Any thoughts on entry level sounders?

[Merlin Clark]

I found a used tiller pilot on CL for a reasonable price and was assured it was in very good condition.
It had serious corrosion spots on the shaft, the casing was obviously worn from being left in the elements and the covering on the cable was gone and replaced with a wrap of electrical tape. For all of this the guy wanted about 1/2 price of a new unit but the new unit isn't the same because this one was olde enough to be discontinued.
I'd only buy used electronics that I can see and watch operate in person. I've been screwed 3 times by sellers on ebay (1 replaced a bad Whale faucet/pump but that was new) and am very careful now.

 

[kenn]

My admiral gifted me with a Raymarine ST40 depth sounder, which on our boat is like autohelm on a dinghy... but it's now a cherished part of our instrumentation.

If I had to start over, I would almost certainly choose a fishfinder type of depth sounder. They are very reasonably-priced, and the scrolling display is fun to watch.

I used the water-filled-baggie method to find a good spot near the centerline, ahead of the keel. I'd previously had bad luck with epoxying the transducer to the hull, so this time I made a small "tank" with screw-on top out of 2" PCV pipe bits, a plywood base, and epoxy and glass cloth holding it all together and vertical. I then bonded the assembly over the tested sweet spot with silicone seal. Currently I just dump in some water with the transducer and it's worked fine for 4 seasons. I just have to remember to remove the water before winter

At some point I might use mineral oil or non-toxic anti-freeze instead of water, which would be a more permanent option.

 

[dscribner]

Thanks Ken,

I read about the PVC tank trick in a little book put out by Sail Magazine. It makes good sense, especially the mineral oil since it won't evaporate.

Don