Depth Finder

[Mike]

I am looking into buying a depth finder for my Hunter 25. I purchased a Humminbird 100SX fishfinder but have decided to return it because it is a bit too big and might get in the way on the boat (there is no really convenient place to put it where you can see it and it won't get in the way). I have been looking at in-dash finders and they won't take any room in the cockpit or get in the way, but most of the inexpensive ones I am looking at are 4 - 5 inches deep, and that would be a bit of an eye-sore behind the bulkhead from the companionway.I am also wondering how much (from experience) an in-hull transducer installation takes away from the effeciveness of the depth finder. I am wondering because most of the in-dash models read to 200', but the humminbird reads to 600'. Should I get the one that reads to 600' assuming it will lose some of that power through the hull?If anybody has any suggestions or recommendations from personal experience with the more inexpensive in-dash depth finders that would be great!

 

[Del Wiese]

my experience

On several boats I have used the transom mount transducer and simply fastened them to the hull with a good marine sealant. They worked fine up to several hundred feet, and since I sail Florida/Bahamas, I am mostly interested in 10 feet or less. A lot simpler than cutting a hole in the hull.

 

[Ken Koons]

Just installed

Mike,I just installed the 100 SX on my 98 240. I have stern rail seats and strapped a nicely Cetoled piece of teak to the horizontal supports for the seats and mounted the Fishfinder bracket to the board (16"x9") and feed the transducer and power wire to the unit through an under seat hatch in the cockpit.I epoxied the standard transducer aft of the ballast tank in my boat.