Humminbird 597ci hd di with ice ducer not reading depths

[copperyj]

I have been having trouble getting the digital depth to read right on my 597 di with the ice ducer. Everything else works just like with the standard transducer but the depth. It's not usually a big deal but it screws up the bottom zoom because in 16' of water it reads 60-75'. I have all the updates and have tried it in both frequencys and with and without the ice mode on. Any one have any other suggestions?

[ice dawg]

Did you set it for 2d?

[copperyj]

I did set it for 2d

[Channel Z]

I had the same problem last season with my 385 ci Di.  Only way I could get it to work was reset to factory settings.  Was a PIA because then I had to reset all settings/screens, etc.  I usually had the problem if I turned the unit on before having the transducer in the water or when hole-hopping.  Was told by HB tech support to disable the transducer before removing it from the water when hole-hopping.  Have not tried that out yet.  Enable/disable transducer setting can be found on my unit by pressing (not holding) off button.  Until the latest firmware revision I had no way to disable Di so last  season Di was on all the time even though I was not using those screens.

[TrackerG]

something you might check. what is your lower range setting on the first menu? I adjust this to a few feet below what im fishing. keep just a little "red on the bottom of flasher view.   if your user mode is set to normal or advanced, in advanced mode the second menu has a tab labeled Max depth. different from your lower range. I set it to manual at the deepest that I will encounter on that lake. It seems like on auto...it has a tendency to keep searching for the bottom.  Keep in mind I don't have my finder with me. I am going by memory and looking at the online manual for 597 unit. Hope this helps. Ive read the manual over and over and messed with almost every setting on the unit. Still figuring new things out. You can set about everything in simulator mode in your living room

[copperyj]

Thanks guys I will give it a shot.

[TrackerG]

Let us know if you get it figured out!

[33oneill]

I went through this last weekend. I called Humminbird last Friday and they confirmed that the XI 9 20 iceducer would work with my 597ci hd di (even though it says on their website its not compatable with di units). I did have to update my 597 software. The latest rev is 6.40. I don't have my finder in front of me but after the upgrade I had to go to settings then enable advanced settings, After I enabled that there was something called Digital Depth Source. Humminbird told me to change that from 'Auto' to '2D'. After that it would read the correct depth..
This something I copied from another web site saying pretty much the same thing...:

Thought I would update, after hopping on live chat with humminbird (super easy), the gave me the following info, looks like it will work with the ice ducer.
[Jennifer] Hello, this is Jennifer, thanks for visiting Humminbird.com how may I help you?
[Levi] I have a question about an ice transducer
[Levi] I have a 597ci hd di
[Levi] i am reading that it wont work?
[Jennifer] you will need to have the latest software in the 597ci HD DI to have a feature named Digital Depth Source in the Advanced Sonar menu
[Levi] i don't care about the down imaging, because i know you have to be moving for that to work
[Jennifer] you will change this setting from Auto to 2D when using the ice ducer which will perform for 2D sonar only for 200 kHz with the system
[Jennifer] the ice ducer is part number XI 9 20
[Levi] woohoo, so it looks like it will work
[Jennifer] yes, you will just need to make sure the software is above 6.250 to have this feature that I just mentioned to you

Also there is a youtube video showing ice settings for 597 showing how to gt rid of the 'Transducer Not Connected' error on startup with the iceducer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haDbM-l9vC4

[copperyj]

I did the reset and now it shows that I have the most current version of software but in the menus I cannot find the 2d option. This is such a pita. Now it will not read the transducer at all and has locked up a couple of times. I am going to call Humminbird tonight and see if there is an easy solution. But I am loosing faith in this and it might be better just to give up and buy a flasher or non DI unit to go into my case.

[TrackerG]

unless there is a factory defect issue.....I cant figure out why everyone has problems with these units. I have been through every view and menu tab on my 345 DI and 346 DI while in simulator mode (power on...and hit menu cursor down to simulator mode. this allows you to change settings at home that will be saved when your using the unit). try going to Humminbird's website, look up the product go to "support". down by features and specs. download the product manual. this is easier to find things then in the printed manual. get to know your finder while sitting in the living room and you will have better luck on the water or hard deck. I also keep the printed manual with me on the ice or boat. keep in mind....all the menus are not available for each screen view...best thing is to call hummingbird with your fishfinder right there and they can walk you through it. Good Luck..

[jepik]

x2..what he said

[jimmythegreek]

I have a 596HD i use on the ice and i had similar problems right off the bat (i used on ice first time b4 the boat) and it turned out my unit was messed u software wise.  Sent it in and came back perect.  Its still not as good as a flasher w 2.5" seperation, but for under 150 in a bag+ducer its great.  What I do is like stated above set the max depth to just what the deepest u will fish is, stops the searching.  Make sure u have 2D transducer selected, ice mode on, and jsut use upper and lower range to zoom in on the bottom or wherever u are fishing in the water column.  I prefer using 2D sonar screen instead of flasher mode, but its more accurate in flasher mode w seperation...

[TrackerG]

theres a thread on this site comparing different flashers Vexilar, Marcum, and Humminbird and only one of them has under 2" target separation and that was on superfine setting. most are around 2.15 " or 2.65" so can't see the 2.5 being an issue on the fishfinder units.....Now the showdown wasn't in this comparison and I'm not sure what the specs are on those.

[33oneill]

I did the reset and now it shows that I have the most current version of software but in the menus I cannot find the 2d option. This is such a pita. Now it will not read the transducer at all and has locked up a couple of times. I am going to call Humminbird tonight and see if there is an easy solution. But I am loosing faith in this and it might be better just to give up and buy a flasher or non DI unit to go into my case.

