997c questions

[edsterone]

I have a Humminbird 997 c that I am still trying to familiarize myself with. I have a couple of questions. 1) do I have a problem with my unit or is this model a little weak in the brightness category. It seams like I can't get it bright enough on sunny days and I can't get the brightness low enough when Im fishing at night. 2) I have no idea when the previous owner updated the software. Is updating the software important for performance? I am not real computer literate so if I need to update it should I take it somewhere or do it myself?

[mark poulson]

I have a Humminbird 997 c that I am still trying to familiarize myself with. I have a couple of questions. 1) do I have a problem with my unit or is this model a little weak in the brightness category. It seams like I can't get it bright enough on sunny days and I can't get the brightness low enough when Im fishing at night. 2) I have no idea when the previous owner updated the software. Is updating the software important for performance? I am not real computer literate so if I need to update it should I take it somewhere or do it myself?

[edsterone]

i am not sure if this a response to my question about my humminbird.

[mark poulson]

I also have a 997c, and I wanted it back up to the top so someone would answer your question.

[edsterone]

Oh I see. Sounds good.

[Doug Vahrenberg]

The 997c featured CCFL (Flourescent) Backlight and was not as bright as todays LED backlights like the 998c HD and later models. Also if you used a non-approved screen cleaner it could remove the protective coating on the lens and make it darker and harder to see.

[edsterone]

Ok but it seams like it used to be brighter when I first started using it. I have to use my hand or hat to make shade over it to see it. The other thing is that every time I hit the power button to get to the backlight adjust feature, it always set at "9" even if I just turned it all the way up or down. its like its stuck on 9.

[Doug Vahrenberg]

Could be something in the unit. Humminbird could service it give them a call 800-633-1468

[mark poulson]

Doug,
I have the same unit, and have the transducer down where I can read the graph on plane.
When I'm motoring, and sometimes just doing 5mph moving over deep water, the graph loses the bottom, and reads 0' depth. The 2D sonar and/or the side/down imaging, whichever I have on at the time, does the same.
It will switch up, and show stuff, and then go back to 0', back and forth, while I'm moving.
I have the depth set on automatic.
Do you know why this is happening?

[Doug Vahrenberg]

SI units use 200kHz 2D sonar for ranging depth. Are you using Clear or max mode. Clear mode is best for less than 10' of depth since it can adjust output power.

[mark poulson]

I am using clear mode.
It skips back and forth between 0 and showing the actual depth, usually over more than 30' of water.
I happens when I'm just idling across a cove, too.
Does it have something to do with running the depth range on automatic, instead of setting it manually?

[Doug Vahrenberg]

No. You are running the latest software???