Transducer placement Garmin echomap

Nov 5, 2014
31
MacGregor 25 St Marks FL
I recently pulled the trigger on a garmin echomap Chirp 50 chartplotter/depthfinder for my Mac 25. My question regards the transducer for the depthfinder. I would most prefer to mount it inside the hull and shoot the signal through the fiberglass, thus eliminating having the transducer outside to provide a surface for marine growth, and be subject to impact damage. I have seen the hockey puck style transducers epoxied into boats and work nicely. My transducer is more torpedo shaped

Does anyone have any experience in epoxying one of these into the hull of their boat? What is the best location? I would expect you wouldn't want it anywhere near the swing keel. I was thinking of mounting it forward under the vberth.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Try different locations using a ziplock bag of water or toilet bowl wax. Pick the best.
 
Jun 24, 2010
189
Macgregor 25 Northeast, MD
I mounted the hockey puck style transducer for my Garmin GPS under the V berth in front of the keel. It seems to work fine there at the bottom of the hull. I don't think the style transducer you show will work inside the hull but I have not tried it. I would think Garmin would make a hockey puck style for the chart/plotter that you have.
 
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Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country

Toilet bowl wax holds the transducers in the Mac and the Endeavour and has worked fine. In the Mac with a somewhat flatter hull shape we have a transducer just ahead of the ballast tank in the bow held in with the wax. The transducer shoots at a slight angle.

The hull forward on the Endeavour is a lot steeper so I created a more vertical shoot through the hull by epoxying a piece of PVC pipe cut at an angle and then filled it up with epoxy and ...

... then used the wax on top of that. This is an under $100 fish/depth finder that is shooting through all that epoxy and the 1/2" hull just fine. If the transducer/depth finder ever has to be replaced it will be quite simple to pull it out of the wax and put on a new one. More here ....

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/end-1/Endeavour-electronics/page-2.html

Sumner
==============================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...

MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
 
Aug 21, 2018
24
Macgregor 26D Del river and forked river
Wakulla212 I’d like to know how you make out. I picked up the echo map chart plotter as well. Not sure the stock transducer will perform some or any features that the depth finder comes with. Hopefully at least depth. I mainly got it because of the great price with included charts. Though I’d like to save the extra hundred for the Garmin in Hull transducer. It’s too cold here to test mine right now. I’ll definitely be using Sumner’s technique for mounting in the forward area one way or the other. Knowing the depth 26 feet behind the bow isn’t my idea of good navigation.
 
Nov 5, 2014
31
MacGregor 25 St Marks FL
Even here in North Florida it will be a month or two before I put my boat in the water. hoping that the forward placement under the v berth will work. I agree, seeing shallows sooner is better than later. I'll be sure to come back on and report results.
 
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Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
I had an EchoMap 44 with the same transducer. I mounted the transducer inside the hull, as close to the hull as possible, using plumber's putty on the bottom, sides and top of the transducer to hold it in place. The hull is solid laminate, no core. It works fine.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
I recently pulled the trigger on a garmin echomap Chirp 50 chartplotter/depthfinder for my Mac 25. My question regards the transducer for the depthfinder. I would most prefer to mount it inside the hull and shoot the signal through the fiberglass, thus eliminating having the transducer outside to provide a surface for marine growth, and be subject to impact damage. I have seen the hockey puck style transducers epoxied into boats and work nicely. My transducer is more torpedo shaped.
Does anyone have any experience in epoxying one of these into the hull of their boat? What is the best location? I would expect you wouldn't want it anywhere near the swing keel. I was thinking of mounting it forward under the vberth.
I'll bet that thing will work fine from inside the hull. Skip the baggies and just use toilet wax or plumber's putty, the ducer will still be near-effortless to move if need be. Under the V berth is common, just remember it has to work when heeled and pounding to windward, so get close to the center line and aft of where any air is likely to be churning under the hull. Yes, keep it at least a few inches from the keel. Don't epoxy it until you've been using it in the same spot for a while, and in various conditions ... if ever. Wax or putty will last for years if something doesn't knock it loose. Both our transducers are in putty.

It's pretty cool you're from St Marks. We sail out of Carrabelle pretty often, but we've never gone east and up into the Wakulla. Soon, maybe! :thumbup:
 

vetch

.
Dec 3, 2011
111
Prout Manta 38 St. Augustine
I agree with the toilet wax. The main concern is absolutely no air bubbles in the wax, between the hull and wax and between the ducer and the wax.