Installing Depth Sounder
Date: June 12, 2000
From: Peter Sicurella psic@rcn.comOur 32' Endeavour "Crosswind" (recently purchased) does not have a Dept Sounder. I plan to install a Datamarine DCD400 with a ADX100 Transducer (inhull). Does anyone have a experience with the inhull transducer installation. Best location, etc.
Date: June 12, 2000
From: Josh Wallach jwallach@flash.netPeter:
I installed an in-hull puck transducer in my E-42 with very good luck. I bought the Standard Horizon depth sounder with the "puck" in-hull transducer.INSTALLATION:
This may be hard to verbalize, but I'll try!Sand the interior hull paint away at the area of installation.
When installing the transducer, I used a fitting from a piece of 4" diameter PVC pipe. I cut the PVC fitting at an angle roughly comparable to the hull angle at the point of placement. I then "superglued" the PVC ring to the hull at the point of puck placement. This gave me a " Containment area" for the adhesive used to mount the puck. I mixed up a batch of MARINETEX and filled the interior of the ring now glued to the hull. When this 4" ring was filled about 1" deep with the MARINETEX product, I slowly "worked the puck" into the goo, much as you would carefully and slowly push your thumb into modeling clay. I worked the transducer in until I started to feel the hull, slowly working it around to avoid air bubbles, all the while keeping the lower surface of the transducer roughly level with the horizon to enable the transducer to shoot straight down through the hull for accurate readings. Use some tape to hold the puck level while the goo hardens.
It will take roughly 4 hours for the goo to harden fully, but it will become significantly more viscous in about 15 minutes.
Once you're done, you'll have a clean solid installation that really works great!I positioned my puck about 8 inches from centerline and about 24" forward of the leading edge of the keel (on my 42 ft boat) far enough forward to (hopefully) warn me before the keel hits - but far enough back that the rise and fall of the bow doesn't take it in and out of the water.
I wish I could draw you a picture - it would make this SOOOO much easier! Good luck - call me with any questions if I can help.
Date: June 13, 2000
From: Mike Miller capnmike_s@yahoo.comHi Peter!
I dunno about the 32, but my 37 has the same rig, with the thru-hull installed through the center of the bow line about 1' underwater (2-3 feet back from the entry waterline)....we cut the hole with a hole saw and put the thru-hull in, and then faired all around it with a LOT of marine-tex, both inside and out, thus forming a good streamlined fairing that is extremely strong...some day If I ever have to change it it'll probably have to be removed with a hammer and chisel, but it works well and gives the most important reading, ie, what is directly under the bow...has saved me from several groundings where a few feet made a lot of difference. Full sails and happy trails.
Date: June 13, 2000
From: Wayne Turk JANWAYNE@aol.comOne thing you might try to find out exactly where you want to put it to work best is to take a strong sandwich bag or other waterproof bag. Put the transducer in the bag & fill it with water enough to cover about half the transducer. Tie it at the top & place it firmly on the fiberglass hull inside your boat where you think you might want to place it. If it works good you may want to permanently mount it that way to save cutting a hole in the boat. I did so several years ago by cutting about a 8" section of 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe with a screw top, trimming the bottom to fit the contour of the boat, filling it with mineral oil (which will not evaporate) & used it for years with good results. Won't hurt to try it with the bag.....
Date: June 15, 2000
From: Tom Gilbert TGil95746@aol.comMine is under the V berth where the bottom drawer is not. Slightly to starboard. We used a piece of wood on the outside to make it look straight down...
Date: June 16, 2000
From: William Lowenberg lastdance@pocketmail.comI have successfully installed "in hull" depth sounders. As a test, just build a small dam out of modeling clay, fill the cavity with water, insert transducer. Generally doesn't work in a cored hull.
Date: June 17, 2000
From: Fred Altmann fred.altmann@attglobal.netHi Peter,
In my boat we have a Datamarine as well. It always works, amazing reliability. The transducer is on starboard, some 20 cm from the center line, 1 meter abaft the middle of the boat. Middle of the boat is in your case 16 feet measured from the point. Many regards and success.