1998 Islander 268 - Depth Sounder Question

Patsy Mac

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The Hummingbird depth sounder on my 1998 Islander 268 does not function. It does not power up at all. I checked all connections, and they seem solid and clean. As a new boat owner, a couple of simple questions:
How reliable are these depth sounders?
Is it common for them to fail?
Hummingbird offers a replacement for $100 with a puck transducer. It seems to me changing out the system is easier than prolonged troubleshooting. Any suggestions?

Does anyone know the original transducer location for the depth sounder?
 

gradyfish22

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If you fish in saltwater, I would switch to another brand. hummingbird is known to be a freshwater sounder, and highly respected, but in saltwater they have been knwon to have a few issues. I would go to a Furuno or Raymarine unit. Lowrance and Garmin have some decent units as well, but Raymarine and Furuno are your best bet, especially if you plan to upgrade all your electronics and get a multi-unit display. Not sure what your budget is, The color units from Raymarine and Furuno are great. If black and white is good for you and you donot venture offshore muhc, a furuno LS6100 is a great unit for the money. I used it on my older Grady for years and loved it, and it was very accurate. IMHO, this is the best time to switch out your unit to something more reliable that will be better usitedfor your needs.