I am about to mount a transducer to shoot thru the hull. What are the best materials and methods to use?
Transducer
- Thread starter Quoddy
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What does it advise in the "instructions"?
If it's a Humminbird, they will tell you to only use slow cure epoxy. You must make sure there are no air bubbles in the mixture.
Did you have a look in the archives here about this topic. Very well covered.
If it's a Humminbird, they will tell you to only use slow cure epoxy. You must make sure there are no air bubbles in the mixture.
Did you have a look in the archives here about this topic. Very well covered.
Quoddy, I've always used the same thing-
A toilet wax ring. They're under3 bucks, and you simply squish it where you want to mount it and stick the transducer in. fast and easy. And if you need to move it, that's easy too. It normally lasts 5-10 years, and it has another advantage-
If you are mounting it anywhere where you might be stowing stuff, when it gets bumped, it won't break when it comes loose, and you won't spend a couple of hours scraping it clean before you re-mount it...
cup
A toilet wax ring. They're under3 bucks, and you simply squish it where you want to mount it and stick the transducer in. fast and easy. And if you need to move it, that's easy too. It normally lasts 5-10 years, and it has another advantage-
If you are mounting it anywhere where you might be stowing stuff, when it gets bumped, it won't break when it comes loose, and you won't spend a couple of hours scraping it clean before you re-mount it...
cup
Silicone sealant as with anything else, make sure there are no bubbles. Mine's been in my boat for over three years and no problems and no wax ring mess.
Dave
Dave
Find the location you think will give the transducer a nice straight shot at the bottom. In-hull puck type transducers must be mounted on a solid fiberglass surface, so make sure the location chosen is not one with balsa or plywood (or other, ie., foam) coring. Sand the location to make it smooth and free of any paint, sealants, etc. I prefer using silicone (I know most will recommend epoxy, but that makes the installation permanent). Previous posters are right about ensuring there are no air bubbles in it. I make a little circular damn out of clay or putty, fill it with silicone and sort of shmoosh the puck around iin it while pressing down to remove any air bubbles. I had one like this on a previous boat and it worked well over many years of service.
- Jul 24, 2006
- 628
you can epoxy a pvc pipe to the hull, then silicone the puck inside the tube. The problem I found with just siliconing it to the hull is that if anything bumps it it will get dislodge, and have to scrape everything off and redo it. I used a wax ring for my steering box and would never use that sticky messy stuff again. It would have to be an emergency thing for me to cosider it.
I gotta laugh!
a diesel spill is a mess. A blown head gasket is a mess. A wax ring?? I guess I should have included the instructions "place hand in bag from cashier to remove and place wax"
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To each his (or her!) own! Any time I can install something in the bowels of a boat and I only have to be there for a minute or two, SOLD!
cup
a diesel spill is a mess. A blown head gasket is a mess. A wax ring?? I guess I should have included the instructions "place hand in bag from cashier to remove and place wax"
.To each his (or her!) own! Any time I can install something in the bowels of a boat and I only have to be there for a minute or two, SOLD!
cup
I often have the need to lift and reset a toilet. I find the wax rings to be composed of the stickiest wax I know of and would not consider using it for anything that I might have to clean up later. Candle wax would serve equally well and not be a gawdawful mess to clean up. You would just have to melt it and confine it with a clay dam until it hardened. I wonder if modeling or florists clay would serve as well or even glazing compound.
My wife gave me a Raymarine ST40 depth instrument which came with an Airmar external (drill a hole) transducer. Being a trailerable boat, I was a bit leery of an external transducer - drilling a hole, possibility of damaging the transducer on a roller - so I wanted to mount it inside.
To test this, I put the transducer in a baggie with some water, and experimented with different internal locations. It was easy to find several good locations, so I picked the best. I fabricated a transducer "tank" out of a short length of PVC waste pipe, with a plywood + epoxy base. I siliconed this tank to the hull. I carefully sawed off the flange of the Airmar transducer, plunked it in the tank, added a couple inches of water to the tank... and it worked perfectly all last season. Some articles suggest you use mineral oil or RV antifreeze in the tank, but water's just fine as long as i remember to pull the transducer out and empty the tank before winter.
To test this, I put the transducer in a baggie with some water, and experimented with different internal locations. It was easy to find several good locations, so I picked the best. I fabricated a transducer "tank" out of a short length of PVC waste pipe, with a plywood + epoxy base. I siliconed this tank to the hull. I carefully sawed off the flange of the Airmar transducer, plunked it in the tank, added a couple inches of water to the tank... and it worked perfectly all last season. Some articles suggest you use mineral oil or RV antifreeze in the tank, but water's just fine as long as i remember to pull the transducer out and empty the tank before winter.
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