Depth sounder or Fish Finder?

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

My depth sounder instrument (Nasa Clipper) has broken and I need a replacement. It is an opportunity to install a fish finder instead; cheaper and able to show bottom conditions too. I dont want to make yet another hole through the hull for the transducer.

It appears that most Fish Finders come with a transom mount transducer, which I dont want. Do you know of a suitable Fish Finder which comes with a transducer that can be "glued" on the inside of the hull. Any suggestions please

 

[mlines]

As far as I am aware most can be glued inside the hull. Mine is a standard garmin and it is glued in (complete with part of the transom mount!)

 

[alahol2]

We have a Lowrance fishfinder (very old) with a transom mount transducer that is fitted internally on a bed of CT1. It works fine.

 

[fergie_mac66]

we got a dual frequency transducer for our gamin chartplotter for 45 quid works well and it counts the fish very disconcerting when it sees 791 fish 20 meters down!

 

[NormanS]

My plotter came with a transom mount transducer. I just sawed off the extraneous sticky-out bits, and stuck it inside. Works perfectly.
I would seriously recommend a fish finder, if you do any anchoring. The ability to drop your anchor onto clean mud, rather than the weedy bit closeby, will greatly improve your sleeping.

 

[rafiki_]

I have both on Rafiki, and they seldom show the same depth. The fish finder is easily distracted by whatever is in the water, not surprising really, as that is what it is supposed to do.

 

[stuartwineberg]

Should work OK

Transom mount type transducers are fine inside the hull as long as the area they are transmitting through is solid and does not have a foam or balsa core. I have a Garmin unit - the process is to immerse the transducer in a plastic bag full of water and rest it on the place you would like to fit it - check the reading and then sling the transducer into the water alongside the boat and make sure the reading is the same. If so you are good to go. I then made a dam out of cardboard and filled it with bathroom silicon, (making sure there are no air bubbles) and pushed the transducer into it, making sure the face is parallel to the water surface. Let it dry and away you go. If you are mounting in a motor boat, make sure it is in an area where the water flow is smooth and not turbulent. I don't know if the above applies to the new CHIRP high resolution transducers.

My depth sounder instrument (Nasa Clipper) has broken and I need a replacement. It is an opportunity to install a fish finder instead; cheaper and able to show bottom conditions too. I dont want to make yet another hole through the hull for the transducer.

It appears that most Fish Finders come with a transom mount transducer, which I dont want. Do you know of a suitable Fish Finder which comes with a transducer that can be "glued" on the inside of the hull. Any suggestions please

 

[Graham_Wright]

I have both as the fish finder is power hungry and (mine) needs the plotter on as well.