# ??? about mounting a transducer



## Brett

http://midlandsstriperclub.homestead.com/Installing_A_Shoot-thru.pdf


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## mark_gardner

sorry brett but your link no el' workos on my puter  so with my hull being about 3/8" thick and bonding the transducer in a bed of resin would i expect similar results as far a accuracy is concerned as opposed to the transom mount?


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## Brett

*Re: ??? about mounting a*

http://midlandsstriperclub.homestead.com/Installing_A_Shoot-thru.pdf



> Installing A Shoot-Through-The-Hull Transducer
> It is critical to select the right place for mounting. Most boat manufacturers leave any foam or
> coring out of a small portion of the planning pad at the transom for mounting a shoot-thru hull
> transducer. You could contact your manufacturer or your dealer to see if your boat is so equipped
> and to find out their preferred/suggested mounting location. It’s also critical to avoid any thru-hull
> fittings that may impede performance. If the location you select has a thru-hull water pickup or
> discharge port, bubbles are created when the boat move through the water and this creates
> interference or “noise” that may ruin the operation of the unit.
> Once a location is selected, be sure it is fairly flat inside the hull. If the area is rough or uneven,
> sand until fairly smooth. Theoretically, you should not have to grind away much fiberglass.
> Sanding with a fairly coarse grit...maybe 80... ensures some "tooth" for epoxy or other adhesive
> to adhere to. You can use a sanding block, but a small finish sander or reciprocal palm sander
> will speed the process.
> A trolling motor transducer is ideal, due to small face size, but a transom mount transducer will
> work fine, just be sure the area for mounting is large enough for it to sit flat. When I say flat, I
> don't mean it has to shoot straight down exactly...it just has to be flat to the mounting surface to
> avoid air gaps between the transducer face and the hull. You will still have a good mount even if
> the area selected is angled due to the hull's deadrise angle, it just may not point straight down.
> This will not affect the depth unless you were using a special very narrow beam transducer.
> Next, once the surfaces are prepped, I like to take the boat out and run it to see if the location
> selected works ok. To do this, you need an extra hand on board. Ideally, you need someone to
> hold the transducer in place on the hull and to have the transducer covered with water to ensure
> no air exists between the face of the transducer and the hull for the test. You can usually get by
> just pouring a 5 gallon bucket of water into the hull to barely cover the transducer when at rest
> and up on plane. As an alternative, you could silicone the transducer in with caulk designed for
> above the water line to hold it in place. Just be sure to use a caulk that can be easily removed
> once set. It's still a good idea to add water to make sure no air gaps exist.
> The test should consist of sitting still and with the boat up on plane at low, mid and high (WOT)
> speeds. If it works...great. If not, try running the gain up to max and try it. If it reads at rest but not
> at speed, you may have an air gap or there may be foam, plywood or air between the inside &
> outside surfaces of the hull at that location. If so, you have no choice but to move the transducer.
> Once tested and if it performs well, you then have the choice of epoxy, or you can simply use 3M
> 5200 high-performance polyurethane adhesive/sealant you can buy at Boaters World, West
> Marine, etc. This stuff is the best adhesive sealant I've ever used, but it requires 48 hours to set
> and 72 hours to cure. It will cure underwater. Once set, it is hard to remove, so plan accordingly.
> The transducer can be removed by sliding a thin-blade screwdriver or other heavy-duty blade
> under the lip, puncturing the sealant, so the edge of the transducer can be pried up. It's tough, but
> it can be done.
> To use it or any other adhesive, coat the mounting surface with a THIN layer and coat the face of
> the transducer with a THIN layer. Make sure the face of the transducer does not show any gaps
> or bubbles. When I say thin layer, be sure to use enough adhesive to fill any gaps between the
> face of the transducer and the hull. Next, press the face of the transducer down onto the
> mounting surface and then "wiggle" it back and forth very slightly with heavy pressure to force out
> any air bubbles.
> Once in place, weight with a brick (clean!) or other heavy object and allow it to set for 72 hours.
> Assuming the area was flat and properly prepped as above, you should now have a good mount
> and a well-performing installation.
> Although it takes a lot of space to type all this, the above is really pretty simple and is mostly
> common sense, so don't be afraid to try.
> One alternative...and a good one some folks use is to build a shallow "dam" of epoxy or 5200
> around the installation. The dam can then be filled with water to reduce any air gaps. I rarely
> install that way except on large displacement vessels like trawlers, etc., which are more stable in
> the water.
> Be prepared to lose some sensitivity by shooting through the hull, the fiberglass will absorb some
> of the transducer power output...probably 25-40%.
> Good luck!
> Jim Goller


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## mark_gardner

thanks brett  i'm gonna give it a shot but of course i'll need to pick up the d.f. first  ;D


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## Gramps

Southbound I read somewhere to temporarily mount the transducer for testing, the best medium is Vaseline. Slide it around till you find the best spot with the least amount of interference.


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## mark_gardner

> Southbound I read somewhere to temporarily mount the transducer for testing, the best medium is Vaseline.  Slide it around till you find the best spot with the least amount of interference.


 thats a good tip, thanks gramps


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## firecat1981

I had to do that on my gheenoe. It can only be done on 100% glass hulls, if it's wood cored or foam cored it won't work correctly. Remember the transducer needs to be atleast 15 inches away from the prop, and should be set in place with epoxy on bare fiberglass.

PS the temp reading will not work


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## mark_gardner

> I had to do that on my gheenoe. It can only be done on 100% glass hulls, if it's wood cored or foam cored it won't work correctly. Remember the transducer needs to be atleast 15 inches away from the prop, and should be set in place with epoxy on bare fiberglass.
> 
> PS the temp reading will not work


 thats good info also, thanks. the bilge area of the fin and feather is glass and at the thickest point maybe 1/2". not to concerned about water temps as this boat will pretty much be a creek/ shallow water/ almost dry land redfish slayer  i'm pretty much needing something that will tell me where the deeper holes are at but as far as temps go..... well, if i cant crank my reel cause its iced up then its too cold for me and i'm heading for the shack LOL...   ;D


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## Brett

> the best medium is Vaseline.  Slide it around till you find the best spot with the least amount of interference.


Are we still talking about transducers?   


Oh, c'mon, that's funny...you're just jealous 'cause I saw it first!   ;D


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## mark_gardner

> the best medium is Vaseline.  Slide it around till you find the best spot with the least amount of interference.
> 
> 
> 
> Are we still talking about transducers?
> 
> 
> Oh, c'mon, that's funny...you're just jealous 'cause I saw it first!   ;D
Click to expand...

i can see how his response could easily be misconstrude  ;D


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## Brett

> i'm pretty much needing something that will tell me where the deeper holes are


so could yours...


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## TomFL

> i'm pretty much needing something that will tell me where the deeper holes are
> 
> 
> 
> so could yours...
Click to expand...

C'mon, quit tryin' to act like you need a deeper hole...


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## paint it black

Brett, you crack me up....lol


;D ;D ;D


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## Big_Fish

I just bought a cuda 300 going to mount inside somewhere or trolling motor because unit is right there in front too!


But fast cure 5200 at walmart $8.00 or so sets in 24hrs


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## mark_gardner

> I just bought a cuda 300 going to mount inside somewhere or trolling motor because unit is right there in front too!
> 
> 
> But fast cure 5200 at walmart $8.00 or so sets in 24hrs


are you sure you want to mount that thing in 5200??? gonna be there a while


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