Another Shoot thru Transducer Question

[Squidd]

I have a 27' Keel Stepped boat that I dry dock (mast up storage during week, launch on weekends)
I have a good spot for my depth transducer, good signal when it's attached, but having trouble keeping transducer in place.
I've tried the "bottomless bucket" full of water, but the bucket keeps leaking...
I've tried Silicone bedding, stuck to hull OK but not to plastic transducer, fell off after awhile...
Lately I've been using toilet wax bedding, which holds good when the boat is in the cold Lake Superior water, but must warm up on the hard during the week and slides off (slight curve to hull)
I'm looking for something more "permanent" to bed transducer with like maybe epoxy or an adhesive sealant, but being permanent I'll only have one shot at it so I want to be sure I get a good seal...no air bubbles etc..
I have some PC 11 putty I was thinking of trying (afraid of air bubbles)... or maybe building a dam of plumbers putty and filling with a liquid epoxy, setting transducer in and let harden...or maybe an adhesive like 4000 or 5200 or some Dow 795 I have left over from window sealing...

Open to suggestions...

 

[Chief RA]

Do silicone again. Fine sand the bottom of the transducer to give it more adhesion and put silicone on liberally so its cupped up around the 'ducer. Smear it on the hull and 'ducer, should last longer than the boat! Chief

 

[rgranger]

... or maybe building a dam of plumbers putty and filling with a liquid epoxy, setting transducer in and let harden......

I've done exactly that twice before once with putty for the dam and once I used masking tape to make the dam. The putty worked better! I had no problems either time but the tape got messy. It really is as easy as it sounds. I think if I ever do it again, I'll tape the transducer in place with some black electric tape to ensure it stays aligned while the resin hardens, and then build the dam with putty and pour it in. Easy peasy.

Have you tried just jamming your transducer into a wad of plumber's putty. That stuff is magic after all...

 

[Benny17441]

Years back I installed a fish finder transducer in a shallow pool of epoxy. The epoxy was poured and stirred gently to insure that any air bubbles would be removed. The transducer was pressed down hard against the interior hull, tested and then allowed to dry. As the pool of epoxy was shallow the body of the transducer was only submerged half way down into it but it made no difference and worked really well. I guess once the epoxy hardens the transducer cannot tell the difference between what is hull hull and what is epoxy. I think I used it for about a year and then decided I wanted to move the fish finder to another boat. As the transducer had only been partially submerged into the epoxy it practically came right off. What I do not remember is if I took the trouble to remove the dry epoxy bed from the boat or left it attached to the hull. If I did it probably just came off real easy as I don't recall having to work at all when taking off the transducer. If I had to do it again I would use epoxy as it has excellent holding power and it is a clean install. Do make sure that you test the system before allowing it dry.

 

[Chief RA]

Epoxy and others like 5200 usually are a mess to get your transducer loose once set. Benny, you got lucky! Chief

 

[Benny17441]

lucky! Chief

I rather be "lucky" than good.

 

[rgranger]

I rather be "lucky" than good.

My thesis advisor used to tell me that all the time... actually what he said was "I guess it is better to be lucky than good"....

 

[Kermit]

Mine is bedded in a great big blob of plumber's putty. Nothing else. Still going strong after almost 2 years. I highly recommend it.

 

[Squidd]

I think I'm going to try the silicone again, it lasted a season and a half last time with good pickup... Probably did get bumped in the locker...I'm not using that space for my fishing gear anymore just extra rain gear storage... I did scrape, sand and clean the spot with acetone and lightly sanded the transducer to get better adhesion... Per chiefs instruction...I also moved it a couple inches closer/up against the locker wall to give it more protection. Will see how that works, I can always cut it out and try the epoxy next time..

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Gentlemen;
As a former dealer, I was skeptical hearing the plumber's putty trick. At the request of the green frog, Mr. Swashbuckling Kermit, First we sanded to the fiberglass removing gel coat, dirt and so on to get a smooth surface and then cleaned off with acetone. The a pile of plumbers putty was worked onto the spot and the transducer was embedded to ensure no air bubbles and then it was built up on the sides to hold the transducer in place and left alone for 24 hours. Came back the next day and I was surprised to say the least, IT WORKED and got good readings which threw me back. So you can take the 5200, epoxies, silicones and anything else and that worked. I had to give it to that frog so I have to go ba Ribb It.

 

[Roadking Larry]

Mine is in a big ole blob of toilet bowel ring wax. We get a pretty good temperature swing here, not as cold as those in the great frozen north but a good bit hotter in the summer. Second year and going strong.

 

[Chief RA]

Plumbers putty, toilet bowl wax does work as well. I just prefer silicone but I caution against hard glue substances. Chief

 

[rgranger]

Ive used plumbers putty to rebed ports on a Mac 22
Also workeg great for that as well

 

[kito]

I think Dow 795 would be a good choice.......

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Gee- and the makers of depth sounders all say sand hull, sand transducer, clean with acetone, then "use epoxy" in a very thin layer, with the transducer bottomed against the hull.. Wonder why they ALL say that?

Mine have always been done that way, and work just fine.