Adding depth finder

[scoutonwater]

I've got an 1800sr that didn't come with a depth finder (or an hour meter) and I need to install one. Did anyone install one without having one on their boat originally? Looking for ideas on make/model, mounting choices, difficulties, etc. Thanks for the input.

[biggerseagar]

Scout..........you have one of the easiest boats to put a depth finder there is. It all depends what kind of transducer you want to put in and if you want just the depth in numbers or a large display.

IMHO I think the transducers on the back of the transom work the best. Slow or fast you will always get a reading. Only one small hole to drill , other than the screw holes, to get the transducer line in the boat. Mounting on your dash well.... where it fits for you , where you want it could be a variety of spots. Your call.

Brand names, garmin, humminbird, and lowrance to name a few. I know overton's always has them on sale for a good price.

Get some 4200 when you make your screw holes for your transducer mount to coat the screws to keep everything waterproof.

Some people get a square of starboard and glue it to the transom then drill into that to mount your transducer. Also get a clamshell for your line hole going into the transom to make that look professional.

There you go scout ...that should get you started. good luck and give us pic's for a before and after .

Roger

[oneradride]

This is what I did.. might as well go all out and get a fish finder… GPS, water temp, speed, depth… and more… not sure what else you could ask for Make ONE hole and get it all!

http://www.maxumownersclub.com/forum...h-finder/page3

[biggerseagar]

Scout this is a great thread to give you a picture of what all this might look like. By all means, if you can afford it get a all of the above device. They make the GPS part with a internal antenna so no wiring for that. That gives you an accurate speed, temp is nice to see if you want to jump in and so forth.

And there is nothing wrong with humminbird products.......

Roger

[scoutonwater]

Thanks for the input all. Darren, any pics or info on your transducer? Some additional questions:

Transducer mounting? Reading the various threads it doesn't seem that thru-hull are all that wonderful, as well as lacking the various other goodies that you can add such as Roger's suggestion of water temp, paddle wheel, etc. So unless someone can provide some other input, I guess a transom mounted transducer sounds like the best choice.

Cable thru transom location? Anyone have any input on where to put the hole for the cable to come through the transom? Up high, under side of swim platform, etc.?

[oneradride]

I'll get you some pics. You don't need the "wheel" for speed if you get the GPS model. One transducer does it all.

Mounted on the starboard side (because of prop rotation) it's supposed to be less turbulent there (for better readings) under the platform, but make the hole high enough you can get to it from the inside well (about 8 inches up if I recall correctly.) If you have 2 fairly powerful magnets, place 1 on the INSIDE of the rear where you want the cable to go through, then take the other on the outside... they'll attract and snap together making it obvious where you need the hole

[oneradride]

This should help.. Placement is critical! A little marine grade 2 part epoxy to seal it up and you are good to go.

EDIT: The girl friend had about every finger nail polish color in the world. I just realized I was going to go over that epoxy with some acrylic to match the boat…. It’s under the water line and apparently hasn't bothered me that much yet… because it’s still not done

[biggerseagar]

I will add that where the cable hole is drilled thru the transom should be above the water line. You still want to epoxy the hole to keep moisture out and then use 3M's 5200 to seal and a clam shell to cover.

Again some people who don't want to drill below the water line on their boat use a piece of starboard and glue to the transom, them mount the transducer on the starboard.

My son has a Cobalt and the transom is not flat. Your transducor has to be perpendicular to the boat. We used the starboard to make a wedge backing plate so that it made a 90 degree angle when mounting the transducer.

When you get ready to do all this just plan everything out and you will do great!

Roger

[oneradride]

Unfortunately the “water line” on our smaller boats goes to the bottom of the swim platform. Same reason I had to use the side exit captains call exhaust. In a perfect world, above the water line would be best….I had my boat in water for 5 days straight in May… not a drop, I checked every day.

After making the hole, line/prime/dope whatever you want to call it.. the ENTIRE cut edge all the way through. Let that cure, run your line and plug the rest.

Only other option is to go around the side of the swim platform, and that would not only prove to be a nuance, it would also look hideous.

[oneradride]

They sit low... just for reference.....

[oneradride]

AND... if you enjoy fishing, or just knowing whats under you... you can't beat one of these all in one units for like 250.00. I paid 199.00 at Cabelas for my Lowrance and I couldn't be happier with it. We would have been LOST at lake Milford without it and the GPS! .... okay I'm done

[scoutonwater]

Darren, like you I've got the integrated swim platform. That's why I was wondering if up through the bottom of it would be a good place to go through. Maybe to the left of the ladder mounts? I'll figure out all of it once she comes back from the shop. Hard to remember what everything looks like in my head. Thanks everyone for the input.

[oneradride]

You could certainly go that high.. but to what advantage? More black line exposed….almost exact same amount of water exposure. I just went as high as I needed to and called it good. A hole is a hole.. think about all the varying aspects before you drill.

EDIT.. I JUST REMEMBERED; only make the hole as big as you have to. This should be obvious but… on my unit.. I was able to remove the plastic locking nut that secures the line to the head module. This allowed to me make a MUCH SMALLER HOLE. AFTER feeding the line through the hole I forced the retaining/locking nut back over the line and it was good to go.

You think this one is going to be hard… try cutting 6 inch holes in the side…(exhaust, yes I did that)

[scoutonwater]

So what are the drawbacks with each? Higher hole means less chance of water infiltration but more line exposure. What are the drawbacks to more line exposed? Can the line be clamped or "retained" along it's course up the transom with clamps screwed to the transom? Trying to think of all possible issues/situations so keep the answers coming everyone.

[brian0128]

I recently added a fishfinder/gps combo to my 2000SR. I chose not to go with a transom mount because I couldn't find a spot to drill a hole that didn't regularly get covered with water. I do a lot of watersports with the boat and carry extra ballast when wakeboarding so even dropping 3mph in a straight line causes water to come over my swim platform. I still like to fish and I had heard lots of issues with a shoot through hull transducer and wanted something that would work at all mph.

I called Jim at BOE Marine and talked with him and ended up with an Airmar P79 shoot through hull transducer. You don't have to build a dam when you install it either. The base is bonded to the hull and then it is filled with liquid. It's adustable to use on hulls with up to a 22degree deadrise. The final mounting location was in the front of the engine compartment opposite of where the factory transducer is located. I am able to mark fish from 2mph to 35mph/I can still see the bottom @ 55mph and the only time I get any interference on the screen is when I put the boat in reverse. The unit still marks fish and structure but there is static at the top of the water column from the turbulence.

The transducer cost me $129.00 but to offset the cost I purchased the GPS/fishfinder with the no transducer option to save a little bit of money. I also didn't have to buy a "transom saver" to glue to the boat so that I wouldn't have to drill holes for the external mount.

Pros:
No holes drilled
No transducer hanging down when I pull boat onto the trailer.
No transducer hanging down picking up weeds when I traverse the 2' channel to my fishing spots.
I didn't have to drill extra holes to mount the cable clamps.

Cons:
Cost of $129
No water temperature displayed on fishfinder since I"m shooting through the hull.
I can't unbolt it and move it to another boat if I wanted since it is bonded.
Some signal loss and missed fish but I never lose bottom even at speed.