Installing depth Finder Tranducer

mjgates

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 5, 2010
Messages
97
My transducer on my depth finder is bad, and wanted to know if anyone has installed one, and the difficulty in doing so. The shop wants $140 to install.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: Installing depth Finder Tranducer

I guess it would be as simple as looking at how the existing one is installed, remove it and reverse the process to install the new one.
 

brick75

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Messages
289
Re: Installing depth Finder Tranducer

The guy I bought my first boat from installed a new transducer right before I got it from him. He explained the process, which was pretty simple. You just want to get it attached to the inside of the hull near the stern as close to the centerline as possible and as flat as possible. There is an epoxy compound that you can get for relatively cheap that you use to install it in. You just need to be sure that there aren't any air bubles in the epoxy as that can cause it not to work properly. Attache the wiring, and you should be good to go. And I'm assuming you are talking about a fiberglass bowrider here. If you're doing an exterior stern mount, this would obviously not apply.
 

RL Gman

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 16, 2010
Messages
192
Re: Installing depth Finder Tranducer

If all you're replacing is the transducer, and the bracket is good, I would def do it myself. I would never pay 140 for a simple DIY like that. The only difficult part should be tracing the wires...
 

mjgates

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 5, 2010
Messages
97
Re: Installing depth Finder Tranducer

sounds good, thanks guys, I wasn't sure what was involved since I have never messed with a depth finder before, but sounds simple enough.
 

diesel5599

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2006
Messages
169
Re: Installing depth Finder Tranducer

It really depends on whether or not you want to mount it outside or inside. Outside in my opinion is a little easier to mount than inside but the transducer typically goes bad faster since it is exposed to the elements, and cavitation tends to affect it more, leading to conditions where you get a lot of false bottom readings or none at all.

I went with the shoot through hull method which is not to be confused with the thru hull mount. Below is a decent tutorial on the differences:

http://www.lowrance.com/Support/Tips-and-Tutorials/Transducer-Guide/

If you go with the shoot through hull method the most important part is to apply firm pressure for at least an hr to the transducer to ensure bubbles do not form between the transducer and the epoxy.

Both methods are typically also described in the little booklet that comes with the transducer, or the maker usually has a tutorial in its website.
 
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