in hull transducer - do they work ok?

[Cadence]

It sounds like you have it covered hull thickness and angle. Transducers can work fine inside the hull.

[zstine]

Yes it works. I used a cheap transom mount fish-finder xducer caulked into my hull and it worked fine.

[PineyWoodsPete]

I put a fairly high-end Garmin GT51M Transom-mount with Traditiional, CHIRP, and Side-view modes in the bilge, first with K-Y jelly, duct-taped into place. All modes except Side-view, or course, worked brilliantly with good bottom detail - up to 1400' in Trad. mode going over the edge of the Monterey Canyon! Then did final install. with clear silicone sealant.

The hull solid layup is vacuum-bagged with vinylester resin which may explain the unexpected results...

[chasfgr]

I've used both, on a total of 3 boats.


They all worked OK, more likely to have problems with readout than transdicers, as shallow waters seem to fool many that try to "smooth", readings and are well behind the actual depths.


Just make sure you know the precise distance from transducer mounting tp keel tip.
All my boats have had retractable keels, as i starterd sailing around shoal waters.

[kryg]

Have you installed them inside Alumiuim Hulls? I ask as I have an Alumiuim hull, most of the information I found was for inside transducer installation inside fiberglass hulls. I would like to know if they also could be installed inside Alumiuim hull boat? thanks

Originally Posted by FPNC

Have installed quite a few shoot through the hull senders. Some very large senders about 7" diameter. Always had good luck with setting them in polyester casting resin. This worked even at extreme angles to the hull bottom in deep vee hulls. The fiberglass substrate must be free of voids and any core material. Avoid fiberglass overlap areas if possible as there is a better chance of air bubbles in the laminate at these points.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by kryg

Have you installed them inside Alumiuim Hulls? I ask as I have an Alumiuim hull, most of the information I found was for inside transducer installation inside fiberglass hulls. I would like to know if they also could be installed inside Alumiuim hull boat? thanks

Get a baggie, fill it with some water, stick your transducer in the baggie, and try some different spots. I expect it would work ok.

[Seighlor]

Yes, they work great. I will never drill another hole to mount a transducer.

[RaymondR]

I have a fish finder experiment going on at the moment.

The fish finder is a Hummingbird I used on another boat and the subject vessel FG with a pretty heavy lay up. I prefer the dish finder as it gives an indication of bottom conditions when anchoring and one may immediately discern the depth trend from the display rather than remembering numbers.

To check it out I cut a short length of plastic down pipe to the correct angle and pushed glad wrap down into it to hold water. The down pipe is big enough to take the transom mount transducer which usually comes with the fish finder as standard.

It seems to work well and I will now bond the down pipe to the hull and put a lid on it.

[bstreep]

We have one and it works just fine.

[Paul Carey]

On our 1977 built Catalac (in the days when only solid fibre glass was used in boat construction ) , the transducer pipe was bonded to the inside of the hull from new ,, Depth sounder is by the British instrument co ; NASA Marine (nothing to do with the space agency) whom specify a 150k/Hz transducer that should be immersed in cooking oil (mineral oil could permeate the transducer) ,,, uorks fine ...As an aside we have an ancient but working fine Simrad CP33 plotter , which has the facility for a depth sounder input ,, but I have no info what spec transducer , specifically frequency is required , if anyone has any information it would help to have 'back up' depth ....

[Poey50]

I have a Hawkeye inhull transducer. I tried it out in what I though would be a poor position but it was the easiest for me to get to - about 2 feet directly aft of the keel. It worked fine when temporarily tried with vaseline. Then I took the boat for a run to try to upset it with turbulence and it didn't miss a beat. So now it is permanently epoxied in that place and has been faultless.

[OzDean]

Thanks for all your responses, the wealth of experience on CF is amazing. So yes I am going for the in hull option.

[Chotu]

Well damn. Mine didn’t work.

I did the epoxy method after decoring the spot. Epoxied it right in and it doesn’t work.

Newest Raymarine unit.

Down to my faulty installation. Possibly I got air bubbles in the epoxy I bed it in

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Well damn. Mine didn’t work.



I did the epoxy method after decoring the spot. Epoxied it right in and it doesn’t work.



Newest Raymarine unit.



Down to my faulty installation. Possibly I got air bubbles in the epoxy I bed it in

We cut out the core and inner skin. Then back filled back to level with epoxy. Let that setup, laid in a cone-shaped pile of silicone, and pushed the transducer down into it. The cone shape helps bubbles migrate outward when displaced by the transducer. Worked beautifully on two boats. And if it didn't, silicone much easier to work with removing the transducer.

[gonesail]

i epoxied a transducer puck to the inside of my hull. it worked fine