Transducers New and Old

[Old Bumbulum]

My new (to me) boat has an old Brooks and Gatehouse Hydra wind/log/speed/depth system that won't interface properly with a modern chartplotter, GPS radar and AIS. I've splashed out on a Raymarine replacement set but have questions about the transducers.

1) I won't be able to fit the new speed transducer without a liftout - but would the old B & G unit work in the Raymarine system? How interchangeable are these transducers? Never? Some? Ususally?

2) Likewise the depth tx. This is an in-hull rather than thru hull item - is it likely to work with the new setup?

3) I have read that one can adapt a thru-hull tx. (as will come with the new kit) into an in hull unit by mounting it in a container full of oil glassed to the hull. Anyone with experience of doing this?

4) B & G fluxgate compass. What chance this would work with the new kit?

I've had little luck interesting marine electronics people in these answers, they just shrug and say 'who knows' but they'll check it out at £60 per hour which is going to be a costly way to find out.
Wondering if anyone here has experience of this sort of thing.

Many thanks.

 

[pvb]

What Raymarine kit have you bought? Won't your Hydra system output NMEA0183?

 

[black hole]

My new (to me) boat has an old Brooks and Gatehouse Hydra wind/log/speed/depth system that won't interface properly with a modern chartplotter, GPS radar and AIS. I've splashed out on a Raymarine replacement set but have questions about the transducers.

1) I won't be able to fit the new speed transducer without a liftout - but would the old B & G unit work in the Raymarine system? How interchangeable are these transducers? Never? Some? Ususally?.

I would have thought this very unlikely

2) Likewise the depth tx. This is an in-hull rather than thru hull item - is it likely to work with the new setup? .

You might have a chance here - certainly most modern kit uses airmar transducers and I believe many work at the same frequency. Try is and see

3) I have read that one can adapt a thru-hull tx. (as will come with the new kit) into an in hull unit by mounting it in a container full of oil glassed to the hull. Anyone with experience of doing this?.

Done this using a piece of abs drainpipe shaped to the hull and fixed with west epoxy. Transducer sits in that in a bath of oil. Issues are things like hull thickness and it isnt always easy to match the hull shape ahead of the keel.

4) B & G fluxgate compass. What chance this would work with the new kit?.

To my surprise a 96 fluxgate worked fine with my 2015 plotter

I've had little luck interesting marine electronics people in these answers, they just shrug and say 'who knows' but they'll check it out at £60 per hour which is going to be a costly way to find out. Wondering if anyone here has experience of this sort of thing.

Many thanks.

£60/hr costly for technical support? Which century are you living in?

 

[Old Bumbulum]

PVB, i50/60 wind speed depth package.
Yes the B & G had a NMEA output but it doesn't seem to be compatible with the modern kit but at a different rate and although it will (apparently) sync for a while it always drops out pretty soon. previous owner and his electronics specialist were flummoxed.



Black Hole,
Thanks.

£60/hr costly for technical support? Which century are you living in?

I live in the 21st, same as you. But are you saying this price is 20th or 22nd? It isn't clear!

 

[pvb]

PVB, i50/60 wind speed depth package.
Yes the B & G had a NMEA output but it doesn't seem to be compatible with the modern kit but at a different rate and although it will (apparently) sync for a while it always drops out pretty soon. previous owner and his electronics specialist were flummoxed.

Maybe it's faulty. It's rather old, perhaps your best bet is to fit new transducers.

 

[Ardenfour]

I managed to get my old Shows log sensor working with a VDO gauge, but I had to fit additional magnets to the paddle blades to get the pulse rate correct. Works fine now.
I think most of the active transducers will be a Hall-effect signal, exception being NASA, which is a read switch ( I think )

 

[Ardenfour]

I mean Stowe

 

[Ardenfour]

And Reed (flipping productive text)

 

[PaulRainbow]

I've had little luck interesting marine electronics people in these answers, they just shrug and say 'who knows' but they'll check it out at £60 per hour which is going to be a costly way to find out.
Wondering if anyone here has experience of this sort of thing.

Many thanks.

£60/hr costly for technical support? Which century are you living in?

I must be grossly undercharging :ambivalence:

 

[William_H]

Possibly not applicable at all buy the only BandG water speed system I have seen used two transducers a bit like depth tranducers one sending a signal to the other via the water using doppler effect to calculate water speed. ie no paddle wheel. (as is most common for water speed) if you have this doppler system treasure it and keep it. It is so much superior to the paddle wheel because paddle wheel fouls very easily with weed. Of course this dopler system is not interchangeable with other water speed systems. However for depth it is worth trying the original depth transducer with your new system as often they work OK if not perfect, the effect is poor range which may not bother you. olewill

 

[Tam Lin]

I connected my new depth gauge to the old transducer and it worked. So it does sometimes!

 

[Old Bumbulum]

Great info everyone, thanks. I think the message is to try to connect the old transducers (connections may be a problem) and see.

The B & G Doppler speed system is indeed something I'd treasure but unfortunately I have a paddlewheel. never mind.