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Depth finder?

nordic454

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what have you guys seen as the best, most reliable depth gauge/finder? I am interested in putting one in...
 

Shrub Lurker

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what have you guys seen as the best, most reliable depth gauge/finder? I am interested in putting one in...

how do feel about cutting a hole through your hull? Airmar makes a great transducer that can be paired with just about any dash gauge, has water temp capabilities and can be mounted in a forward location as opposed to transomes which realty only tell you depth after running over whatever you just hit. I will post images and part numbers once I'm back to the shop .
 

franky

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how do feel about cutting a hole through your hull? Airmar makes a great transducer that can be paired with just about any dash gauge, has water temp capabilities and can be mounted in a forward location as opposed to transomes which realty only tell you depth after running over whatever you just hit. I will post images and part numbers once I'm back to the shop .
Even at only 5mph the boat is moving 7.5 ft per second. Do you really think it maters what end the transducer is?
 

Shrub Lurker

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Even at only 5mph the boat is moving 7.5 ft per second. Do you really think it maters what end the transducer is?


Dunno, but it couldn't hurt. I guess a guy could "put it", wherever he thought was appropriate to "put it".
Hangin off the transom always appeared to be clipped on bs to me.
In hull transducers never worked for me.
Here is the part and number and images.
I am going to use a quicksilver gauge which appears will plug right in, however I have used it with other brands that don't plug in by cutting off the connector and matching up wires. Not aware of any gauges that come with this type of transducer.
My .02
 

Shlbyntro

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If your only doing a depth sounder and not a sonar scanner, you can always use a glue in transducer and they work just fine for depth Sounders without punching a hole in the boat. Just prep the surface and use a liberal amount of a good epoxy.
 

Essexive G's

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I have a transducer that was built for external mount. That meant drilling a hole in the transom. I wasn’t willing to do that, so what I did was mount it in the bilge in 2 part epoxy. I cut a Dixie cup in half and used the top half as a trough. I taped the trough to the hull and sealed it so that the epoxy wouldn’t ooze. I poured the epoxy in the trough, then placed the transducer in the epoxy. After the epoxy set up I removed the Dixie cup and tape. As long as you doi not have any air bubbles in the epoxy the transducer reads through the hull, and it is accurate.
 

ONE-A-DAY

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If you want a depth finder to avoid hitting the bottom that’s pretty much pointless. I guess it would be helpful for fishing.
 

nordic454

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If you want a depth finder to avoid hitting the bottom that’s pretty much pointless. I guess it would be helpful for fishing.

It really for hitting bottom while under way, but in no wake situations. Where we boat often is shallow at certain times a day, and it would be nice to know just how close I’m cutting it. Lol. Plus I have a couple gauges that I don’t need, so figured it would be a good filler.
 

Waterjunky

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I use my depth gauge all the time when it near shore. Not something I pay attention to when running. Its kind of nice when you are just idling through a shallow spot. Its also not useful for things like submerged logs, but great for watching the bottom on a strange area with water tables that fluctuate regularly.

I would not be completely comfortable without one.
 

Blackmagic94

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Install a chart plotter with sonar. A stupid gauge only is dumb imo
 

Waterjunky

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Install a chart plotter with sonar. A stupid gauge only is dumb imo

Considering however that the stupid gauge is already in the boat and the plotter I am looking at is about $700 plus install.......
 

River Runnin

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I get depth, structure, and GPS at the same time on the screen!...and any combination of others I choose!
 

QC22

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The more info I can get the better. I fail to see how having a simple dash gauge sounder is bad. This feels like a Rice Rd. thread...
 

nordic454

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The more info I can get the better. I fail to see how having a simple dash gauge sounder is bad. This feels like a Rice Rd. thread...

I agree. It’s funny how some people think you must have what they have, and like, or it’s useless. Anything is better than nothing.
 

Shlbyntro

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I use my depth gauge all the time when it near shore. Not something I pay attention to when running. Its kind of nice when you are just idling through a shallow spot. Its also not useful for things like submerged logs, but great for watching the bottom on a strange area with water tables that fluctuate regularly.

I would not be completely comfortable without one.

Likewise. Mine is mounted on the side next to the shifter. As with other boats I've owned, I never really watch it but have a depth alarm set at 3 ft which is really all I need; in fact I usually leave the cover on it. The only time I ever wanted a structure scan or high res sonar was on my fishing boat....
 

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kiethco

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The Faria 2 inch with depth, air and water temp. Hard to beat, Overtons sells 'em for $150.00. I like the compact factory in dash look.
 

