I would like to add a depth finder to my 216 and I want to know if a puck style glue down in hull transducer will work with all the foam and fiberglass mat inside the acrylic hull on a 216. Our nearby lake has boulders the size of houses in some areas and the water level fluctuates to make it worse. i stay in more than 30 feet of water with my ski boat. I don't want a thru the hull transducer so i'll get a handheld and lean over the side if i'm getting worried, but i'd rather glance at a guage. Anyone done this on an ACP boat?
Depth finder question
- Thread starter DanW9494
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Don't know if you've heard about this technique. To see if your transducer gets a good reading shooting thru the hull, test it by creating a pool of KY Jelly. Put the transducer in the KY and test it out. Just make sure there aren't any air bubbles. If you have a successful test, clean up the KY and then epoxy the transducer in that location. Hope that help. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
Don't know if you've heard about this technique. To see if your transducer gets a good reading shooting thru the hull, test it by creating a pool of KY Jelly. Put the transducer in the KY and test it out. Just make sure there aren't any air bubbles. If you have a successful test, clean up the KY and then epoxy the transducer in that location. Hope that help. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
Ask Hunter Marine.
or your local dealer if they know of anybody who has done the installation or if they know of a point in the hull which may be solid with no porous core.
or your local dealer if they know of anybody who has done the installation or if they know of a point in the hull which may be solid with no porous core.
installing dept transducer
Dan I looked into doing this and decided it was not posible. The transducer will not shoot through the foam. Especiallly with the Hunters hull where you go from high density fiberglass to low density ABS foam then back to a high density ABS plastic. Yor only option would be to cut through the inside fiberglass and remove the foam. Then glue the transducer to the high density ABS (Luran S) You could then cover the transducer with a acrylic adhesive. I though about doing this. I was going to mount behind the center boar trunk but decided the centerboard might interfere with the readings. I did not want to install in the cabin. If you decide to mount there you will also have to cut through the cabin liner. I decided not to mount one but decided it was feasible. You just have to glue the transducer to the outer layer of Luran S. This is the same for all foam core boats. Let me know how it works if you decide to do this. I am still considering doing this some day. Gary
Dan I looked into doing this and decided it was not posible. The transducer will not shoot through the foam. Especiallly with the Hunters hull where you go from high density fiberglass to low density ABS foam then back to a high density ABS plastic. Yor only option would be to cut through the inside fiberglass and remove the foam. Then glue the transducer to the high density ABS (Luran S) You could then cover the transducer with a acrylic adhesive. I though about doing this. I was going to mount behind the center boar trunk but decided the centerboard might interfere with the readings. I did not want to install in the cabin. If you decide to mount there you will also have to cut through the cabin liner. I decided not to mount one but decided it was feasible. You just have to glue the transducer to the outer layer of Luran S. This is the same for all foam core boats. Let me know how it works if you decide to do this. I am still considering doing this some day. Gary
consider a hull mount transducer
Dan, Consider using a hull mount transducer that just screws to the stern at the waterline. I don't have a good idea of specific mounting on a 216, but on my 25, I was able to mount one on a using a bracket mounted to existing screws in the rubrail. I have used the shoot thru the hull transducers in the past and while they sometimes will work with a solid fiberglass boat, even then they can be intermittent. Plus, once you epoxy one down to the inside of the hull, they are near impossible to remove. I actually have one glued to the hull in my 25. It worked with the KY Jelly method, but after it was epoxied in place it worked only intermittently.
Dan, Consider using a hull mount transducer that just screws to the stern at the waterline. I don't have a good idea of specific mounting on a 216, but on my 25, I was able to mount one on a using a bracket mounted to existing screws in the rubrail. I have used the shoot thru the hull transducers in the past and while they sometimes will work with a solid fiberglass boat, even then they can be intermittent. Plus, once you epoxy one down to the inside of the hull, they are near impossible to remove. I actually have one glued to the hull in my 25. It worked with the KY Jelly method, but after it was epoxied in place it worked only intermittently.
Transom mount type sounds best
but could you mount it ahead of the keel and slip a wire up the box that doesn't get cut with the keel. The angle upward at the stern and the rudder in the way concern me, but an in-hull that isn't reliable or a thru-hull that leaks is too much risk for the reward in a daysailor. Actually its the rudder breaking i worry about since the bow is pretty sturdy and would probably roll off of a submerged rock i hope, and the keel will kick up, but the rudder would probably break off. An emergency rudder replacement is another thread. A small speed/depth sensor looking forward a bit placed right in front of the keel seems best to minimize turbulence and maximize safety. Anyone tried that?
but could you mount it ahead of the keel and slip a wire up the box that doesn't get cut with the keel. The angle upward at the stern and the rudder in the way concern me, but an in-hull that isn't reliable or a thru-hull that leaks is too much risk for the reward in a daysailor. Actually its the rudder breaking i worry about since the bow is pretty sturdy and would probably roll off of a submerged rock i hope, and the keel will kick up, but the rudder would probably break off. An emergency rudder replacement is another thread. A small speed/depth sensor looking forward a bit placed right in front of the keel seems best to minimize turbulence and maximize safety. Anyone tried that?
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