Depth Sounder and GPS
06-22-2015, 03:18 PM
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Depth Sounder and GPS
I have finally discovered something that has plagued me without my knowledge for the last 10+ years...
My last three boats have all had depth gauges in them, and they all worked just fine when I purchased the boat. Each and every one of the three would start to flake out right after I took ownership of the boat. Sometimes they would work, sometimes they would not work...but they would always be super flaky, and never consistent. When I rode with other people, I always marveled at how well their depth gauges worked...and always got sad when I looked at my own pitiful gauges. Recently I had made a discovery that I could flip on my gauge when in my slip, and it would work very well. Since we boat on a reservoir, I discovered it was even accurate enough I could predict the official lake level with it. But, sure enough, as soon as we set off away from the dock it would go crazy again.
Well, just to this Sat. I was just sitting at the helm, looking things over, and making sure everything worked, etc. I flipped on the depth gauge, and got a rock solid reading. Ah...just like normal. Next, I kicked on my trusty GPS that I have had with me since 2002. I have pulled this unit from boat to boat...and enjoy looking back at all the many miles that are traced on all the lakes and rivers around me. Well, for some reason out of the corner of my eye, my brain noticed that as soon as I plugged in my GPS, the depth gauge went bonkers. I unplugged it, and bang, right back to rock solid. OMGosh!!! For the past 10+ years my stupid GPS has been hosing up my depth gauges. I tried it several more times and sure enough, every time it worked. So for the rest of the day, and all day Sunday I ran with my iphone as GPS, and the depth gauge worked perfectly all day long. 3 boats, 3 depth gauges, and many years of boating being frustrated at my depth gauge, and all this time it was my stupid GPS.
My last three boats have all had depth gauges in them, and they all worked just fine when I purchased the boat. Each and every one of the three would start to flake out right after I took ownership of the boat. Sometimes they would work, sometimes they would not work...but they would always be super flaky, and never consistent. When I rode with other people, I always marveled at how well their depth gauges worked...and always got sad when I looked at my own pitiful gauges. Recently I had made a discovery that I could flip on my gauge when in my slip, and it would work very well. Since we boat on a reservoir, I discovered it was even accurate enough I could predict the official lake level with it. But, sure enough, as soon as we set off away from the dock it would go crazy again.
Well, just to this Sat. I was just sitting at the helm, looking things over, and making sure everything worked, etc. I flipped on the depth gauge, and got a rock solid reading. Ah...just like normal. Next, I kicked on my trusty GPS that I have had with me since 2002. I have pulled this unit from boat to boat...and enjoy looking back at all the many miles that are traced on all the lakes and rivers around me. Well, for some reason out of the corner of my eye, my brain noticed that as soon as I plugged in my GPS, the depth gauge went bonkers. I unplugged it, and bang, right back to rock solid. OMGosh!!! For the past 10+ years my stupid GPS has been hosing up my depth gauges. I tried it several more times and sure enough, every time it worked. So for the rest of the day, and all day Sunday I ran with my iphone as GPS, and the depth gauge worked perfectly all day long. 3 boats, 3 depth gauges, and many years of boating being frustrated at my depth gauge, and all this time it was my stupid GPS.
