I've been reading some not too favorable reviews. It seems the more affordable ones, $100-$150, don't last too long. Does anybody like theirs? I would prefer not to use the through hull type. All comments and recommendations welcome. Thanks, LeRoy sailsall@yahoo.com P.S. Thanks for the live aboard info!
Depth Finders
- Thread starter LeRoy Nooter
- Start date
- Status
Fish finder
Humingbird works very well with the 'puck' mounted inside in a good bed of Bondo, as close to the bow as practical. As i see depth, i can watch the big-ones get away...
Humingbird works very well with the 'puck' mounted inside in a good bed of Bondo, as close to the bow as practical. As i see depth, i can watch the big-ones get away...
Depth finder
I have had 2 Humminbird units now on 2 different boats. Humminbird is a "low end" unit...... but I have had no complaints at all. 5 years out and still working well. I epoxied mine to the forward part of the hull and that works great. I am not into drilling holes in the bottom of the boat. Good luck!!
I have had 2 Humminbird units now on 2 different boats. Humminbird is a "low end" unit...... but I have had no complaints at all. 5 years out and still working well. I epoxied mine to the forward part of the hull and that works great. I am not into drilling holes in the bottom of the boat. Good luck!!
Avoid Lowrance
I put a $140 Lowrance on my runabout. All the connections started to corrode within a month. Tried to get warranty service, and they told me I should keep it away from water, cause water will corrode metal!!! No kidding. I paid to replace parts and then the display went bad. Poor equipment. Worse support.
I put a $140 Lowrance on my runabout. All the connections started to corrode within a month. Tried to get warranty service, and they told me I should keep it away from water, cause water will corrode metal!!! No kidding. I paid to replace parts and then the display went bad. Poor equipment. Worse support.
Lowrance Fine w/Me
Hello, I installed a Lowrance M68CS/MAP in 2005. It was working just fine when I sold the boat in May. I installed a Lowrance LMS327CDF on my new boat in April. It works great so far. Lowrance has been very prompt and accurate in responding to my emails. Their phone support does stink. No affiliations with Lowrance, just a happy customer. Barry
Hello, I installed a Lowrance M68CS/MAP in 2005. It was working just fine when I sold the boat in May. I installed a Lowrance LMS327CDF on my new boat in April. It works great so far. Lowrance has been very prompt and accurate in responding to my emails. Their phone support does stink. No affiliations with Lowrance, just a happy customer. Barry
Bed the Puck Inside?
I bought my '84 h27 with a hummingbird fishfinder. It has worked fine now for three+ years and is probably 5 or 6 years old. The "puck" is trailed behind the boat on a mini boat. OK OK I know, too late etc. It is just what the PO did and I haven't replaced it. Not sure I want to either. The trend displayed is very informative, certainly much more than just a number. Getting the puck forward ahead of the keel would be great though. I can just bed it to the floor, maybe rezero it and it will work fine? Is there a way to do this 'temporarily' in case it doesn't work? What is best for bonding? Epoxy? Thanks, Hugh
I bought my '84 h27 with a hummingbird fishfinder. It has worked fine now for three+ years and is probably 5 or 6 years old. The "puck" is trailed behind the boat on a mini boat. OK OK I know, too late etc. It is just what the PO did and I haven't replaced it. Not sure I want to either. The trend displayed is very informative, certainly much more than just a number. Getting the puck forward ahead of the keel would be great though. I can just bed it to the floor, maybe rezero it and it will work fine? Is there a way to do this 'temporarily' in case it doesn't work? What is best for bonding? Epoxy? Thanks, Hugh
Bedding the transducer puck.
Go to the archives on this site, type in "depth sounders", and you will get tons of answers to any questions you may have. This is a common topic that comes up just about every month.
Go to the archives on this site, type in "depth sounders", and you will get tons of answers to any questions you may have. This is a common topic that comes up just about every month.
wax ring
For a dollar you can buy a wax ring, set the puck in the wax (no air bubbles) You will want to make sure there is no wood sandwiched in the hull where you place the puck. The on my boat puck has been installed this way for four years, others longer than mine. Easy to remove if need be. You will also want to make sure the puck is pointed straight down or you'll get false reading.
