So, here I am for another 10 days on Falcon and my Humminbird 717 trolling motor mounted depth finder has gone kapoot! It started showing symtoms yesterday. It will show the water temp but the depth started failing. it would work intermitently for a while bur now the depth is either not showing anything or some crazy numbers like 240' or 175'. My suspicion is that the problem is with the transducer...what do you think?

Check to make sure you haven't hit something with the ducer and knocked it sideways.
Other than that, let's trade places for the next ten days and I'll fish without the depth finder.

yep...

I bet your ten day trip that the transducer cable have been cut open.. What you described is exactly what happens when you have knick in the wire covering. just replace the cable and it will work good as new again.

You may be able to take some electical tape and tape the opening in the wire casing closed but you only have a 10% chance of that working.

let me know when you can pick me up. I have all my gear ready hahah. have a great trip. Falcon Lake and Tackle may have a new cable so I would try there first.

Sounds like a nick in the cable and wires touching each other.

Since you're on Falcon, my guess is a school of 8 pounders tried to eat your lower unit....

how has the fishing been

Sounds like cable. You can splice them if you find a bad spot. I had to do that to mine and it has worked just fine for two years so far.

check the plug mine does that sometimes if the plug into the back of the finder isnt all the way in.

Ill secont that. Mine is doing the same thing right now and its because the cable has split. I tried taping it but it just made it worse and now the unit wont work at all. It did the same thing earlier this year and after I replaced the cable it worked just fine. Gotta replace mine again now.

I believe from all the responses that my problem is indeed with my transducer cable. However, this all looks like a sealed unit from the transducer to the plug. I would think I would need to order a new transducer complete with cable from Humminbird. I can't see how I could just replace the cable, but that seems to be possible from the comments above. Could someone give me a little more information on that?

Me to, I cut mine a few years back, I cut the wire and soldered and heat shinked the wires and outes cover. Worked fine untill the head unit quit. Replaced everthing at that point. Be sure to reconnect the sheilding if you do this. Good Luck on Falcon!!

Unless you have a TM with a built in transducer, the cable and transducer are made together and you have to replace it all. I guess that was a little misleading.

Everyone who suggested a cut in the transducer cable will be receiving a new Duckett rod...that was exactly the problem as I found the cut. I've bought and installed a new complete set...transducer, cable and connector. Thanks to everyone on TFF for the input. This is a great website and when so many said it was a split cable I felt certain that you were right. I'm back in business....but what can I use as an excuse for catching only these small fish now?

Stay after them Go Wacky. You'll find 'em!