The manual doesn't say anything about changing the settings for the ice-ducer or how to get rid of the 'No Transducer Connected' error. I read that the reason it would give the bad depth reading was because the software looks to the DI transducer to supply the bottom info. When I called Humminbird they told me about making the changes.

Let us know what Humminbird customer service says and if you get it fixed. I was surprised how good their customer service was. I called on a Friday afternoon got right through to a rep. She knew exactly what I was talking about and told me what I needed to do. Afterward I read from others that the customer service wasn't a fluke.

I can post pics of the menu items I changed for mine if it helps. Let me know.

Mike O'

[DFresh75]

Wow are you guys saying the Downscan units DO work in ice mode and graph mode with a compatible ice ducer?

The 9/20 always said it didn't.  If it does work, this is quite a gift from Humminbird as the update was for additional functionality.  I'd buy a DS now for dual use in a heartbeat if its true.

[nubote]

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=283939.0

[nubote]

I did the reset and now it shows that I have the most current version of software but in the menus I cannot find the 2d option. This is such a pita. Now it will not read the transducer at all and has locked up a couple of times. I am going to call Humminbird tonight and see if there is an easy solution. But I am loosing faith in this and it might be better just to give up and buy a flasher or non DI unit to go into my case.

From a bird rep:

 Be sure the user mode setting from your menu is set to Advanced User Mode and the Digital Depth Source on the Sonar Menu is set to 2D - Not Auto.


Let us know how you make out.

[DFresh75]

Thanks nubote, wow what a great update!

[33oneill]

Wow are you guys saying the Downscan units DO work in ice mode and graph mode with a compatible ice ducer?

The 9/20 always said it didn't.  If it does work, this is quite a gift from Humminbird as the update was for additional functionality.  I'd buy a DS now for dual use in a heartbeat if its true.

I'm not sure if they are doing this on purpose (their web site says it's not compatible, but tech support say it is) but I wish Humminbird would clarify this a little more.

I brought the ice transducer without thinking it through. I saw that it fit the 597 on the side of the box and I brought it. I didn't realize that it might not work with my unit untill I got home. Then I looked at Humminbird's web site and right there on the page for the ice ducer it says:
"XI 9 20
Ice Transducer
Single/Dual Beam, 20/60 Degree, 200/83 kHz. 8' cable. This transducer is not compatible with Down Imaging products."

So I thought that I was going to have to return it. Just for the heck of it I called Humminbird to ask them and they said "Yes it does. You have to install the latest SW update and change some menu settings but it will work".  I told her that the web site says that it woun't work work with DI units.  She said "I know but it will work"

All I know is it seems to work on my unit. The only thing I've noticed is that I can't / or don't know how to change the beam from 20 to 60 degree. The options I see when I try to change are 455 khz and 200 khz..

[DFresh75]

That is 2 frequencies, so I would think that is probably a beam switch.  As much as I would like a dual beam, I'm fine with it working at all as long as I can get a dual unit thats pretty incredible value

[nubote]

Yes, the di model works with the updated software. I was disappointed when I heard about the di issues, but it's all good now. The following is from another forum by a HBird rep:

Initial set up
- Power the unit on and press Menu when the unit model screen is displayed. Turn the unit to Normal mode.
- Once the unit is running on Normal Mode, press menu twice and scroll across to Setup. Scroll down.... Set User Mode now to Advanced, continue scrolling down and set Demonstration to OFF. (Setting to Advanced Mode simply gives you further Menu options should you need them)

Additional settings
- Set Ice Fishing mode ON under Sonar Tab in main menu
- Set your transducer beam to 200kHz (located on Main Menu setting under Sonar Tab)
- Set your sensitivity from 3 - 5 (Press menu once when on the Sonar or Flasher screen). I have found 3 - 5 to be a good all around setting, although you will have to adjust for the conditions... Basically, with your bait down the hole at the desired depth, lower your sensitivity until your bait disappears. Then turn it up just enough to where you can just see it. Once this is set, you have all the sensitivity/power output you need. This incidentally is the same method to how you would set your Gain on a traditional Flasher unit.
Additionally, I prefer to have SwitchFire set to Clear Mode, although you can experiment and adjust with Max Mode to suit conditions and your viewing preference.

[copperyj]

Not sure what happened but after messing with it several times, the 2d sonar tab popped up (software glitch?). I got it to work again, but it is having trouble finding and holding bottom, but I just set the max depth and ignored the digital readout for the depth. But I am not going to mess with it and just use it as is. I think it is an awesome finder and hopefully for next ice season they will have an update to fix some of these issues.

[TrackerG]

not sure without seeing the unit and menu tabs but I know that all menus are not available in certain screen views. if your digital readout is still kinda wacky...put screen on flasher view and dial the lower depth until you see about 1/4  inch of red on the top of the circle. this will show the bottom depth and levels around the circle. as long as you find the bottom...that digital number in the center doesn't really matter.

[nubote]

To cure the erroneous bottom readings, I put the bottom reading to a depth a few feet more than the depth I'm in, instead of auto.

[Vlad On Ice]

Thanks for posting this info! I have a 597 CI HD DI I use on my kayak and wanted to use on the ice.  I ended up getting a Marcum recently because I couldn't pass up a great deal on it.  I still need to get an ice transducer for the 597 and will eventually use it on ice, so I was glad to see this post.