Replace depth transducer

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bdeliman
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Joined: 8/24/15
Posts: 43
Replace depth transducer

Is it possible to remove the original depth transducer. The speed transducer comes out easily, but it isn't obvious, to me at least, if the depth transducer can be removed from it's housing. I'm updating the gauges. Has anyone done this, or should I just drill a new a new one.

Bill Deliman

Vivacious 2
1989 Catalina 36, Tall Rig, Wing Keel, m25xp
Atlantic Highlands, N.J.

William Miller
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Joined: 10/4/08
Posts: 294

I just installed a airpath transducer that shoots thru the hull.It will connect to my Garmin 4208 chart plotter.Very easy to install and no hole in hull. It works very good and I still have my old depth finder 

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

William Miller
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Posts: 294

I just installed a airpath transducer that shoots thru the hull.It will connect to my Garmin 4208 chart plotter.Very easy to install and no hole in hull. It works very good and I still have my old depth finder 

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

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GaryB
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Joined: 10/26/08
Posts: 570

Bill,

You are correct that the knot meter transducer is sleeved and so you can take the unit out to clean. The depth sounder is not sleeved in most cases and to remove, the boat would be out of the water. You would need to back off the flanged nut, more than likely, use some heat to loosen (make it pliable) any sealant that was involved, and remove. Your choice about whether you drill a new location or use old. I prefer minimum holes in the hull, but must admit I have 2 depth transducers.

Gary Bain
S/V "Gone With The Wind"
Catalina 36', Hull #: 1056, Year: 1990, Engine: M-35
Standard Rig
Moored: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Home: Auburn, Maine

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bakerha
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Posts: 267

Bill:  I have the same boat as you and replaced my old signet transducer as a first step to getting a more reliable depth sounder.  Mine would loose lock on the bottom at very awkward times so it had to get fixed. My old transducer was under the forward cabin floor and very difficult to access.  I enlarged the hole in the floor to get better access and that helped.  My old transducer was one piece as stated above and not easy to get out.  Heat, a pipe wrench and a lot of swearing seemed to help.  The old transducer was flush mount and the hole was to large for the new mushroom head design. So I had the hole glassed and I re-drilled it to fit.  HOWEVER - the new transducer did not fix my depth problem and in the meantime my chart-plotter also went dead.  Long story but I ended up with a Garmin Chart / sounder and a new tilted element Airmar transducer.  This new equipment works great - rock solid depth regardless of the bottom type. Picture is old transducer with hole cutout larger.

_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP

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Catboat Willy
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Posts: 385

Harold; Exactly where is you depth transducer located? Reason I ask is that mine seems to be located UNDER the holding tank which would mean removing the holding tank to access it. When the time comes, I'm thinking that I would just leave the old one in place and find a new spot for the new depth transducer.

Bill Dolan 1990 Catalina C-36 MKI - Hull #1041  'Williwaw'
Std. Rig, Walk Through, Wing Keel
M35, Oberdorfer Conversion,
Home Waters; Charlotte  Harbor & The Gulf Islands of Florida
'You are never out of work if you own a boat'

 

William Miller
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Joined: 10/4/08
Posts: 294

I have a 1990 and mine is below the V berth just as you open the center door under the bed. Very easy to get to .Mine was not working as well as I would like so I put in a new one by aiirpath that hooked to my garmin 4208 by nema 2000 and it shoots thru the hull no holes to cut and it is on a different freq than my other one so now I have 2 and the new one works great

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

William Miller
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Joined: 10/4/08
Posts: 294

One othe thing if you go with this unit the dead rise is 20 degrees

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

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Catboat Willy
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Joined: 12/22/14
Posts: 385

Thanks Bill ! That is helpful.
Bill

Bill Dolan 1990 Catalina C-36 MKI - Hull #1041  'Williwaw'
Std. Rig, Walk Through, Wing Keel
M35, Oberdorfer Conversion,
Home Waters; Charlotte  Harbor & The Gulf Islands of Florida
'You are never out of work if you own a boat'

 

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bakerha
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Joined: 7/23/10
Posts: 267

Bill - my transducer is under the forward cabin sole - see picture.  Pretty easy to get to but the access hole had to be enlarged to get a wrench on it and my hand on the wrench at the same time.  I would be amazed if yours was under the black tank, but, I've seen stranger things on boats. I would be tempted to go the - leave that one alone and install one of the "shoot through the hull" ones like mentioned above.  I am very happy with the Airmar I have and it gives me full sounding (i.e. Fish Finder) capability with my Garmin chartplotter.  Make sure you match the transducer to the dead rise of the hull where you intend to mount it.  Also - on mine there was an arrow that I assumed pointed forward.  But very un-manly like I read the directions before I installed it - and the arrow points toward the keel line of the boat!

_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP

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William Miller
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Joined: 10/4/08
Posts: 294

I was wrong when I said my transducer is airpath it is the same as Harolds a airmar

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

glenhelton
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Joined: 7/8/19
Posts: 1

For those of you who are using the Airmar shoot-thru-the-hull transducer, do you know which model you have?  And where exactly are you mounting it, right next to the original thru-hull one?

True Wind
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Joined: 7/15/12
Posts: 139

Here is my installation of transducers. One is a shoot through. The shoot through is a medium band CHIRP.
David

2003 Catalina 36

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