Depth Sounders - Penny Wise...
 

Looking for advice on depth sounders. Currently have a TeleFlex depth sounder with a thru hull transducer (believe the model name for this depth sounder is the "El Cheapo"). Redoing all gauges this spring, probably with Gaffrig "Waterproof" and was looking for advice on depthsounders/ transducers...
1) Anybody have any history with Gaffrig DS in weeds & muck? The El-Cheapo Teleflex has cost me ~ $500 in prop repairs so far due to 'waffling' in weedy areas.
2) How do you remove, prep & replace the puck mounted in the bilge?
3) Anything else I need to know before buying? I heard something about frequency & power relating to DS's...I don't care about accuracy in deep water, only shallow water. My problem is that with the TeleFlex, it so frequently misreads depth and goes blank that I cannot trust it in shallow water anymore.

Any help would be appreciated.

I have a Gaffrig in my Checkmate and it does the same thing. I called and talked with Mike Livorsy and he said to check and make sure that the puck was`nt put in with silicone instead of epoxy. I checked and sure enough, the highly skilled ''riggers''at Checkmate used silicone! Just one more thing that I have to straighten out on this piece of crap.

Believe it or not, the TeleFlex is the same unit as the Gaffrig. I looked into this when my TF bit the dust. TF is actually made my Hummingbird, and Gaffrig relabels it. I replaced my entire depth finder puck and guage with a new hummingbird. I used the transom mount pickup, and actually epoxied it to the bilge; (you can do this on their model). The puck and the transom pickup module are the same unit, just a different shape, and I was able to get the transom mount transducer down closer to the pad/keel of the boat.

Does you boat have a step? If so, you need to mount the transducer in the bottom of the boat; forward of the step; just forward of the step. There are other theads on this in Gen Disc; and Tech Forum. Do a search.

If you have coring in your bottom the bilge mount units will not work. I mounted mine on the transom. It works fine at idle, anything after that it stops working.

Wait, so your saying to use epoxy and it will work better in shallow water?

They are all the same unit, just the frequency and cone angle of the transducer changes for 500' vs 200' units. Foam or balsa has air trapped in it and will not work unless you remove the core all the way to the 'glass, not the best idea. They will all wander in weedy and muddy areas even where the consistency of the silt/muck changes. I always use charts, slow sreed, and an eagle eye over the side in unfamiliar areas...the DS is just for an overall reference in those circumstances. Transom mounts work better, you can get closer to the bottom of the boat in relation to the drives. I have used the $109 200' Teleflex in white on 4 different boats...no problems with the units themselves. I always re-engineer my installation to lock the transducer down..as in no kickup capability. If your worried about the transducer...well if it gets sacrificed you have bigger problems. :eek:

Silicone is soft and dampens the signal instead of transmiting it through like the hardened epoxy does.

Not to mention that unless you mount that puck perfectly parallel in the keel of the boat ( thickest and hardest to get at) you are sacrificing return signal because the transducer is angled off to the side of the boat some in most thru hull applications. This is particularly a problem with narrow cone angle transducers ...that is how they get more depth cabability. Go with a transom mount, get over the appearance of it...it's too important imformation to give up performance and accuracy.

Go here for great info on transducers. They supply transducers to most depth manufacturers

AIRMAR.Com

I've also seen transducer mounts that fill with oil that you can place the transducer into that are supposed to work well. That is about the only way you can get the transducer to work "straight up" in a deep vee. Once again, if your hull is cored, you gotta find a solid spot.