Transducer not Connected or Detected

Updated May 24, 2024 21:09

If you see a message on your screen saying "Transducer not Connected", or otherwise find your Humminbird not displaying sonar, even though a transducer is connected to the unit, there are some common troubleshooting steps to take. Please check the following:

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Compatibility

Transducer Configuration - HELIX

Transducer Configuration - SOLIX & APEX

Sonar Ports

Transducer Cable Damage

Ensure Compatibility

The transducer you are trying to use may not be compatible with your Humminbird Fishfinder. You can check compatibility using our tools available in the article linked here.

Manual Transducer Configuration

HELIX and Legacy

Our HELIX and Legacy units detect connected transducers through a temperature pin in the transducer connector. For transducers without built-in temperature sensors, manual configuration is necessary. These transducer models, such as our in-hull and ice transducers, do not end with the letter ‘T’. This can pertain to AIRMAR as well. To force the unit into Normal Mode, follow these steps:

Power the unit and press MENU immediately when you see the model name of your unit on the title screen.
Use the four way cursor to select Normal in the Start Up Options screen. Press the RIGHT cursor to enable the Normal Mode for operation.
- In some of our Legacy models, this change has been moved to the Setup tab. From the Setup tab, scroll down to Demonstration Mode. From here you can make Demonstration Mode either Visible or Off. If you select Off, this selection will be maintained until you either change it or reset your defaults.

SOLIX and APEX

Our SOLIX and APEX models are designed to autoconfigure the proper settings when the transducer is first detected. In some rare circumstances the unit may not properly detect the transducer, and will and a manual settings configuration is necessary. Please see example of no sonar source detected below.

The Sonar Source can be manually configured using the following steps:

With the unit powered on, press the Power button once.
Tap or select Sonar from the menu now on screen.
Select Sonar Source
Choose Initial Setup next to the unit's name experiencing the issue.
You will likely see the prompt shown below. Press Confirm. If you do not see this prompt, proceed to step 6.
Toggle the Auto-configure OFF
On the Transducer Setup menu, add a check mark next to each sonar capability for the selected transducer.
- When using a 2D transducer, the 2D Sonar menu needs to be checked. For a Side Imaging transducer, 2D Sonar, SI Sonar, and DI Sonar need to be checked because the transducer includes all three capabilities.
Next, tap or select the Frequency Capability under each Sonar capability check marked.
If you know the frequencies your transducer is capable of, you can select the ones that apply. However, if you are unsure, simply select all of them. You SOLIX or APEX will display what it receives and you can filter your displayed frequencies in the sonar view, if desired.
Lastly, if your transducer has a temperature probe, be sure to check the box next to Temp.

Check the Sonar Port

If your transducer has temperature built in, double check your installation guide and make sure you have the transducer plugged into the proper connector.

On some models, we have connectors that look similar but are not used for sonar. There are many connector styles in our various models so checking your manual for the proper connection is very important. In the below examples, we have circled the sonar port for each model in green.

HELIX 8-15