For a dollar you can buy a wax ring, set the puck in the wax (no air bubbles) You will want to make sure there is no wood sandwiched in the hull where you place the puck. The on my boat puck has been installed this way for four years, others longer than mine. Easy to remove if need be. You will also want to make sure the puck is pointed straight down or you'll get false reading.
Fish Finder
I just added a Bottom Line 100 to my good old 74 C22. I bought it because it was $99 and had a 480x480 display and the puck was rated for inboard mounting. You cannot have too many pixels
. I used the wax ring method in the foward hold near almonst on the centerline. All this in a rush before a week long North Channel cruise. I found that in shallow water, I lost signal. Was kind of bummed! After leaving the marina I played with the settings and turned down the gain and got a pretty good image when in waters over 20-25ft. In shallows, the bottom line would eventually disappear once in <15 feet, although the indicator scale might show giving you an indication of the range you were in. This was not the best since I would have liked to know the true depth at the most shallow areas ;-) With keel up, I can do 2+ feet and it wasn't too bog a deal. Although I did ground her on a shoal. I didn't play with location even though I had the rest of the wax ring. I had other things to deal with on my first sail cruise, living aboard for a week, did I have enough battery, how much would the porta potty hold, head winds always in the direction I wanted to go, unfamiliar waters and islands that all look the same. Next time out, I'll play with some other locations. I suspect I need to move it some out from the keel line for a more uniform hull thickness.
I just added a Bottom Line 100 to my good old 74 C22. I bought it because it was $99 and had a 480x480 display and the puck was rated for inboard mounting. You cannot have too many pixels
. I used the wax ring method in the foward hold near almonst on the centerline. All this in a rush before a week long North Channel cruise. I found that in shallow water, I lost signal. Was kind of bummed! After leaving the marina I played with the settings and turned down the gain and got a pretty good image when in waters over 20-25ft. In shallows, the bottom line would eventually disappear once in <15 feet, although the indicator scale might show giving you an indication of the range you were in. This was not the best since I would have liked to know the true depth at the most shallow areas ;-) With keel up, I can do 2+ feet and it wasn't too bog a deal. Although I did ground her on a shoal. I didn't play with location even though I had the rest of the wax ring. I had other things to deal with on my first sail cruise, living aboard for a week, did I have enough battery, how much would the porta potty hold, head winds always in the direction I wanted to go, unfamiliar waters and islands that all look the same. Next time out, I'll play with some other locations. I suspect I need to move it some out from the keel line for a more uniform hull thickness.Hard Glue
If you use soft glue to mount the puck it won't be as sensitive. Wax is real soft. Epoxy without bubbles is best. I've used silicon caulking and it works but for maximum sensitivity the epoxy is better. It is basic physics that sound travels better through hard stuff that soft stuff. Water might seem soft but it is basically incompressable. Check the manufacturer's web site and the ones I've checked recommended epoxy. If you have room for the display a fish finder is better than a number. I've used both. Right now I have a number because I couldn't find a good place for the fish finder display. When you look at the graph and see the bottom coming up fast it gets your attention. Also with the fishfinder you can see bottom structure such as ship wrecks and rocks. With numbers you can easily go over structures without noticing the numbers changing.
If you use soft glue to mount the puck it won't be as sensitive. Wax is real soft. Epoxy without bubbles is best. I've used silicon caulking and it works but for maximum sensitivity the epoxy is better. It is basic physics that sound travels better through hard stuff that soft stuff. Water might seem soft but it is basically incompressable. Check the manufacturer's web site and the ones I've checked recommended epoxy. If you have room for the display a fish finder is better than a number. I've used both. Right now I have a number because I couldn't find a good place for the fish finder display. When you look at the graph and see the bottom coming up fast it gets your attention. Also with the fishfinder you can see bottom structure such as ship wrecks and rocks. With numbers you can easily go over structures without noticing the numbers changing.
Here's how I mounted mine.
