Tranducer Best Location

[kustomkarl]

On my 1997 Challenger 787 I installed a depth finder between the tach, and spedo. I want to install the tranducer just in front of the pump inside the boat. The problem is it dosen't seem to be able to shoot through the Hull of the boat. I have tried in like 5 different locations temporarily, and can't locate solid fiberglass. Does anybody have any Ideas?
Thanks Karl

 

[seadoosnipe]

My ignorance?

Karl, I may be showing a little ignorance here but I thought the transducer was mounted on the outside under the hull. Usually on the back of the transom............unless technology has come a long way since the last time I saw one.

 

[kustomkarl]

This unit is able to be mounted in or out. By mounting it on the inside of the hull it isn't suseptable to breakage from the lift bunks, or pulling it up on the beach.
It needs a direct shoot through the Hull in solid fiberglass, not honeycone or the present of wood, or any other solid material used for reinforcement. It also has to be located in a area where there is no turbulance.

 

[kustomkarl]

Well I solved this one too!!!....I temporarily used duck tape to hold down the transducer with petroleum jelly to seal it to fiberglass and moved it around till I got it to shoot through the Hull. After 4 locations BINGO!!! than used 2 part clear epoxy, I smoothe the fiberglass down, applied the epoxy and volia...In Hull Tranducer...safe and sound and works at fulls speed! I'll post pictures tomorrow of this cool tool.
Karl

 

[seadoosnipe]

Well done!

Well done. I'm surprised you were able to even get in the engine compartment to move it around. Where did you put it? Behind the engine or on the side?

 

[kustomkarl]

I have plenty of room in the engine compartment!!! I located it on the starboard side(right side) just past the engine shaft housing, adjacent to the hose the expells water from the floor. My digital camera had dead batteries so I have to wait till tomrrow to take pictures. Took it out in rough waters today ...kept the depth from idle to full spead (52mph according to spedo)and never missed a beat...except when I flew off a huge 4' wave and jumped doubles....than it lost contact with water, and depth for about 10 seconds... I am very pleased with this deph finder!!

 

[seadoosnipe]

Pleased with the depth finder?

Pleased with the depth finder? From the description of the speed and the 4 foot wave you flew over, making it a double mogul, seems to me your more pleased with the fun and performance of the boat.
I'll have to keep the idea of a depth finder for my shallow water creek I use to get in and out of Mobile Bay.
Do me a favor, how about list all the necessary information about this depth finder so that myself or anyone else who would like to buy one, will know what type will work with the boat. Now that I know where to put the transducer, I just might have to get me one!

 

[kustomkarl]

The company that makes the Depth Finder with the transducer is located in Orlando,Florida. I will post pictures of the unit and the location in the boat hopefully tomorrow. I'll also include a step by step install to help anyone interested get it installed easily... The total instal took me about 1 hr to do the total install, not counting the time futzing with the transducer in the bottom of the boat..lol now it is simple as I know where to mount it. cost of the unit was $54.99 + some shipping and purchased some clear, slow cure epoxy which cost like $3.50. I'll post all the incidentals, including tools needed and everything tomorrow,,,

 

[seadoosnipe]

Dredging!

Wow, just the mention that I'm going to make a change to my boat beacause I want to keep an eye on the depth of my shallow creek must have been heard by the Army Corps of Engineers. They actually came out this past week and started staging equipment for a dredge project. It will be 4 feet below mean low tide and we all know the shallow draft of our Doo's, that I shouldn't have to worry about depth now......:chillpill:

 

[kustomkarl]

A depth finder is still a good idea if you go to new territory just to be on the safe side.

 

[seadoosnipe]

cool!

I agree and I'll probably go with the one you recommended. Thanx!

 

[kustomkarl]

I'm adding one to my 200 speedster. It has the purple+ and black- already in place. In the gage cluster is a blank plug just for the gage. I love this company!

 

[seadoosnipe]

Hazard lights!

Oh no Karl, that purple and black wire is not for the addition of anymore spare gages!.........I read that those two wires were for you to put on the flashing hazard lights so that other boats racing past you would know that you were being towed!...........:rofl:

 

[kustomkarl]

Bad joke....

Oh no Karl, that purple and black wire is not for the addition of anymore spare gages!.........I read that those two wires were for you to put on the flashing hazard lights so that other boats racing past you would know that you were being towed!...........:rofl:

I hope a newbie doesn't read this post and think you serious...I think it's amusing but not real funny...seadoo's are dependable and really don't break down as much as any competitor water craft. That's why I just bought my second Sea Doo jet boat valued close to $30,000.00.
Karl

 

[seadoosnipe]

Joke!

Karl, have you really ever heard of warning flashers ever being installed on a boat? Come on, I hope no one has ever heard of someone turning on warning flashers in a boat while being towed! That was such an obvious joke!

 

[kustomkarl]

Gotcha...lol lol

Now look at who is serious... GOTCHA... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl::cheers:

 

[derek]

generally, when jumping 4 foot waves the water is deep enough that you don't need to be looking at the depth finder. unless you are in the ocean, 20 feet from the beach. then you need your head examined, not a depth finder.

 

[kustomkarl]

Here in the ICW, (inter coastal waterway) the channel that is dredged, is sometimes only 20 feet wide. The center depth of maybe 4-5' Deep, depending on the tide, and is almost less than a 2 feet on the outside of the channel. If you get any air from any waves you travel outside the markers even 5 feet, than you could go aground. A depth finder is priceless running the ICW, when there is lots of traffic and the speed limit is 25 mph. Weather you playing or just cruising, the markers are spaced pretty far apart, and not always in your sight of view, unless you keep a sharp eye on them all the time. Here in Florida, there is lots of water but isn't very deep in a lot of places.

Karl

 

[scrump]

Hazard Lights

Thats funny, maybe you should do a thread on the mods page for installing hazard lights. :rofl::rofl::rofl: I have a friend that would probably need some on his jet ski (not a sea doo) I've towed him twice.

Scott