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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Depth Finder

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T8BECKHAM
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/15/2011 : 19:18:42

I have a C-25 and I need the skinny on a depth finder. Whats brand? What kind? Where to put it ect. ect. ect? Thanks for the info min advance.

Tate Beckham
C-25 B~ham AL
1690

Tate Beckham

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2011 : 20:12:10

Many have replaced the sounder with a fish-finder. Search for numerous posts. The usual approach is to bed the transducer in toilet seating wax somewhere ahead of the keel, usually under the v-berth.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2011 : 20:19:53

Fish finders do work very well as depth guages. Look for a fish finder like the Eagle Cuda 300 or similar product under the Humminbird label. They can be found on sale for around $70-$80. If you want a color display and more graphics, it will cost several hundred more. It also mounts easily behind the keel if you don't want to snake cable from the bow to the companionway and battery compartment. It's a fairly easy project.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3440 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2011 : 20:56:37

Using a piece of a toilet bowl wax ring to hold a transom/in-hull transducer up forward underneath the VBerth.

The original depthfinder removed and the bolt pattern supporting the starboard used to mount a RAM Swing Arm is actually within the original hole, so no holes drilled for the bolts !

Humminbird fishfinder mounted to the RAM Swing Arm. The height of the fishfinder allows 2 campanionway boards to be installed in case of inclement weather.

Edited by - OLarryR on 11/15/2011 20:57:45

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2011 : 11:23:46

Yep, fish finder. Get one with a GPS if you like but I was never happy with the screen choices with that combination.

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Chakana
1st Mate

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USA
62 Posts

Response Posted - 11/18/2011 : 17:04:57

OK--dumbest question ever. Aren't they supposed to go thru the hull? I've been scared of this project most of all, because I thought we had to drill a hole in the hull. So some models don't? And they can still measure the water's depth?
Sorry for being so ignorant.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 11/18/2011 : 17:53:13

As long as the transducer has a clear "view" through the fiberglass and bedding compound, no, they don't need to be installed through the hull. The bedding compound can be toilet wax, epoxy, and any number of other methods I've read about. As long as there is no air between the transducer and the hull, you're good. The nice thing about the toilet wax method, is that it's completely removable, so it's easy to experiment before you do an epoxy install (or just simply leave it in the toilet wax).

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Jan Briede
Navigator

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USA
162 Posts

Response Posted - 11/26/2011 : 18:36:51

Is that the case with any transducer? I know Hummingbird can do it (and their instructions tell you they can)/ However, looking on line, they get poor reviews at times, while the Garmin gets better reviews. Their transducer instructions do not mention "through the hull view."

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/26/2011 : 20:16:25

All of them can be used to shoot through the hull. The only thing you might lose a couple of percent of max range range. I have used two different low end, $100 Hummingbirds on other boats with excellent results. One was working well after six years when I sold the boat. Keep in mind that unhappy people are more likely to voice opinions than happy people, and Hummingbird has a long track record with quality products. I don't think it matters much what brand you buy, just so you like it.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3440 Posts

Response Posted - 11/26/2011 : 22:03:23

The photos I posted above feature a Humminbird Fishfinder . It has been installed since beginning of...~ 2006 and has worked fine. The transducer has been embedded in the toilet bowl wax all these years and I have never had a reason to re-bed it in the wax. I also sail all year-round and that fishfinder has worked in a wide range of temperatures with no difference in it's performance. I believe when the transducer is mounted in-hull vs thru the hull, the sensitivty is reduced and perhaps it will not measure down to it's limit, 1000 feet, and may only go as low as 400 feet. The water in my area is in one or two spots below 40 feet but majority of the river is between 1 - 25 feet and the fishfinder has performed consistently keeping me out of the shallows. I will say that the specific model Humminbird that I purchased, the transducer has a wide flat base which I feel is conducive to seating it in the wax in-hull. But I suspect others that have the transducers that are rather narrow on their base, were able to seat them in the wax as well.

Garmin makes fine products and I believe Humminbird does as well. I do not recall on these forum postings of any real negatives regarding one fishfinder versus another. Most will rave about the features they personally fine useful. For the basics - indicating the depth and providing a sense of the contour of the river/lake/coastal bottom, I believe they all do that fine except that some models will obviously have larger screens than other models and some models are in color vs black& white. But this usually comes down to what your preference is for and how good a deal you can find.

Edited by - OLarryR on 11/26/2011 22:05:09

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2011 : 09:23:10

The low profile, wide base transom mount transducer that most of them come with is the easiest to imbed as mentioned above.

Edited by - on

JKBIXBY
1st Mate

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USA
38 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2011 : 19:28:45

Does anyone have the source for the RAM swing arm showed above?
thanks
john on ms achsa 77 FK/SR

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3440 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2011 : 21:24:35

I bought the Ram Swing Arm shown in the above posting from GPS Zone. I still have the link on my desktop to their website but I forget which specific mount I purchased and would have to dig to find the info somewhere in my files. But here is a link to the model I believe I purchased. It is either that one or very similar to it - You can view the many Ram Swing Arms at this website:

http://www.gpszone.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action& key=RMRP109VU

Edited by - on

T8BECKHAM
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2011 : 13:34:04

I bought a uniden. It said is was a through hull. Dumb me thought it meant "shoot throught the hull" not drill through the hull. Do you think I can still use it? Just embedd it in some toilet wax under the V-berth?

Tate Beckham

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NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2011 : 14:00:05

I would think you could. Like mentioned above, you only need to make absulutely sure there are no air pockets between the transducer and the hull/water.

You can mount it anywhere, but the flatter/forward most position is best. The boat <i>does</i> travel forwards. ;)

I think I saw a document showing the width of the factory transducer. If you could find a new one that will fit the same mounting hole, and you can work on your boat out of the water, then I'd personally do it. I don't have the luxury of working on the boat out of water right now, so I'm doing the toilet wax ring method with a Humminbird.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2011 : 14:55:49

I mounted mine, an Eagle Cuda 168, in toilet wax under the quarterberth behind the swing keel volcano. It works just fine there, easy to reach, and simplifies the wiring process considerably. Your mounting location, i.e. how far forward you can go, will be impacted by the length of the wire fron the transducer to the display unit and going forward may require some tricky cable routing. Mine doesn't appear to be affected by the swing keel.

Edited by - dmpilc on 12/02/2011 14:59:38

johnmcb
Deckhand

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USA
17 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2011 : 11:45:31

Don't feel bad, I bought a through hull depth finder after consulting with a local "expert" only to fine out I needed to drill a hole in the hull. I have tried every location I can think of with wax and a water filled baggie without any luck. Since I wanted large numbers instead of a color screen and have already drilled a 2" hole for the screen, I will be waiting for my next bottom job before I install the tranducer

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2011 : 13:57:05

Macsailor, did you test the transducer first by hanging it over the side in the water, wired up of course, to make sure it would give a reading. One depth finder I bought wouldn't shoot through the hull and I later discovered it had a faulty transducer.

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johnmcb
Deckhand

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USA
17 Posts

Response Posted - 12/05/2011 : 17:44:31

Thanks for the thought, but yes, I put the transducer over the side and it worked fine.

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 12/05/2011 : 19:48:53

Humminbird says in their packaging that if you want a different transducer to simply change it with them. Will your brand do that?

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