ghostlymoron
Well-known member
Most depth instruments are sonic so you should be able to hear them clicking. If not, the sensor or wiring is faulty. Any chance of borrowing one you know works and trying it?
Most depth instruments are sonic so you should be able to hear them clicking. If not, the sensor or wiring is faulty. Any chance of borrowing one you know works and trying it?
Here’s the transducer - P79 around £160
Raymarine P79 In Hull Depth Transducer with Fitting Kit - E26001-PZ
I would say it will read ERRORSorry should have read your post properly - if signal travels in air at 25% speed in water must think it’s 4 times deeper therefore will report actual 1 metre as 4 metres?
I will sell you one, I've got a few fishing weights and a ball of string laying around at home! ??Now to find where I can buy a lead line….
A lead line is usually the go-to tool for checking depth in the absence of a functioning sounder.If your anchor chain is regularly marked, that should help tell how deep it is. It gets lighter when the anchor touches the bottom. Not sure how well you can tell if you have to use a windlass...
Not much use on a yacht doing 6 kts approaching a steep sand bank. Especially to a single handerA lead line is usually the go-to tool for checking depth in the absence of a functioning sounder.
The lead weigh needs to be hefty if the boat is moving at all. The weight is initially used to tell if you are approaching the shallows, when near you slow down.Not much use on a yacht doing 6 kts approaching a steep sand bank. Especially to a single hander
If it is that muddy then one might as well, just touch the mud. I often do when entering Bradwell marina & the like; but always motoring & not when close hauled cutting the corner of a sand bank at 5 kts. A weight that is too heavy, on a thin line just cuts one's hand. A thick line catches the water flow.The lead weigh needs to be hefty if the boat is moving at all. The weight is initially used to tell if you are approaching the shallows, when near you slow down.
I like my sounders but have used lead line when sounders gave nonsense reading, but only when nervously entering shallow harbours or crossing shallow grounds - the problem there was muddy boundary layer gining apparent 1.5m depth when chart suggested 5m and about to deepen. It was near 5m as my 4m lead didnt touch, and then it deepened and normal reading restarted
Not a good idea to touch mud banks in the mid Bristol Channel. Getting stuck is fine but when that 14m tide comes in at 3 to 5kts it can tumble you on your side. Even anchoring to try and avoid being pushed onto higher ground, is tricky as one boat at pulled under by the 1st severn bridge about 25 years ago, and another needed rescue. However it can save miles and even save a tide sneaking across some bank. Oh and the banks shift on a 19 year cycle.If it is that muddy then one might as well, just touch the mud. I often do when entering Bradwell marina & the like; but always motoring & not when close hauled cutting the corner of a sand bank at 5 kts. A weight that is too heavy, on a thin line just cuts one's hand. A thick line catches the water flow.
do you know if transducer is sending NMEA0183 sentences to the head unit? if so, an old pc with hyperterminal would help. Doubt it's the case though
so a high pulse or something every x milis that are then converted in the head unit to depth? wont be great fun finding how that works with an arduino me thinksIt's just a simple analogue signal, not a smart transducer.
so a high pulse or something every x milis that are then converted in the head unit to depth? wont be great fun finding how that works with an arduino me thinks