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In hull depth sounder transducers

voorheesmj

New Member
Has anyone been able to mount an in hull transducer for the depth sounder, and has it worked for you? If so where did you mount it in your boat? I have a hawkeye depth sounder which list for $100.00 and the instructions suggest to use a plastic bag with water and test it, I have had no luck so far and just wanted to see if anyone else is having this problem?
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Shootin' thru the Hull

I did so in my prior boat, a Niagara 26 (solid layup hull). It was a Standard Horizon round-face digital and it worked fine for the 10 years I owned the boat. I do believe that shooting through the hull did somewhat "muffle" it, because instead of the 400 foot range in the spec sheet I never could get readings much over 200 feet, and the norm was about 120. This was just fine for my cruising area, I should point out. I sanded down the inside gel boat and mushed the transducer face against the surface with some sealant. Perhaps it would have worked better if epoxied down (?). I just saw my former boat last week, as it was changing hands after a decade and was in the yard for survey -- same instruments still there....

I do like the idea of testing the transmitting/receiving ability first, and might suggest doing something unintuitive like trying it in the flat(er) areas of the bottom several feet aft of the keel. If you are going to run aground, having the transducer located 10 feet further aft should make very little difference -- maybe one (!) partial second....
:)
That's were I put it on the N-26. That boat had a sharp V hull section forward and there was no way to have the transducer pointing anywhere near "down."

My .02 worth,
Loren in PDX
:D
 

dwigle

Member III
I've done it four times now. On my Columbia 26 I mounted the Humminbird fish finder first near the stern as the instructions recommended (for a powerboat) which ended up to one side because of the motor well and pulled out of the water on a port tack, then ahead of the keel on the same boat, both with epoxy. They worked fine except the stern which had problems when the motor was on or we were heeled.
On our Coronado 34, I temporarily mounted and in hull puck in wax from a toilet bowl ring that worked until I replaced it with a thru-hull.
On our E-38, I mounted the sounder for a Garmin 238 next to the thru-hulls without problem.
For testing I would recommend either the toilet bowl wax or as Garmin phrased it, " personal lubricant". I used the generic equivalent of KY jelly.

Don Wigle
Wiggle Room
Pt. Richmond, CA
 

Emerald

Moderator
Hi,

Unlike the success of many others, I had no success with the same depth finder you have on my E-27. I tried a variety of locations and test methodolgies. When it was all done, I traded the unit in on an Airmar P79, which is designed to shoot through the hull. It works great, and did so from the start without any problems. You can contact Norcross directly and trade your existing unit in on the other unit. Of note, I have recently been in contact with another E-27 owner who also had the Hawkeye depth finder, and could not make it work anywere shooting through the hull. I believe he is currently waiting for his P-79 replacement. :egrin:


-David
Independence 31
Emerald
 

Mike.Gritten

Member III
When we replaced all the instruments on Papillon a couple of years ago, we replaced the normal depth transducer that came with the Navman 3100 system with a Navman "through the hull" transducer. It is designed to be be glassed to the inside of the hull and as such is shaped like a short 3" diameter cyclinder with a diagonal cut through it, so it can be mounted on a sloped surface like the inside of the hull forward of the keel! It works great and I regularly see accurate readings until about 625 feet or so an then it starts to "blink". I am very happy with it and would do it again in a heartbeat. I will try and sketch a facsimile of it if anyone is intersted.
 
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