Depth Instrument Installation

[waterline]

Can anyone help with their experience of installing a depth electronic instrument on a 22 foot trailer sailer.

I have considered installing an electronic depth instrument such as a NASA or (similar) on my new Jeanneau SUN 2000, but am unsure just how easy a task this would be. I would install the transducer and fitting kit inside the hull as I don't want to drill through the hull, and run the instrument directly from the 12 volt battery. This will be the only instrument on the boat. My main concerns are the size of the "cut out" I would have to remove from the vertical chosen cockpit position. This would typically be 67 x 87 mm which is quite a large area to cut out of the boat. If I do need to cut this square out to install the electronic display unit, what do I seal the edges of the fibreglass cut out with?

Does anyone know if there is a display unit that would require a smaller cut out, or is even surface mounted to minimise the installation work required. As stated above, I intend to just connect the display unit directly to the battery, but as the battery is being charged from the outboard when the engine is running, will I need a regulator of some sort to protect the display unit?

Any help would be much appreciated

 

[Mike_02]

I have just installed a Nasa clipper depth and log. The back of the instruments are smaller (about half size) of the front and a rubber seal stops water ingreee from behind. The in hhll fitting kit is very easy and good. After a few goes at setting it up it now works very well indeed.

I would recomend them...and there are so mch chaper than everybody else.

 

[maris]

I'd be greatful if somebody could Email me the operating instructions for a Nasa target. dgll924@aol.com

 

[Mike_02]

What problems are you having..?

 

[maris]

I cant work out how the alarms work.

 

[Mike_02]

Give NASA a call. they are in Stevanage and are very useful. I'm sure they won't mind telling you how.

 

[yachtbits]

consider the Silva Star Depth system.

Display unit requires a round hole approx 65mm diameter. A hole saw from a electrical wholesaler or plumbing supplier is what we use.

transducer can either be fitted inside hull in a oil filled tube or thru' hull. Thru hull is best and the silva one is flush fitting unlike the Nasa transducer.

kev
Approved Silva Distributor



www.yachtbits.co.uk
sales@yachtbits.co.uk
marine electrical/electronics specialists

 

[Kathryn]

Can anyone please tell me how to secure the transducer to the inside of the hull.
Mine was found laying in the bilge when I bought the boat.

 

[ccscott49]

You need a pipe, just a little larger than the transducer diameter, this is bonded to the hull, where you want to put the transducer, you can test the spot to see if the transducer works, by puuting the transducer on the inside of the hull, bedded in some silicon grease, with no air bubbles in it, the depth sounder should work, this is the spot to put it, if it doesn't work, move it to another place and try again, when you find a spot mark it! Right, you now
n eed to bond the pipe to this spot, using polyester or epoxy resin, sealing it to the hull, it would be good if the pipe was vertical, so as the transducer looks straight down, you can just chanfer the end of the pipe top achieve this. when the pipe is bonded to the hull, the pipe can be semi filled with castor oil, the transducer is then suspended, in this fluid, a washer around the transducer with the nuts is the best way, this washer rests on top of the tube, it can then be sealed on with some silicon sealant to stop the castor oil leaking out, test it before sealing. this is basically it, I may have missed something, but I'm sure there will be other folks to keep you straight. Alternatively, you can through hull mount it this is a little more invovled and requires fairing blocks etc. another story. You can also bond it to the hull with silicon sealant, but I don't know that this works too well.

 

[webcraft]

I'm currently sailing a boat with a totally inaccurate Silva depth instrument. The transducer is in a tube which has a small amount of some sort of oil in the bottom; also, the transducer is loose in the tube - it was originally suspended from the top with sealant but the sealant is broken.

Does it have to be castor oil, and should the tube be completely filled with it?

Is it important that the transducer does not touch the side of the tube?

Any other hints for making this mickey mouse setup give an accurate reading?

(It's not my boat, otherwise I would solve the problem by drilling a hole in the hull and fitting the transducer properly - it's not such a big deal once you've seen it done once)

- Nick

BlueMoment.Com
http://www.bluemoment.com

 

[bryantee]

To find the best place ,put the transducer in a plastic bag of water and hold it tight against the hull and find the best place for access and operation.then epoxy your plastic tube to the hull .I use castor oil as the oil medium.about 50mm in the tube and get the air out.

 

[ccscott49]

the pipe should be full enough to cover the transducer, castor is probably best, the transducer should be a lose fit, or the vibrations of the depth signal get degraded, IE, it should be free to vibrate, put the transducer back in the oil and try and centre it in the tube best you cvan then reseal it, it should work, but I'm a through hull man anyway, seeing as my hull is 2" thick Iroko, which makes it 3" plus two pads, to get the transducer vertical.