QC22

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The Faria 2 inch with depth, air and water temp. Hard to beat, Overtons sells 'em for $150.00. I like the compact factory in dash look.
I just bought this one, not installed yet. Previous boat had air and sea temp, and a separate simple depth sounder. I found I like all three pieces of info. People ask me shit, dunno why, but they do. Which brings me to another benefit of just knowing the depth. I can tell people it's safe to dive.

Also, there are spots all over that look kinda safe, but not 100% sure. I idle up to these, drift over, and get a reading. If I know lake elevation that day I make a mental note and then I know more shit again.
 

Dkahnjob

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I just ordered one from CP Marine for my Daytona. I have had them in most of the boats that I have had over the years and I really like the information.
 

BajaMike

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I liked the factory depth finder on my Baja, I think it was pretty accurate and no thru hull holes. Used to see 1 feet of depth going up from Havasu to the Sandbar, drive up high and about 30 mph. Also fun at Powell, pulling up along side a 300 foot cliff and showing 100 feet of water under me.

They have some that you don’t have to put a hole thru the hull, they read thru the fiberglass.
 

Nordie

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I've always liked the depth finders. It was even better in my uncle's fishing boat. When we ran offshore out of Naples we knew when to stop at certain depths and find structure. But it was even more interesting fishing the Atlantic and the gauge went from 60 to 1800 in a hurry. That was Mahi fishing from Islamorada.

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spectras only

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I've had Lowrance 3500's installed in all my boats. It is the one for a fast moving boat, registering up to 60 mph accurately. Transducers inside hulls with solid core fiberglass bottoms. Balsa and foam core hulls should use through hull transducer installation.
Always set the alarm minimum 3 feet plus the draft of the boat! For faster speeds, set the alarm even greater to have somewhat of a warning for approach of shallows.
 

Shrub Lurker

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I just bought this one, not installed yet. Previous boat had air and sea temp, and a separate simple depth sounder. I found I like all three pieces of info. People ask me shit, dunno why, but they do. Which brings me to another benefit of just knowing the depth. I can tell people it's safe to dive.

Also, there are spots all over that look kinda safe, but not 100% sure. I idle up to these, drift over, and get a reading. If I know lake elevation that day I make a mental note and then I know more shit again.

If you have the hueevos to drill that hole, the airmar part mentioned above will work with that Faria. Eliminating more junk and and wires hanging off that pretty transom of yours.
 

nordic454

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If you have the hueevos to drill that hole, the airmar part mentioned above will work with that Faria. Eliminating more junk and and wires hanging off that pretty transom of yours.

I definitely want it in Hull, not off the transom. Not too keen on drilling a hole either.
 

farmo83

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My Dad looked at getting a depth finder for his Hallett after he hit a sand bar. Also I thought it would be great as when I was younger he would tell me to get out and see how deep it was and it was normally 4-5 feet deeper then I am tall. He called Hallett to order one and they told him they weren't really good for moving at speed.
 

QC22

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I definitely want it in Hull, not off the transom. Not too keen on drilling a hole either.
I've had shoot through before on another boat. Worked well, but I'm going to hang it off the transom this time. The boat is at the lake, so it really isn't cruising on the trailer ever, and when you combine trim tabs, power steering rams (eventually), exhaust, etc. etc. the transom has a bunch of shit anyway, so what's the difference? Add in that when she's floating all that shit (even exhaust) is under water on my boat plus hidden by the swim-step. I'm over it.

As for drilling, dash or transom, you just gotta do it. No options for most additions.
 

RichL

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I've had shoot through before on another boat. Worked well, but I'm going to hang it off the transom this time. The boat is at the lake, so it really isn't cruising on the trailer ever, and when you combine trim tabs, power steering rams (eventually), exhaust, etc. etc. the transom has a bunch of shit anyway, so what's the difference? Add in that when she's floating all that shit (even exhaust) is under water on my boat plus hidden by the swim-step. I'm over it.

As for drilling, dash or transom, you just gotta do it. No options for most additions.
Just remember any turbulence off the hull will blow your readings.
 

QC22

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Just remember any turbulence off the hull will blow your readings.
Understood. Fact is. I'm not looking for anything high speed. Just info for future reference, curiosity etc. All good. Oh, and one boat ago it was hangin' off the transom and it was more consistent at speed than my shoot through two boats ago.
 

nordic454

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Again, at speed isn’t my concern. I wear good polarized glasses, and can read he water pretty well. It’s mainly for in and out of marina’s, coves, topoc etc... at no wake speeds. I like the way my transom looks now, and don’t want anything else on it. As for the dash, I’ve got two gauge spots that are in necessary, so it will replace one of those.

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