Second deep sounder, fish finder

What are your thoughts on adding a fish finder transom mounted device?

I have a dept sounder, but would like a detailed look at the bottom to at least 100 feet and a bit forward and to the side.

Thoughts?, Comments??, Waste of time and money???

Greetings,
Mr. W. What are the shortcomings of your current unit? Is it not able to give you bottom information? I suspect you have a cored hull and are unable to mount a new transducer to "shoot through the hull" as a result but there IS a process whereby you can accomplish that.

Current unit is a depth sounder, but provides no detail, other than depth.

I'd like to see large rocks and things within a boat length.

Yes, cored hull and I just don't want to make another hole in the hull.

Go get one of these...all will be revealed...and no cross talk issues!

http://www.soundmetrics.com/products/aris-sonars/aris-explorer-1800


Jim
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Recently installed Raymarine a68, it came with xducer. It is a back-up to the other Raymarine that is installed and which has some issues. I purchased an additional bronze thru-hull xducer for it, which is positioned pretty much in same position as other xducer but on other side of keel. The xducer that came with unit was installed on Bullfrog dinghy, so I can move unit back and forth. It works very well, has 2 frequencies. Both normal view and downscope. No interference with other unit that I have noticed. It has a built in chart plotter, which is not normally used by me. It was on sale for less than 400 bucks, which to me is a great deal. I have seen nice clear returns to 600 feet. I had an old, just digital read-out Coastal Navigator, that I used back in the seventies, no picture. Cruised Seattle to Alaska, Charlottes, outside Vancouver Island, really like having a bottom picture these days. No chart plotter then either. Things are easier, these days, except for my age!

This may be more in my budget

Lowrance 000-11448-001 Elite-3X Fishfinder with 83/200 Transducer

That should work. Be better than just numbers, and you would have a back-up.

Richard: If you go with a transom mount transducer, and I would, don't permanently mount it till you have tested it while underway. I'd tie the transducer off (so it doesn't get lost) and use a suction cup to temporarily mount it till you figure out the correct placement. On our dinghy, there is a definite sweat spot that works at all speeds. The water/turbulence from the stern and propeller passing over the face of the transducer can affect the readings.

What model transducer do you have now?

I have always had two sounders. My main sounder is a good Raymarine unit w didgital readout w big numbers. I like to know my depth at an instant by flicking my eyes at the readout for only a moment.
My other sounder is an inexpensive fish finder. Tells a lot about the bottom. I often survey the whole anchorage before anchoring.

I fell into this by having one go bad in my other boat .. getting a new one and then reserecting the other sounder. Found the combination of two sounders (one a fish finder) so useful I've not been without since.

manyboats said:

I have always had two sounders. My main sounder is a good Raymarine unit w didgital readout w big numbers. I like to know my depth at an instant by flicking my eyes at the readout for only a moment.
My other sounder is an inexpensive fish finder. Tells a lot about the bottom. I often survey the whole anchorage before anchoring.

I fell into this by having one go bad in my other boat .. getting a new one and then resurrecting the other sounder. Found the combination of two sounders (one a fish finder) so useful I've not been without since.

Click to expand...

Yes. THis is exactly what I think I want to do and everyone's comments have confirmed it.

I wa thinking of not hunting it permanently, but making a pole for it so I could hang it off the bow or midships, under the right conditions.

I have 3 thruhull transducers, #1 lowrance digital with a display at the lower helm and a repeater on the bridge, this is a old unit that lowrance hasn't supported for years but it still functions very well. #2 interphase probe with a display on the bridge. #3 is a standard horizon triducer for use with the 12" cp590 at the lower helm, it was installed over the winter replacing the old garmin triducer.

Thanks Richard and my transducers are on different sides of the boat w different frequencies. They don't inter-react.

I still have my Raymarine unit, that is displayed on my Raymarine chart plotter

The second is the Maretron unit. That is displayed on my monitors and in Coastal Explorer. I hope to finally get the speed impeller calibrated this summer.

So, this would by #3, with the idea that i would use it in anchoring situations. Now as I think about it, while i will not mount it permanently at first. I am a big believer in using, or at least seeing the output, all the time, so that when you do need it, you understand what it is telling you.

Therefore, to just throw it out there when I need it is at best a waste of money and at worst leads to misplaced trust.

I'll see what Parks has.