Hello gentlemen. I am in the market for a transducer for a garmin 740. The tech thought a Gradys hull might be to thick for a in hull transducer???? Currently have a raymarina for the late 90s and is acting poorly. What would you put in your boat???
Threw hull or in hull Transducer
- Thread starter GreatWhite23
- Start date
I have two of the garmin 740S units with the B60 600W thru-hull bronze flush mount transducer with 20 degree tilted element and it functions awesome - very happy with it.
I started with an in-hull tducer, in a well as Airmar instructs, and it worked just ok. Lost the bottom above 30 mph but in shallow water it worked fine at lower speeds. I switched to a thru-hull B60 tilted element as the other poster used and it works really well. Never lose the bottom at 50 mph and the sensitivity seems better. I left the in-hull unit in place as a back up but I normally use the B60.
No big deal to install the B60- get a new hole saw, tape off the area, cut the hole, use a good below waterline sealant, set the hull angle, tighten it up and done. The time to put in the tducer itself (not counting running the cable, which took a lot of time) is about 20 min. It's nice a flush with the bottom, unlike the old ones with fairing blocks and a large protuberance.
No big deal to install the B60- get a new hole saw, tape off the area, cut the hole, use a good below waterline sealant, set the hull angle, tighten it up and done. The time to put in the tducer itself (not counting running the cable, which took a lot of time) is about 20 min. It's nice a flush with the bottom, unlike the old ones with fairing blocks and a large protuberance.
I have the B164 coupled to a Furuno 585.....1000 watt version, 20 degree tilt.....works well....just requires a 4 inch hole. No fairing block needed. Heard of performance issues with shoot thru the hull ducers.J-Sea said:
I use a transom mount on a Furuno and a thru hull on a Lowrance. Both work good but the thru hull never loses bottom signal. In shallow stirred up water as an in an inlet I occasionally lose bottom signal with the transom mount. Trick is to find the "sweet spot" in the hull before mounting it and then use good epoxy and make sure you get all the air bubbles out. I called Lowrance and Grady White techs and talked to them about the hull.
I have. The Airmar "shoot thru" and it's junk. It starts with no reading and eventually shows a depth..say 10'. Once the first depth appears, it never changes regardless of speed. Maybe the Grady Hulls are too thick...I believe they are not cored, but solid, correct?. Next winter I'll be installing a bronze thru hull.
Thanks for your help. My current system is a threw hull does the same as you are describing. Very frustrating when your are working a wreck and the radar says it is not there on one pass then the next it is there. As much as I would like to put a in hull in for the season then switch it out this winter I will pull it and put a threw hull. If I am spending $ in gas time ect probably should take the time in to put a good transducer. The tech at the stores Knew what the have been told experience goes a long way. Next question is there a big difference between the gulfstream and the sailfish in the mid 90s. Seems to me it is comparable to the marlin just alittle shorter. The sailfish has ac, fridg , more comfortable for weekend stays. But what about handling rough seas ect. The Gulf is a great boat, just looking to upsize. Saw a 2005 Sailfish on craigslist for 25k needing power and some electronics. gone now did not know enough about it to buy her.
B60 through hull for me too. There's a great you tube video of a marina installing one. They have a masking tape trick to keep the 3m 4200 from getting everywhere.
Big hole saw and some huge channel locks are all the tools you need.
I had a pic taken of me drilling the hole. Pretty stressful.
Big hole saw and some huge channel locks are all the tools you need.
I had a pic taken of me drilling the hole. Pretty stressful.
I have a 1 kw airmar shoot thru the hull and my results are quite good. These transducer do not work well in cored areas of the hull. Mine holds the bottom at 1,300 feet at speed and gives me reliable shallow water results down to a foot.
Bob,
What liquid did you use in your Airmar? We used red water system antifreeze. A buddy suggested linseed oil. Maybe a different fluid helps?
What liquid did you use in your Airmar? We used red water system antifreeze. A buddy suggested linseed oil. Maybe a different fluid helps?
Greatwhite,
Can't speak to the handling differences between a Gulfstream and a Sailfish...for us, it's the stand-up head and the transom door. Also seems like the bridge is elevated a foot or so on the sailfish. Downsizing from a fly bridge, this influenced our choice as well.
Can't speak to the handling differences between a Gulfstream and a Sailfish...for us, it's the stand-up head and the transom door. Also seems like the bridge is elevated a foot or so on the sailfish. Downsizing from a fly bridge, this influenced our choice as well.
I have the B60 and it works great. One thing I did NOT like was the installer first out it too far outboard, and it picked up bubbles and foam from the chine at speed. He had to seal the hole (did a good job) and move it first her in; now I don't lose bottom at any speed. A shoot-thru wouldn't work for me; I use the water temp reading all the time.
RiverRat:
Originally the dealer installed the unit using pure mineral oil from the drug store. It worked really good, but they bedded it with 5200 and while 5200 is like a forever bond, it softens over time when exposed to various oils such as mineral oil.
So I contemplated glassing it in and decided to stick with 5200 and went with the ethylene glycol (red RV antifreeze) and I did not dilute it all. It has been 3 years running the red juice and it is fine.
I have water temp sensor on the stern so there is no loss there at all in terms of functionality. I wonder if folks who have used the in hull type and have had issues if their unit was leaking fluid or it was not filled up all the way. Air inside the box is no different that having highly aerated water under the puck on the stern or under the element under the hull.
Maybe one day I will get a new fangled high def sonar unit for the Garmin and will need a better transducer. I currently have the Garmin GDS 22 digital sounder and I am using the M260 unit. I dont bottom fish a great deal and for me I honestly rely on the sounder more for shallow water navigation. When I am trolling over structure or wrecks though I do use it in those instances or when I am looking for structure in the Keys for snapper fishing. For me it works well.
Originally the dealer installed the unit using pure mineral oil from the drug store. It worked really good, but they bedded it with 5200 and while 5200 is like a forever bond, it softens over time when exposed to various oils such as mineral oil.
So I contemplated glassing it in and decided to stick with 5200 and went with the ethylene glycol (red RV antifreeze) and I did not dilute it all. It has been 3 years running the red juice and it is fine.
I have water temp sensor on the stern so there is no loss there at all in terms of functionality. I wonder if folks who have used the in hull type and have had issues if their unit was leaking fluid or it was not filled up all the way. Air inside the box is no different that having highly aerated water under the puck on the stern or under the element under the hull.
Maybe one day I will get a new fangled high def sonar unit for the Garmin and will need a better transducer. I currently have the Garmin GDS 22 digital sounder and I am using the M260 unit. I dont bottom fish a great deal and for me I honestly rely on the sounder more for shallow water navigation. When I am trolling over structure or wrecks though I do use it in those instances or when I am looking for structure in the Keys for snapper fishing. For me it works well.