In-hull transducer

[96TL]

Hey guys. I haven’t been on here in a while. I figure the less I’m reminded about my boat, the faster the winter will pass. Spring is almost here! 50 degrees today! 8)

Anyway, I’m switching fishfinders before I launch next month. I’m going with a Humminbird 997c sidescan unit. I will be using 2 transducers, one on the transom for 3D side-scanning, and one in the bilge for high speed 2D scanning.

Humminbird offers two different in-hull transducers, one with a 14* pitch, and one flat puck. My boat has a 21* deadrise. I’m currently using an adjustable Airmar P79 in-hull transducer in a mineral oil bath with my Raymarine, but unfortunately it’s not compatible with the Humminbird.

How could I go about installing either one of these? These are made to be epoxied directly to the hull, no mineral oil bath. Would I have to build some sort of fairing block to keep the transducer level?

Humminbird recommended going with a 4” piece of PVC cut to match the deadrise of the hull, mounting a transom mount transducer inside, filling it with mineral oil, and capping it off. Not too crazy about this idea. I attached a sample pic they sent me.

Thanks.

Dom

 

[96TL]

Scratch this project guys. I'm just going to keep my Raymarine DS600X for this season. Humminbird needs to come out with an in-hull transducer that better suits my needs before I commit to buy anything.

Dom

 

[woodytoo]

I was actually curious on how that would work out. I have never seen or heard of an oil bath mount like that, and it makes total sense to me. I was tempted to play around with something like that, I have never been satisfied with my transom mount ducer.

bo

 

[Parker23]

I would think the hull would cause a reading or some sort of problem, I know when i mounted in-hulls in the past you wanted the ducer tight to the hull no bubbles or voids. I would think the oil and then the hull itself would be picked up as 2 different densities and give a wacky reading. But I am sure the company knows what it is doing.

 

[TomS]

Any idea what the side-scan transducer looks like, or how it needs to be mounted?

-- Tom

 

[woodytoo]

i had always understood the reason for keeping the ducer tight to the hull was because it will not shoot through air. i did not even think of the changes in medium oil, hull then water, i am sure it would take a toll on performance.

i spent a few years in the midwest and i did allot of ice fishing. i took a small hummingbird fish finder, hooked it to a motorcycle battery and wala instant ice sonar. i could get a good bottom shot as long as there was no air between the ducer and the ice. so we would locate where we would drill our holes by pouring some water on the ice and just shooting through it. the ice was 18 - 24 inches thick, and it worked just fine. i figured this meathod would act and operate on the same principles.

-bo

 

[Megabyte]

Humminbird needs to come out with an in-hull transducer that better suits my needs before I commit to buy anything.

Dom...

Airmar makes a version of their "tilted element" transducer for DV hulls.
Not sure if they have one that fits a Hummingbird, but maybe Jim at BOE Marine could answer that question.

http://www.byownerelectronics.com/store ... t=0&page=1

 

[96TL]

I tried going that route. Apparently Humminbird produces their own transducers, and the Airmars are not compatible. Well, they may be, but all testing would have to be done at my own risk. :shock:

Thanks though.

Dom