My Datamarine original equipment 1986 depthsounder has finally gone on the blink. I have heard others talk about replacing their depthsounder with a fishfinder and am interested in the pros and cons of fishfinders for use on a sailboat.Feedback from others who have replaced their depthsounder would also be appreciated. My boat is a 1986 Hunter 34' Thanks John Horton s/v Just Do It
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
T
Terry
Hi John, I'm assuming that you have a through...
hull transponder wired back to an instrument head in the cockpit that displays the depth? Have you determined which part is not working? It could be a bad transponder, but the head may still be okay. You might check all the connections and wiring between the devices as well as any fuses. Mine stopped working on my 89 H28 because when I was working on the back of my panel I happened to cause an inline fuse holder to separate from an old clip lock fracture. It took some investigation to identify the problem. After replacing the holder the system came on and worked just fine. Terry
hull transponder wired back to an instrument head in the cockpit that displays the depth? Have you determined which part is not working? It could be a bad transponder, but the head may still be okay. You might check all the connections and wiring between the devices as well as any fuses. Mine stopped working on my 89 H28 because when I was working on the back of my panel I happened to cause an inline fuse holder to separate from an old clip lock fracture. It took some investigation to identify the problem. After replacing the holder the system came on and worked just fine. Terry
J
John Horton
Terry, I do have a thru hull transponder
I have checked the wiring at the instrument head in the cockpit and also at the breaker panel and the wiring is good. When turned on, the digital display on the depthsounder reads a constant 18.8 regardless of the actual water depth. I also had a diver clean the transducer and that didn't fix the problem so that is why I am looking for a replacement. John
I have checked the wiring at the instrument head in the cockpit and also at the breaker panel and the wiring is good. When turned on, the digital display on the depthsounder reads a constant 18.8 regardless of the actual water depth. I also had a diver clean the transducer and that didn't fix the problem so that is why I am looking for a replacement. John
D
David Foster
New electronics on old transponder
I bought a new unit including a new through-hull transponder last summer. It was clear I was going to have to cut an access port into the liner to mount the new transponder, so I was looking for an easier approach. A discussion with another sailor reminded me that the transponder is a passive device. It converts an electric signal from the electronics into a sound pulse, and then converts the sound return from the bottom back to an electrical signal. The key is that the transponder (or head) be tuned to the frequency of the electronics. The documentation on my new unit said it operated around 200 kiloherz. The original Datamarine was a 200 DL or something like that. So I bought some connectors at Radio Shack, and wired the old transponder (a big beefy through-hull) to the new electronics. The only trick was that the new transponder had 3 wires - two signal, and one ground. I figured the old unit didn't have a ground, since you need a loop to send the signal. So I wired the shield and core of the old coax lead to the signal contacts of the new electronics, and "voila" it works just fine. Then I bought a piece of teak, and cut a circular plug to mount the new electrinics in the old housing, and it has worked reliably since. David Lady Lillie By the way, there are plenty of positive reports on new through hull transponders in the archives - so either way will work if you follow the directions to mount the through-hull unit.
I bought a new unit including a new through-hull transponder last summer. It was clear I was going to have to cut an access port into the liner to mount the new transponder, so I was looking for an easier approach. A discussion with another sailor reminded me that the transponder is a passive device. It converts an electric signal from the electronics into a sound pulse, and then converts the sound return from the bottom back to an electrical signal. The key is that the transponder (or head) be tuned to the frequency of the electronics. The documentation on my new unit said it operated around 200 kiloherz. The original Datamarine was a 200 DL or something like that. So I bought some connectors at Radio Shack, and wired the old transponder (a big beefy through-hull) to the new electronics. The only trick was that the new transponder had 3 wires - two signal, and one ground. I figured the old unit didn't have a ground, since you need a loop to send the signal. So I wired the shield and core of the old coax lead to the signal contacts of the new electronics, and "voila" it works just fine. Then I bought a piece of teak, and cut a circular plug to mount the new electrinics in the old housing, and it has worked reliably since. David Lady Lillie By the way, there are plenty of positive reports on new through hull transponders in the archives - so either way will work if you follow the directions to mount the through-hull unit.
K
Ken
Fish finder
John, you can replace with a fish finder, but will have to change your through hull. Garmin makes a great finder the 160 Blue. Which reads depths to 1500' and has two frequencies, 200khz and 50khz. It's nice to see the fish down below, and helps get them onto the BBQ.
John, you can replace with a fish finder, but will have to change your through hull. Garmin makes a great finder the 160 Blue. Which reads depths to 1500' and has two frequencies, 200khz and 50khz. It's nice to see the fish down below, and helps get them onto the BBQ.
M
Mike Basham
Fishfinders Are Great
I had a basic fishfinder on my previous boat, and I really liked it. It not only gives you the numeric depth, but it also gives you a "trend line" or visual as to how quickly the bottom is coming up or falling off. A friend of mine has one on his sailboat too, and it works great. And he glued his transponder to the inside of the hull. I can confirm that it works just fine. There's probably several notes in the archives about what type of adhesive to use, making sure there are no voids in the adhesive, etc. Let us know if you need any additional information!
I had a basic fishfinder on my previous boat, and I really liked it. It not only gives you the numeric depth, but it also gives you a "trend line" or visual as to how quickly the bottom is coming up or falling off. A friend of mine has one on his sailboat too, and it works great. And he glued his transponder to the inside of the hull. I can confirm that it works just fine. There's probably several notes in the archives about what type of adhesive to use, making sure there are no voids in the adhesive, etc. Let us know if you need any additional information!
R
Richard Wallace
I did the same
My original depth sounder quit working so I looked around for a new one. Humminbird makes an in-dash unit if you hunt around for it. Mounting the transponder was a matter of finding a spot where the liner did not cover the hull. I mounted mine behind the engine and beside the prop shaft. I used the West epoxy system. The trick is to build a dam around the area, then once it drys pour in enough epoxy to cover it about a 1/4 inch, then put the transponder in on at a 45 degree angle and lay it down slowly so all the air pushes out as it settles. It works great! In addition to showing you the fish, it also gives you some idea of how the bottom is changing, angling up, or down, or flat. I am going to have to find an excuse to mount one on my latest boat as well. Enjoy!
My original depth sounder quit working so I looked around for a new one. Humminbird makes an in-dash unit if you hunt around for it. Mounting the transponder was a matter of finding a spot where the liner did not cover the hull. I mounted mine behind the engine and beside the prop shaft. I used the West epoxy system. The trick is to build a dam around the area, then once it drys pour in enough epoxy to cover it about a 1/4 inch, then put the transponder in on at a 45 degree angle and lay it down slowly so all the air pushes out as it settles. It works great! In addition to showing you the fish, it also gives you some idea of how the bottom is changing, angling up, or down, or flat. I am going to have to find an excuse to mount one on my latest boat as well. Enjoy!
- Status
- Not open for further replies.