Positioning of Transducers Cont.

[PeterInSA]

As mentioned on Thread "Positioning Of Transducers" 22-10-07 my Ski ladder is on the Starboard side of my Half Cabin Boat and I would prefer to mount the Transducer (Triducer/Multisensor) for my Raymariner A65 on the Port side between my 85HP Merc (Blue Band) and the small Backup.

Rang my supplier who has installed a number of units and he assured me a Port mount would provide significantly less/no interference than a Starboard mount since the wiring harness for the motor was on the starboard side. My battery and the Digital Sounder Module are/will be also mounted on the Starboard side at the rear of the boat. A comment that was made in passing that the starboard mount is common in the US, I did not follow this up, but it may be because they drive their boats from the port side like their cars. The Transducer is apparently made in the US, the install instructions are printed in the US. The instructions say to install the unit on the Starboard side.

My supplier commented that the rotation of the prop did not have any impact on whether the unit was mounted on the Port or Starboard side.

I don’t want to be in the situation of having to remount this unit.

Your comments appreciated, and will not be used to bag my supplier, who’s help I value.

Peter

[Roughasguts]

Mate I have a tranducer on both sides, they both work fine, as long as there in clear water before the tranducer.

Buuuut use some chopping board to screw the tranducer in to then use some sealer (sikaflex) to mount the chopping board to your hull.

What i'm saying is use the above to avoid putting screws in your transom, cause sooner or later there going to leak and maybe even help rot your transom out.

[PeterInSA]

Thanks Roughas guts,
Question if I don't use the chopping board, and drill holes in the Transom/fibreglass, then fill the small holes and coat the screws with silaflex will this work as well.

Comment When I pulled out my 3 Bungs and Bung mounts, I also silaflexed the holes thru the transom before putting the bungs/mounting back together. I then wondered if I did not coat the holes thru the Transom 100%, water would get into the wood and find it very hard to dry out, which might make the transom rot soon than if I had not done the coating.

Peter

[dnej]

Peter.
The least amount of holes you put in your transom,the better. Sikaflexing an attachment board.is a great way to go.Looks neat,easy to work with,and if you want to change the position,no harm done.
But yes your question is answered,it will work,but the option Roughas has posted is the way to go.I have a plate stern,and even then I have a panel for fixing to.
David

[grumpysmurf]

Boats are universal, unlike cars - the US don't drive their boats on the left. International maritime laws says that one must give way to the right, and hence right hand drive is most common. Of course there are also many centre mounted helm, and dual helm, and less commonly left hand drive.

The transducer on the left or right have no difference to the way they work. As long as there is no interference of water before the transducer. The prop wash is after the transducer, and unless you are going reverse, will have no effect on the sounder.

As for the wiring, yes great idea to run it opposite all the other wiring if you can. Many people don't bother as it means more work, and the wire is fairly well shielded anyway. Also, most transducer cables are too long for a boat the size of yours, so there is nothing stopping you from mounting the transducer on the starboard side and running it along the port side.

That chopping board idea sounds great. I will definately do that on my next boat.



A comment that was made in passing that the starboard mount is common in the US, I did not follow this up, but it may be because they drive their boats from the port side like their cars. The Transducer is apparently made in the US, the install instructions are printed in the US. The instructions say to install the unit on the Starboard side.

Peter

[PeterInSA]

Roughasgust , Dnej, and all,
I am sold on the chopping block to mount the Transducer, even thou I have never seen it done on any boat I have come across. Where do I go from here.

Ques 1. Do I use marine ply or Treated Pine? For Looks I would like to use Treated pine and paint with ENAMEL Pea Gren and Cream paint (3 coats) to match the boat with the cut ends to have an additional coat of silaflex to provide additional water resistance.

Ques 2. Intend to use wood 20mm thick to give the screws more bite. The wood to be 90mm wide to fit the Transducer with 5 mm left over either side and going from the bottom of the hull to the top of the transom at the motor well 46cm so I can screw in the cable clamps into the wood as well. Do you agree with this?

Ques 3. The original screws (3) to mount the Transducer require at least a 23mm holes into the Transom. Because I am using 20mm thick timber will use 5 screws (only 1 in the middel) to go 19mm deep. If put them 10mm apart it will still allow for some in situ adjustment. Agree?

Ques 4. Where the bottom of the piece of wood (chopping board) meets the bottom of the Hull/Transom the Fibreglass is slightly rounded. I will fill in this Gap with silaflex to stop any cavitation getting to the Transducer.

Comments appreciated

Peter

[1975fflh]

I have a raymarine unit and the same was in the fitting instructions, I have ladder on the right so putit on the prt side no problems.
The sikaflex is good as i found when i pulled the old transducer off they hadnt been done and had water in the transom.

[PeterInSA]

Thanks 1975fflh,
Had a look around some boat yards in Adelaide today and could not find a boat with a chopping board/Transducer setup. What I did see from my limited knowledge of reading the fiitting instructions is that a number of units were mounted at various angles that were at variance with my fitting instructions so these units must accept a far bit of variation.

Currently intend to use a Plastic white chopping board 10mm thick, only a bit larger than my Transducer. To install will accurately determine where the Transducer should go on the chopping board/boat, drill the mounting screw holes into the chopping board. Attach the chopping board onto the Transom with Sikaflex-291, when the Sikaflex is dry, screw on the Transducer to the chopping board with SS Screws (3) with a depth of no more than 10mm.

Will not use the cable tabs/screws on the transom, but just rely on the top fitting (at engine well) to keep the cable tight.

Any comments appreciated.

Peter