260 depth sounder or fishfinder?

[GBGraham]

I am getting through a lot of the 260's
equipment but come to a sticking point as in which way to go. It came with an Eagle ultra classic which is goosed. What have you guys got on yours, similar or depth logs and where do/would you mount the sensors.

 

[GBGraham]

I am getting through a lot of the 260's
equipment but come to a sticking point as in which way to go. It came with an Eagle ultra classic which is goosed. What have you guys got on yours, similar or depth logs and where do/would you mount the sensors.

No body out there has instrumentation on their 260, 26 etc?
Advice or guidance would be appreciated.

 

[JamesG161]

You might get a better response if you EDIT your Title to be more specific.
You can change it anytime.
Jim...

 

[GBGraham]

Do you think this will suit? We are in the smaller boats section and I thought the heading was sufficient to draw a response.

You might get a better response if you EDIT your Title to be more specific.
You can change it anytime.
Jim...

 

[Fred]

Here are pics of my installation on an H26. Not sure how that would translate to a H260. It is not ideal particularly when sitting on the starboard side but it works. I relocated my sensor from under the v-berth to under the aft-berth (near the bilge pump) last summer but cannot presently locate a picture.

 

[GBGraham]

That's a great little unit, first time I've seen one. They charge at least double the money in the UK for that. You guys are so lucky to have so much choice at decent prices.
Why the move of the transducer, and glue-in or thru-hull?

 

[Kermit]

I have a fishfinder with depth and water temp. The transducer is designed to hang from the transom. @Crazy Dave Condon and I installed it under the rear berth using plumber’s putty to bed it. Although it is not designed for that installation it works great.

 

[Fred]

I had to repeatedly re-epoxy the transducer to the hull when in the bow. Each spring it would start to act up again. I hypothesized that the cold/warm cycles during the winter might be affecting the bond between the epoxy and the vinylester used to fabricate the hull. Stresses due to launching and loading the boat on the trailer might also be affecting the installation. In any case I decided to try something different and epoxied the transducer into place in the stern. We'll see how that works after this winter. It is much easier to access the stern location.

 

[Sailavie1]

I have a fishfinder with depth and water temp. The transducer is designed to hang from the transom. @Crazy Dave Condon and I installed it under the rear berth using plumber’s putty to bed it. Although it is not designed for that installation it works great.

Kermit, could you share some photos and details how you attached the transducer please? I have a transom design and would love to mount it eslewhere if possible.

 

[GBGraham]

I had to repeatedly re-epoxy the transducer to the hull when in the bow. Each spring it would start to act up again. I hypothesized that the cold/warm cycles during the winter might be affecting the bond between the epoxy and the vinylester used to fabricate the hull. Stresses due to launching and loading the boat on the trailer might also be affecting the installation. In any case I decided to try something different and epoxied the transducer into place in the stern. We'll see how that works after this winter. It is much easier to access the stern location.

Thanks all you guys for sharing with me. I have never fit a glue-in or a thru-hull transducer for that matter, all my boat have had them fitted. One thing by other experiences would not to use epoxy, try something like a Simson MSR Marine Construction Adhesive, sticks like sh** and is flexible to other influences.
I quite like the idea of the fishfinder but worry about the transducer being at the stern, in or out, it's akin living in the past as in where you have been rather where you are going. . . . or am I wrong in my thinking?

 

[Kermit]

Kermit, could you share some photos and details how you attached the transducer please? I have a transom design and would love to mount it eslewhere if possible.

I don’t have pictures. Basically @Crazy Dave Condon sanded down a place in the bilge that is solid fiberglass with no coring. Then he cleaned the spot with acetone. He put a great big ole glob of plumbers putty and smashed the transducer in it while making sure there was no air in the glob. He made sure the putty wrapped up around the transducer.
I chose that particular one with the fishfinder because it was actually cheaper than the depth sounder only. I see only an occasional fish but that’s ok. Oh, it does show bottom counters quite nicely. It’s been almost 4 years since the install and still going strong. (Unlike the skipper.)

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

If you follow what I did above, it works.

Using epoxy would be the wrong thing to use because in removing that transducer you may well damage something. The other thing and most important there cannot be any air in that or you will get false readings or none at all which is why a large glob of plummets putty was used and when inserting I moved the transducer left and right and built putty up on the side. Four years still going strong

 

[Will Gilmore]

If

the transducer being at the stern, in or out, it's akin living in the past as in where you have been rather where you are going. . . . or am I wrong in my thinking?

If you have it for fish, the anchor rode will take you back into the past. If you have it to watch the bottom coming up, any shelf that comes up so fast that a Boat's length makes a difference will take you by surprise no matter where the transducer is. You are really watching for trends or navigation aide to determine where on the chart you are. Changing the location of your transducer by 20' won't make that much difference. On the other hand, any clean downward looking spot against the hull you can access should work well, might as well give yourself that extra second to respond, if you can.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[GBGraham]

You are no doubt right, the shelving will show. I was thinking more for grubbing and creeping into bays and coves with rocky patches. There's no substitute for mark one eyeball I suppose.

 

[Doug J]

I use an old Garmin 250C. The transducer is mounted under the aft berth, shoot thru hull.
https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=15&aid=100036&mn=26

 

[Sailavie1]

If you follow what I did above, it works.

Thank you both! Love your quote Dave, as always. I will give it a go on my H25.

 

[GBGraham]

I use an old Garmin 250C. The transducer is mounted under the aft berth, shoot thru hull.
https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=15&aid=100036&mn=26

Are we saying most transom and thru-hull transducers will convert and work as a glue-in?

 

[Johann]

Yes, if you have solid fiberglass with no voids between the transducer and outside the hull.

 

[Doug J]

Yes, if you have solid fiberglass withoids between the transducer and outside the hull.

If you have a transom transducer and want to try it as a shoot thru, use some toilet ring wax and press it to the hull. Just be sure there's no bubbles in the wax. That's a good way to test without permanetly installing it. Though I have heard people say their's has been working in a bed of wax for years.

 

[MaxinCalgary]

I had a srern mounted transducer but found it would fall off and sometimes misread ,usually as you were docking .
Installed a B&G Vulcan 5 with a thru hull mounted next to the bilge pump under the aft berth.
Very stable location . No water temp but that was not much use to me.