I just purchased a Lowrance Elite 5 depth finder w/ GPS. To avoid drilling holes in the hull I opted for a shoot through the hull transducer. The instructions for placement are a tad vague but what is very clear is that once the unit is placed using the marine epoxy, it can't be moved. Has anyone installed one of these and if so what did you determine to be the optimal placement position? Thanks for your help. Bill
Shoot through the hull depth finder
- Thread starter Triple Point
- Start date
I put mine below the V berth. Installed it in a short length of 4 inch PVC pipe, glued to the hull.
No epoxy. Toilet bowl wax.
No epoxy. Toilet bowl wax.
Attachments
Last edited:
Check the archives for depth sounder, depth transducer, thru hull, etc. and you'll find a library on the subject.
I think these guys are smoking the drapes if they recommend attaching the sensor with epoxy. The archives have many less permanent ways of attachment.
+1 for toilet wax ring. I simply took 2 wax rings and formed them into a ball and mushed the transducer into it. Containing the wax in a short section of 4" PVC makes sense.
I would use the wax ring to test and then epoxy in once it is proven to work. In my H26, it turned out the hull was too thick. The max appears to be 3/8 inch for shoot through. Be careful with the epoxy, use the marine epoxy that is thick and not highly liquid or it will form bubbles and interfere with the sonar. I cut into the hull on the inside about 3/8 deep, filled the hole with epoxy, put the sender in and filled back to flush with the hull. Works great.
I purchased one and in talking to Lowrance was advised that the transducer for thru hull was not available. The sales person at WM said it was. I ended up returning it. That said-Just over a year ago, I helped a friend install a Lowrance unit (Do not remember the model number) and we used toilet bowl wax ring under the V-berth and it worked well.
I mounted a through the hull transducer for my Lorance HDS-8. The transducer is as far forward as the cable would allow. It is mounted on the port side about 2 1/2 feet from the keel (outside the ballast tank) aft of the dagger board. I used a 3 inch PVC tube cut at a bevel so the top of the tube is level. I used JB weld to bond it to the inside of the hull. I filled the tube with -40F windshield washer fluid with the transducer mounted at the top of the tube. It is inclosed with a PVC cap with cutouts for the wire and sealed with silicone. The water temp sensor is epoxied to the hull with a styrofoam cap for insulation. It works great. I shows 2 1/2 foot water depth while on the trailer.
I also have a Mac 22.....Doc Holiday has the right idea and that is what I did 3 months ago and I have trailered and been in rough (to me) water and checked on it and it has not moved nor created a mess (and I have had water in there). I cut the bottom of a cut plastic cup, put about 3 inches of wax in there then mushed the transducer in it and it works perfect. Just push down gently to get the bubbles out. From what I've read you may have to adjust a little getting all the bubbles out, but mine did fine first shot. I put mine in v-berth about 3 inches off center off (starboard) and as far aft inside there as I could go...that puts it way away from keel. Now that put's it at a little angle, but don't let that scare you because I double checked it and it's totally accurate. Good luck P.S. epoxy is scary if it's not positioned right
I stuck my Elite 5 transducer in the vberth. Set it in toilet ring wax. I heated it with a heat gun to soften the base layer into the glass put some on both surfaces and packed some around the edges to make a good solid mount. Works mint. It was good to clean out all that area under the berth. The foam floatation had mouse mess all over it. Generations had evidently been living in there. Glad I cleaned and bleached all the blocks and interior. I also noticed that the fiberglass hull had separated from the liner. Glass had let go. I West System epoxy glassed in new pieces there and everywhere in the boat where it was attached. Several others, under seats had let go.
I mounted mine with plenty of plumbers putty in the lazarette. Its located in the center and against the cabin wall. It works perfectly but is not permanent so it can be removed / replaced.
Thanks for all your help guys! I'm going to steer clear of the epoxy and probably go with plumber's putty in the v-berth.
I mounted mine under the V-berth (about center and approx. 4" up on the starboard side) with plumbers putty, but it didn't work when I tested it this weekend. I could use some advice on troubleshooting.
Expand on "didn't work" please.
What kind of depth finder?
What happened?
What didn't happen?
Did you try relocating it ? (that is the point of plumbers putty - little mess; easily moved).
Did you use a good sized blob of putty?
Knead ALL of the air out of it?
Did you leave a good tight layer of putty UNDER and around the transducer?
Was the transducer mashed in the putty firmly?
Was the transducer properly orientated in the putty?
Is it a known working transducer? (tape it to a stick and hold it in water overboard - evaluate display)
Wiring troubles?
Using putty, wax, or something such is done to avoid locating and gluing in a transducer that may or may NOT work in a given location or to avoid an external or thru hull installation. It may or may NOT work.
Play with it.
Hey, Topcat, sorry for the lack of info in my post. We just spent 3 days at the lake, got back late last night, and I posted up without giving it much thought.
I installed it last week while I was in a rush to get everything ready, so I don't have much doubt that it's an installation error.
Didn't work: Reads 0.0 ft. for about 5 seconds, then displays dashes. Manual states it isn't reading properly.
Depth sounder; It's a Norcross Hawkeye D10D, as seen here: http://www.amazon.com/Norcross-Hawkeye-D10D-Depth-Sounder/dp/B000JEOEE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405951278&sr=8-1&keywords=hawkeye+depth+finder
I had purchased it for my previous boat, and installed it on the 26 when the unit it came with proved to not function.
Yes, I used a large blob of putty.
I believe I kneaded the air out of it. Perhaps I used too thin of a layer under the transducer? How thick should that layer be? I installed it on the rough fiberglass mat under the V-berth.
I'm pretty sure the putty is tight around the transducer, but I will be extra sure when I re-install.
I mashed it in firmly, and rocked/pushed forward/backward and side to side as I pressed. As I mentioned earlier, maybe the putty isn't thick enough underneath.
I oriented the transponder per the instructions.
I did not test the transducer, but will do so this week.
Wiring is all new, plug is seated firmly, and everything appears to be perfect.
I hope to have time to really work on it later this week. Thanks for the ideas!
I installed it last week while I was in a rush to get everything ready, so I don't have much doubt that it's an installation error.
Didn't work: Reads 0.0 ft. for about 5 seconds, then displays dashes. Manual states it isn't reading properly.
Depth sounder; It's a Norcross Hawkeye D10D, as seen here: http://www.amazon.com/Norcross-Hawkeye-D10D-Depth-Sounder/dp/B000JEOEE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405951278&sr=8-1&keywords=hawkeye+depth+finder
I had purchased it for my previous boat, and installed it on the 26 when the unit it came with proved to not function.
Yes, I used a large blob of putty.
I believe I kneaded the air out of it. Perhaps I used too thin of a layer under the transducer? How thick should that layer be? I installed it on the rough fiberglass mat under the V-berth.
I'm pretty sure the putty is tight around the transducer, but I will be extra sure when I re-install.
I mashed it in firmly, and rocked/pushed forward/backward and side to side as I pressed. As I mentioned earlier, maybe the putty isn't thick enough underneath.
I oriented the transponder per the instructions.
I did not test the transducer, but will do so this week.
Wiring is all new, plug is seated firmly, and everything appears to be perfect.
I hope to have time to really work on it later this week. Thanks for the ideas!
I would think a thin layer or any air bubbles in the putty would do it. I would (and did) use toilet wax rings. Nice and thick
On my V222 I mounted my transducer under the forward bench of the dinette. I seated it in with RTV so I could remove it if I ever wanted. It worked great until I sold the V222 to buy a 26d. I was able to cut through the RTV with dental floss and trans-plant it in my 26d.