Dougal
New member
Is there a way to test a sounder while the boat is on the dry? It's a standard through hull transducer.
How To Test Depth Sounder
- Thread starter Dougal
- Start date
pvb
Well-known member
You can test the depth system by putting a length of plastic drainpipe vertically under the transducer. The end next to the transducer needs to touch the hull and the other end needs to be capped. The reading you get should be about 4 times the length of the pipe (so a 1 metre pipe should give a depth reading of 4 metres).
Dougal
New member
wow thanks for that. Simplicity itself. I was way too far ahead of myself and complicating things.
I'm intested in the 4:1 thing though, what's that about?
I'm intested in the 4:1 thing though, what's that about?
prv
Well-known member
adwuk
Active member
Sound travels 4 times faster in water than it does in air.
^^ was too slow.
^^ was too slow.
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SiteSurfer
Active member
That's an astonishing tip, another golden nugget from YBW forumites.
Seajet
...
To test a transducer is actually working, put your ear close by in quiet conditions and there should be a very quiet rapid soft ticking.
Daydream believer
Well-known member
What if you are dead? Would it still carry on ticking or would it go to a continous buzz? Alternatively on some people could it go in one ear & out the other. My wife says a lot of things do that with me!!
Seajet
...
There's the allegedly true story of an airliner landing at a big US airport, the female air traffic controller said ' X, take intersection *** '
The airliner steamed straight past
" I told you to turn off at *** "
' Sorry, you sound so much like my wife I was ignoring you '
The airliner steamed straight past
" I told you to turn off at *** "
' Sorry, you sound so much like my wife I was ignoring you '
Seajet
...
Daydream Believer,
on my YM course there was a chap from another planet doing incompetent crew; one day he said " we chartered a boat from Bucklers Hard - the instruments were perfectly calibrated, we watched the reading going down, and just when it said zero we hit the bottom . '
Standing behind hm was an RN navigator, the look on his face was priceless.
on my YM course there was a chap from another planet doing incompetent crew; one day he said " we chartered a boat from Bucklers Hard - the instruments were perfectly calibrated, we watched the reading going down, and just when it said zero we hit the bottom . '
Standing behind hm was an RN navigator, the look on his face was priceless.
Sandy
Well-known member
Is an echo sounder any good at giving you the altitude?
Personally, I wait until we are in the water. We get lifted in just down from a tide gauge so that is really helpful. Once afloat and further down rive we "kiss" a sandbank and make sure zero really means zero.
Personally, I wait until we are in the water. We get lifted in just down from a tide gauge so that is really helpful. Once afloat and further down rive we "kiss" a sandbank and make sure zero really means zero.
Ruffles
Active member
I think it depends what you mean by test. You can get it to give a reading to prove the electronics is doing something but to actually test how effective the transducer is you really need to be in the water.
Our transducer failed to the extent it gave intermittent readings. I think it was full of sea water. Outrageous really; it was only 25 years old.
If yours is playing up it might be cheaper just to change it. I got one for £89 from JGtech but ended up paying for a lift and scrub to fit it.
Our transducer failed to the extent it gave intermittent readings. I think it was full of sea water. Outrageous really; it was only 25 years old.
If yours is playing up it might be cheaper just to change it. I got one for £89 from JGtech but ended up paying for a lift and scrub to fit it.
Dougal
New member
The reason for testing, is a fault that 'APPEARS' to be a transducer problem, and being a depth/log combo unit (old Autohelm ST50), I'd like to keep it, if I can just replace the transducer.
In the water, when first powering on the unit, it BRIEFLY gives an acurate reading (checked with plumbline), but then freeze's and won't update. I currently have to keep turning it on and off to get updates
Hooked it up directly to the repeater but still the same, so my logic says it's a transducer fault. I can get one of those for about £70.
In the water, when first powering on the unit, it BRIEFLY gives an acurate reading (checked with plumbline), but then freeze's and won't update. I currently have to keep turning it on and off to get updates
Hooked it up directly to the repeater but still the same, so my logic says it's a transducer fault. I can get one of those for about £70.
Seajet
...
I do believe fishfinders give much better value nowadays, as they show the seabed nature and contours even better than the old Seafarer ' whirring disc ' jobs did.
I have two sounders ( so have to keep the transducers apart, one under the forefoot, one aft and just to the side of the keel to avoid turbulence - currently a simple Clipper depth in the cockpit and a fishfinder on a swing out panel from the cabin, but over winter I will swap them over.
The Garmin fishfinder was I think remarkable value; colour ' Chirp ' display, built in GPS with 9 waypoints - useful as a backup to the plotter - for £130. It comes with a transom mount transducer but those work fine just stuck with sealant inside the grp hull.
It also comes with a horrendously obtrusive bracket begging to get knocked, so I fit it in a flush panel without the bracket.