1. I cut a 6" PVC pipe about 4 inches long, then tapered one end to fit the curvature of the hull in the desired location. Cut a groove down the top end so you can feed out the cable and put an endcap over the top. 2. I then put some cotton under the edges to make a seal and poured in enough epoxy to wet the cotton all the way around and put a book on top. (If you just pour in epoxy, it will run out the cracks, but if you set-up the cotton, it will seal and you can pour the rest in later.) Let it cure for 20-30 minutes. If you wetted the cotton throughly, it should make a seal now. You might be able to use some kind of tape around the inside to make the seal instead of using the cotton to make a seal. 3. Next, smear some vaseline over the bottom and sides of the transducer (epoxy won't stick to vaseline). 4. Fill the tube to the level where you want the bottom of the transducer to be and check for leaks, it is easier if you let this set up before proceeding because it provides a "level" base for the transducer. 5. Add enough epoxy to press the transducer about 1/2 way to 2/3 way into the epoxy before it sets up. Set some type of weight on the transducer to make sure it stays level until the epoxy cures. 6. Feed the cable out the groove and put the cap on to protect it. The epoxy will make a snug fit around the transducer and hold it in place. The vaseline also acts as a lubricant so you can pull it out later. If you do, be sure to fill the recess with cooking oil before resetting so you won't have any air bubbles. I installed a cheap Hummingbird 6 years ago. I'm very happy with the unit, but if I leave the boat for a couple of months, I have to pull the plug off the back of the display a few times to clean the contacts. Good luck. Capt. Jim
1. I cut a 6" PVC pipe about 4 inches long, then tapered one end to fit the curvature of the hull in the desired location. Cut a groove down the top end so you can feed out the cable and put an endcap over the top. 2. I then put some cotton under the edges to make a seal and poured in enough epoxy to wet the cotton all the way around and put a book on top. (If you just pour in epoxy, it will run out the cracks, but if you set-up the cotton, it will seal and you can pour the rest in later.) Let it cure for 20-30 minutes. If you wetted the cotton throughly, it should make a seal now. You might be able to use some kind of tape around the inside to make the seal instead of using the cotton to make a seal. 3. Next, smear some vaseline over the bottom and sides of the transducer (epoxy won't stick to vaseline). 4. Fill the tube to the level where you want the bottom of the transducer to be and check for leaks, it is easier if you let this set up before proceeding because it provides a "level" base for the transducer. 5. Add enough epoxy to press the transducer about 1/2 way to 2/3 way into the epoxy before it sets up. Set some type of weight on the transducer to make sure it stays level until the epoxy cures. 6. Feed the cable out the groove and put the cap on to protect it. The epoxy will make a snug fit around the transducer and hold it in place. The vaseline also acts as a lubricant so you can pull it out later. If you do, be sure to fill the recess with cooking oil before resetting so you won't have any air bubbles. I installed a cheap Hummingbird 6 years ago. I'm very happy with the unit, but if I leave the boat for a couple of months, I have to pull the plug off the back of the display a few times to clean the contacts. Good luck. Capt. Jim
Too much work!!!
Using a baggie filled with water...or even some water in the bilge. Move the puck around to find a good spot. Mix up a puddle of epoxy and place the puck inthe puddle. Press down and work the puck around to remove air bubbles. Tape into place until the glue sets. If you are unsure use silicon caulk instead of epoxy. It will work and an be removed but it isn't supposed to be as sensitive. I've done this three times on three different boats and it works well. With my present boat I used the silicon because I was thinking about moving the puck. It's been in place over a year and works fine. Hummingbird has a website as does a couple other manufacturers.
Using a baggie filled with water...or even some water in the bilge. Move the puck around to find a good spot. Mix up a puddle of epoxy and place the puck inthe puddle. Press down and work the puck around to remove air bubbles. Tape into place until the glue sets. If you are unsure use silicon caulk instead of epoxy. It will work and an be removed but it isn't supposed to be as sensitive. I've done this three times on three different boats and it works well. With my present boat I used the silicon because I was thinking about moving the puck. It's been in place over a year and works fine. Hummingbird has a website as does a couple other manufacturers.
Try a Hawkeye
I have one of the hawkeye's which is a depth finder, but not a fish finder. Just a simple digital read out. It has a depth alarm, and is very accurate. The ducer is inside the hull with marine tex. The wax ring, or silicone will work, but not quite as well as the harder epoxy.
I have one of the hawkeye's which is a depth finder, but not a fish finder. Just a simple digital read out. It has a depth alarm, and is very accurate. The ducer is inside the hull with marine tex. The wax ring, or silicone will work, but not quite as well as the harder epoxy.
- Status