help install fish finder

drrtydog · Sep 4, 2007

The boat is a 16' V fiberglass and iv tried to mount the thing twice now on the transom and works fine untill i take off then it turns off. Looking in the manule it says i can go through hull. So i seen people talking about in the bildge. The fish finder is a eagle the little cheap one. The thing is my bildge area is kinda wavy not flat so if i put it there what ever i use to glue it down will be thicker in areas is this going to work? And with the motor on the other side of the transom so close is that going to be a problem?

Barnacle_Bill · Sep 4, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

If it is actually turning off you have a problem other than the location of your transducer.

gss036 · Sep 4, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

I don't think the transduecer has anything to do with the unit turning off. You probably have a bad electrical connection or ground and it is getting a low voltage reading then it turns off. I would bet on the loose ground. Try running wires (+ &-) straight from the battery and see what happens.

wire2 · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

Transducers work fine through a layer of fibreglass but not through air first. Mix a small amount of epoxy, polyester resin or similar, place on floor, put transducer on it pointing straight down and let cure.
Keep in mind, it will be stuck there, choose a location carefully.

new_boater · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

i am also going to be putting a fish finder/depth finder i my boat and want to know if the epoxy method is preferred to external mounting?
seems it would be a safer way to protect it but i still want good performance

wire2 · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

A layer of epoxy/fibreglass will very slightly degrade the return signal. Outside is best.

gonefishie · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

If he meant turning off as in the screen show no depth reading then there is too much turbulence in the area of the xducer when running. Pick a different mounting location. If it actually shut off then there is definetely a power problem. The only advantage of thru-hull xducer is that you don't have to worry about damaging it from stump, really shallow water, etc.. The disadvantages are you have to have high end stuff, otherwise you won't get depth reading when on plane. You have to get seperate temp. sensor if you want water temp. reading.

new_boater · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

where would the best place for transducer be?
bear in mind i will be putting smart tabs on at later date

Silvertip · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

Locators have overvoltage shut down circuits in them. If this unit is installed on a boat with an engine that does not have a regulated charging system, the voltage may rise above the shut down threshold and therefore turn the unit off. That would be the same as turning the switch off. If the display remains active, but doesn't show anything, the transducer may be flipping up at speed or as mentioned, may be mounted in line with a strake, row of rivets, or some other point that creates turbulence in the transducer path

drrtydog · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

ok like said it works perfect at idle the second i mean second i throttle up it turns off completly and will not turn back on till im back at idle. I think i went into the ign switch with the + cause i dont have anything on dash other than lights, choke, and bilge switch. The switch i put in and it runs back to battery mabey i can just tap into that +. Now do i need to go all the way back with ground?

PondTunes · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

You don't need to go all the way back as long as you're sure you have a good ground. There should be a bus bar or terminal block where you can get a good ground at the helm/fuse block area. Grounding to the frame of the boat should never be done.

drrtydog · Sep 5, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

my bilge switch has a wire that runs all the way direct into battery so i tapped into that wire guess il go look at ground and see if i can change the ground to the block.

drrtydog · Sep 6, 2007

Re: help install fish finder

took boat out today and that was the problem it worked perfect. The wires need to be to the battery direct. Thanks

help install fish finder

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