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shoot-thru (in hull) depth transducer? E27

marcusn

Member II
Anyone use one on their Ericson 27?
If so, where did you mount it, and did you mount it with epoxy?
I've read that balsa coors are difficult to read thru.
Given my boat's over 30 years old, I'm trying not to break the bank with 'feature-creep'. I just want to keep it smart and simple.

Depth finding device is the one instrument I don't have yet, that I really would like to add.
 

NateHanson

Sustaining Member
You can't shoot through a balsa cored hull. Is the E27 cored below the waterline?

I installed a shoot-thru-the-hull transducer for my new fathometer in a Columbia 26, and it works well. I put it about a foot off the centerline, a couple feet forward of the keel. I bedded it in epoxy.
 

maggie-k

Member II
Your hull is solid glass , no core. Stuck one in the bottom on the lazerett on my E-29. Used a blob of silicone has worked great for years
 

Dave Hussey

Member III
My E27 has a shootthruthehull depth sounder installed in the starboard settee storage area, in the corner where the partition between the sections is. (forward of the battery box) The transducer is sitting on a glob of what seems to be vaseline. It works very well.
The hull is not cored.
 

rgoff

Member III
When I got my used E27 in '83 I installed a depth sounder xducer in a plastic bubble (1/2 of a sphere) filled with mineral oil. The xducer is on the top of the bubble (protruding inside) and the bubble lip is mounted to the hull with silicone sealant. It's come loose once in 25 years. The bubble is mounted in front of the battery box.

The max range of my 400' depth sounder is reduced to about 200' by this mounting method.

I didn't know much about boats at the time and read about the bubble method. However, mounting the xducer direct to the hull would be much easier.
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
Ralph, what's the bubble made out of, and where is the battery box in your 27?

I'm thinking of doing this too but I was going to use a piece of PVC pipe. I've filled in the old transducer hole, which was pretty far forward about even with the mast on the port side.

I never really thought about relocating it aft by the engine (where my battery box is) but it would reduce the transducer cable run. Is there much disruptive turbulence back there?
 

rgoff

Member III
The "bubble" is clear plastic around 10-12" in diameter. I have no idea if they even exist anymore. My battery box is in the standard production location I'm pretty sure. I.e., the compartment under the forward part of the starboard quarter berth (the berth that goes under the cockpit). The hull is on a slant in this area, but the xducer is mounted vertically into the bubble.

I haven't noticed any problems with turbulence, but then again I'm not real observant for those kinds of things. It seems to work reliably to me. I've never jumped overboard to measure the true depth, though. :)
 

jkm

Member III
My transducer sits inside a plywood box, aside the keel under the port settee and the box is filled with mineral oil.

Works like a charm.

Oh my depth finder is also thirty years old.

John
 

obiwanrazzy

Member II
Starboard settee forward of the batteries as with others. Mine is an older sending unit matched with a slightly newer sonar (PO didn't install the new sending unit, but I have it). It seems to read fine up to 100'-200' depending on bottom conditions, then blanks out..

I guess I'm not really worried about depth unless it's getting close to my draft.. I think the shoot thru the hull type is more than fine for what we need it for (unless you're using it to find fish?). My personal preference would be for less holes in the hull.
 
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HGSail

Member III
I'm not sure how close the 27 is to the 29, But mine is mounted in the Vberth forward center compartment.

Pat
E29
'73
#224
Holy Guacamole
 
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diamondjim

Member II
Mounting Your Transducer

On My 1981 28+, I mounted a transducer under my quarter berth near the old thru hull unit. This how I did it:

1. Bought a new 200 KHZ unit from ebay cheap to fit/match my Data Marine instrument.
2. Hooked up the transducer to the instrument by splicing the new cable to the old cable because the old cable was very good and I did not want to re-chase the cable.
3. Apply KY jelly to the inside of the hull where I thought the instrument would read properly AND made sure I placed it nearest the verticle as possible (to get accurate depth readings).
4. Smush the transducer into the KY against the hull to make sure most of air is pushed out of the interface.
5. Turn on instrument and read deth. If it checks out and reads accurately, then install the transducer in that spot.
6. Remove transducer from the KY jelly and clean the hull and the transducer removing all of the KY residue with alcohol.
7. Lightly sand and clean the hull where the transducer will be installed.
8. Apply a liberal coat (not too messy) of common silicone sealer to the area and lightly spread it around. Do the same for the transducer.
9. Smush the transducer into the silicone in the same way you did with the KY jelly.
10. Turn on the instrument to check its operation. If if works fine, let the silicone cure.
This method is used by some of the professionals around the Chesapeake Bay area and it works great. The KY and silicone mimics water and therefore will "shoot thru" most solid hulls. And if you ever have to repair or replace the transducer, you can do so w/o much trouble.
Good luck,
<> Jim
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Mounting a transducer on the inside of the hull.

Jim, One variation to your excellent description might be to glass a shaped length of suitable diameter, short PVC or ABS pipe to the hull in that spot. Then the transducer along with silicone sealer can be placed into the open top of the pipe and pressed into place. The pipe then acts to protect the transducer and sealer from side blows, etc. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA
 

paul culver

Member III
I was looking at the Uniden sounder with in-hull transducer. The manual says it needs to be mounted on a surface with no more than 22 degrees dead rise or the mounting bracket will not be able to compensate for the angle. The best I can locate on my E29 is 25 degrees. Is that close enough? I don't need high accuracy, I just wonder if the return signal will be picked up.

Thanks

Paul
 

Ray Rhode

Member III
Paul,

One approach is to cut a piece of 4 inch PVC pipe and bevel the botton to match the deadrise angle of your hull. Glue the PVC to the hull so that it is vertical. Then mount the transducer inside the tube, fill the tube with mineral oil and then cap it. As long as the hull is not cored this should work although there will be some reduction in the sensitivity.

The reason for trying to achieve veticallity is that the beam width is only about 25 degrees. That gives a half angle of 12.5 degrees. If you monut the transducer flush with a 20+ degree deadrise the beam sill be looking sideways at about 8-10 degrees. You will not get an accurate depth measurement.

Ray Rhode
S/Y Journey
E35-III #189
 

Ray Rhode

Member III
Paul,

I don't know when you plan to do your installation. I will be working on mine this weekend and can send you some photos if they would help.

Ray
 

DevinWalker

Inactive Member
Ray, I've got to do this install soon as well. Do you have pictures? Would love to tackle this on lunch breaks over the next few days. I've got a '79 E27, and it appears that the consensus here is under the stb settee in front of the battery box.

I love this web site.
 

Ray Rhode

Member III
Devin,

Before I installed the well to mount the transducer I used some silicone to stick it to the hull to make sure I had a good location. It seems to work pretty well there with just the silicone. I have not had the boat out, weather forced us to delay our first trip, but if it continues to be stable and accurate I plan to leave it as is. If I have any problems I'll go ahead and use the mineral oil well. If that dosen't work I will drill the hole for the thru-hulll mount when I haul out this summer.

Sorry I don't have any pictures for you.

Ray
 

DevinWalker

Inactive Member
so it turns out i've also got one of the transducers mentioned previously that cant shoot through the hull. I tried the water, KY, etc all to no avail. what i did find was the old transducer (my rig used to have Atomic 4 and instrumentation an owner or so ago) so I snipped the wire and did a quick test. Of course the readings were bizarre (87' in an 8' slip). So now for the question . . . is there any chance of compatibility? I'll probably just end up switching out transducers when the boat's in the yard next week, but the old one is embedded in a pvc pipe in silicon . . .

thoughts?
 
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