Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

[Ernest T]

Looking for a fish finder/GPS unit that will work with a shoot through the hull transducer to mount on my waverunner. I'm looking for something simple and relatively cheap. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[rolmops]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

Is your boat fiberglass or is it aluminum?

 

[Ernest T]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

Is your boat fiberglass or is it aluminum?

Fiberglass. I'm told it is single layer behind the engine where the transducer would be mounted.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

With fiberglass you can use shoot through transducers,but it is a bit tricky.If you have a surface in the back of the boat that is single layer and horizontal relative to the water,you should not have any problem.If there are angles to take into account then you will have to deal with a transducer container box in your stern which makes it horizontal and more complicated.
Then there is the question of money.If you have enough of it,go buy Furuno and you will never look back.If you are on a budget you will have to make different choices.
Give us a bit more info about what you are willing to spend and we can react accordingly.
good luck.

 

[Ernest T]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

There are a couple of flat areas in the hull, but I'm not sure they are perfectly horizontal. There may be a slight angle. I'd like to spend $500 or less. I'm not looking for anything fancy.

Thanks!

 

[rolmops]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

http://www.midlandsstriperclub.org/Installing_A_Shoot-thru.pdf
http://www.lowrance.com/Support/Tips-and-Tutorials/Transducer-Guide/

The 2 links above will give you an idea about what is involved with shoot through hull mounting and the types of transducer that you want.
The Lowrance shoot through hull transducer (the round one) is pretty good.You will do well if you get their fishfinder and GPS unit together with the transducer and you will stay within your budget.But don't take this as gospel.There are other good units out there with the same price range.

 

[Ernest T]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

rolmops, thanks for the help. I'm looking at Lowrance units. I'll probably have to test the location in the hull to find the best spot for the transducer, but you have given me some good info.

Thanks Again for you help!

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

Dude,

This is for the Hurricane correct?

I'm in the market as well, and was looking at Lowrance because I hoped I could use my stock Lowrance model X47's shoot through transducer, but the plug is different and not compatible with the GPS/chartplotter/sonar from Lowrance I was looking at. I also started looking at Garmin 521s and 531s. Interesting we both seem to be adding very similar upgrades to our canes...

 

[semperfifishing]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

I am an Airmar dealer (Transducers) and the P79 in the hull (shoot thru the hull ) transducer is adjustable for dead rise hulls from 0 to 22 degrees.an is an excellent transducer.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

Ernest, If the hull is solid fiberglass (no voids or core), a standard transom mount transducer CAN work just fine, when installed in the bilge. It just needs to be in full contact with the hull and kept wet. No epoxy, oil or transducer cup is necessary.

However, you need to test the installation to make sure it works. I used a standard transom mount transducer on my SeaRay hull. A cup of water in the bilge at first launch to get it wet, and that was it for the season. I tried the same thing on my SeaSwirl, w/o success.

 

[madman2021]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

what if you have an aluminium hull? we installed 3 fish finders in my buddys boat, one threw the hull type and 2 transom mounted. the threw the hull one sometimes acts up when we get in shallow water(less than 13 feet).

 

[rolmops]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

what if you have an aluminium hull? we installed 3 fish finders in my buddys boat, one threw the hull type and 2 transom mounted. the threw the hull one sometimes acts up when we get in shallow water(less than 13 feet).

Aluminum has a different density than either water or fiberglass which are very similar to each other.This means that aluminum will distort your signal.With an aluminum boat you will have to drill a hole through the bottom of your boat and install your transducer through the hull so it will have a good reading.That makes it through the hull instead of through hull signals.
These through the hull transducers can be a real pain the neck when getting your boat on a trailer, because they can stick out sometimes up to 2 inches.
There is a new transducer on the market that claims to be able to give a proper reading through aluminum,but it will probably take some time to get the bugs out of that one.here it is.
http://www.radarsonics.com/AlumaDucer.htm

 

[madman2021]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

ohh thats why

 

[semperfifishing]

Re: Shoot Through Hull Fish Finder/GPS Recommendation

Ernest, If the hull is solid fiberglass (no voids or core), a standard transom mount transducer CAN work just fine, when installed in the bilge. It just needs to be in full contact with the hull and kept wet. No epoxy, oil or transducer cup is necessary.

However, you need to test the installation to make sure it works. I used a standard transom mount transducer on my SeaRay hull. A cup of water in the bilge at first launch to get it wet, and that was it for the season. I tried the same thing on my SeaSwirl, w/o success.

Using a transom mount can be done but you will lose a great deal of sensitivity
because it places the crystal to close to the boat hul..thus greater "bell ringing".
And most importantly, by having the face against the hull it can distort the parameters of the cone angle.

That is why a good shoot thru the hull has a spacer of water between the hull and the crystal..for better transmission of sound and less bell ring but also to retain the parameters of the cone angle.