pin-point, help

[jet&jig/MT]

I purchased a pin-point 7520 based on the rave reviews given in Walleye Central. In mid-May there were numerous comments about all the clutter on the screen. I also have a lot of clutter on my screen. I have adjusted the maxgain and sensitivity. I continously get at least a inch and a quarter heavy clutter at the top at all times. I can rid the screen of clutter(small dots) if i set the gain down to 3 and the sensitivity to 60 or less. I have several questions, which setting, the gain or the sensitivity is most important to marking fish? What settings are other pin-point user, using? At which setting am i going to not see fish? Have pin-point owners rectrified the problems expressed in mid-May? Right now i am not a happy camper. Living in the middle of MT you do not have dealers or other fishermen who have a pin-point, and the dealers i have talked to have never fished with one, its like buying a pig in the poke so to speak. I spent extra money because i thought this was supposed to be one or the best on the market. I find the unit very user friendly and simple to use, but still don't know if it is a lousy unit or if that is the way it works.

[Eyecatcher]

I'm curious to know what Pin Point said when you called them with your concerns? Were they unwilling to help? Please let us know.

[chrism]

You are not alone!

Try these settings:
Sens 35-40% (this should take the black line away). But, if you have the time, try this - Turn sens to 50%..Anchor in calm water about 15ft deep - drop a jig overboard and to the bottom in your transducer beam - then adjust the sens so that you can just make out the jig. You should be around 35-45%

Max auto gain on

Gray 30-50%

I too bought one on the reviews of this board - I am getting to figure out the unit, but I was expecting more. Mine has been trouble free, however the menus and programming seem archaic to say the least. Instructions are lame - they tell you what each step does, but they don't explain it well or what you should be looking for.
Not much flexibility compared to my last unit (eagle). I dont like the following:
- the numbers (depth) are placed on the bottom left of the screen and take up 1/4 of the screen, the only option is to have them cycle one at a time in the top r corner - no provision for a constant readout of depth unless it sits on the bottom of the screen
- You cannot have a full screen zoom - limited to only 1/2 or 2/3 screen
- The flasher mode is fast, almost (actually) twice as fast as the other modes. Why can't it be the same fast speed in all screen views?
- The numbers are stuck on Miles/feet/degrees F or Km/meters/Celcius...No option to choose or mix/match what you want. No option for speed in Knots. No trip odometer.
- very poor backlighting - VERY poor!

Yes I am disapointed for the $$$. I'm hoping they will have a software update to bring them closer to their competitors units. Most of my issues are non-issues with the Garmin 240 or the eagle optima/classic or Lowrance X65/75/85.

On a positive, I must say the definition is great!

I have wrote and emailed Pinpoint (motorguide) all to no response - so far.

[Rich]

Max Auto gain is for use in deep water leave it at setting 3. Depending on your lake sens should be at 70 to 85%, rivers 60 to 70%. Grey line at 50%. Some bodies of water have a lot of debris, air bubbles or biologics in the water and the Pinpoint marks this stuff very well. If Scott permits it I would like to direct you to http://www.thewalleyezone.com/new_page_3.htm
Theses are screen saves off my pinpoint. This particular lake has a lot of fresh water shrimp in it and they mark very well. Browse the other saves and you can see how I like to keep my unit setup. There is no such thing as too much information and I prefer my screens full of it. In the case of the shrimp, if I didn't mark them there were no walleye, so it was important info.
Tight lines, Rich

[jet&jig/MT]

>I purchased a pin-point 7520 based
>on the rave reviews given
>in Walleye Central. In mid-May
>there were numerous comments about
>all the clutter on the
>screen. I also have a
>lot of clutter on my
>screen. I have adjusted the
>maxgain and sensitivity. I continously
>get at least a inch
>and a quarter heavy clutter
>at the top at all
>times. I can rid the
>screen of clutter(small dots) if
>i set the gain down
>to 3 and the sensitivity
>to 60 or less. I
>have several questions, which setting,
>the gain or the sensitivity
>is most important to marking
>fish? What settings are other
>pin-point user, using? At which
>setting am i going to
>not see fish? Have pin-point
>owners rectrified the problems expressed
>in mid-May? Right now i
>am not a happy camper.
>Living in the middle of
>MT you do not have
>dealers or other fishermen who
>have a pin-point, and the
>dealers i have talked to
>have never fished with one,
>its like buying a pig
>in the poke so to
>speak. I spent extra money
>because i thought this was
>supposed to be one or
>the best on the market.
>I find the unit very
>user friendly and simple to
>use, but still don't know
>if it is a lousy
>unit or if that is
>the way it works.

[jet&jig/MT]

i did not question they extensively because i wanted to see what you guys with experience had to say first. The only comment i got was set the maxgain at 6

[jet&jig/MT]

thanks for the info, i looked up the other photos, they really help me a lot, i appreciate your consideration, i now know what i am looking at with this unit, i had a botton line for 11 years but the screen finally faded out, it did not have the interference that i see on the pin-point, but your info and pics give me hope, thanks again, gil

[ristorapper]

I remember the first days, weeks and even year on trying to figure out my new pinpoint 7520. Nice to see Rich's post and know that this unit is great help to us users out here.

I did not see anyone answer to your question about the clutter at the surface on your screen. I call it surface clutter and of course do not expect walleye to bite at the surface so I completely ignore it. I pulled up Rich's web site he gave and his screen is full of clutter but this comes with a high sensitivity setting I think. You can still see what you are looking for if you understand that the higher your sensitivity setting the more detail and clutter you will get. Just try to ignore the clutter or look past it.

Yesterday I ran my pinpoint at 85to 90% sensitivity and 35-50% grayline. I generally fish rivers and could not believe what I was seeing on my graph from Lake Sakakawea. Made it feel like I had an underwater camera down there. I saw clusters of baitfish( found out they were small perch;caught one) suspended and just off the bottom on ocassion, weeds coming up from the bottom and of course lots of arcs which were generally walleye (I limited out). Get to know your unit, ignore the stuff that can't help you(surface clutter) and learn what your graph is telling you by asking questions either of Pinpoint or here at walleye central. Talk to people that have the same unit(walleye central chat site) and get to know that Pinpoint owners manual, we are all a little lazy in getting to know what it can tell us, we'd rather be fishing. I know somewhere in the owners manual or some one told me to leave the fishing poles at home the first time out with the 7520. I didn't of course and it took me longer to learn what the unit can do for me.

I was really impressed with what i saw on the Lake yesterday after fishing the missouri river exclusivily for nearly two years. There is a lot of debris floating down the river and do not trust my graph nearly as much in a river setting as in a lake setting. But most of that debris is suspended so I generally know that it is debris.

Good luck and don't give up on the unit until you know it inside and out. It can be a great help for you.

BW(ND)

[Mac]

I agree, the booklet that comes with it is like it was written by somebody at Microsoft. What is really needed is "Pinpoint for Dummies". If one of you wants to write it I'll send you money for the first copy.