mounting my transducer

[littlerayray]

Should i install my transducer outside or go shoot-thru-hull i have a 2012 tahoe q4

 

[agallant80]

Re: mounting my transducer

Depends. Do you want to drill a hole through your new boat, cut your transducer wire, splice it back togeather etc? I don't think anyone would argue that it works better outside the hull if you have a fish finder feature and water temp but if its just depth you may want to mount it inside. There are lots of posts here about hot to epoxy it to the inside of the hull. The owners manual on my boat had the recommended mounting spot on the inside of the hull listed which made it easier but I could not get it to shoot through the hull properly so I had to mount it outside the hull.

If you can mount it inside the hull thats what I would do.

 

[littlerayray]

Re: mounting my transducer

thanks partner.
i think thats what i will do it will keep everything nice neat and tucked away as well

 

[tazrig]

Re: mounting my transducer

Just to through one more thing into the mix. A through hull transducer will work better at higher speeds than one epoxyed on the inside shooting through the hull. How fast do you plan to run the boat and how fast do you need to get fresh depth readings?

 

[littlerayray]

Re: mounting my transducer

ive got the charts and when i am using the depth finder i would be puttering along i think i will go and mount it to the hull rather then drill and stuff keeps everything neat and clean

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Re: mounting my transducer

Sanded fiberglass in botton next to keel center till flush , Cleaned w/solvent let dry , scotchbrite cleaned transducer wiped with solvent and mixed up JB Weld not quick dry stuff . Then applied bigger area than transducer , used hair dryer heat to get shiney , no air bubbles . Then let dry a while and used wet finger to smooth around and duct taped down 24hrs . Then you have 1.5 ft more than you read when you set bottom alarm and slight angel veiw to dead rise bottom type .

 

[dingbat]

Re: mounting my transducer

Just to through one more thing into the mix. A through hull transducer will work better at higher speeds than one epoxyed on the inside shooting through the hull. How fast do you plan to run the boat and how fast do you need to get fresh depth readings?

Sound travels at 4,871 ft/s.

Assuming that both transducers are properly mounted, a "shoot thru" will take roughly 0.000006 seconds longer (assuming a 3/8? thk. hull) to update than a thru hull. At 60 mph, this translates to 0.006" of forward motion. Maybe a concern if traveling at the speed of light. :laugh:

 

[tazrig]

Re: mounting my transducer

Sound travels at 4,871 ft/s.

Assuming that both transducers are properly mounted, a "shoot thru" will take roughly 0.000006 seconds longer (assuming a 3/8” thk. hull) to update than a thru hull. At 60 mph, this translates to 0.006" of forward motion. Maybe a concern if traveling at the speed of light. :laugh:

You're forgetting that sound travels slower through fiberglass, the glue to hold the in hull ducer in place and bottom paint than just pure water. I've used both and there is a pretty reasonable difference between an in hull and a thru hull transducer as far as speed goes. (at least around 45-65 mph) You have to remember it's not just about the thickness, it's about what it is passing through that slows it. Keep in mind too, the average 'ducer doesn't put out a lot of power and that limits what it can pass through all the more. Another option if you don't want to cut a hole in your hull would be a transom mounted 'ducer.

 

[tazrig]

Re: mounting my transducer

ive got the charts and when i am using the depth finder i would be puttering along i think i will go and mount it to the hull rather then drill and stuff keeps everything neat and clean

For your particular application an in hull transducer should work just fine for you. If you were using it at much higher speeds than you would notice a difference between the two but for just puttering around you'll be fine. For what it's worth I'm with you on not having to bore a hole in the hull unless you have to. I just had to do it for my boat but mine is used for mostly high speed readings. I made the mistake of watching them drill the hole. I'm still queazy! :faint2:

 

[littlerayray]

Re: mounting my transducer

thanks guys for the feedback makes my decision a little easier

 

[dingbat]

Re: mounting my transducer

You're forgetting that sound travels slower through fiberglass, the glue to hold the in hull ducer in place and bottom paint than just pure water. I've used both and there is a pretty reasonable difference between an in hull and a thru hull transducer as far as speed goes. (at least around 45-65 mph) You have to remember it's not just about the thickness, it's about what it is passing through that slows it.

Uh....fiberglass is denser than water. Sound travels faster thru fiberglass faster (2740 m/sec) than water (1480m/sec). I addressed this issue with my calculation. Advantage to the shoot thru if anything

There are some valid arguments against installing a transducer in a "shoot thru" location but that relates to a loss of sensitivy becouse of a frequency shift when the signal passes thru the hull

 

[littlerayray]

Re: mounting my transducer

i figured out im just taking my boat to the marina where i bought it new.
gonna let him take care of it so i dont lose my warranty they said they had problems with transducers shooting through hulls
so for 150$ im gonna let them install the whole thing and it will save me from cursing and swearing

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: mounting my transducer

i figured out im just taking my boat to the marina where i bought it new.
gonna let him take care of it so i dont lose my warranty they said they had problems with transducers shooting through hulls
so for 150$ im gonna let them install the whole thing and it will save me from cursing and swearing

Not a bad plan. 1st hole in my boat took about 20 re-measurements and 4 beers for the courage. 2nd hole was better but it was above the water line.

 

[littlerayray]

Re: mounting my transducer

thanks for all the feedback.
just gonna keep this thread open for anyone else