Stemar
Well-Known Member
Jazzcat's got some new toys, including a Clipper Duet. Fitting the log transducer will wait until she's lifted out for the winter, but I'd really like the depth sounder to work!
The original whirly neon job's transducer is the same as the NASA one, and was fitted in a tube containing what was presumably oil once, but more like a smear of grease when I took the transducer out. I cleaned everything up, put fresh caster oil in and fitted the new transducer. Nothing. Depth reads Out, with an occasional display of what I'd guess to be double the depth. Old transducer the same, butit works perfectly when dangled in the water. I didn't try the new transducer over the side because I'd spent too much time feeding the lead through impossible gaps, but I can hear it clicking.
I conclude that the hull thickness is too much for the Duet. It may well have been too much for the old one too, because it span, but the neon didn't light. There's nowhere on the hull that's anywhere near horizontal apart from aft of the props, where I fear the water would be too turbulent, and the rest of the hull is at a pretty acute angle, so any inside fitting would seem to leave me with too much grp in the way.
There is a nacelle at the stern whose bottom spends some of its time below the surface of the water, so I've wondered if would be realistic to build a little skeg under it for the log and depth transponders to live in? Another possibility would be to build a pod on a bit of stainless tube. In that case, my plan would be for it to be able to break free and tip up and astern if it hits anything, and also be able to be tipped up for cleaning. I'm guessing, the transponders would have to be the best part of a foot deep (3ft draft) to give a reasonably consistent reading.
My only other idea is to drill through the hull at the current mounting point, as that will give me a horizontal top to the hole, and make up a custom version of the mounting kit for the bottom from GRP.
Good ideas or daft ideas? Any other suggestions?
The original whirly neon job's transducer is the same as the NASA one, and was fitted in a tube containing what was presumably oil once, but more like a smear of grease when I took the transducer out. I cleaned everything up, put fresh caster oil in and fitted the new transducer. Nothing. Depth reads Out, with an occasional display of what I'd guess to be double the depth. Old transducer the same, butit works perfectly when dangled in the water. I didn't try the new transducer over the side because I'd spent too much time feeding the lead through impossible gaps, but I can hear it clicking.
I conclude that the hull thickness is too much for the Duet. It may well have been too much for the old one too, because it span, but the neon didn't light. There's nowhere on the hull that's anywhere near horizontal apart from aft of the props, where I fear the water would be too turbulent, and the rest of the hull is at a pretty acute angle, so any inside fitting would seem to leave me with too much grp in the way.
There is a nacelle at the stern whose bottom spends some of its time below the surface of the water, so I've wondered if would be realistic to build a little skeg under it for the log and depth transponders to live in? Another possibility would be to build a pod on a bit of stainless tube. In that case, my plan would be for it to be able to break free and tip up and astern if it hits anything, and also be able to be tipped up for cleaning. I'm guessing, the transponders would have to be the best part of a foot deep (3ft draft) to give a reasonably consistent reading.
My only other idea is to drill through the hull at the current mounting point, as that will give me a horizontal top to the hole, and make up a custom version of the mounting kit for the bottom from GRP.
Good ideas or daft ideas? Any other suggestions?
