Xducer cable extension?

[Wreck_Detective]

Has anyone made a looong extension to a transducer cable and how did it go?

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Wreck_Detective

Has anyone made a looong extension to a transducer cable and how did it go?

I think (but I’m not 100% sure) that you can buy ready made extension cables from Airmar. Airmar make most, if not all transducers for the consumer sonar market.

[Salty Pete]

The depth of water is determined by the time it takes for the signal to get from the transducer to the display. If you lengthen the cable you change the time and you will get an incorrect reading.

You have to buy a new longer cable that is "tuned" to your system.

How much error there is by adding more length may be insignificant and it may not bother you.

But, theoretically it is not advised.

[Wreck_Detective]

Originally Posted by Salty Pete

The depth of water is determined by the time it takes for the signal to get from the transducer to the display. If you lengthen the cable you change the time and you will get an incorrect reading

I think you have the wrong end of the stick here.

The depth of water is determined by the time it takes for the signal to get from the transducer to the seabed and back to the transducer and nothing else worth talking about.

I think the first issue with changing cable length is in matching the impedance of the original cable.
There's only a 10ft extension available for my transducer with a manufacturer's recommendation to only use one. So I will buy one and lengthen it as an experiment. I'm going to start off looong and shorten as needed. I can make professional splices so that's not a concern.

[Salty Pete]

Hi Wreck_Detective

You appear to be contradicting yourself.

The impedance of the cable has to be matched to the unit because it is the impedance that changes the time the signal gets to the transducer and return.

That is why you cannot add a length of cable to the existing, because you are changing the impedance.

You have to obtain a longer cable suited to the unit with the same impedance.