Need Recommendations for a back up Depth Sounder, Puck Type maybe?

[iWeb]

Hello all
I'm currently cruising the Curtis Coast in Queensland, fantastic. Unfortunately my nexus server (depth, wind, boat speed etc)has just died on me, and is not responding to any reviving.
I'm not too concerned at losing wind data, I can estimate near enough.
But depth is v important when cruising in a new area especially as we're relatively new to cruising.
I do have a lead line.
So any ideas on what to install until I can get the nexus looked at?
I'm thinking I could order a simple depth only instrument with a transducer that doesn't need a thruhull? If there is such a thing?
Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated,
Ian

[StuM]

One option would be a Garmin echo 151dv Fishfinder- around $230 from Whitworths. Comes with a transom mount transducer.

[flagorio]

I bought the cheapest Hummingbird fish finder and installed with the transducer shooting through the hull, you could also do transom mount quickly. The portable sounders have to be in water which is a long reach for me.

[sparrowhawk1]

My vote is for a cheap fish finder. they usually come with a transom mount transducer that you can mount through hull by putting some silicone down making sure there's no bubbles in it and putting the transducer on top. that's assuming your hull is solid fiberglass

[iWeb]

Thanks for the replies, I've taken your pointers and think I'll order a garmin 201 tmrw. And thanks for the idea of mounting it in silicon, I'll try that first. The hull is solid fibreglass , S&s34, pretty thick too, maybe too thick for the garmin to shoot through?
Does anyone know if the numerical display of depth on the screen can be enlarged. Depth first, fish later.
Many thanks for your input
Ian

[sparrowhawk1]

your hull thickness shouldn't be a problem might reduce reading in very deep water but otherwise you should be ok. If you cant adjust your depth sounder, I suggest on a very calm day slowly run aground and take a note of the depth on the depth sounder. Sounds like a joke but I've done it with every boat I've ever had with a depth sounder. Also if you can get one with a settable alarm it's worth its weight in gold my alarm goes off at four feet or eight feet and my boat hits at 3.8 feet I found the alarm is very helpful lets me know when to brace haha

[Bricky]

I have a Raymarine A70d with the transducer mounted inside. Just calibrated it to match the main one.
Shows a couple of feet difference in deep water.
Cheers

[evm1024]

Just yanked all the old transducers from my boat and installed new ones. Between the failure of my old unit and haul/replacement of the new I used an Airmar P79 in hull transducer (no hole required). This 50/200 KHz sensor is now that backup transducer for the new through hull one.

It is a high quality 600 watt unit and can interface to any sounder that used 50 KHz or 200 KHz (which is most now days). You can find them for around $US 120 online. The difference betweent he Raymarine, Garmin etc units is an adapter cable that converts the Airmar plug to the (ray, get etc) sounders plug.

I've hooked it up to my Hummingbird as well as a test.

Regards

[cookies]

I have just puchased our first boat , it is a prowler 10 m. I am wanting to put a shoot thru hull transducer in the boat and am wondering where the best location would be to attach it.

[Tx J]

Originally Posted by iWeb

Hello all
I'm currently cruising the Curtis Coast in Queensland, fantastic. Unfortunately my nexus server (depth, wind, boat speed etc)has just died on me, and is not responding to any reviving.
I'm not too concerned at losing wind data, I can estimate near enough.
But depth is v important when cruising in a new area especially as we're relatively new to cruising.
I do have a lead line.
So any ideas on what to install until I can get the nexus looked at?
I'm thinking I could order a simple depth only instrument with a transducer that doesn't need a thruhull? If there is such a thing?
Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated,
Ian

Here you go with a simple basic depthsounder with a P-79(?) ThroughtheHull transducer: New Uniden QT206 WHP Boat 200 ft Digital Depth Finder Adjustable in Hull Mount | eBay .
Some background (I recently got one of these as a backup to a combo CP/Sounder/Nav unit).
It's an older Uniden model, you can find the manual on the US Uniden website, and I think these are NOS (new old stock) being cleared out.
It comes with an Airmar P79 shoot-through-the-hull-adjustable transducer (the whole set is cheaper here than buying just a P-79 alone). Maybe not for you, just checked the shipping to Aus is $55, yikes.
The seller is a dealer in mostly Uniden overstocks, refurbs, etc., (and may now be part of the Uniden US operation, U used to sell the same stuff themselves, and they have close addresses), I've dealt with both w/o any problems.
Look at their other listings as they have other models too (through hull, transom), plus other goodies.

[accomplice]

We have two backup depth-sounders on-board. One is a separate transducer for the networked system (Furuno). The backup transducer is glued to the inside of the hull and shoots through it -- unlike the primary one. Behind the instrument panel we can switch over from primary to backup transducer. It still relies on the instruments working, though.

We also carry a portable, handheld digital sounder. The freeboard is too high to reach the water, but we lower it on a small line. It holds the reading for 30 seconds or so. I don't remember the make, but I could check later tonight if you wish.

[iWeb]

Many thanks for all the replies, I've been out of phone/internet range and been getting good with the lead line. Getting a hummingbird tmrw to install inside the hull in silicon. Might even improve my fishing! Still trying to sort out the Nexus problem, re initialising helps temporarily but error 02 followed by error 03 recurs at variable intervals (sometimes hours but mostly seconds). Any ideas?
Still having a great time cruising the islands, equipment gremlins and all.
Thanks for the help, Ian