Depth Finder Problems

[Dalton Tam]

My grandfather gave his depth finder to me a while back and told me that it was too hightech for him. It is a humminbird depth finder. I installed it myself and mounted the transducer in the hull of the boat. For a few weeks it worked just fine. One day while fishing it just quit reading the correct depth. It will read the correct depth and show contour when I first turn it on and then it just bounces between 1-2 ft and doesn't show anything. I was wondering if anyone has had this problem before and/or knows how to fix it.

Thanks,

Dalton

[Bass_Fanatic]

Normally I would just say that Saline is only 2 ft. deep lol, but not right now...man that water is stinkin HIGH and will only get higher. Check your transducer and make sure it is still pointing straight down.

[therevolution]

without know how you have

it rigged to power, myndepthfinder acts up when the battry is low

[NBR]

Get Humminbirds 800 number off the net and call them.

[Wayne P.]

You mentioned you put the transducer "in the hull". What kind of boat and what adhesive did you use?

[Dalton Tam]

You mentioned you put the transducer "in the hull". What kind of boat and what adhesive did you use?

I have a 91 model skeeter SS90. I just used an adhesive that dries into a rubber form. Not sure of the name.

[Wayne P.]

Well you did exactly what you are NOT supposed to do when installing a transducer for shoot-thru operation.

For the system to work, the transducer has to vibrate the hull when sending the sonar pulses and it has to receive the return pulse vibrations thru the hull material. That means the two surfaces have to act as one. The PROPER adhesive is a two part SLOW CURE (24 hr)epoxy.

What you have is a flexible installation that may have come loose because it is not water tolerant.

Before even doing the install, the best area to place it should be determinded by placing the transducer in the hull where you think is a good place, put about 2" of water in the hull, use some weight to hold it in place and run the boat to see if you get satisfactory readings in that location, move it around some if needed.

After the testing, drain and dry the hull, lightly sand the hull at the determined loacation and transducer face, then install the transducer with the epoxy properly mixed (sturred slowly to avoid making bubbles)and about two table spoons of mix. Put epoxy on the transducer face and the area sanded. Press the transducer down in the epoxy to get the least amount of epoxy between the transducer face and hull, put some weight on it to keep it from moving while setting up. The pool of excess epoxy will hold it in place after it hardens.

Some make a dam of plumbers putty around the installation area to keep the pool of epoxy from spreading before it sets up.

If you want the best possible install, purchase a transducer that is made for that purpose and has a round flat bottom and a remote temp senser or no temp sensor at all. Add an auxiliary temp senser for water temp. If your sonar unit is a dual freqency model, the XP 9 20 is the non temp sensor transducer and the XP 9 20 T is the one with a remote temp sensor, both come with the proper adhesive.

[Dalton Tam]

Well you did exactly what you are NOT supposed to do when installing a transducer for shoot-thru operation.

For the system to work, the transducer has to vibrate the hull when sending the sonar pulses and it has to receive the return pulse vibrations thru the hull material. That means the two surfaces have to act as one. The PROPER adhesive is a two part SLOW CURE (24 hr)epoxy.

What you have is a flexible installation that may have come loose because it is not water tolerant.

Before even doing the install, the best area to place it should be determinded by placing the transducer in the hull where you think is a good place, put about 2" of water in the hull, use some weight to hold it in place and run the boat to see if you get satisfactory readings in that location, move it around some if needed.

After the testing, drain and dry the hull, lightly sand the hull at the determined loacation and transducer face, then install the transducer with the epoxy properly mixed (sturred slowly to avoid making bubbles)and about two table spoons of mix. Put epoxy on the transducer face and the area sanded. Press the transducer down in the epoxy to get the least amount of epoxy between the transducer face and hull, put some weight on it to keep it from moving while setting up. The pool of excess epoxy will hold it in place after it hardens.

Some make a dam of plumbers putty around the installation area to keep the pool of epoxy from spreading before it sets up.

If you want the best possible install, purchase a transducer that is made for that purpose and has a round flat bottom and a remote temp senser or no temp sensor at all. Add an auxiliary temp senser for water temp. If your sonar unit is a dual freqency model, the XP 9 20 is the non temp sensor transducer and the XP 9 20 T is the one with a remote temp sensor, both come with the proper adhesive.

thanks I'm going to take it out and install a new one the way you stated. Then I'm going to take the one I have on it and move it to my trolling motor.

[Wayne P.]

After you break the transducer off your trolling motor. You can still use it for that purpose with a device made by Transducer Shield and Saver. It will make your transom transducer a trolling motor puck. You can use it before you break it off also.