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Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Transducer Location again

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/31/2006 : 06:33:51

Yesterday I cashed in my W/M gift cards and $10.00 coupons and bought a Garmin 140 fishfinder/depthfinder. I have run the wiring from the cavity under the "V" berth back to the area of the stairs.
My question is I anticipate this transducer is going to work going thru-hull and mounted in toilet bowl goup, will this work setting on the trailer as a test with the signal bouncing off the driveway? My second question is has anyone tried to mount the transducer on the transom between the engine and the rudder? It appears that area might be out of any turbulence. If so, thoughts on mounting with 4200 or 5200 epoxy. Any negative or positive thoughts appreciated.
THANX in advance once again. "Bear" C250 WB Splash in 36 days.

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 07:03:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bear
 ...will this work setting on the trailer as a test with the signal bouncing off the driveway? My second question is has anyone tried to mount the transducer on the transom between the engine and the rudder? It appears that area might be out of any turbulence. If so, thoughts on mounting with 4200 or 5200 epoxy.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Wayne, your test scenario should work just fine.

However, I wouldn't mount the transducer on the transom, because knowing how shallow the water was when your keel passed over it won't keep you from grounding. I'd highly recommend mounting it on the centerline of the V-berth bilge so that you'll know what's coming.

You might want to consider the recommended method of inserting the transducer into a section of mineral oil filled PVC piping that has been affixed to the hull interior. That method is supposed to provide the best non-through hull responsiveness. I certainly wouldn't recommend 5200.

Good luck!

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 08:16:45

IMHO were you mount the transducer is dependent on one of two things. Do you want to know the water depth or do you want to find fish?? If you want to know the depth, to best try and prevent a grounding, then you need to mount it ahead of the first thing that may hit the ground. On a WK this would be in the v-berth on a WB anywhere in front of the rudder. The WB gives you an option if you run aground, that of raising the keel. The rudder however, is a different story unless you have a kick-up. If you want to find fish, you can mount it anywhere convenient.
I would agree with J.B. that the driveway should work, but I am not to confident since you will get a great deal of splattering of the signal off of concrete. The distance maybe erratic, but you should get a reading to tell you it is operating okay. As for the mounting medium the oil bath seems to be the best, but the wax ring has been found to operate quite well. I mounted my transducers, both speed and depth, in the v-berth forward of the keel and set the keel offset which gives readings of depth below the keel instead of depth below the hull/transducer. For the WK I set 3.5 feet so when the depth reads one foot that is one foot below the keel and 4.5 feet below the hull/transducer.
Good luck on your install and let us know how the driveway worked out.

Edited by - frog0911 on 03/31/2006 08:21:07

JohnMD
Navigator

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USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 08:17:02

My Garmin won't work with my boat out of the water. As soon as the signal hits air it bounces back. It appears okay, but it shows 0 feet. I don't know why, but, that's the same reason you have to mount it in a blob of something that removes the air pocket between the transducer and the hull. The signal can travel thru solids and liquids, but not gasses.

I mounted mine in the bow for the same reason as Antares. Coming up to a dock I want to know as soon as possible that there's only 2 feet of water.

I have read about people mounting the units in just about everything that exists. I wanted mine mounted so that it couldn't accidently be dislodged so I used epoxy. The key is to remove all the air between the transducer and the hull. I set the transducer on the hull where I wanted it mounted (in the front of the Vberth area a foot from the bow) and using cheap caulk I built a mold around the transducer. When it dried, i pulled the transducer out, filled it with epoxy, and put the transducer back in the mold. After the epoxy dried I removed the caulk and was done. It might not be the best, but, it's very accurate and works really well. Hey, I can even use it to fish.

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 09:15:27

Transom mounted sounders don't work well... I bought a C22 once that had one mounted there...didn't work most of the time... worked fine after it was moved and shooting thru the hull.

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 10:07:59

THANX guys, my first choice was the cavity area forward of the keel, I could care less about finding fish and water temperature. The transducer is laying in the cavity right now awaiting probably the toilet bowl ring goup. I'm going to mount the unit itself outside on one of the mid-ship stantions using aircraft style clamps and either cover it or remove it when not in use.....

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Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 10:12:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bear
 I'm going to mount the unit itself outside on one of the mid-ship stantions using aircraft style clamps and either cover it or remove it when not in use.....<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Is the unit waterproof? That location is likely to get pretty wet from bow wave spray. Also, your eyes must be much better than mine.

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 11:50:40

I played around with location in the bright sun yesterday, I'm really not all that far from the unit where I sit. I will recheck waterproof issue. I've never had spray from the bow get to the cockpit, may be its the size of the waves we encounter here. The unit is completely mobile if location etc doesn't work out. THANX again.

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JohnMD
Navigator

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USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 13:53:18

How are you going to run the wires from the power and the transducer to the display out on the stanchion?

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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2006 : 13:59:09

FWIW, my fishfinder/depthfinder is a Humminbird MAX 15. It's "housed" in the port coaming cubby. The power connects to the main battery through a hole in the aft of the cubby. The transducer is at the end of a pole through a length of PVC, attached to the back rail of the port catbird seat, which I can lower or raise into and out of the water. I get accurate readings both for fish and depth. The only negative to the transducer location is its aft location, but here in Southern California that's not as critical as it would be in shallow water sailing.

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