it was there without Chirp. Airmar uses 210Khz to 130Khz for it's narrow and 250Khz to 150Khz for it's wide, in the High series. You may find using the med or low as well as high or 200, may help find more fish. The lower frequencies have a wider beam. I use it when looking for Terakihi, then wait until I see them on high to know I'm over them. Med/Low frequencies really struggle when on the plane generally.
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Posted By: Joker
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2021 at 1:31pm
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When trying to optimise the height of the transducer and not knowing which way to go try this fine tuning tip. When on the plane say 20mph slightly turn in the direction of the transducer, effectively lowering it and if the return gets better you need to lower it. Conversely, turn away and if it gets better raise it. |