transducer question

[Gary Jensen]

I am looking to install a depth finder on my boat, and was wondering if it is ok to run the wiring through the transom below water line.
I do not like exposed wiring and my plan is to drill through the transom and run the wire from the transducer and then sealing the hole with 3M 5200 marine adhesive.
Would appreciate your input.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Huntindave McCann]

Gary,

You might consider running the wire up and over the transom and protecting it with a guard like this or similar. I rarely see electronics cables run thru below the water line. You could even create a closed channel yourself by attaching a wooden rail with a groove milled in the underside, (so that the cable would be between the hull and the rail).

 

[Jamie Allen]

I agree, the less holes you have in the boat the better. There are alot of cable holders available to run the cable over the transom and hold it in place and they look neet as well. If the transducer hits something in the water and pops loose of the mounting bracket, it could put enough stress on the cable and stress the sealed area and start to leak.

 

[tod osier]

I am looking to install a depth finder on my boat, and was wondering if it is ok to run the wiring through the transom below water line.
I do not like exposed wiring and my plan is to drill through the transom and run the wire from the transducer and then sealing the hole with 3M 5200 marine adhesive.
Would appreciate your input.

Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't. But I do agree that exposed wires off the transom isn't great either.

I shot my transducer through the hull for a nice clean setup. Really wasn't that much work and it is slick. It also allows you to mount the transducer further forward. A transducer won't shoot through plywood, but it will shoot through thick glass if there are no bubbles. I removed a transducer-sized piece of plywood from the hull, built up the space with biax and made a well to mount the transducer in. I chose to bed the transducer in bubble-free epoxy, but there are other options.

 

[Brad Bortner]

I wouldn't put any holes in your boat and I would do like Tod and use a shoot thru the hull transducer if you can get one. I just got finished replacing my thru hull transducer on my Bankes. You can see how much fun I had.

Nice to know that the bottom of my hull and floor is 1 inch thick.

 

[Carl]

I agree with Dave on this one, run it up & over and put a guard on it.

 

[Mark W]

First I wouldn't use 5200 - you'll never ever get that cable out in one piece should you choose to do so later. Putting uneccessary holes through the hull underwater is never a good idea.

Finally, and I wish I had my boat around to take pictures to show you, I would mount the transduce in a temporary way. I mounted an aluminum block to the transom of my hunting boat (used double sided sticky tape to do so). I then tapped some holes into the block that fit the transducer bracket. I can now screw in the transducer during fishing season and take it off for huting season. I would certainly rip that thing off with all the hauling over stuff I do with that boat. Works very well

Mark W

 

[tod osier]

First I wouldn't use 5200 - you'll never ever get that cable out in one piece should you choose to do so later. Putting uneccessary holes through the hull underwater is never a good idea.

Finally, and I wish I had my boat around to take pictures to show you, I would mount the transduce in a temporary way. I mounted an aluminum block to the transom of my hunting boat (used double sided sticky tape to do so). I then tapped some holes into the block that fit the transducer bracket. I can now screw in the transducer during fishing season and take it off for huting season. I would certainly rip that thing off with all the hauling over stuff I do with that boat. Works very well

Mark W

I agree with most of what you say Mark, but a temporary way on a custom duckboat - I don't agree .

I LOVE having a depth finder on the boat during duck season and basically it si a requirement in the water I hunt (may not be the case for many people). Right now I have a fish finder, since I fish a lot out of the boat, but when I get the fishin' boat up and running and the fish finder on the duck boat goes, I'll replace with one of the transducer and simple depth gauges as a readout.

 

[tod osier]

I wouldn't put any holes in your boat and I would do like Tod and use a shoot thru the hull transducer if you can get one. I just got finished replacing my thru hull transducer on my Bankes. You can see how much fun I had.

Nice to know that the bottom of my hull and floor is 1 inch thick.

And just to clarify for everyone else (not you Brad), most normal old transducers can shoot through a hull if the hull is solid fiberglass. So if your hull is not cored or plywood (or you remove the core or plywood) you can mount internally and shoot through with nothing special (this includes aluminum).