Re: Fish Finder
I just recently installed an inhull transducer (transom type) using many of the tips others on this site offered. Thanks to some of those tips, it had no reduction in sensitivity (depths at 100" or less, freshwater).
This is what I did:
I took my boat out to a cove where I was familiar with the bottom structure.
I hung the transducer over the side of the boat, and with my trolling motor, slowly went over several areas of structure. I then placed the transducer in a bag with water, and put it a various places in my hull, using a small bag of sand to keep it in place. Small variations in placement made a significant difference, but I was able to find a place where there appeared to be no loss in signal. By the way, I turned off the fishfinder (Humminbird 161) before handling the transducer.
I dried the hull, sanded the location lightly, and used ipa to clean the place. Using 50 ml of 50 min epoxy(from Walmart), I put down the epoxy (there was a small depression in my hull so I didn't have to make a dam), applied a small amount to the face of the transducer then gently pressed it into the epoxy. I weighted it down and let it sit for two days.
The results were better than I expected. I never loss the bottom up to 100 ft at 30 mph. Bottom detail, even at speed, was great.
Many had cautioned to experiment with the location in the boat. Now that I've done it, I think that is the key for a successful installation. Good luck.
