.......................................Endeavour Index Page..............Electronic Mods Index Page

....................................................Previous Page............................. Next Page If There Is One

===============================================================

….....................--- Shoot Through the Hull Transducer --

......................................................--- For the Depth Finder ---

===============================================================

The Endeavour came with a non-working depth finder and when we put the boat back in the water the first time there was a leak where the through the hull transducer was. We pulled the boat out and also pulled the transducer out and glassed in the hole where it was. At the same time we pulled out the speed transducer since it wasn't working and was another possible place for a leak to form and filled that hole in also.

Moving the boat to the yard we hung a portable depth finder off the swim ladder at the transom. I wanted to have the depth finder readings from the bow of the boat if possible and didn't want to put in another hole there so thought I'd try shooting through the hull there. The transducer in our Mac is embedded in toilet wax sealer and works fine like that but the hull is much thicker. I didn't like also that it was mounted at an angle on the hull so wanted to try and get this one to shoot straight down.

..........................................

A piece of thin wall 4” PVC pipe was cut and shaped on the bottom so that the top was horizontal to the water surface outside of the boat. An area next to the thru-hull for the head's holding tank was cleaned with a 4” disc grinder and some solvent. Next the epoxy was mixed and spread in the area and the PVC set into it. I didn't feel that it needed to be glassed in as no real strength was needed.

............................

I mixed up some epoxy and poured it into the pipe so that the top of it created a flat surface that the transducer could be mounted to. I did this in one pour with cheap epoxy from Home Depot. Since it kicked off pretty hot it had some bubbles in it and I worried if they would effect the effectiveness of the transducer since it is suppose to shoot through a solid surface. It ended up not being a problem but I think if I did it again I'd pour the epoxy in over 2 to 3 batches and not all at once.

............................

I was going to epoxy the transducer to the top of the other epoxy like most do but instead decided to try toilet wax sealer first and see if it worked.

............................

I removed a little wax off the ring and worked it in my hand and put it on the epoxy bed and pushed the transducer down into it. It works fine and now the transducer is shooting straight down. The wax is stiff enough that I'm not worried about the transducer coming loose in this area where there is nothing to hit it. If I want to change depth finders at some point in the future the transducer can easily be removed. As you can see above this transducer can also be mounted to the transom or a bracket down in the water.

One might get away without filling the PVC pipe with epoxy. Instead fill it completely with the wax to create a flat surface for the transducer to sit in. The PVC would then just locate the wax.

..............

Since it is quite a distance from the transducer back to the helm I had to order an extension cable for the transducer cable used with the Humminbird Piranha Max 170. This depth finder/fish finder works fine except for one feature. There is not a hull offset feature so we have to remember to add a few feet to the reading to see where the bottom of the boat is in relation to the bottom.

===============================================================

............................................................ Next Page If There Is One