Depth finder inop

Dredd · 09-02-2010, 06:26 PM

Is there any particular epoxy that anyone recommends?
Also, how good can they get? Do the factory ones work when you're on plane in choppy water?

Mine hasn't ever worked constantly and we've always just lived with it but I'm starting to lean towards re-epoxying (even though it feels solid) it after some of the comments in here.

***mosky*** · 09-02-2010, 06:39 PM

i read somewhere (not the same place that said to use the 3M 5200) that you should use a slow cure epoxy and not one of the quick 5 minute or 30 minute cure ones. The reasoning behind the slower cure is that it should give the air bubbles time to disapate before the epxoy hardens. You should also make sure you mix the epoxy very slowly to avoid creating any air bubbles as you'd be surprised at how many you can create if you mix the epoxy with any kind of vigour. if you can i would recomment building a small 'dam' on the low side of the mounting area just outside of where you're mounting the transducer (not directly under it) with any silicone sealant to try and prevent all the epoxy from running out as the epoxy cures. Also make sure you hold the transducer down with some significant weight as it cures ( i used a stack of 1 1/4" ID metal washers) to ensure that the trasnducer doesn't move or separate slightly as it cures. This all sounds so easy as you read it but if you know where it goes under the engine in the bilge i'm sure you will realize its not as easy as it sounds. Also make sure you get in there before gluing and clean the old epoxy off the mounting surface as well as the transducer before you begin.
Before you do anything i would highly recommend that you test the old transducer in a pail of water to ensure that it is still working! I went through the exercise before i re-epoxied mine (after prying it off the hull) and found that the trasnducer was defective. it would really suck to have gone through all that work and found out you just re-epoxied a dead transducer onto your hull....
As for working in choppy water and on plane i have found that as long as the stern is touching the water and you are not doing any wild turns or manuevers the depth finder will give a consistent reading all the way up to my top speed of 55 mph. i believe that the PD-N transducer on the 3500 depth finder is rated for up to 70 mph depending on depth (deeper water would require lower speeds).