228 Grady owners experience with In Hull transducers

[mous]

Hi all
Grady customer service recommends transom-mounted transducers for this model. What is your experience with in-hull transducers such as M135M (1 KW ) or P75M (600 W)? The bilge area in my 2004 228 is small and uneven (photo attached). Where is the best place to mount the in-hull transducer in this bilge area?

 

[Pighunter]

Hi all
Grady customer service recommends transom-mounted transducers for this model. What is your experience with in-hull transducers such as M135M (1 KW ) or P75M (600 W)? The bilge area in my 2004 228 is small and uneven (photo attached). Where is the best place to mount the in-hull transducer in this bilge area?

I put a B75H thru hull in my 99 228

Transducer installation

I'm installing a Airmar B75H thru hull What sealant are you guys using? I used 4200 on my last boat but now I'm hearing not to use it incase it has to ever be removed? One recommendation was Life seal?

www.greatgrady.com

 

[mous]

Thank you Pighunter fo your response .... I do not want to drill holes in the boat. I am looking for experience with in-Hull transducers.

 

[Pighunter]

Thank you Pighunter fo your response .... I do not want to drill holes in the boat. I am looking for experience with in-Hull transducers.

Sorry I misunderstood!

 

[mous]

Sorry I misunderstood!

Thank you for taking the initiative to help. May I know where did you install the through-hull transducer? any photo?
the 1kW transducer is 7 inches wide which is difficult to accommodate in the limited bilge area of the 228

 

[luckydude]

Hi all
Grady customer service recommends transom-mounted transducers for this model. What is your experience with in-hull transducers such as M135M (1 KW ) or P75M (600 W)? The bilge area in my 2004 228 is small and uneven (photo attached). Where is the best place to mount the in-hull transducer in this bilge area?

What's wrong with a transom mounted one? I put two on my 228 and they work great.

 

[mous]

What's wrong with a transom mounted one? I put two on my 228 and they work great.

I mounted several transom transducers and I always lose track of the bottom at cruising speed (25 miles). If I push the transducer down a little more to be in the water all the times, It either snaps off or changes position. Also, I leave it on the trailer for months and think the in-hull transducer will be more protected against theft.

 

[leeccoll]

I tried one inside my hull. Mounted it close to the garboard drain.

Didn't work well, so I went with a transom mount.

Good luck,

Lee

 

[luckydude]

I mounted several transom transducers and I always lose track of the bottom at cruising speed (25 miles). If I push the transducer down a little more to be in the water all the times, It either snaps off or changes position. Also, I leave it on the trailer for months and think the in-hull transducer will be more protected against theft.

Theft is a legit concern I guess though if you have enough money to own a boat, seems like you could afford a transducer. I dunno.

As for losing bottom, for me it depends on conditions. If the ocean is pounding the crap out of me, yeah, I'll lose bottom. But I've come in at 35 mph and I still see bottom in nice conditions. I think it may help that I have a 1500 watt transducer. I know I see bottom under way when my buddy in his Triumph does not.

 

[mous]

Theft is a legit concern I guess though if you have enough money to own a boat, seems like you could afford a transducer. I dunno.

As for losing bottom, for me it depends on conditions. If the ocean is pounding the crap out of me, yeah, I'll lose bottom. But I've come in at 35 mph and I still see bottom in nice conditions. I think it may help that I have a 1500 watt transducer. I know I see bottom under way when my buddy in his Triumph does not.

Do you have any photo for your transom-mounted transducer to get an idea about the location?
I think the 1.5 kW transducer won't help if there are air bubbles under the surface of the transducer.

 

[luckydude]

Do you have any photo for your transom-mounted transducer to get an idea about the location?
I think the 1.5 kW transducer won't help if there are air bubbles under the surface of the transducer.

Here ya go.

 

[wrxhoon]

I have the same, no problems holding bottom at any speed up to 600 foot , any deeper she will still hold bottom at 20 knots up to 2000 foot.

 

[luckydude]

I have the same, no problems holding bottom at any speed up to 600 foot , any deeper she will still hold bottom at 20 knots up to 2000 foot.View attachment 16275

I kind of wonder if it is the transducer, I think we have the same one, certainly the same brand. Let me go look up what I have...
My model is TM185HW which is a 1kw (I think I misspoke and said it was 1.5KW). Claims to see to 500'.

 

[Blaugrana]

Here ya go.

View attachment 16273View attachment 16274

Which location do you find better? I thought the feedback was to not put by the drain plug due to how the water might run off the hull at that point.

I am planning to put two new transducers and was curious if I should put them almost side by side like my current ones to the right like yours is or possibly at the bottom where your other one is

 

[luckydude]

Which location do you find better? I thought the feedback was to not put by the drain plug due to how the water might run off the hull at that point.

I am planning to put two new transducers and was curious if I should put them almost side by side like my current ones to the right like yours is or possibly at the bottom where your other one is

If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn't bother with the Garmin next to the plug. That's a "SideVu" thingy, it's mostly a shallow water thing. In theory, I can use it to find bait balls below the surface, in practice all I ever use is the Airmar. Given that wrxhoon and I have the same (or close) transducer mounted in the same place, we both hold bottom at speed, and mine was installed by pros that do this for a living, I'd just get that transducer and put it in the same place, it clearly works. I can take more detailed pics and get you an exact location if you want.

 

[mous]

Here ya go.

View attachment 16273View attachment 16274

Thanks for the photos... both transducers keep track of the bottom or the all in one transducer (lower one) ....

 

[luckydude]

Thanks for the photos... both transducers keep track of the bottom or the all in one transducer (lower one) ....

Just the one to starboard, the Airmar like what wrxhoon has as well. The one at the bottom is a shallow water thing that sees sideways as well as down. It's for shallow water or finding baitballs that aren't at the surface. I rarely use it.

 

[mous]

If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn't bother with the Garmin next to the plug. That's a "SideVu" thingy, it's mostly a shallow water thing. In theory, I can use it to find bait balls below the surface, in practice all I ever use is the Airmar. Given that wrxhoon and I have the same (or close) transducer mounted in the same place, we both hold bottom at speed, and mine was installed by pros that do this for a living, I'd just get that transducer and put it in the same place, it clearly works. I can take more detailed pics and get you an exact location if you want.

Thanks a lot, luckydude and amamola. Having the exact location would be appreciated.

I think I'll go again with the Transom-mounted transducers in the exact location as yours. I plan to have Simrad NSS9 evo3 S (or the older version NSS9 evo3 if I can get a good discount), 3 in 1 active imaging transducer (next to the drain) and Airmar TM185M (for bottom fishing/ bottom details at 300-500 feet).

 

[Ky Grady]

Yep, running a Totalscan ducer on mine in a similar location as the Airmar 1K's ya'll have mounted, holds bottom at speed up to at least 170' or so in a local lake. Never lost bottom in Erie or Santee.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I have an Airmar M260 shoot through the hull ducer on 08 228. It's mounted in the aft compartment diagonal from the 10 gallon tank . my boat has the gas tank mounted all the way forward and a small square compartment aft of it for the water tank. Works like a charm holds the bottom to 1,000 feet at speed.