sounder transducer installation

[Jalepeno]

I’ve installed standard transom type transducers to shoot through the hull in the past and just used a puddle of quick cure epoxy to bed the transducer. I’ve done this twice and on both boats, the system worked well with no problems.

What have you used and do you recommend an alternative?

 

[aduffE37]

silicone worked for me

 

[Warren Milberg]

While epoxy is often recommended for this type of installation, as we know epoxy will mean a more or less permanent installation. While silicone is often not recommend, I'm with aduffE37's post in that I've use silicone in the past on a previous boat and never had any problems with it. I think the key is making sure you move the puck around in the silicone to make sure any air bubbles are not trapped in it. And, with silicone, it is very easy to move and/or replace the puck if need be in the future.

 

[hammerhead54]

Where is a good place to install a standard transom type transducers to shoot through the hull on a 1076 model?

 

[higgs]

I had thought that silicone was not recommended below the waterline, though I would think it would work fine. I have used either Life Seal or Life Calk. One is for below the waterline, but I can never remember which on. I have to read the tube each time.

 

[higgs]

Don Casey says not to use silicone below the water line.

 

[woodster]

Don Casey says not to use silicone below the water line.

correct me if i have been misinformed but i think he means where there is a penitration of the hull like in a through hull fitting......useing it inside the hull would be ok i would think....but personally i am not real fond of silicon to begain with........

regards

woody

 

[higgs]

I interpret Casey to mean any fitting at a thru hull or leading to a thru hull. The latter being using silicone as thread sealant to an elbow from a thru hull. That's my take. On internal systems it won't matter.

 

[Jalepeno]

For those out there that have difficulty understanding CANADIAN English, "shoot through the hull" means that the transducer is mounted inside the hull and the acoustic signals shoot through the hull. There is NO HOLE in the hull. Many consider this the preferred way to install a sounder/fish finder transducer if you have a solid fiberglass hull.

 

[higgs]

Got it - I misunderstood so, as Gildna Rattner used to say, "never mind".

 

[Bill Roosa]

Oil of some undetermined density. The PO made a "pond" with 4" PVC pipe cut to form to the floor. Sealed it with polysulfide then mounted the transducer to a PVC cap. Fill the pond with oil and put on the cap.

 

[woodster]

I interpret Casey to mean any fitting at a thru hull or leading to a thru hull. The latter being using silicone as thread sealant to an elbow from a thru hull. That's my take. On internal systems it won't matter.

i agree with that totally......

regards

woody

 

[RAD]

Oil of some undetermined density. The PO made a "pond" with 4" PVC pipe cut to form to the floor. Sealed it with polysulfide then mounted the transducer to a PVC cap. Fill the pond with oil and put on the cap.

On my previous boat a Bristol 24 after using epoxy to seal the transducer to the hull and having a 25% failure of readings sometime I called Standard Horizon and not only did they send a new transducer free of charge they recommended the transducer in a mineral oil bath surrounded by a 4" PVC pipe, I cut the pipe on a slight angle and used West Systems epoxy to secure it to the hull then I had drilled a hole through the PVC cap and fed through the cable sealing it with silicone it worked great and was told by the new owner that it was still working just fine after many years

 

[dscribner]

Sail Magazine put out a book about all the little mods you can make. One of them was to adhere a threaded PVC pipe fitting to the inside of your hull. Put in the transducer, fill it with water and screw in the end cap. I haven't done it, but based on some of the responses here, I think it makes pretty good sense.

 

[Manureva]

so why not install a trough hull transducer?

 

[Peppercorn]

You can also use vegetable oil instead of water. The oil will not evaporate. Using wax from a toilet ring to stick the transducer to the hull has also been tried with success.

 

[Jalepeno]

I don’t like the water/oil bath idea and am not convinced that a silicone puddle is the best way. I know epoxy works and was hoping someone had some experience with 3m 4200 or such.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Why not at through hull??

Well the best place for a transducer is ahead of the keel. On a small boat that is a pretty limited area that you have access to and is usually at some odd angle or in the Vee of the bow line...... Pretty hard to do.
But if you cut an angled PVC pipe and fill it with water/oil you can shoot through the hull.
Trying to seal a round transducer in a Vee would be very difficult.
There is also the issue of can't get to the area you want AND drill a hole. If you have ever tired to drill a hole from the outside and get it exactly where you want you will understand my caution at doing so. the PVC pipe solution handles that too.
AND you never have to clean it.

 

[Bill Roosa]

things to use to stick a transducer to the hull

The only requirement that I know of is that the substance must be rigid enough to transmit the sound waves from the transducer and the reflected wave from the bottom/fish.
Shooting through a sandwich fiberglass hull is not possible due to the balsa core which absorbs the sound waves.
Water/oil works because the sound can't tell the difference. There is a slight reduction in the sensitivity (small objects disappear) due to the diffraction/reflection of the returning wave off the hull. This is worse as the angle increases beyond horizontal.
Anything that would be considered a sound absorbing substance should be avoided. Course if you use a thin enough layer almost anything should work. Then the question of angles and how thin is thin enough.
The manufacturers recommend either through hull or the pvc tube because they work.
Your mileage may very.

 

[Jalepeno]

Re: things to use to stick a transducer to the hull

My present sounder is a Hummingbird and the transducer is a transom model epoxied to the hull, by the previous owner, about midway under the port bench seat about 2 ft off centreline. That puts it adjacent to the encapsulated keel and it work surprisingly well for what I would expect to be a poor location.

The new transducer is also a transom model (flat on top and slightly rounded on the bottom, about 2” long and 1” wide) that came with my new Lowrance Elite-5 and I think a better location will be under the port side / aft end of the V-berth. That will put it about 2 ft forward of the keel, about 1 ft of centreline and about 6 ft aft of the bow waterline. Unless I get a better idea, I think I will epoxy it in that protected corner just forward for the vanity sick. Please have a look at:


http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=711