What are you folks using for depth sounders?

[Steve C]

See my post last week on "Depth Sounder advise needed". I called West Marine and they had a transducer for my Standard Horizon DS45. I drove 2 hours each way to get it and hooked it up before installing it in the hull. I hung it over the side and got the same results on my display - - . So it's either the display unit or (and this could be considered a stupid question ) the boat is on the hard right now, so when I say hung it over the side it was not in water. Does a depth sounder need to be in water to echo back the depth? I tried a pail of water, but of course it's only about a foot deep, probably won't read that shallow. My depth sounder was displaying - - last year when boat was in water so something needs replacing. So here is the issue: If the new transducer should have worked out of water, and I have to replace the display unit, I have an opportunity to replace the whole thing lock stock and barrel, or go with a new DS 45 display unit for $270.00, on top of the new transducer I purchased for $80.00. I know some of you are using Fishfinders. There are new units with built in GPSs and speed etc.. My DS 45 is just depth.So what are you folks using? Benefits of different unit's etc .. I need to make a decision soon, it's almost launch time.Thanks,Steve

 

[Dan McGuire]

Won't Work out of Water

The transducer will not work unless in the water. It works like a sonar. Try to find a deeper bucket like a plastic five gallon bucket and see what happens.

 

[Steve C]

that's what I figured, thanks Dan!

Thanks Dan. So now I still don't know what is wrong, transducer or display unit. I'll look for a big bucket of water. I'll either throw the new ducer in and throw the boat in the water and if it's works, if not get another DS45; or, go with something all together different, all new soup to nuts .. decisions, decisions ..

 

[Derek Rowell]

Many will work in air.... with erroneous results

My Raymarine ST60 works on the land, but gives a false reading of about 5 times the true distance because the speed of sound in air is about 343 m/sec in air and about 1500 m/sec in water. Although the transducers are optimized to couple the acoustic energy in water, they will usually work well enough in air to measure the ground a few feet away.Derek

 

[Dan McGuire]

My Raymarine Won't Work on Land

I believe it is a Ratheon 435. It will not work trying to transmit through air. The air is too compressible. I am surprised that any work in the air. If you feel of the transducer when transmitting, you can feel a slight vibration. It is not enough to work through the air.

 

[John Dawson]

Do they bite?

At the local West Marine, the folks are very friendly and will let you hook up a unit to their display simulator cables to see if the main unit works right (as long as the hookup is compatible.) Testing the transducer will be a little trickier, you will need something deeper. Is it a dual beam or wide beam that needs more water?As far as preference, some people like simple readouts, and some like the continuous info of a bottom contour. Also some like separate instruments for readability and dependability (no compound failures) while some like multi-tasking.

 

[Wendell]

GPS Fishfinder

For 6 years I've had a Garmin 285. Initially the tranducer was a puck mounted in silicone on the inside of the hull. Three years ago I installed a thru hull transducer. Both units gave the same results. When the Garmin says 0, the keel contacts the bottom.In salt water, the max depth is 50 fathoms. I'm only interested in avoiding plowing rocks with the keel, so 50 fathoms is plenty.Going to weather with too much heel, air mixes with the water as it passes under the hull and interupts depth readings. It's another reminder to let the traveler down.The GPS comes in handy for ground speed and true heading in areas with substantial currents. We have also used it to avoid shipping lanes in low visibility along with radio contact with Seattle Vessel traffic.S/V PurrinHull #1492

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Long before they were invented, I wanted a forward

looking sonar. They were invented. I bought two. One is on my NavPod, the other at the nav station. You can see the transducer among the boat yard pictures on my web site. (third film strip) Oh, they see ahead nearly a quarter mile, down 800 feet and the beam is steerable.Oh, they are interfaced with the GPS and display a plotter. They also are White Line, split screen contour view, fish view,,,,every thing I can think of,,,