replacement transducer

BogMonster · 27 August 2006, 12:19

I've done a bit of searching but I can't find the answer to this.... sorry if it has been covered before.

While messing around fitting my aux yesterday I managed to break the #kin fishfinder transducer off the transom while not looking what I was doing...

Are transducers interchangeable or are they unique to the model or brand of fishfinder? I've managed to bodge it back on for the time being but I don't know how long it will last. I don't even need the whole thing, just the bracket that it actually screws on to the transom with (this will come off the actual transducer), but I don't suppose you can buy that bit separately.... if you could I am sure it would only cost a fiver. It's a Hummingbird Piranha 1, which from looking at new ones seems to be about as basic as you can get.

I don't use it as a fishfinder (mainly because I have never seen a fish on it yet!) I just need something to tell me if Mother Earth is getting a bit too close to the gelcoat

Alternatively if anybody has a knackered transducer with a good attachment bracket that they don't want I'd happily pay postage etc

mdt · 27 August 2006, 13:08

Remove it from the back and stick it in the drain well in the rear and use silicon to both hold it in place and under it so that it will still work.

This way it is out of harms reach.

Have my one stuck in there and it works fine nothing but silicon holding it in.

BogMonster · 27 August 2006, 16:59

Does it work ok through the hull then?

It only works up to about 25kt located where it is, then I guess the wake disrupts the signal or something and it usually reads about 230 feet once you get to about 30kt, regardless of how much water there actually is!

It is ok again with the bodge up but if I break it off again I will try that, biggest problem will be getting the drain well perfectly dry for the silicone to stick to since there is no drain bung in it.

Thanks

mdt · 27 August 2006, 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Does it work ok through the hull then?

yep

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

It only works up to about 25kt located where it is, then I guess the wake disrupts the signal or something and it usually reads about 230 feet once you get to about 30kt, regardless of how much water there actually is!

on my humber it works fine there is not any wake issues as it is not effected being inside the leath of the hull. if that makes sence?

BogMonster · 27 August 2006, 18:51

Cool

Can't see how it works, would have thought you would get a reading on how much water was in the drain well, but as long as it does then I shan't ask awkward questions! I'll give it a go once I have had the boat out again to make sure the sender does still actually work after being assaulted by Johnson

jyasaki · 27 August 2006, 20:48

Stephen; you have to make sure there is a solid connection between the ducer face and the glass, and it helps if the glass is not cored (probably not on a RIB.)

Regular in-hull transducers use a cup in which the puck is mounted, and a bath of mineral oil to transmit the sound waves. You can get by using epoxy or silicone (make sure there aren't any air bubbles suspended in the goo) to conduct sound to the hull.

It may not work too well if your hull is a sandwich construction (glass/ply/glass.)

I personally think a replacement transducer would be a much easier proposition; then again, I've got an aluminum hull, which won't take an in-hull ducer.

Luck;

jky

wavelength · 27 August 2006, 23:17

Stephen
Wouldnt bother with a transducer for it if the others bust. Every humminbird I've had has lost its signal above certain speed. Replaced 3 of ours with cuda 128 (I think ) for about £62 each from compass24. Gonna cost a few quid for a new transducer you may as well have a new unit. Siliconed the transducers in the well and they work at full chat on them all. The Humminbirds are in the bin. Your transducer should work just dropped in the well as long as there is water in there (and its pointing downwards

). We ran a fishing boat like that for years. Can always lean a bag of sand on the top of it. But dry it out with a sponge and then silicon it in for a more durable answer. After all it does stop raining there sometimes

and your summers on the way to dry it out. We only had one day with a bit of rain when we were there-but I think that may have been a heatwave. (Still kept the coat handy though

)

jyasaki · 27 August 2006, 23:47

Oops. Sorry; didn't see it was a Humminbird.

I agree with Wavelength; Humminbird units are (IMO) pretty cheesy. The one I had (Piranha 4?) had recurrent problems with the power and transducer cables at the back of the unit (at about $28 a pop), as well as a display that was impossible to read in other than perfect lighting conditions, and an exacting tolerance for voltage that would have made my temperature sensitive ex-girlfriend green with envy.

For a pure depth finder, Lowrance and Garmin make some pretty good units, as do several other companies. Actually, ditto for a combo FF/GPS unit.

jky

BogMonster · 28 August 2006, 02:02

OK, thanks, I'll see if it works the next time out. If it does, then I'll keep it till it breaks, if it doesn't, I'll look for a new one. I didn't think it was much good anyway and I don't even know what I am looking at really.... but a fishfinder that doesn't find fish and half the time can't even find Planet Earth is a bit pants really.

Ho hum. More expense. This is a bit like owning Land Rovers

wavelength · 28 August 2006, 11:11

If you want fish just turn the sensitivity up-then you can have lots on the screen. None actually there in the real world in the water -but lots on the screen

BogMonster · 28 August 2006, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavelength

If you want fish just turn the sensitivity up-then you can have lots on the screen. None actually there in the real world in the water -but lots on the screen

That's fine - I'm not going fishing anyway (no hand grenades left...) so I can turn up the sensitivity and enjoy the feel good sensation of being at one with the natural environment, watching the oceans teeming with fish

Actually, thinking about it, as its such a crap b&w display I could just put a few dots on the screen with a marker pen and it would have much the same effect. Not sure it would work with the bottom though