[Rhodes22-list] Bluetooth depth finder for Navionics

[Michael D. Weisner]

I don’t like making holes either. I have had good results snugging the transducer up against the hull as follows:

  1. Clean area where you will place the transducer thoroughly.
           My favorite location is just ahead of the cockpit drain, out of the way in the lazarette.
  2. While floating, place a bit of water where you would like to locate the transducer.
  3. Insert the transducer into the water, business side to the hull and hold tightly to the hull.
  4. Have assistant power up depth meter and verify proper operation and reading.
           Measure your depth accurately with a boat pole, stick or tape measure. 
  5. Turn off meter, snake cable appropriately between meter and selected location.
  6. Remove water added to make good sonar "seal" in step #2.
          Thoroughly dry the transducer location.
  7. Apply a good sized blob of DAP Kwik Seal Kitchen and Bath caulk to the location.
  8. Insert the transducer into the sealant, business side to the hull,
          and press tightly against the hull until caulk sets up.
  9. Test depth meter operation. Reposition transducer if necessary.
  10. Let sealant dry at least 24 hours.

I have found that the DAP Kwik Seal product is easy to work with and sets up in less than 10 minutes. Once it has cured, the sound passes through the hull with little loss. I chose the location just ahead of the cockpit drain because it was easy to access, relatively protected, saw little turbulence and was almost perfectly located, "height wise" at the bottom of the boat. If you need to move the transducer, the sealant can be easily removed from the transducer and the hull without damage.
 
Mike
s/v Wind Lass ('91)
Nissequogue River, NY

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of Allyn Baskerville
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:13 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Bluetooth depth finder for Navionics

Thanks for the input! I had no idea that a depth transfer spoke NMEA 0183 - I thought that was only AIS. I did purchase an NMEA 0183 multiplexer, but I’m having a really hard time purchasing a thru-hull depth transducer. I just can’t punch a hole through a perfectly good hull. I did find a in-hull transducer, so I’ll probably go that route. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 17, 2020, at 8:29 PM, Peter Nyberg <peter at sunnybeeches.com> wrote:
> 
> FWIW, my approach on this was to use a NMEA 0183 multiplexer.
> 
> My VHF radio also has GPS and AIS.  I have a thru-hull transducer that has depth, speed, and temperature.  Both of these speak NMEA 0183. They are connected by wire to a multiplexer that my iPad will connect to via WIFI.  My chart plotter app (SEAiq) supports integrating all of this data into its display over the WIFI connection.  (I know INavX also supports this.).  
> 
> Peter Nyberg
> Coventry, CT 
> s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)
>