Guys,

Shortly after buying our OQ, the depth finder stopped reading anything near accurately, and we couldn’t seem to figure out why. We’d pretty much dismissed it as incorrectable user error. But, this morning, buttoning up something else, I find this:



Just laying in the side section of the bilge.

Is this my Depth finder transponder?

And where should it go? I can’t find a spot where the blue blob will just puzzle-piece Tetris back into place….

Thanks. Brad.

Well, no wonder it didn't work. You need to find a spot in the bilge where the bottom stays wet (in water while on plane). The transducer needs to be bonded to the bilge with an epoxy mix and shoot straight down to be accurate. I am not sure that spray foam is the best bonding material. Usually there is a piece of cutoff pvc pipe bonded to the bilge, at a right angle to the bottom, the transducer sits in the pipe, and you pour an epoxy mix in there to cover the bottom of the trans, and fill up to the top of the trans with the cable sticking out. Once it is cured, there should be no air pockets and the transducer will shoot through the epoxy and the fiberglass.

it will not shoot thru air so that is why they have to be bedded in epoxy or some other solid material. there are some that have a base that is epoxied in and then filled with oil to remove that air. if your boat is cored then you have to cut the inner skin and remove it and the core down to the outer skin and epoxy the puck down.

Transducer, but yes that's it.

I temporarily installed mine in silicone, 11 years later still works like a champ.

Stick it sown with clear silicone to test the location(make sure it shoots through ok) Then you can epoxy it this winter if want. As ICDEDPPL said, I did that for a test with mine and it is still working.

Like others always just used clear silicone. Life seal was always my go to. I’d make sure the silicone coated the whole bottom and when installing is turn it 90 degrees while pushing down and then back to help push out any air bubbles. Not sure if it works or even matters but they all worked.

Guys,





So, I’ve got a PVC pipe epoxied to the bilge, and filled it level with epoxy. Yes, I know the epoxy is red/brown. My West Systems (105/206) has been around a while. It’s been a minute since I’ve built any model boats. The hardener starts tinting from the steel can after a couple years. It’s still good though.

I’m thinking the silicone is probably a safer way to go from this point, though, just in case. So just a solid layer of black, oil resistant silicone on the bottom of the transducer and on the surface it’s to be attached to, “roll” it into place to make sure there are no air pockets, then weight it down until the silicone sets up? Then a bead or three around to really seal it in place? Sound like a plan?

Thanks. Brad.

That should work as long as where you have it is not cored. The other thing is it should be forward of your step, as soon as you start moving the step will start putting air bubbles in, my old ZX Donzi was like that.

Worked great up to about 3-4mph! LOL.

My new transducer on the fountain you glue down the bracket then fill with antifreeze, makes it replaceable.

Wildman,

Pretty sure I’m putting it back pretty much exactly where it was, although I can’t find where it was actually attached. I’m thinking it was near the keel, under the engine. I’m not crawling down that far. This is just outside the engine stringer. I also don’t have ready access to the hull ahead of the step. I’m not worried about it working while underway. If I need to know the depth, I’ll be at an idle. We don’t boat anywhere that has those kinds of depth changes.

Thanks. Brad.