yet another worthless depth gauge
 

trying to make mine work. Only worked at stopped speed, quits working as soon as put in gear. :( Boat is a stepped hull.

Originally epoxied in the engine compartment on what appears to be a flat solid peice of sumtin,(wood?) glassed over onto the hull. I assumed it was a place that screws could be screwed into w/o going all the way thru. Also have this same type of 'mounting pad' (?) in the cabin entry step that had the forward bilge pump and float screwed onto.

I tried placing the puck in both locations with a goob of silicone, no reading at either place. Any suggestions on what works, and how thick is the hull bottom if I were to cut thru the inner in order to mount within the hull itself? Sure hate to see daylight thru any hole.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

I have an 04' 29.. It was factory installed in the compartment under the step that leads into the cabin. That location is in front of the single step in the running surface. (Let's not confuse steps)
It worked up to 60mph or so for about a month after I took delivery.. And after a Horriffic ocean experience it stopped reading.. But the shallow alarm just kept on working at every inopportune moment... I disconnected it this season. I have always had a depth finder and was paranoid to run a boat without one, but I have gotten over it......

Good Luck

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

Is it just epoxied to the bottom or is it set into the bottom?

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

It's epoxied and screwed......

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

Had one on my 27ft didn't even get one on the 35ft never worked right anyway.....BZ

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

The one on my 27 just up and quit one day. I would like to have a working gauge due to usually shallow water and changing water conditions. Any ideas on how to install one so that it works? Mine is a Gaffrig, is another mfr better?

Thanks.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

It has to be where Dragon fire has his.
It will not work anywhere else.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

just duct tape (grey color preferred) a yardstick to the freeboard and when it snaps off, raise your drives. :fish: :frog:

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

I have had the same problem , but I had one on my 25 checkmate for five years and it worked 100%. On my 35 step hull it only works when the boat is setting still.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

Thinking about mounting it to the drive skeg. Lowest part of the boat and always in the water.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

That is most likey the best place . But would not stay on long at wot.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

I dont think you are to use silicone glue. I think it needs a hard surface glue like epoxy. Mine is also in front of the fiirst step.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

I was just using silicone for testing 2 different t-ducers and different locations. Possibly why all the trails ended in no worky?

Ray, is yours just epoxied to the bottom or is imbedded into the hull? How well does it work? Thanks

I wasn't serious about the skeg mounting idea. ;)

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

your supposed to epoxy it........

I use a small Eagle fishfinder for a depth gauge even though I dont fish and people come from all over the world to fish around here :p .......I used the plastic bag method as described by Mike.......It wont give you a depth on plane, only off plane.........but on plane it will give you a pic of the bottom and any fish you pass over and you can tell what the bottom is like (rocky, muddy etc) by the bottom signiture it produces.........sounds like I have ONE thing more trick than US1!!! :evilb: ........ I feel if your worried about depth you should be off plane anyway........it doesnt stop me from having my passengers looking over the side for big rocks,logs etc however cause a fishing fanatic guy I know told me the diameter of the beam by the time it hits the bottom of the lake is only about 12'' in diameter

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

Don't get too comfy Doug. I been holden back. :D

I just hate having a gauge that doesn't work.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

Where is the depth finder mounted on a 2000 27' Fountain Fever. I am having trouble with it reading correct. It usually reads 1.3 - 1.5 ft. Any suggestions?

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

The location I would bet Has a lot to do with the ventilated hulls. any full deep v the I have had the transducer was in the engine comp . and worked fine ,all these new step bottoms with the vented hull the depth does not work over 5mph. I would say the instirment people must go back to the drawing board.

Re: yet another worthless depth gauge
 

I would tend to doubt that . . . US1 rules.
I am, however, astonished that he has yet to devise a solution. He's been workin this for some time now.
Fortunately I have no need for a depth-finder, as I am not a "lake-boater", and as a seasoned mariner, my intuition is infallible.
For 'iffy' situations ( mostly while setting ground tackle ), I will dangle one of my gold chains into the briney to more accurately plumb the depth. . . .