Inside the Hull Installation using Transom Mount Transducer

JoeW80

Cadet
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
21
I bought a Humminbird 597CI with a transom-mount transducer but I would like to install it inside the hull. It says in the instructions it can be done and I've read other posts from people saying they have done it.

Question
: Is there a noticeable performance difference between using the transom-mount transducer inside the hull and using a puck transducer that is specifically intended for this type of installation?

Dilemma: I don't want to wait for an exchange if there is no benefit and I can't exchange the transducer after installing.

Additional Info
: I am normally in the bays with shallow depths between 3 and 35 feet. My boat is a 20ft. C-Hawk with speeds up to 30MPH.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,417
Re: Inside the Hull Installation using Transom Mount Transducer

Yes, there is a noticeable degradation of performance in the shoot thru installation. The accuracy is not affected as much as the sensitivity of the unit.

At issue, loss of power (signal), a frequency shift of the sonar beams it passes thru the fiberglass, and the typical junk installation of the puck. i.e. puck not perpendicular to the bottom, air bubbles in epoxy, etc. Good shoot thru installations use a ?wet tank? installation to minimize signal loss.

If you want to know how deep the water is, then go for it. If you want the best sensitivity you can get out of the unit then go with the transom mount or better yet, a thru hull installation.

BTW: Cranking up the gain/filter is not a solution for signal loss. All your doing is introducing even more "noise" into the mix.
 

JoeW80

Cadet
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
21
Re: Inside the Hull Installation using Transom Mount Transducer

Thanks for the info but I really wanted to know more about the transducer itself instead of the installation. In a shoot thru installation, is there any benefit in using a puck transducer rather than using a transducer that is meant for transom-mount?

I read somewhere that a puck transducer has higher sensitivity, but I don't know the technical details.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,417
Re: Inside the Hull Installation using Transom Mount Transducer

In a shoot thru installation, is there any benefit in using a puck transducer rather than using a transducer that is meant for transom-mount? I read somewhere that a puck transducer has higher sensitivity, but I don't know the technical details.
The simple answer is no. Same crystal encapsulated in a different housing configuration.
You automatically reduce the transducer by 7-10% just by shooting thru the hull. The couple of points of sensitivity you may gain because of the ease of mounting wouldn?t amount to a hill of beans in the scheme of things.
 

John_S

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2004
Messages
4,269
Re: Inside the Hull Installation using Transom Mount Transducer

I have never heard of a transducer element improvement in the puck style. Depending on the particular transom transducer, the puck style maybe smaller or flatter and would be less prone to poor through transom mounting. Through hull is generally used when boat speeds get high where transom mounts become very problematic at tracking bottom. At your speed, that shouldn't be an issue. As dingbat says, you suffer some signal loss with through hull. I'd transom mount in your case.
 
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